Our good friends and fellow movie fanatics over at Shanghai Tattoo have recently moved to a new location and discovering they had a room spare have decided not to use it for drawing pictures on people but instead to set up their own small screening room. Once Sub-Cinema heard about this we automatically new what we wanted to do – play the things we can’t get away with playing at Dada!!
A couple of months back we did a test screening there with a small group of friends to see how the space worked and what we could do. We played Cannibal Holocaust. Once the movie had finished, a few people left awkwardly without saying a word, and the morning after we had reports that some of the group had strange, unsettling dreams (one member will never look at turtles the same again). SUCCESS!
Sub-Cinema X, though, is not just about disturbing movies, sex and gore (although there will be a lot of this). It is a chance for us to play movies that we feel should be played to smaller groups, with the people who attend the screening are ready to watch and experience something a little different, preparing themselves in advance for the showing. We may show something graphically intense or horrific, we may show something that needs deep concentration or has a strong psychological effect, we may show something which appeals to a very specific or niche audience. Whatever we play, it will be something that we feel more comfortable showing to a smaller group of people in a private environment.
The room itself is a great little spot, with a huge screen covering the whole of the front wall and decent sound. SH Tattoo have got themselves their own popcorn machine so fresh, salted popcorn is available, and everyone is welcome (and encouraged) to bring their own drinks. There is only room for 10 viewers (maybe a couple more but we’d rather keep it comfortable) and Sub-Cinema X showings will only be open and announced to those subscribed to our mailing list. Seats will reserved on a first come first served basis (please only ask to reserve a seat if you can definitely come) and if there are a large number of people interested in watching a certain showing we may consider multiple screenings.
Every showing will be announced to the mailing list at least a week in advance and will most likely be on a Wednesday night and occur once a month. They will be free to attend, SH Tattoo will kindly provide free popcorn, and showings will begin at roughly 8pm, with all showings finishing before 10pm (due to building regulations). We will probably head out for drinks afterwards to have a chat about the movie.
If you would like to know more about Sub-Cinema X showings and would like to be informed about what we have coming up please email us at subcultureshanghai@gmail.com to join our mailing list.
For February’s movie schedule we are excited to present a season of some of the funkiest 70’s flicks around, our Blacksplotation special!!
The term ‘Blacksploitation’ was coined in the early 70’s to describe an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Featuring a predominantly, if not full black cast, the genre was initially made specifically for an urban black audience, but quickly appealed to a much wider group of people. Spanning various subtypes of films such as crime, martial arts, westerns, horror and comedy, one thing that almost certainly features heavily throughout the blacksploitation genre is the use of amazing funk, soul and jazz soundtracks with many of the greatest composers and song writers of that time creating some of their best work for movies. Dry humour, sharp language, amazing wardrobes and slick soundtracks – get ready for one hell of a month of bad assssss cinema!
** Unfortunately none of these movies are available in China and so are in English language only**
Tuesday 7th February – Coffy (1973)
For the first time in almost 2 and a half years, Sub-Cinema are playing a movie for the second time. The first movie we ever screened, how could we do a Blacksploitation month without the funkiest woman herself – Pam Grier, in possibly her best role – COFFY!
Coffy, a beautiful young nurse, is fed up with the narcotics that have infiltrated the inner city. When her eleven-year-old sister is hospitalized after shooting some contaminated heroin, Coffy sets out on a mission of vengeance and vigilante justice, killing drug dealers, pimps, and mobsters who cross her path.
Coffy was Pam Grier’s first ever lead role and instantly became a blaxploitation classic. One of the main inspirations for Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (also starring Grier as the lead) Coffy combines a great plot, killer script and some of the funkiest outfits you’ve ever seen, all accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack provided by the one and only Roy Ayers! The perfect way to kick off Sub-Cinema’s Blacksploitation season!
‘It was easy for him because he really didn’t believe it was comin’, but it ain’t gonna be easy for you, because you better believe it’s comin’!’ – Coffy
Tuesday 14th February – Black Belt Jones (1974)
No Blacksploitation series could ever be without the black Bruce Lee himself – Mr Jim ‘The Dragon’ Kelly, in one of his most celebrated roles – BLACK BELT JONES!
A Mafia buy out of Papa Byrd’s karate school downtown ends up getting violent and results in his death, but Byrd’s daughter, Sydney, refuses to sell and wants revenge. When things start looking tough for the school, Papa Byrd’s top student Black Belt Jones teams up with Sydney to dish out some sweet, funky revenge!
After winning an International Middle Weight Karate competition in Long Beach, James M Kelly, aka Jim ‘The Dragon’ Kelly, opened up his own Dojo and, after teaching karate to actor Calvin Lockhart for his role in ‘Melinda’, ended up getting involved in acting himself. Kelly is best known for his role in Bruce Lee’s ‘Enter The Dragon’ but he has also starred in a whole slew of black martial arts classics including ‘Three The Hard Way’, ‘Hot Potato’ and ‘Black Samson’. Black Belt Jones is a hard hitting, sharp kicking blacksploitation classic with a killer soundtrack by the great Dennis Coffey!
‘Choose money over honey? Shiiiiit. Man, you can pull out my groin, just gimme that coin! Man, I’d rather be dead than not have any bread! Pinky’s mama didn’t raise no fool!’ – Pinky
Tuesday 21st February – Black Caesar (1973)
Fred Williamson is imposing, tough and unflappable as a street kid who muscles his way into the big-time mob racket in this super slick crime drama!
Tommy Gibbs (Williamson) has always had it tough. Growing up on the streets without a father and trying to make his mother proud, Tommy resorts to running errands for The Man. But when a crooked cop beats him up, Tommy realizes there’s a better way to live – by making the man deliver for him! Infiltrating, and then destroying, the infamous Cardoza family, Tommy takes over Manhattan as the first black Godfather and puts the squeeze on anyone who dares get in his way. But as he tightens his grip on others, he loses his hold on the most important things in his own life, making him the vulnerable target of every cutthroat gangster who ever dreamt of ruling an empire!
After retiring from his career in American Football, Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson took to the big screen and starred in some of the best blacksploitation movies ever made, as well as later starring in a whole array of movies including Rodriguez’s ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ and even a cameo in Snoop Doggy Dogg’s ‘Doggy Dogg World’ music video. Black Caesar was by far his most celebrated role in the blacksploitation genre, and paired up with a soundtrack by the godfather himself, Mr James Brown, Black Caesar is one cat not to mess with!
Hail Caesar, Godfather of Harlem…The Cat with the .45-Caliber Claws!
Tuesday 28th February – Sub-Cinema Double Bill!
Blacula (1972) & Scream Blacula, Scream (1973)
Rounding off a great month of blacksploitation we present a double bill from the funkiest corners of hell – Blacula and Scream Blacula, Scream!
He’s the black avenger. He’s Dracula’s soul brother number obe. He’s the baddest creature to hit the midnight hour since Dr Funkenstein was risen from the groove. He may be one of the slickest, meanest vampires ever unleashed onto the silver screen but he ain’t no sucker. He’s BLACULA and he’s one strange dude with a thirst that needs to be satisfied. Brilliantly inventive and overflowing with atmospheric horror chills, BLACULA’s blood thirsty celluloid legacy makes the perfect Sub-Cinema double bill!
With a magnetic performance from thespian actor Mashall Williams as the black Prince of Shadows and a funked up, killer soundtrack from famed producer/composer Gene Page, BLACULA raised the standards for blacksploitation cinema. Along with Superfly, Shaft and Coffy, it remains a cult classic!
SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM rises above is b-movie status with enough lush cinematography to give Hammer Horror a run for its money. Taking things to a new level is seventies icon Pam Grier (Coffy) as a shapely voodoo priestess in this tale of black magic and revenge!
Sub-Cinema – Every Tuesday Night @ Dada, 115 XingFu Lu. Doors @ 8pm, Screening @ 9pm. Free Entry, Free Popcorn
ROM’s Kim Laughton, from the UK, is Sub-Culture’s artist for October and has produced now 1 but 2 amazing posters for this month’s events! More info coming soon….
As most of you know, every Tuesday evening Sub-Culture hosts a cinema night at Dada Bar in Shanghai. This week we are playing one of our favorite Romero joints – Martin!
‘Shy teenager Martin is sent to live with his elderly and cousin, Cuda, in the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Cuda is very hostile towards Martin, and with good reason – Martin is a vampire. Or at least, he and his relatives believe him to be. He has no fangs, he walks in the sunlight, garlic has no effect, and has no fear of crosses, yet he certainly has a thirst for blood and claims to be 84 years old. Cuda promises to save Martin’s soul and destroy him once he is finished, but Martin’s loneliness finds other means of release.‘
If you haven’t seen this one before then try and get down tonight, its a fantastic movie and a very interesting take on the whole vampire thing. Doors open at 8 and film starts around 9. Its free entrance and there is free popcorn. Its been getting pretty busy recently so if you want a good seat then we recommend getting down there before 8.30.
But thats not all! We’ve just had word that Isis Salem (from Thunderheist) and DJ Fathom are in town and are up for doing a surprise performance after the movie.
Thunderheist were a kind of electro-hip hop act on Ninja Tune subsidiary label Big Dada and we’re pretty big until their split in 2010. Vocalist Isis is now concentrating on her solo project and tonight we will get a little taste of it as she plays along side Toronto’s DJ Fathom. Here’s a little more on Isis Salem from her myspace:
‘Isis has never been one to follow the beaten-path, and her latest project is no exception. Having started her career at the age of 19 touring across North America as an emcee, Isis later became an integral part of the party-starting duo, Thunderheist. Critical praise followed the group as they played around the world and left many sweaty dance floors in their wake. During this period, Isis also branched-out to make high-profile appearances on The Jimmy Kimmel Show (alongside MSTRKRFT and Noreaga) and the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. Now, drawing inspiration from legends such as Deborah Harry, Betty Davis to the Doors, Isis is preparing her first solo release; a selection of songs as eclectic as they are well-rounded. An album that can start the dance floor, but also provides the incentive to move things into the bedroom. It is clear that after years on the mic, Isis continues to add her unique style and flair to everything she touches!’
So there you go, a great film and some live music all for free tonight at Dada! See you there!
Sub-Culture Shanghai 