Tom Waits: Big Time

Thursday December 10th

To celebrate Tom Waits’ 60th birthday, David Smay and Magic Bus will be hosting a rare showing of Big Time. This legendary concert movie features material from Waits’ breakthrough Eighties albums Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, and Frank’s Wild Years. Filmed at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater, and Los Angeles’ Wiltern theater Big Time is no ordinary concert film, but a dazzling, mad descent into the Waits universe. Backed by one of the greatest live bands ever assembled, including Marc Ribot and SF local legend, Ralph Carney, Big Time is a must see for any Waits fan.

Also included in the evening will be a showing of rare and fascinating Waits related clips, and the world’s most challenging Tom Waits Trivia Contest.

David Smay is the author of the Continuum Press 33 1/3 book Swordfishtrombones, as well as host of the Los Angeles Esotouric Tom Waits bus tour Crawling Down Cahuenga. He has also co-edited two books with Kim Cooper, Lost In the Grooves: Scram’s Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed and Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth.

Thursday December 10th
Doors 7pm showtime 8pm
$5
9th St. Independent Media Center
145 9th st. btwn mission and howard
SF CA 94103

Richie Unterberger Presents the Velvet Underground

Thursday November 19th Doors 7pm presentation 8pm

Richie Unterberger Presents:
WHITE LIGHT/ WHITE HEAT
The Velvet Underground Day by Day

An audio visual presentation.

"In conjunction with his new book White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day-By-Day, Richie Unterberger will present rare audiovisual material from throughout the Velvet Underground's career. Included will be film clips, audio tracks, and a slide show of 60 images from the book that tell the story of this groundbreaking band's life and times. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

San Francisco resident Richie Unterberger is author of numerous rock history books, including Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll; Urban Spacemen & Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators & Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock; the two-part 1960s folk-rock history Turn! Turn! Turn!/Eight Miles High; and The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film."

Thursday November 19th
Doors 7pm showtime @ 8pm
9th St. Independent Film Center
145 9th St. (between Mission and Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103

Danny Plotnick's: I'm Not Fascinating

9th St. Media Center
145 9th St., San Francisco 94103
Thursday, September 24th
Doors 7pm. Show 8pm. $5 admission
http://magicbusmovienight.blogspot.com/

An Evening Curated by Danny Plotnick

Rockers and Rollers get ready for an evening of underground mayhem 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s style. Magic Bus Movie Night is pleased to present an evening curated by underground filmmaker, Danny Plotnick. The evening will center around Plotnick’s 1996 Frankenstein of a rock film, I’m Not Fascinating—The Movie. Fascinating chronicles the pointless shenanigans of San Francisco rock 'n' roll ne'er-do-wells The Icky Boyfriends and their futile quest for rock stardom. Undaunted by the universal hatred of both their music and their look, the band perseveres, netting themselves a hefty major label contract. But stardom proves elusive as they descend into a world of murder, intrigue, nepotism, consumer research groups, excessive use of caffeine-laden soda pop and death.

Upon its release, the SF Bay Guardian had this to say: "Move over Magical Mystery Tour, take a seat Tommy: San Francisco's Icky Boyfriends and Danny Plotnick have topped the semifictional rock-drama genre with their epic I'm Not Fascinating The Movie! A weirdly beautiful spectacle of self-defeat. An instant classic."
Fascinating, shot in glorious Kodachrome Super 8, was one of the last epic super 8 sound films to be made. Shortly after its release, Kodak discontinued sound super 8 film. Though no connection between these two events was ever established, one can’t help to wonder. Since being roundly ignored in their 90s heyday, The Ickys have posthumously gone on to be considered a seminal act in the no-fi, panic movement, and a career-spanning double cd retrospective, A Love Obscene was released earlier this decade.

Also on the docket will be:
• Plotnick’s ode to 80s counterculture, Out Of Print
• A blistering super 8 sound film of the mighty Dream Syndicate performing That’s What You Always Say
• Burl Ives taking a gospel turn
• Les Paul and Mary Ford performing several songs, as well as providing BBQ tips.
• Natlija Vekic and Christian Bruno’s music video for local darlings Ramon & Jessica
• Plus several awesome country & western and juke joint performances.

A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

Curated by : Henry S. Rosenthal
Thursday Aug. 27th

A Skin too Few: The Days of Nick Drake
Nick Drake was an undisputed musical genius. His three albums Five Leaves Left, Bryter Later and Pink Moon contain a unique beauty which no other musician to this date has succeeded in copying. Although his work was not very successful while he was alive, today, more than thirty years after his passing, he is more "in" than ever. His songs are used in big movie productions; other musicians cover him; and his talent is frequently celebrated in festivals, books, commercials and on the Internet, etc. This beautiful featurette (50min) hauntingly explores his brief time on earth, his family, friends and musical legacy.

Plays With:
Marilyn Manson Unreleased videos! Anti-Christ Super Star
and Cryptorchid both directed by E. Elias Merhige(Begotten) and produced by Henry S. Rosenthal who will speak to their behalf and treat us to never before seen
behind the scenes footage from the making of these two fine examples of damaged 16mm filmaking. Cameo by Texas Terri as the angel.

Also:
Several more music videos that range from Iggy (live 1970) to IZ (hawaiian songster) and a special Michael Jackson: In his own defense pre-viral video.

Thursday August 27th
9th St. Media Center
145 9th St.(btwn Mission and Howard) San Francisco 94103
Doors 7 movies at 8PM
$5

My Autumn's Done Come: The Lee Hazlewood Story

THURSDAY JULY 30th @ 9th St.


Lee Hazlewood is an American treasure, best know for his collaboration with and writing/producing Nancy Sinatras biggest hit, "These Boots are Made for Walkin'". He started out as a disc jockey in the 50's and quickly became a singer songwriter producer engineer throughout the 60's and 70's. Although far from being a household name, his influence is far reaching and many contemporary musicians cite his work and influence easily and with gusto. Many remakes of his songs by the likes of Vanilla Fudge, Lydia Lunch, Primal Scream, Megadeth, Einsturzende Neubauten etc. have secured his legacy forever in the rock world. His distinctive baritone added an ominous resonance to his music and his output during the late 60's into the early 70's have been praised as an essential influence in a sound described as "Cowboy Psychedelia". July 9th '09 would have been his 80th bday.

This 70min. documentary or "bibliodoc" which is more of a well planned and beautifully executed compilation spans much of his career with amazing footage from his television specials, still photos, stock footage and narration from Lee's disembodied voice as well as guest narrater Boyd Rice. This has never been screened in San Francisco and will never be released officially. Enjoy.

Plays with:

Excerpts from A Cowboy in Sweden Lee's long forgotten early 70's Swedish television special. with a clip of Summer Wine with Nancy and a short film by the Nameless Spaniard!!

Doors @ 7 Show @ 8pm
$5 admission
145 9th St. btwn. Mission and Howard
San Francisco, CA 94118

Off The Charts: Thurs June 25th

Off the Charts: The Song Poem Story
directed by Jamie Meltzer
Q&A with producer Henry S. Rosenthal

Meet the songwriters who dream of fame and fortune and the composers who set their poems to music for a fee in OFF THE CHARTS, a fascinating look at one of the strangest subcultures on the American landscape. This film takes a look at both ends of the little known underground song poem industry, it's history, the poeple who send in their poems and the "talented" guys who turn them into records. From the same producer who brought us the Devil and Daniel Johnston, this feature doc will take you to places you never knew existed.

Playing With Short:
Dancing Outlaw, 30min.
a revealing portrait of the nearly extinct hillbilly culture, focuses on mountain dancer Jesco White and his uphill battle against abject poverty, drug abuse, petty crime and mental instability. In his struggle to live up to his fathers legacy as the finest mountain dancer in Appalachia and beyond, he leans on memories of his father, Elvis Presley, Jesus, and Norma Jean.

trailers and commercials included

curated by Dirty Donny

magicbusmovienight.blogspot.com

Welcome to the magic bus movie night blog

Howdy Folks, welcome to Magic Bus. The monthly music film night at 9th st. Media Center. We screen anything music related. Concerts, Clips, Docs. strong soundtracks etc. Last Thursday of every month. Sponsored by the Guardian and 9th St. $5 admission. Sodas and Beer.