Film Screening 16th May, 2003

Poster for The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher 

8:00 PM, 16th May, 2003

  • R
  • 131 mins
  • 2001
  • Michael Haneke
  • Michael Haneke
  • Isabelle Huppert, Benoit Magimel, Annie Girardot

This film enjoyed international success and acclaim in 2002. Based on a novel by Elfriede Jelinek, it is a unique look at the life of a female piano teacher, Erika (Huppert). Erika is a strict teacher and is hard on her students, yet the result achieved is a moving soundtrack featuring many classic composers. Erika is single and in her mid to late thirties and still lives with her mother (Girardot). But something is about to change. Walter (Magimel), a new and somewhat attractive pupil, shows an instant attraction to his teacher. The Piano Teacher explores relationship, desires, and fears through the risky liaison of student and teacher.

Bridget Randall

Poster for Flesh Gordon

Flesh Gordon 

10:00 PM, 16th May, 2003

  • R
  • 78 mins
  • 1974
  • Michael Benveniste, Howard Ziehm
  • Michael Benveniste
  • Jason Williams, Cindy Hopkins, William Dennis Hunt, Candy Samples, Mycle Brandy, Joseph Hudgins

Planet Earth is in a state of heightened alert. The evil Emperor Wang the Perverted of the planet Porno has aimed his dastardly Sex Ray toward Earth, turning everyone into sex maniacs. Civilisation grinds to a halt. So Flesh Gordon, returning from a hockey match, comes to the rescue, along with his female sidekick Dale Ardor and the scientist Dr. Flexi Jerkoff. Together they travel to the planet Porno (in their rather phallic looking spaceship) to do battle with the evil Wang, overcoming whatever obstacles come their way. They encounter a Penisaurus, topless Amazons and rapist robots. Who said they were politically correct in the early 70s? In case you were wondering, this is a skin-flick parody of the 1930s Flash Gordon serial. Originally conceived as a hardcore film, the film ran into legal troubles during its production, with the police sitting in the editing room and supervising the deletion of explicit footage (which they took with them). This was one of Craig T. Nelson's earliest films (he performed the voiceover for the giant claymation monster that Flesh battles during the film's climax).

Tony Fidanza