Our last Cine 16 showing ever is tomorrow night.

It is with a heavy heart and watery eyes that I announce that tomorrow will be Michael's and my last Cine16 showing, ever. The series will continue, but we have chosen to cease our involvement. This was entirely our own decision. This blog entry is not the place to discuss why.

That said, I am honestly very excited about the program we have for you tomorrow (Thursday) night.

The theme is Wheels, Wings, Water & Air. The films are all about transportation. It's an interesting mix. We have Trader Vic's Used Cars, in which an experienced used car dealer explains the business. We have Fast Is Not a Ladybug, a charming film about fast and slow, full of the kind of the strange poetic quality that many 'basic concepts' films for very young kids have. We have Teddy Bear's Balloon Trip, in which a teddy bear takes a vaguely surreal trip around the world, visiting other countries and meeting other toys. We also have Flatboatmen of the Frontier and The Oregon Trail, showcasing (respectively) the accurate way and the downright corny way to film a historic reenactment. And we've got a couple of other fun films, too.

As always, the movies are at the Missouri History Museum at the corner of Lindell and DeBalivere in Forest Park (two blocks from the Forest Park Metrolink station). They will start at 7pm. The show is free, and booze and snacks will be available for purchase.

I'll post the full listing of the program below this, for the deeply curious.

My apologies on the short notice, but I hope you can make it.

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Thursday August 17, 2006: Wheels, Wings, Water & Air: Transportation Films

Bike People Year: 1970 Director: Phil Kassel Length: 11:00. With a wry sense of humor, this film covers the basics of bike safety and security for teens.

Fast Is Not a Ladybug: About Fast and Slow Things Year: 1959 Director: Unknown Length: 10:00. This film adapts a children's book on the concepts of fast and slow. In ten minutes, you'll learn that a plane is faster than you, you are faster than a snail and a ladybug...well, the title gives that one away!

Trader Vic's Used Cars Year: 1975 Director: Charles Braverman Length: 10:00. Fascinating short study of a California used car salesman and his customers. Explores the psychology of salesmanship techniques.

The Teddy Bear's Balloon Trip Year: 1971 Director: Unknown Length: 13:30 . An animated film about a little German girl who sends her teddy bear up and away in a ballon-carried basket to deliver a gift to Chinese children. Quirky animation depicts the long, strange trip.

Flatboatmen of the Frontier Year: 1941 Director: Unknown Length: 11:00. This old documentary chronicles a recreation of the construction and use of a flatboat, the form of transportation used from 1790-1820 by farmers in the Ohio River Valley to take goods to market in New Orleans.

Transportation by Freight Trains Year: 1968 Director: Art Evans Length: 10:00. A summary of the particulars of freight railroad activity covers the types of cars, how tracks and yards are run and the types of jobs on the railroad. The film indicates that even since the 1960s the railroad has lost some prominence in American transportation.

The Oregon Trail Year: 1961 Director: Unknown Length: 25:00. This film shows a re-enactment of a Missouri family's travel westward. The
overarching Manifest Destiny theme seems dated by today's standards, and the actors often talk like they live in 1961 instead of 1839.