From dak at sarai.net Wed May 8 13:17:33 2002 From: dak at sarai.net (dak at sarai.net) Date: Wed, 08 May 2002 07:47:33 GMT Subject: [Sarai Newsletter]May 2002 Message-ID: <20020508.7473300@saumya.sarai.kit> Table of Contents I.New at Sarai website II.Filmcomedy at Sarai: The Marx Brothers I. New @ Sarai website Digital artworks and essays on internet culture and cinema theory are new at www.sarai.net. i. Dilliwale kaun/ Baharwale kaun digital artwork by Syeda Farhana A result of Syeda Farhana's residency at Sarai last winter, Dilliwale Kaun/ Baharwale Kaun consists of photographic & textual narratives on the theme of "The Outsider". Also available at the Sarai Interface Zone. www.sarai.net/compositions/image/farhana/Html/index.htm ii. ARTificial ART: lines digital artwork by Kurt Baumann Baumann graphically interprets the word 'sarai' www.sarai.net/compositions/image/kurt_baumann/kurt0.htm iii. SEXWORKS|NETWORKS [] What do people get out of Internet porn? an essay by Rana Dasgupta http://www.sarai.net/compositions/texts/works/rana.htm iv. Another History Rises to the Surface: Melodrama Theory and Digital Simulation in 'Hey Ram' (Kamalahasan, 1999) an essay by Ravi Vasudevan http://www.sarai.net/mediacity/filmcity/essays/heyram.htm II. filmcomedy at sarai: The Marx Brothers All screenings are on Fridays at 4:30pm, Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. The films are listed in the order of screening. During these hard summer months, and in an environment rife with the darkness of politics and the cruelty of our society, Sarai choses to showcase a cinema of irreverence, anarchy, or, as the Japanese would call it, nansensu. Perhaps the sheer exuberance of the Marx brothers debunking of authority, politics and a respectable society will provide some respite and a salutary release from the horrors of our contemporary situation. In any case, we don't need to justify this month's film series at Sarai, a tribute to the Marx brothers, Groucho, Harpo and Chico, the surreal triumvirate of bad taste, nonsensical repartee, and, in Harpo, the magician of silent performance and of the manic visual pun. Imagine Johnny Lever multiplied by three so that he overwhelms a Hindi film story, reducing romance, heroism and morality to sideshow items, and you'll know what's in store for you this month. `Like Chaplin and Keaton, the Marx Brothers came out of a background of poverty and a childhood on the vaudeville circuit, which may or may not say something about the origins necessary to become a great comedian. But while Chaplin and Keaton rose high above their vaudeville music-hall backgrounds, recasting themselves as great mime artists, the Marx Brothers, if anything, reduced vaudeville slapstick to its most debased level. In other words, they revelled in their vulgarity. Rather than try to rise above it and elevate themselves to artistry, they took lowbrowism and shamelessly pushed it to extremes. They were neither poised nor poetic, not sublime or mystical, not skilled acrobats or breakers of hearts, or deeply tragic beneath their comic masks. They were cheap, sophomoric, scatological, reckless, excessive, lunatic, and assinine, all to such extremes that they turned everything impossibly bad into something extremely good.' (William Bayer ) 1. 10th May, 2002 Duck Soup (1933), 75 mins, b/w, VHS Director: Leo McCarey Released in 1933, this political satire is thought by many as the greatest Marx Brothers movie. `Duck Soup' is a short, but brilliant satire and lampooning of blundering dictatorial leaders, Fascism and authoritarian government. The film, made during the crisis period of the Depression, was their last film in a five-picture contract with Paramount Studios. `Duck Soup' was both a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release - audiences were taken aback by such preposterous political disrespect, buffoonery and cynicism at a time of political crisis. Fascist Italian dictator Mussolini banned the film in his country. The film was rediscovered by the generation of 1960s college students. The irrepressible comedians in this quintessential anarchic, satirical film simply but irreverently attack the pomposity of governmental leaders, the absurdity of government itself, governmental diplomacy, an arbitrary legal system, and war fought over petty matters. The non-stop, frenetic film is filled with a number of delightfully hilarious moments, gags, fast-moving acts, double entendres, comedy routines, puns, pure silliness, zany improvisations, quips and insult-spewed lines of dialogue - much of the comedy makes the obvious statement that war is indeed nonsensical and meaninglessly destructive. 2. 17th May, 2002 Horse Feathers (1932), 70 min Director : Norman Z. McLeod 'Horse Feathers' is an anarchic parody of higher education and a subversive attack on authority and society. All four Marx brothers, including Zeppo, get mixed up with a hidebound university when Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) takes over distinguished Huxley College and lets anarchy run riot whenever he's not singing his theme, "Whatever it is, I'm against it." The mad-cap film, a zany take-off on college education and football, is known for its fast-paced, non-sequitor, inconsistent nature as was typical of all Marx Brothers films. The plot affords many opportunities for the comedic team to show off their anarchic style of humor, with many pun-filled, absurd, nonsensical bits of dialogue, insults, idiosyncracies, and one-liners. 3. 24th May, 2002 A Night at the Opera (1935), 96 min. b/w, VHS Director: Sam Wood 'A Night at the Opera' was the first Marx Brothers film produced at MGM. The move resulted in a landmark film with a more developed and polished plot-line, and brought them their first commercial success. Their most recent movie, 'Duck Soup', made in 1933, was branded as high-gear Marxist anarchy. To some, this was what the Marx Brothers symbolized, and it delighted audiences. Unfortunately, 'Duck Soup' didn't do all that well at the box office. There were others who did not appreciate the lunacy that the Marx Brothers portrayed. It was MGM's Thalberg who felt that the Marx Brothers could produce a comedy that had a carefully-written plot where the boys could stay true to their zany antics, while at the same time, come to the rescue of a couple in love. He felt this would generate sympathy for the boys as the storyline progressed - something that was not evident in their prior films. A road-show tour before live audiences allowed writer Al Boasberg to repeatedly test draft scripts. The result - well-refined, polished scenes of classic romantic comedy and dialogue, flowing together smoothly with the story and the characters of the brothers, and timed to take into account reaction time for laughs. It was designed to appeal to female audiences, with less zany and unhibited behavior exhibited by the brothers. The gamble paid off. On the basis of its initial release, 'A Night at the Opera' brought in US $3 million, which made it their most successful initial film release. 4. 31st May, 2002 A Night in Casablanca (1946), 85 min b/w, VHS Director: Archie Mayo 'A Night in Casablanca' marked the reunion of the brothers after the team disbanded in 1941. Several plot elements come together in this film. Nazi war criminal Heinrich Stubel, alias Count Pfefferman (Sig Ruman), is offing hotel managers at an alarming rate in the hope that he will be appointed manager himself. Unfortunately, when he is finally offered the job he is indisposed because Stubel's valet Rusty (Harpo) has sucked his hairpiece into a vacuum cleaner, thus exposing an incriminating scar on Stubel's head. Instead, the position is offered to the unsuspecting Ronald Kornblow (Groucho), who takes to it with gusto and gleefully insults staff and guests alike. Rusty overhears of a plot to assassinate Kornblow, and he enlists the aid of itinerant camel jockey Corbaccio (Chico) to help protect Groucho from Stubel. Meanwhile, American flyboy Pierre Delmar (Charles Drake) is trying to get information on Stubel to clear his own name over an incident that happened during the war. Ever the altruists, Corbaccio and Rusty try to help Pierre as well, with disastrous results. Time is telling on the Marxes in this film, but it is an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Groucho even manages to capture some of the zest of his earlier times as a hotel manager in 'The Cocoanuts'. Harpo's employment of Frank Tashlin as a gag writer prompts some wonderful sight gags. It was during the final days of filming that Groucho realized he'd finally had enough. While hanging upside-down outside of an aeroplane during inumerable takes of one of the final scenes, Groucho decided once and for all that he was ready to retire. The others were ready as well. The three brothers would appear once more together, three years later, but really only as an afterthought. 'A Night In Casablanca' was the last true Marx Brothers film. Hope to see you at the screenings. And if you can't make it do write in with comments, queries and ideas. Until next month, Ranita The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. Tel: 3960040, 3951190 Fax: 3928391, 3943450 www.sarai.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dak at sarai.net Thu May 9 16:07:30 2002 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 16:07:30 +0530 Subject: Changes in [Sarai Newsletter]May 2002 Message-ID: <02050916073000.01186@saumya.sarai.kit> Dear Friends, The correct links to the new digital artworks on the sarai website are as follow: i. Dilliwale kaun/ Baharwale kaun digital artwork by Syeda Farhana www.sarai.net/compositions/images/farhana/Html/index.htm ii. ARTificial ART: lines digital artwork by Kurt Baumann www.sarai.net/compositions/images/kurt_baumann/kurt0.htm We apologise for the error in the links given earlier. Ranita The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. Tel: 3960040, 3951190 Fax: 3928391, 3943450 www.sarai.net ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Table of Contents I.New at Sarai website II.Filmcomedy at Sarai: The Marx Brothers I. New @ Sarai website Digital artworks and essays on internet culture and cinema theory are=20 new at www.sarai.net.=20 i. Dilliwale kaun/ Baharwale kaun digital artwork by Syeda Farhana=20 A result of Syeda Farhana's residency at Sarai last winter, Dilliwale=20 Kaun/ Baharwale Kaun consists of photographic & textual narratives=20 on the theme of "The Outsider". Also available at the Sarai Interface=20 Zone. www.sarai.net/compositions/images/farhana/Html/index.htm =09 ii. ARTificial ART: lines digital artwork by Kurt Baumann Baumann graphically interprets the word 'sarai' www.sarai.net/compositions/images/kurt_baumann/kurt0.htm iii. SEXWORKS|NETWORKS [] What do people get out of Internet porn? an essay by Rana Dasgupta http://www.sarai.net/compositions/texts/works/rana.htm iv. Another History Rises to the Surface:=20 Melodrama Theory and Digital Simulation in 'Hey Ram' (Kamalahasan,=20 1999)=20 an essay by Ravi Vasudevan http://www.sarai.net/mediacity/filmcity/essays/heyram.htm II. filmcomedy at sarai: The Marx Brothers All screenings are on Fridays at 4:30pm, Seminar Room, Centre for the=20 Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054.=20 The films are listed in the order of screening. During these hard summer months, and in an environment rife with the=20 darkness of politics and the cruelty of our society, Sarai choses to=20 showcase a cinema of irreverence, anarchy, or, as the Japanese would=20 call it, nansensu. Perhaps the sheer exuberance of the Marx brothers=20 debunking of authority, politics and a respectable society will=20 provide some respite and a salutary release from the horrors of our=20 contemporary situation. In any case, we don't need to justify this=20 month's film series at Sarai, a tribute to the Marx brothers, Groucho,=20 Harpo and Chico, the surreal triumvirate of bad taste, nonsensical=20 repartee, and, in Harpo, the magician of silent performance and of the=20 manic visual pun. Imagine Johnny Lever multiplied by three so that he=20 overwhelms a Hindi film story, reducing romance, heroism and morality=20 to sideshow items, and you'll know what's in store for you this month.=20 `Like Chaplin and Keaton, the Marx Brothers came out of a background=20 of poverty and a childhood on the vaudeville circuit, which may or may=20 not say something about the origins necessary to become a great=20 comedian. But while Chaplin and Keaton rose high above their=20 vaudeville music-hall backgrounds, recasting themselves as great mime=20 artists, the Marx Brothers, if anything, reduced vaudeville slapstick=20 to its most debased level. In other words, they revelled in their=20 vulgarity. Rather than try to rise above it and elevate themselves to=20 artistry, they took lowbrowism and shamelessly pushed it to extremes.=20 They were neither poised nor poetic, not sublime or mystical, not=20 skilled acrobats or breakers of hearts, or deeply tragic beneath their=20 comic masks. They were cheap, sophomoric, scatological, reckless,=20 excessive, lunatic, and assinine, all to such extremes that they=20 turned everything impossibly bad into something extremely good.'=20 (William Bayer ) 1. 10th May, 2002 Duck Soup (1933), 75 mins, b/w, VHS Director: Leo McCarey Released in 1933, this political satire is thought by many as the=20 greatest Marx Brothers movie. `Duck Soup' is a short, but brilliant=20 satire and lampooning of blundering dictatorial leaders, Fascism and=20 authoritarian government. The film, made during the crisis period of=20 the Depression, was their last film in a five-picture contract with=20 Paramount Studios.=20 `Duck Soup' was both a critical and commercial failure at the time of=20 its release - audiences were taken aback by such preposterous =09 political disrespect, buffoonery and cynicism at a time of political=20 crisis. Fascist Italian dictator Mussolini banned the film in his=20 country. The film was rediscovered by the generation of 1960s college=20 students. The irrepressible comedians in this quintessential anarchic,=20 satirical film simply but irreverently attack the pomposity of=20 governmental leaders, the absurdity of government itself,=20 governmental diplomacy, an arbitrary legal system, and war fought over=20 petty matters. The non-stop, frenetic film is filled with a number of=20 delightfully hilarious moments, gags, fast-moving acts, double=20 entendres, comedy routines, puns, pure silliness, zany=20 improvisations, quips and insult-spewed lines of dialogue - much of=20 the comedy makes the obvious statement that war is indeed nonsensical=20 and meaninglessly destructive.=20 2. 17th May, 2002 Horse Feathers (1932), 70 min Director=A0: Norman Z. McLeod 'Horse Feathers' is an anarchic parody of higher education and a=20 subversive attack on authority and society. All four Marx brothers, =09 including Zeppo, get mixed up with a hidebound university when=20 Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) takes over distinguished Huxley College =09 and lets anarchy run riot whenever he's not singing his theme,=20 "Whatever it is, I'm against it." The mad-cap film, a zany take-off on college education and football,=20 is known for its fast-paced, non-sequitor, inconsistent nature as was =09 typical of all Marx Brothers films. The plot affords many=20 opportunities for the comedic team to show off their anarchic style of=20 humor, with many pun-filled, absurd, nonsensical bits of dialogue,=20 insults, idiosyncracies, and one-liners.=20 =20 3. 24th May, 2002 A Night at the Opera (1935), 96 min. b/w, VHS Director: Sam Wood 'A Night at the Opera' was the first Marx Brothers film produced at=20 MGM. The move resulted in a landmark film with a more developed and=20 polished plot-line, and brought them their first commercial success.=20 Their most recent movie, 'Duck Soup', made in 1933, was branded as=20 high-gear Marxist anarchy. To some, this was what the Marx Brothers=20 symbolized, and it delighted audiences. Unfortunately, 'Duck Soup'=20 didn't do all that well at the box office.=20 There were others who did not appreciate the lunacy that the Marx=20 Brothers portrayed. It was MGM's Thalberg who felt that the Marx =09 Brothers could produce a comedy that had a carefully-written plot=20 where the boys could stay true to their zany antics, while at the same=20 time, come to the rescue of a couple in love. He felt this would=20 generate sympathy for the boys as the storyline progressed - something=20 that was not evident in their prior films. A road-show tour before live audiences allowed writer Al Boasberg to=20 repeatedly test draft scripts. The result - well-refined, polished =09 scenes of classic romantic comedy and dialogue, flowing together=20 smoothly with the story and the characters of the brothers, and timed=20 to take into account reaction time for laughs. It was designed to=20 appeal to female audiences, with less zany and unhibited behavior=20 exhibited by the brothers. The gamble paid off. On the basis of its initial release, 'A Night=20 at the Opera' brought in US $3 million, which made it their most =09 successful initial film release. 4. 31st May, 2002 A Night in Casablanca (1946), 85 min b/w, VHS Director: Archie Mayo 'A Night in Casablanca' marked the reunion of the brothers after the=20 team disbanded in 1941. Several plot elements come together in this =09 film. Nazi war criminal Heinrich Stubel, alias Count Pfefferman (Sig=20 Ruman), is offing hotel managers at an alarming rate in the hope that =09 he will be appointed manager himself. Unfortunately, when he is=20 finally offered the job he is indisposed because Stubel's valet Rusty =09 (Harpo) has sucked his hairpiece into a vacuum cleaner, thus exposing=20 an incriminating scar on Stubel's head. Instead, the position is offered to the unsuspecting Ronald Kornblow=20 (Groucho), who takes to it with gusto and gleefully insults staff and =09 guests alike. Rusty overhears of a plot to assassinate Kornblow, and=20 he enlists the aid of itinerant camel jockey Corbaccio (Chico) to help=20 protect Groucho from Stubel. Meanwhile, American flyboy Pierre Delmar=20 (Charles Drake) is trying to get information on Stubel to clear his=20 own name over an incident that happened during the war. Ever the=20 altruists, Corbaccio and Rusty try to help Pierre as well, with =09 disastrous results. Time is telling on the Marxes in this film, but it is an enjoyable=20 romp nonetheless. Groucho even manages to capture some of the zest of =09 his earlier times as a hotel manager in 'The Cocoanuts'. Harpo's=20 employment of Frank Tashlin as a gag writer prompts some wonderful =09 sight gags. It was during the final days of filming that Groucho realized he'd=20 finally had enough. While hanging upside-down outside of an aeroplane =09 during inumerable takes of one of the final scenes, Groucho decided=20 once and for all that he was ready to retire. The others were ready as=20 well. The three brothers would appear once more together, three years=20 later, but really only as an afterthought. 'A Night In Casablanca' was=20 the last true Marx Brothers film. Hope to see you at the screenings. And if you can't make it do write=20 in with comments, queries and ideas.=20 Until next month, Ranita The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. Tel: 3960040, 3951190 Fax: 3928391, 3943450 www.sarai.net --------------=_4D4800C90234082DA868 Content-Description: filename="text1.html" Content-Type: text/html Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: May 2002

Table of Contents



  1. New at Sarai website

  2. Filmcomedy at Sarai: The Marx Brothers



I. New @ Sarai website


Digital artworks and essays on internet culture and cinema theory are new at www.sarai.net.



i. Dilliwale kaun/ Baharwale kaun

digital artwork by Syeda Farhana=20

A result of Syeda Farhana's residency a= t Sarai last winter, Dilliwale Kaun/ Baharwale Kaun consists of photographic & textual narratives on the theme of "The Outsider". Also available at the Sarai Interface Zone.

www.sarai.net/compositions/image/farhan= a/Html/index.htm


ii. ARTificial ART: lines

digital artwork by Kurt Baumann

Baumann graphically interprets the word= 'sarai'

www.sarai.net/compositions/image/kurt_b= aumann/kurt0.htm



iii. SEXWORKS|NETWORKS []

What do people get out of Internet porn= ?

an essay by Rana Dasgupta

http://www.sarai.net/compositions/texts= /works/rana.htm



iv. Another History Rises to the Surface:

Melodrama Theory and Digital Simulation in 'Hey Ram' (Kamalahasan, 1999)=20

an essay by Ravi Vasudevan

http://www.sarai.net/mediacity/filmcit= y/essays/heyram.htm





  1. filmcomedy at sarai: The Marx Brothers

    All screenings are on Fridays = at 4:30pm, Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054.

    The films are listed in the order of screening.




      1. 10th May, 2002

      Duck Soup (1933), 75 mins, b/w, VHS

      Director: Leo McCarey



      Released in 1933, this political satire= is thought by many as the greatest Marx Brothers movie. `Duck Soup' is a short, but brilliant satire and lampooning of blundering dictatorial leaders, Fascism and authoritarian government. The film, made during the crisis period of the Depression, was their last film in a five-picture contract with Paramount Studios.=20


      `Duck Soup' was both a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release - audiences were taken aback by such preposterous political disrespect, buffoonery and cynicism at a time of political crisis. Fascist Italian dictator Mussolini banned the film in his country. The film was rediscovered by the generation of 1960s college students.


      The irrepressible comedians in this quintessential anarchic, satirical film simply but irreverently attack the pomposity of governmental leaders, the absurdity of government itself, governmental diplomacy, an arbitrary legal system, and war fought over petty matters. The non-stop, frenetic film is filled with a number of delightfully hilarious moments, gags, fast-moving acts, double entendres, comedy routines, puns, pure silliness, zany improvisations, quips and insult-spewed lines of dialogue - much of the comedy makes the obvious statement that war is indeed nonsensical and meaninglessly destructive.=20




      2. 17th May, 2002

      Horse Feathers (1932), 70 min

      Director : Norman Z. McLeod



      'Horse Feathers' is an anarchic parody of higher education and a subversive attack on authority and society. All four Marx brothers, including Zeppo, get mixed up with a hidebound university when Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) takes over distinguished Huxley College and lets anarchy run riot whenever he's not singing his theme, "Whatever it is, I'm against it."


      The mad-cap film, a zany take-off on college education and football, is known for its fast-paced, non-sequitor, inconsistent nature as was typical of all Marx Brothers films. The plot affords many opportunities for the comedic team to show off their anarchic style of humor, with many pun-filled, absurd, nonsensical bits of dialogue, insults, idiosyncracies, and one-liners.=20

      =20



      3. 24th May, 2002

      A Night at the Opera (1935)= , 96 min. b/w, VHS

      Director: Sam Wood



      'A Night at the Opera' was the first Marx Brothers film produced at MGM. The move resulted in a landmark film with a more developed and polished plot-line, and brought them their first commercial success. Their most recent movie, 'Duck Soup', made in 1933, was branded as high-gear Marxist anarchy. To some, this was what the Marx Brothers symbolized, and it delighted audiences. Unfortunately, 'Duck Soup' didn't do all that well at the box office.=20


      There were others who did not appreciat= e the lunacy that the Marx Brothers portrayed. It was MGM's Thalberg who felt that the Marx Brothers could produce a comedy that had a carefully-written plot where the boys could stay true to their zany antics, while at the same time, come to the rescue of a couple in love. He felt this would generate sympathy for the boys as the storyline progressed - something that was not evident in their prior films.


      A road-show tour before live audiences allowed writer Al Boasberg to repeatedly test draft scripts. The result - well-refined, polished scenes of classic romantic comedy and dialogue, flowing together smoothly with the story and the characters of the brothers, and timed to take into account reaction time for laughs. It was designed to appeal to female audiences, with less zany and unhibited behavior exhibited by the brothers.


      The gamble paid off. On the basis of its initial release, 'A Night at the Opera' brought in US $3 million, which made it their most successful initial film release.




      4. 31st May, 2002=

      A Night in Casablanca (1946= ), 85 min b/w, VHS

      Director: Archie Mayo



      'A Night in Casablanca' marked the reunion of the brothers after the team disbanded in 1941. Several plot elements come together in this film. Nazi war criminal Heinrich Stubel, alias Count Pfefferman (Sig Ruman), is offing hotel managers at an alarming rate in the hope that he will be appointed manager himself. Unfortunately, when he is finally offered the job he is indisposed because Stubel's valet Rusty (Harpo) has sucked his hairpiece into a vacuum cleaner, thus exposing an incriminating scar on Stubel's head.


      Instead, the position is offered to the= unsuspecting Ronald Kornblow (Groucho), who takes to it with gusto and gleefully insults staff and guests alike. Rusty overhears of a plot to assassinate Kornblow, and he enlists the aid of itinerant camel jockey Corbaccio (Chico) to help protect Groucho from Stubel. Meanwhile, American flyboy Pierre Delmar (Charles Drake) is trying to get information on Stubel to clear his own name over an incident that happened during the war. Ever the altruists, Corbaccio and Rusty try to help Pierre as well, with disastrous results.


      Time is telling on the Marxes in this film, but it is an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Groucho even manages to capture some of the zest of his earlier times as a hotel manager in 'The Cocoanuts'. Harpo's employment of Frank Tashlin as a gag writer prompts some wonderful sight gags.


      It was during the final days of filming= that Groucho realized he'd finally had enough. While hanging upside-down outside of an aeroplane during inumerable takes of one of the final scenes, Groucho decided once and for all that he was ready to retire. The others were ready as well.


      The three brothers would appear once more together, three years later, but really only as an afterthought. 'A Night In Casablanca' was the last true Marx Brothers film.




      Hope to see you at the screenings. And if you can't make it do write in with comments, queries and ideas.


      Until next month,



      Ranita

      The Sarai Programme

      Centre for the Study of Developing Societies

      29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054.

      Tel: 3960040, 3951190

      Fax: 3928391, 3943450

      www.sarai.net


      --------------=_4D4800C90234082DA868-- ________________________________________ The Newsletter of the Sarai Programme, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054, www.sarai.net Info: dak at sarai.net. To subscribe: send a blank email to newsletter-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. Directions to Sarai: We are ten minutes from Delhi University. Nearest bus stop: IP college or Exchange Stores See Calendar and Newsletter online: http://www.sarai.net/calendar/newsletter.htm Table of Contents I.New at Sarai website II.Filmcomedy at Sarai: The Marx Brothers I. New @ Sarai website Digital artworks and essays on internet culture and cinema theory are new at www.sarai.net. i. Dilliwale kaun/ Baharwale kaun digital artwork by Syeda Farhana A result of Syeda Farhana's residency at Sarai last winter, Dilliwale Kaun/ Baharwale Kaun consists of photographic & textual narratives on the theme of "The Outsider". Also available at the Sarai Interface Zone. www.sarai.net/compositions/image/farhana/Html/index.htm ii. ARTificial ART: lines digital artwork by Kurt Baumann Baumann graphically interprets the word 'sarai' www.sarai.net/compositions/image/kurt_baumann/kurt0.htm iii. SEXWORKS|NETWORKS [] What do people get out of Internet porn? an essay by Rana Dasgupta http://www.sarai.net/compositions/texts/works/rana.htm iv. Another History Rises to the Surface: Melodrama Theory and Digital Simulation in 'Hey Ram' (Kamalahasan, 1999) an essay by Ravi Vasudevan http://www.sarai.net/mediacity/filmcity/essays/heyram.htm II. filmcomedy at sarai: The Marx Brothers All screenings are on Fridays at 4:30pm, Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. The films are listed in the order of screening. During these hard summer months, and in an environment rife with the darkness of politics and the cruelty of our society, Sarai choses to showcase a cinema of irreverence, anarchy, or, as the Japanese would call it, nansensu. Perhaps the sheer exuberance of the Marx brothers debunking of authority, politics and a respectable society will provide some respite and a salutary release from the horrors of our contemporary situation. In any case, we don't need to justify this month's film series at Sarai, a tribute to the Marx brothers, Groucho, Harpo and Chico, the surreal triumvirate of bad taste, nonsensical repartee, and, in Harpo, the magician of silent performance and of the manic visual pun. Imagine Johnny Lever multiplied by three so that he overwhelms a Hindi film story, reducing romance, heroism and morality to sideshow items, and you'll know what's in store for you this month. `Like Chaplin and Keaton, the Marx Brothers came out of a background of poverty and a childhood on the vaudeville circuit, which may or may not say something about the origins necessary to become a great comedian. But while Chaplin and Keaton rose high above their vaudeville music-hall backgrounds, recasting themselves as great mime artists, the Marx Brothers, if anything, reduced vaudeville slapstick to its most debased level. In other words, they revelled in their vulgarity. Rather than try to rise above it and elevate themselves to artistry, they took lowbrowism and shamelessly pushed it to extremes. They were neither poised nor poetic, not sublime or mystical, not skilled acrobats or breakers of hearts, or deeply tragic beneath their comic masks. They were cheap, sophomoric, scatological, reckless, excessive, lunatic, and assinine, all to such extremes that they turned everything impossibly bad into something extremely good.' (William Bayer ) 1. 10th May, 2002 Duck Soup (1933), 75 mins, b/w, VHS Director: Leo McCarey Released in 1933, this political satire is thought by many as the greatest Marx Brothers movie. `Duck Soup' is a short, but brilliant satire and lampooning of blundering dictatorial leaders, Fascism and authoritarian government. The film, made during the crisis period of the Depression, was their last film in a five-picture contract with Paramount Studios. `Duck Soup' was both a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release - audiences were taken aback by such preposterous political disrespect, buffoonery and cynicism at a time of political crisis. Fascist Italian dictator Mussolini banned the film in his country. The film was rediscovered by the generation of 1960s college students. The irrepressible comedians in this quintessential anarchic, satirical film simply but irreverently attack the pomposity of governmental leaders, the absurdity of government itself, governmental diplomacy, an arbitrary legal system, and war fought over petty matters. The non-stop, frenetic film is filled with a number of delightfully hilarious moments, gags, fast-moving acts, double entendres, comedy routines, puns, pure silliness, zany improvisations, quips and insult-spewed lines of dialogue - much of the comedy makes the obvious statement that war is indeed nonsensical and meaninglessly destructive. 2. 17th May, 2002 Horse Feathers (1932), 70 min Director : Norman Z. McLeod 'Horse Feathers' is an anarchic parody of higher education and a subversive attack on authority and society. All four Marx brothers, including Zeppo, get mixed up with a hidebound university when Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) takes over distinguished Huxley College and lets anarchy run riot whenever he's not singing his theme, "Whatever it is, I'm against it." The mad-cap film, a zany take-off on college education and football, is known for its fast-paced, non-sequitor, inconsistent nature as was typical of all Marx Brothers films. The plot affords many opportunities for the comedic team to show off their anarchic style of humor, with many pun-filled, absurd, nonsensical bits of dialogue, insults, idiosyncracies, and one-liners. 3. 24th May, 2002 A Night at the Opera (1935), 96 min. b/w, VHS Director: Sam Wood 'A Night at the Opera' was the first Marx Brothers film produced at MGM. The move resulted in a landmark film with a more developed and polished plot-line, and brought them their first commercial success. Their most recent movie, 'Duck Soup', made in 1933, was branded as high-gear Marxist anarchy. To some, this was what the Marx Brothers symbolized, and it delighted audiences. Unfortunately, 'Duck Soup' didn't do all that well at the box office. There were others who did not appreciate the lunacy that the Marx Brothers portrayed. It was MGM's Thalberg who felt that the Marx Brothers could produce a comedy that had a carefully-written plot where the boys could stay true to their zany antics, while at the same time, come to the rescue of a couple in love. He felt this would generate sympathy for the boys as the storyline progressed - something that was not evident in their prior films. A road-show tour before live audiences allowed writer Al Boasberg to repeatedly test draft scripts. The result - well-refined, polished scenes of classic romantic comedy and dialogue, flowing together smoothly with the story and the characters of the brothers, and timed to take into account reaction time for laughs. It was designed to appeal to female audiences, with less zany and unhibited behavior exhibited by the brothers. The gamble paid off. On the basis of its initial release, 'A Night at the Opera' brought in US $3 million, which made it their most successful initial film release. 4. 31st May, 2002 A Night in Casablanca (1946), 85 min b/w, VHS Director: Archie Mayo 'A Night in Casablanca' marked the reunion of the brothers after the team disbanded in 1941. Several plot elements come together in this film. Nazi war criminal Heinrich Stubel, alias Count Pfefferman (Sig Ruman), is offing hotel managers at an alarming rate in the hope that he will be appointed manager himself. Unfortunately, when he is finally offered the job he is indisposed because Stubel's valet Rusty (Harpo) has sucked his hairpiece into a vacuum cleaner, thus exposing an incriminating scar on Stubel's head. Instead, the position is offered to the unsuspecting Ronald Kornblow (Groucho), who takes to it with gusto and gleefully insults staff and guests alike. Rusty overhears of a plot to assassinate Kornblow, and he enlists the aid of itinerant camel jockey Corbaccio (Chico) to help protect Groucho from Stubel. Meanwhile, American flyboy Pierre Delmar (Charles Drake) is trying to get information on Stubel to clear his own name over an incident that happened during the war. Ever the altruists, Corbaccio and Rusty try to help Pierre as well, with disastrous results. Time is telling on the Marxes in this film, but it is an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Groucho even manages to capture some of the zest of his earlier times as a hotel manager in 'The Cocoanuts'. Harpo's employment of Frank Tashlin as a gag writer prompts some wonderful sight gags. It was during the final days of filming that Groucho realized he'd finally had enough. While hanging upside-down outside of an aeroplane during inumerable takes of one of the final scenes, Groucho decided once and for all that he was ready to retire. The others were ready as well. The three brothers would appear once more together, three years later, but really only as an afterthought. 'A Night In Casablanca' was the last true Marx Brothers film. Hope to see you at the screenings. And if you can't make it do write in with comments, queries and ideas. Until next month, Ranita The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 110054. Tel: 3960040, 3951190 Fax: 3928391, 3943450 www.sarai.net ------------------------------------------------------- -- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ravis at sarai.net Mon May 20 15:42:39 2002 From: ravis at sarai.net (Ravi Sundaram) Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 15:42:39 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter]Researchers Wanted! Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20020520154151.00a04500@pop3.norton.antivirus> The Sarai Programme of the CSDS is looking for researchers to work on its project, Publics and Practices in the History of the Present. This project is looking at contemporary media cultures in the city of Delhi, overlapping those of cinema and new media. We are looking for people with a MA or M.Phil background who are interested in issues of media and urban culture , and who may use the project to develop their own interests in the area. The project involves both field and archival work, and those with experience in the area are strongly encouraged to apply. Write immediately with a short c.v to research at sarai.net .