From 'Salesman' to 'Ella,' a look back
American documentary filmmaker Charlotte Zwerin's credits include ``Salesman'' (1969), "Gimme Shelter'' (1970), and ``Running Fence'' (1978), all codirected with pioneering documentarians - and Brookline natives - the Maysles brothers. She also directed portraits of visual and performing artists such as Willem de Kooning, Ella Fitzgerald, and Arshile Gorky.
This month the Harvard Film Archive presents a retrospective of Zwerin's work, first presented at New York's Museum of Modern Art this spring. She will be at the HFA on Saturday for the 7 p.m. screening of her 1989 classic ``Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser'' along with Bruce Ricker, independent producer and distributor of jazz films, including ``Monk.''
The series continues Nov. 2 with ``Running Fence,'' about the efforts of French conceptual artist Christo and his wife and partner, Jean-Claude, to construct a 24-mile fabric fence in the California hills. It shows with Zwerin's 1982 short film ``Arshile Gorky,'' about the life and work of the Armenian artist. ``De Kooning on de Kooning'' screens Nov. 3 with another artist portrait, ``Sculpture of Spaces: Noguchi.'' ``Gimme Shelter,'' a chronicle of the Rolling Stones' ill-fated 1969 concert at Altamont Speedway, and ``Salesman,'' a verite look at the door-to-door Bible trade, screen together Nov. 7 and 9.
Two musical films round out the series: ``Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For'' (1999) on Nov. 8 and "Toru Takemitsu: Music for the Movies'' (1994), about the Japanese composer, on Nov. 10. For more information, visit www.
CHILLS AND THRILLS: No Halloween would be complete without a horror-movie marathon, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre provides one starting at midnight on Saturday. The 4th Annual Halloween Horror Movie Marathon With Spookalicious Halloween Sideshow runs for 12 hours and unspools six classic horror movies, including ``House of Wax'' in 3-D, the Sissy Spacek thriller ``Carrie,'' and Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's ``Edward Scissorhands.''
As fun as the movies will be, they're not the evening's only attraction. Live entertainment will be provided by Black Cat Burlesque and the bands Beat Science and Thee Monkey Butlers. Costumes are welcome, with ``ghoulish prizes'' the reward. Visit www.coolidge.org for information.
CALL FOR FILMS: The New England Film & Video Festival, set for March 22-27, is now accepting entries in narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental genres. The competition is open to independent media artists who are residents of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and upstate New York (north of and including Westchester County), or who resided there when work was completed. Students attending a New England college or university may enter, as well as students who are attending a college or university outside New England but who have permanent resident status in New England.
The early deadline is Friday and the final deadline Nov. 14 (with a higher fee). Visit www.bfvf.org/festival for an entry form and contact information.
OUT-OF-TOWNERS: Discussions will follow screenings at two upcoming film events outside Boston. "Close Up in Black,'' an evening of film clips and discussion on African-Americans in film, takes place at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington Monday at 7:30 p.m. Gary Dauphin, editor-in-chief at Africana.com, leads the event, which is based on an exhibition curated by the Smithsonian of film posters featuring African-Americans that will be on display at the National Heritage Museum beginning Saturday.
The Cape Museum of Fine Arts in Dennis will bring guest speakers into its theater on Saturdays in November for the Family Catastrophe Film Festival. On Saturday, Stanley Mueller, a clinical psychologist, leads a talk following the screening of the 1970 Gene Hackman film ``I Never Sang for My Father.'' Subsequent films include "Don't Look Now,'' "The Great Santini,'' and ``They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' with discussions led by Margaret Rappaport, a psychiatrist who uses film to teach physicians.
SCREENS AROUND TOWN: Christopher Felver's 1996 documentary "The Coney Island of Lawrence Ferlinghetti'' screens today at 3 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts. Following the film, Ferlinghetti will read his poetry and Eric Anderson will perform his new song ``Beat Avenue.''
The MFA's popular annual program of award-winning British advertising films shows Thursday through Nov. 8. Peter Bigg, administrator of the British Advertising Broadcast Awards, will be present for the opening night at 8.
Donna Wick and Wendy Ettinger's documentary "Baby, I'm Yours,'' about the ambivalent feelings that can accompany motherhood, will be shown at Harvard's Carpenter Center Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.
Local filmmaker Brendan Clarke will introduce his documentary "Nobody Knows: Chronicle of an Unsigned Band,'' about the Boston-based rock group Fooled by April, at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge on Nov. 3 at 10 p.m. Visit www.brokengates
film.com for information.
Loren King can be reached at loren.king@comcast.net.
