The DukeFest Zero closing night film is the amazing Strangers In Paradise, for which we’ve created our very own digitally restored version! Here’s a look at what was involved.
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DukeFest Zero
DukeFest in the press!
Amazing to see people writing about DukeFest Zero in the press, including this fantastic feature in this week’s issue of Time Out.
Time Out also made us their number one pick in their weekly film events chart – take a read here
Mostly Film have also written an amazing in-depth preview of DukeFest – take a read here
Smoke Screen have written a preview of DukeFest – take a read here
The Ransom Note interviewed us about Dukefest and more – take a read here
Night Of The Trailer goes DukeFest
It’s been far too long since the last Night of The Trailers event, but I’m making up for that with three cool happens during DukeFest Zero, read on to find out what I’ve got up my sleeve for those wild 4 nights of film mayhem.
Join me on Monday 30 June at The Phoenix for The Duck Video Mix, an audio visual assault on all your senses, especially your sense of decency, this mix has taken me a year to put together and will demolish your mind with exactly 60-minutes of fight scenes, found footage, vintage TV, adverts, music videos and strangely enough only one solitary trailer, but what a trailer it is! Take a look below at the only thing I’m going to let you see in advance, you’ll love this guy when you see him.
But like everything else in the Duke Mix he’ll only be on screen for scant seconds, to be quickly replaced by something equally as odd and fast moving. On the night I’ll also try and explain why it’s called The Duck Mix as well, though I’m not sure the answer really makes a whole lot of sense.
The following night, Tuesday 1 July, I’ll be back at The Phoenix with my bonus event, my Found Footage Battle Royale audition! Every year at the Cinefamily in LA, the VHS mix masters Everything Is Terrible hold the Found Footage Battle Royale, the closets there is to a world championship of strange video footage. This year I’m hoping to head over there in September to take part. You have to submit 6 two-minute clips which you can play on the night, along with 15 other contenders.
On the night I’ll be unleashing my clips on you as a test audience to see how they play, expect the unexpected is all I’m going to say, these specially edited super obscure clips play fast and pack a punch! I can’t wait to reveal them all to you. We’ll also take a look at last year’s winner, so you know what I’m up against. Here’s the only thing I’m going to let you see before the night:
Who is this man and what is he apologising for? Join me on the night to find out!
The on our Closing Night, Wednesday 2 July at The Prince Charles Cinema, I’ll be opening the night with a mystery 35MM trailer reel, what’s the mystery? You’ll find out on the night. That’s all I’m going to say about the night, but I will give you a look below and some of the trailers I’ve selected for the evening, you’re going to love these, 35MM lovers don’t miss this!
Look for a full 100% completely brand new Night Of The Trailers show in Spring 2015!
The Great VHS Experiment: Japanese Edition
Here’s preview of one of the more mysterious events we’re putting on as part of DukeFest Zero. Back in July 2013 we held the first Great VHS Experiment, a night where we had a huge stack of ex-rental VHS films and invited members of the audience to select a tape to play; we’d then all hope we’d find some great trailers at the start, or at least something funny to watch. The night was probably the closest we’ve come to a riot at the Duke as the place was packed and the entire thing went over so well.
So skip forward a year and when we found that our good friend Ed had a big stash of Japanese VHS TV recordings from the early 1990s in his storage locker, we knew exactly what we could do with them! Yes it’s the return of the VHS Experiment and this time it’s all Japanese!
The idea was really brought to life when we picked one tape at random to watch and the very first thing we saw was a young looking Jennifer Connelly selling shampoo, which was followed by a very strange advert seemingly instructing balding men in how to comb their hair to cover up that bald spot. Fast forwarding a bit and we also found one of the Twin Peaks Georgia Coffee adverts that only aired in Japan, featuring the original cast attempting to solve the mystery of a missing woman.
We’ve got about 75 VHS tapes of which we’ve picked the most interesting looking 20 to bring along on the night, we’ve not watched any of them at all so we haven’t got a clue what else is on them, we want you to come down on the night and join in the fun of finding out what’s on them with us!
On the night we’ll pick people at random to come up and select a tape and we’ll all find out what’s on it right there and then. What will we find? Will it be funny? Will it be boring? Who knows! Remember this is an experiment, it could be hilarious or it could be terrible, anything could happen on the night.
Also as an added bonus to keep things interesting, one of the tapes has a hidden note inside it, whoever picks that tape will win a fairly good prize right there and then!
The Great VHS Experiment: Japanese Edition is part of our DukeFest Zero Mix-It-Up Night and takes place at The Phoenix Artist Club on Monday 30 June from 7.30PM. FREE ENTRY all night!
The Duke Mitchell Film Club 