Santa Monica College has announced it will host its second Samuel Fuller Film Series Nov. 13-15. The series will be co-hosted and discussions moderated by SMC Political Science professor Alan Buckley and SMC Film Studies professor Josh Kanin.
Special guests Christa Fuller (the filmmaker’s widow) and Samantha Fuller (the filmmaker’s daughter) will introduce the films and join the moderated audience discussions after each screening, offering unique personal insights into the life and works of the American screenwriter, director, crime reporter, soldier, and audacious visionary renowned for his low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.
The series is sponsored by the SMC Associates (www.smc.edu/associates), SMC Communication & Media Studies Department, and SMC Political Science Department. All screenings are FREE and are held in Room 165 of the SMC Humanities & Social Science (HSS) building, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Seating is on a first-arrival basis.
The lineup of films is:
Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. – “A Fuller Life” – Samantha Fuller’s revealing documentary about her father – featuring newly discovered home movies and readings by a wide range of his collaborators and fellow travelers – follows the passionate individualist Samuel Fuller on his path from New York tabloid journalist to Hollywood director-producer. Year released: 2013.
Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. – “Shock Corridor” – This satirical commentary on racism and other hot issues in 1960s America – with daring cinematography by Stanley Cortez – charts the uneasy terrain between sanity and madness with the tale of a Pulitzer Prize-seeking investigative reporter who has himself committed to a mental hospital to investigate a murder. Year released: 1963. Starring: Peter Breck, Constance Towers, Gene Evans, and James Best.
Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. – “The Naked Kiss” – This incisive satire of American culture is a bold and pulpy film about a former prostitute who relocates to a buttoned-down suburb and tries to fit in, but perverse secrets simmer beneath the wholesome surface. Year released: 1964. Starring: Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, Michael Dante, and Virginia Grey.
Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. – “Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street” – Familiar themes of duplicitous identities and malleable allegiances invoke detective-film conventions in this not-so-serious film – complete with a gun battle in a nursery – that romps knowingly through an assemblage of international diplomats and underhanded scammers. Year released: 1974. Starring: Glenn Corbett, Christa Lang, Sieghardt Rupp, and Anton Diffring.
For additional information, call (310) 434-4588 or (310) 434-4510.
