941 Theater Blog

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That’s right, the 941 Theater has been named ‘Best New Venue of 2009′ by Philadelphia Magazine in their annual ‘Best of Philly’ issue!!

“Northern Liberties is even cooler thanks to this 150 seat non-profit theater, which hosts everything from independent and repertory film to literary events, quirky craft shows, live bands, DJ’s…and oh, they serve beer!”

Check it out in August’s Philadelphia Magazine, on newsstands now!

Check out the write up on Thrillist!

Raspberry Brothers Bad Movie Night
Fri, Aug 14, 9pm (The Karate Kid) & 11:30pm (Footloose) at 941 Theater: 941 N Front St, between Girard & Poplar; Northern Liberties; 215.235.1385

Further live MST3K-age comes from the Raspberry Brothers (pedigree: The Onion & SNL writers, Upright Citizens Brigade), who’ll plop down in the front row at 941 Theater this Friday to provide snarky commentary and inject ad-libbed overdubs into a double-feature screening of 1984’s The Karate Kid & Footloose. Best of all, the whole thing’s BYOB, so go ahead and sweep the keg, Johnny.

$10 per film or $15 for the double feature — check out a sneak peek of the Brothers’ expert lampoonery at YouTube.com

Raspberry Brothers Official Website
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About the 941 Show:
On Friday, August 14th, the 941 Theater presents a very special tribute to the year 1984, featuring NYC’s #1 movie commentary comedy group, the Raspberry Brothers. Like a live take on Mystery Science Theater 3000, this team of top NYC comics sit front row center at the movies, mocking films as they play. The Raspberry Brothers, who perform weekly at Chelsea Cinemas, one of Manhattan’s premiere art-house film theaters, includes a cast of comedy writers and performers who contribute to SNL and the Onion. They have received numerous awards, garnering critic’s picks from the New York Times, Time Out, and the Decider.

1984 was to be an infamous year, due to writer George Orwell, who envisioned a dark time for civilization. He imagined a 1984 populace dominated by an omnipotent and ubiquitous government, one that closely monitored and interfered with people’s lives.

In America, President Ronald Reagan was encouraging such fears with the nuclear arms race, strict anti-obscenity laws, and domestic policies that seemed to invade personal freedoms. So what was the response of our American motion picture artists? Footloose and Karate Kid!

These two films, released in 1984, were a reaction to the oppression that Americans were experiencing. They feature protagonists who fight the powers that be…with their feet. Let the foot set you free! Kick off your Sunday shoes and beat back those bullies with a roundhouse kick…or get those feet dancing and enlighten the narrow-minded members of the town council by throwing a prom!

On August 14th the Raspberry Brothers will be lampooning Karate Kid and Footloose in a double feature sure to enlighten viewers into the social psychology of the year 1984. Karate Kid begins at 9:00 and Footloose at 11:30.

KARATE KID: You’ll recognize the setup: the new kid in town is having trouble fitting in. Does he turn the town upside-down with dancing? No. Does he befriend an outer space alien? No. But he does learn the ancient art of Karate by performing a series of household chores for an aging Asian janitor. This movie birthed the Karate craze that swept the nation in the mid 1980s. It also put Ralph Macchio on the map…and left him there. Put on your robe, tie on that black belt, and come join the Raspberry boys as they journey back to a simpler decade when teenage angst could be mellowed by learning to “Wax On, Wax Off.”

FOOTLOOSE: Jack, get back, ’cause it’s Footloose, the sweet 80’s story about a big-city, thin-tie wearing rebel trapped in a rural Midwestern town, who dances his way into the hearts of the local hicks, and into the pants of the local chicks. See Kevin Bacon compete in a deadly slow game of “chicken” using tractors…see Sarah Jessica Parker talk about diaphrams…see Sean Penn’s little brother breakdance…and see a whole lot of Coca-Cola product placement. So let’s hear it for the boys, Jerm Pollet, Johnny McNulty, and Scott Rogowsky, as they promise to fry a lot of Bacon with this one!

Footloose and the Karate Kid

For one night only, see and hear Björk’s “Voltaic: The Volta Tour Live in Paris” in glorious high definition video and audio in one of North America’s greatest new venues. The 941 Theater’s beautiful new theater, with its state of the art equipment, provides the optimal situation for viewing and hearing this concert film from one of the most innovative artists of our time.

“Voltaic: The Volta tour Live in Paris and Reykjavik” is a remarkable, multi-media document of Björk’s visually dazzling Volta tour. Full of on-your-feet moments, the film features highlights recorded in Paris and Reykjavik, with performances of songs from Volta as well as earlier tracks including Hunter, Joga, Army of Me, and Hyperballad.

Björk’s band on the Volta tour included Mark Bell (LFO) on computers and keyboards and Damian Taylor on keyboards and programming. Drums and percussion were played by Chris Corsano (Sonic Youth, etc.); Jónas Sen played piano, harpsichord, and church organ; and Björk’s all female Icelandic 10-piece brass section rounded out the group. A dynamic, grand live experience, the Volta tour has been acclaimed around the world.

Directed by Russell Thomas. Produced by Andy Derbyshire. Musical and creative direction by Björk. Running time: 71:14

“Björk delivers a performance as visually spectacular as it is musically innovative. Fifteen years into her solo career, Björk remains the least compromising and most fantastical pop superstar talent.”

- The Guardian

“No other songwriter can sound so naïve and so instinctual while building such elaborate structures. And few musicians have managed to sustain her unlikely combination of avant-gardism and pop visibility.”

- Jon Pareles, The New York Times

More info can be found at:
More info at www.cinemapurgatorio.com/ and www.bjork.com

NYC’s Premiere Animation Fest hits the 941 with 3 screenings!
Some call it punk rock, some call it grass roots, but labels aside – NYC based Animation Block Party is dedicated to exhibiting the world’s best independent, professional and student animation. The program will include 2005 shorts “Breakfast” from Bob Fox and “Binge and Purge” from Ben Meinhardt, both of which were developed into broadcast series in association with the festival. “Breakfast” the series premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2009 and “Binge and Purge” became “Perfectland” which premiered on MTV in April of 2008. Other keynote films at this exclusive 941 screening will include 2008 “best student film” winner “In the Beginning” from Choom, 2008 “best experimental film” winner “Trepan Hole” from Andy Cahill, Michael Langan’s PSA “Intelligent Life” and “Cooking 420 with Chef Barry” by Chelsea Manifold and starring Martin Abrahams as the legendary master chef.

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By Matt Godfrey – Star News

“It’s a totally different experience to watch a movie in a theater than it is watching a DVD at home,” explained Doug Sakmann, co-founder of the local production company Backseat Conceptions.

It was a similar notion that sparked the interest of Sakmann and fellow Backseat Conceptions founders Zafer Ulkucu and Nick Esposito to get involved with making movies in the first place.

And with time, that sentiment gestated to a point at which the three needed to help Philadelphia realize what they already knew.

Since their love affair with what they call the “projected arts” began, and more accurately since they teamed up to form Backseat Conceptions in the summer of 2002, the trio has done much for the film scene in Philadelphia.

First came the company, then came the Backseat Film Festival, which just wrapped up its seventh installment; then came last year’s announcement of plans for the 941 Theater, at 941 N. Front St., along with the formation of the nonprofit Philadelphia Friends of the Projected Arts.

The 941 Theater, whose grand opening coincided with this year’s festival, was conceived as a showcase for independent movies that might otherwise never be seen in Philadelphia.

“When we opened the theater, we wanted to do as many screenings as possible,” Sakmann said.

Some legwork was needed. The trio had to raise the funds to outfit the theater with a screen and a projector.

In the year that they spent raising that money, however, the theater has nearly exploded as a destination point for bands, parties, craft shows and the occasional zombie dance party.

As they raised funds, the three were able to set up PFPA, which aims to not only advocate for film, but also for the displaying of film throughout the city.

With the proper equipment and the PFPA ready to get going, the theater and its programmers are looking to get back to their initial goal.

And that’s exactly what they are doing with one screening already on the books and a slew of others being announced regularly.

This Sunday at the 941 Theater, a full slate of movies, including Joe Kramer’s 20th Century Boy at 6 p.m., Jonathan Olshefski’s The Scrapper at 7:30 p.m., and Isaac Williams’s The Mind at 8 p.m., will be offered.

Philadelphia filmmakers made all three movies, and the showings will be local premieres.

“Being able to show here is very exciting because the opportunity to do that has dwindled immensely,” said Williams.

The opportunity that the theater provides to raise the profile of indie filmmakers is not lost on Williams either.

“I feel like there are dozens of people making movies in Philly that never would have known of each other unless randomly working together somewhere,” he added.

Through the 941 Theater, and more so the PFPA, the Philadelphia film community is finding potential new avenues for growth.

“Something like this is a godsend for people to get their movies out,” added Kramer. “How many films with ‘real’ actors don’t get shown in theaters?”

This Sunday’s slate includes a documentary about a local man who roams the streets at night in search of valuable curbside trash (The Scrapper), a sci-fi drama about a man who mistakenly thinks he’s living in the Roaring ’20s (20th Century Boy) and a horror movie about the resurrection of a long-dead sorcerer (The Mind).

The three very different stories all have one very similar trait: they are all completely independent in their productions and are made by people driven by a passion to tell these stories.

And now, they can share that story instead of having it sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.

“Having your movie play in a movie theater gives you better credibility,” explained Sakmann. “Now, a theatrical release is considered promotions for DVD sales (in mainstream film).”

“As we’re figuring out how to get these movies made and shown, our mission is to give the filmmakers a theatrical experience,” Ulkucu said of the PFPA.

In addition to the 941’s Sunday slate, the theater will have its first weeklong run, starting tonight with the romantic comedy Baby On Board, starring Heather Graham, Jerry O’Connell and Lara Flynn Boyle.

The feature, directed by Philly native Brian Herzlinger, tells the story of a married couple dealing with an unexpected pregnancy while both of their careers are just starting to take off.

They have also announced screenings for two upcoming Saturdays, May 30 and June 6.

Saturday, May 30, will be the Philly premiere of Animation Block Party, a sort of “best of” batch of movies from New York City’s “premiere animation festival.”

June 6 will also feature a premiere of Black Devil Doll, an NC-17 rated exploitation film touted as “Chucky from Child’s Play meets Dolemite,” according to the official release.

“You can’t download the experience of going to see a movie on a big screen, in a dark room, with no pause button,” added Ulkucu.

Seeing film in Northern Liberties
The 941 Theater is located at 941 N. Front Street in Northern Liberties. From more information about show times and the screening schedule, visit www.941theater.com.

Thanks to all of those who attended the 7th annual Backseat Film Festival! And for those who didn’t…too bad you missed it! But you do have another chance! The Philadelphia Film Festival/Cinefest is showcasing the Best of the Backseat Film Festival as a special 2 hour screening block! It all goes down on Sat April 4th at 9:30pm at the International House – 3701 Chestnut St in Philly! We’re honored to be a part of it and we’ll be screenings our favorite shorts from the last 7 years! You can see the full schedule and get tix here!!

Here is what’s going down this weekend at 941 Theater:

Friday, March 20th – Flauf Productions Presents:
Infinien, Bear Is Driving, Imbala, Complex Complex

iNFiNiEN – (Philly Psychedelic / Fusion / Experimental music) Philadelphia-born iNFiNiEN combines eclectic musical personalities into a visionary, unified force. With rock, jazz, soul, world, and classical influences, the quartet plays intricately composed songs with a focus on improvisation. After playing together for three years, iNFiNiEN has discovered its own voice both live and in the studio. Their diverse influences are portrayed, but the sound produced is unique. iNFiNiEN has been compared to Bjork, Radiohead, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and John Zorn’s Masada.

Bear Is Driving (Philly Progressive / Post punk / Experimental music) – Bear is Driving is just as much a theory as it is a tangible arrangement of artists, instruments, and the resultant sounds of artist-on-instrument interaction. In the abstract, BiD is an existential approach towards the definition of Art. The music is the language with which we convey our current working definition.

Complex Complex from Milwaukee

Doors 7pm – Show 8pm
$10
All Ages – 21+ to drink
FREE BEER with Admission!

Join the FLAUF ON MYSPACE!

Sat, March 21st – Biodiesel & Psylab with KJ Sawka, I.C.K.Y.

Presented by Glass Grenade

Doors at 8pm, music from 9pm-2am $18

More Info on Facebook
www.glassgrenade.com

And here is a taste of our upcoming calendar:
Fri, March 27, 9:00pm – All Ages Philly Ska Presents: Hub City Stompers and King Django + more
Sat, March 28, 8:00pm – Found Film Festival with Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher
Fri, April 3, 9:00pm – 21+ SUBDIVISION w/ Rad Summer, Mishka NY and Palms Out Sounds
Fri, April 10, 9:00pm – The Juice w/ DJ Destruct aka Carney
Sat, April 11, 8:00pm – Consider the Source, Electric Avant Garde West Philly Orchestra
Fri, April 24, 9:00pm – Among Criminals w/ Tsunami Rising
Sat, May 2, 9:00pm – Black Landlord w/ Captain Smokes and The Shotguns
Sat, May 9, 8:30pm – 21 + – FREE Pabst Blue Ribbon! FEAR – Village Green
Sun, May 10, 3pm – All Ages Matinee FEAR and special guests TBA – Village Green
Sat, June 6, 7pm & 9:30pm Black Devil Doll – Philly Theatrical Premiere

MORE SHOWS AND SCREENINGS TBA STAY TUNED TO THE WEBSITE FOR UP-TO-DATE INFO WWW.941THEATER.COM

Doug Sakmann moderates Adam Rifkin and Ron Jeremy at

the 2009 Backseat Film Festival

That’s right, Director Adam Rifkin and Ron Jeremy will be on hand to present our tribute to Adam Rifkin! And then we’re doing Strip for Pain for the afterparty, with Ron Jeremy co-hosting! And also, there is free booze at all the screenings! The Backseat Film Festival is ready for day 8!

We have screenings at 4pm with short films from all over the world and then we have the Rifkin double feature with his new movie National Lampoon’s “The Stoned Age” at 7pm and his cult classic “The Dark Backward” at 9pm!

National Lampoon’s the Stoned Age” stars Adam Rifkin and Ron Jeremy as well as Heroes’ Ali Larter, David Carradine, Carol Alt, Tom Arnold and more! “The Dark Backward” is also a Philly premiere after 17 years and stars Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton, Wayne Newton and Lara Flynn Boyle!

Everything goes down TODAY, Sat, March 14th at the 941 Theater. 941 N. Front St, Philadelphia PA 19123 – www.941theater.com

Strip for Pain will be performed live at the afterparty at Midnight at the M Room (15 W Girard Ave, Philly PA)!

All the info, tickets and more at : www.backseatfilmfestival.com
www.stripforpain.com

About the movies:
Backseat Film Fest – Day 8 – SATURDAY, MARCH 14th – 3 SCREENING BLOCKS

4pm – Backseat Shorts Block # 3 – A selection of the finest rock n’ roll shorts and music videos!

(Not in screening order)

Cottonmouth – 7 min – Christopher P. Garetano
Even – 6 min – Ben Jurin
Dead Sucks – 9 min – Elias
Heading Home – 11 min – Jane Rose
A Clown Carol – The Marley Murder Mystery – 9 min – Brian A. Bernhard
Puppet Rodeo – 4 min – Kevin Maher
Nuclear Winter – 14 min – Jeremy Carr
Dec. 2666 – 12 min – Derek Roden, James Hollenbaugh
The Collinwood Campaign – 15 min – Ryan Mains
Eve – 2 min – David N. Pilling
Nomansland – 15 min – Scott Belyea
Bunny Suits – 25 min – Colinns Schude
Bust-Out – 3 min – The Superkiiids
Woman to Woman – 2 min – The Superkiiids
Flanagan Smith “Otto Wood the Bandit” – 6 min – Michael Patrick F. Smith

7pm & 9:30pm – Backseat Film Fest’s Tribute to Adam Rifkin – Tribute to a filmmaker who has had a particularly diverse career, from Hollywood successes like ‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Small Soldiers’, & ‘Mousehunt’ to more underground fare like the cult classics ‘The Dark Backward’ and ‘Night at the Golden Eagle’. We present his latest film, ‘Homo Erectus’ as well as our favorite Rifkin classic, the Dark Backward! – Director/Star Adam Rifkin in Attendance for Q & A!

7pm – HOMO ERECTUS – (AKA National Lampoon’s the Stoned Age) – 95 min. – A comedy set in prehistoric times following the exploits of the hapless Ishbo (Rifkin), a philosophical caveman who yearns for more out of life than sticks, stones, and raw meat. Determined to single-handedly advance the human race, Ishbo continually irritates his fellow Neanderthals with ridiculous inventions like the toothbrush, the spoon, and pants. The rest of his tribe, including his exasperated parents (KUNG-FU’s David Carradine and Talia Shire), write off his absurd gizmos and forward thinking ideas as the ravings of an idiot, something that doesn’t help his efforts to impress the beautiful Fardart (Ali Larter – HEROES), the cave girl he loves from afar. Fardart only has eyes for Ishbo’s studly but dimwitted brother, Thudnik (Hayes MacArthur). As if things couldn’t get any worse, the enemy tribe on the other side of the hill is readying for war. Will Ishbo ever win Fardart’s love? Can he possibly survive a man-eating wooly mammoth or a man-hating tribe of beautiful but deadly Amazons? Can he finally pull his species out of the primordial doldrums before he’s history? Featuring hilarious appearances by Gary Busey, Tom Arnold, Ron Jeremy, Carol Alt and more!

9:30pm – THE DARK BACKWARD (1991) PHILLY THEATRICAL PREMIERE AFTER 17 YEARS! – 101 min. – Adam Rifkin’s cult classic follows Marty Malt, (Judd Nelson) a nerd who pursues a stand-up comedy career encouraged by his fellow garbage man, Gus (Bill Paxton). Though Gus (who accompanies him on accordion) continues to tell him how great he is, Marty actually stinks. When the “comedian” grows a third arm out of his back, Gus uses this twist to get him signed up with a sleazy talent agent (Wayne Newton), and it begins to look like his career is on the move, even though his girlfriend (Lara Flynn Boyle) is freaked out by his new appendage!

Midnight – Afterparty at M Room featuring Strip for Pain: America’s Most Dangerous Gameshow!
Sponsored by www.hotmovies.com!

And dont forget, Sunday is our last day of screenings and the closing ceremonies for the Backseat Film Festival!!

SUNDAY, MARCH 15th – 3 SCREENING BLOCKS

4pm – Backseat Shorts Block # 4 – A selection of the finest rock n’ roll shorts and music videos!
(Not in screening order)
• Going Public – 22min
• Joey and Jerome’s Artistic Meaningful Independent Film – 23 min – Josh Bass
• Ipso Facto – 9 min – Anna-Maria Vag
• Paid Advertisement: Power Mini Ultra-Flex Turbo – 10 min – Better Hollywood
• W.H.M – 14 min – Karl “New Cinema” Starkweather
• In The Dark – 19 min – Enrique Garcia
• I Love Sarah Jane – 14 min – Spencer Stussy
• I Love (St.) Louis – 7 min – Joe Lachajczyk
• Freak Dance: Dancin in da Streetz – 5 min – Upright Citizens Brigade
• High on Life – 4 min – Upright Citizens Brigade
• Verizon Gang – 1 min – Upright Citizens Brigade

7pm – Strange Girls – 98 min. – Dir. Rona Mark – Twin sisters, unable and unwilling to talk to anyone but each other, live a nearly comatose life in a psychiatric institute. After the murder of their psychiatrist, they are released onto the streets of Pittsburgh. Extreme strangeness ensues.

Plays with:
• Eel Girl – 6 min – Paul Campion

9:30pm – Run, Bitch! Run! – 85 min. – Dir. Joseph Guzman – Catherine and Rebecca are two Catholic School girls going door-to-door selling Religious paraphernalia in order to pay for their books and education. Things go horribly wrong when they knock on the wrong door in the wrong neighborhood. Run! Bitch Run! is a throw back to the classic 1970’s Rape and Revenge films like ‘Last House On the Left’ and ‘Ms. 45.
Closing Film

Plays with:
• Red Princess Blues – 8 min – Alex Ferrari

Midnight – Closing Ceremonies

It’s all at the 941 Theater!
www.backseatfilmfestival.com