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ALWAYS FOR PLEASURE
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Our Price: $29.95
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An enjoyable exploration of the mythic quality of New Orleans takes us to a jazz funeral, to a pre-Mardi Gras practice parade, Mardi Gras celebrations, and a St. Patrick's day parade, as well as Mardi Gras celebrations in the black community, including a revival of the black Indian traditions. Les Blank---USA---1978---58 mins.
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BLUES ACCORDIN' TO LIGHTNIN' H
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Our Price: $29.95
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Les Blank captures legendary Texas country bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins at his soulful best in a brief but very powerful film portrait. Candid and off-the-cuff, the film features performances of classic blues tracks (at a backyard barbecue and black rodeo), plus a visit to Hopkins' boyhood town of Les Blank---USA---1969---31 mins.
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BURDEN OF DREAMS
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Our Price: $39.95
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A fascinating, chilling account of the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, a project beset by a series of disasters while shooting in the jungle. Filmmaker Les Blank has made a compelling film about obsessed genius and the creative process. Les Blank---USA---1982---94 mins.
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CHULAS FRONTERAS/ DEL MERO CORAZON
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Our Price: $29.95
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Chulas Fronteras provides a magnificent introduction to the most exciting nortena, Southern-Texas musicians, working today: Los Alegres de Teran, Lydia Mendoza, Flaco Jimenez and others. The music and spirit of the people is embodied in their strong family life, and their music. "A Tex-Mex masterpiece" (Michael Goodwin, The Village Voice). Les Blank---USA---1975---58 mins.
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DRY WOOD
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Our Price: $29.95
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The featured music is that of Bois Sec Ardoin and his sons and Canray Fontenot. Theirs is an older, rural style of Cajun music, which, in the film, weaves together incidents in the lives of Fontenot and Ardoin families. The film's highlights include a rollicking country Mardi Gras, work in the rice fields, a "Mens Only" supper, and a hog-butchering party. Like other Blank films, it expresses respect for living the life. Les Blank/Maureen Gosling---USA---37 mins.
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EL PESAR DE LOS SUENOS/ BURDEN
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Our Price: $29.95
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A fascinating, chilling account of the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, a project beset by a series of disasters while shooting in the jungle. Filmmaker Les Blank has made a compelling film about obsessed genius and the creative process. Les Blank---USA---1982---94 mins.
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GAP-TOOTHED WOMEN
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Our Price: $29.95
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"A love poem to women" (Roger Ebert). An exploration of the self-image of women and pressures to conform to ideals of mass media, concentrating on many unique women who happen to be gap-toothed. Les Blank---USA---1987---30 mins.
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GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHE
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Our Price: $29.95
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Les Blank's gastronomically obsessional film portrait, an exhaustive foray into the history, consumption, cultivation, and culinary and curative powers of garlic, from the kitchens of Chez Panisse and Flint's Bar-B-Que to the international garlic festival. Les Blank---USA---1977---51 mins.
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HERE COMES EVERYBODY
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Our Price: $29.95
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Documentarian Les Blank appears in this short student film by director David Lawrence. David Lawrence---USA---1961
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HOT PEPPER
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Our Price: $29.95
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Hot Pepper plunges the viewer deep into the music of Clifton Chenier, and its sources in the surroundings of rural and urban Louisiana. The great French accordionist mixes rock and blues, with his unique version of Zydeco music, a combination of Cajun French and African undertones. Les Blank---USA---1978---54 mins.
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IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER?
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Our Price: $29.95
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A joyous romp through the dance, food, music, friendship, even religion of the polka. Blank takes us through the polka subculture from New London, Connecticut's Polkabration to the International Polka convention--often funny and wry comments on the polka subculture. Les Blank---USA---1984---51 mins.
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INNOCENTS ABROAD
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Our Price: $29.95
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A portrait of the ways American and European cultural, political and social ideas and stereotypes collide. Structured around a group of American tourists, the film observes them moving through London, Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Germany, Venice, Rome, Nice, Avignon and Paris. With music by Bob Dylan and Chuck Les Blank---USA---1992---86 mins.
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J'AI ETE AU BAL/ I WENT TO THE
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Our Price: $29.95
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The Cajun and Zydeco music of Louisiana is explored by Les Blank, Chris Strachwitz and Maureen Gosling. With rare recordings, stills and footage, interviews and live performances by the greatest names in Cajun and Zydeco music, including Michael Doucet and Beausoleil, Queen Ida and her Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Clifton Chenier, Wayne Toups and many more. Les Blank/Maureen Gosling/Chis Strachwitz---USA---1989---84 mins.
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MAESTRO: KING OF COWBOY ARTIST
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Our Price: $29.95
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Les Blank's curious documentary explores the life and times of Gerry Gaxiola, an ex-wave slave, husband, and father who quit his day job to pursue fame as a "Singing Cowboy". Dedicated to making art for art's sake, Gaxiola--who christens himself "The Maestro"--eventually branches out to painting, sculpture, leather work, clothing design, and more. Les Blank---USA---1994---54 mins.
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MARC & ANN
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Our Price: $29.95
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A portrait of Ann and Marc Savoy, the Cajun musical couple: Marc, accordion builder and player, Cajun cook and outspoken defender of his culture, and Ann, an adopted "Cajun" who authored Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. A more personal look at one Cajun family and their appreciation for their culture in the face of encroaching American mall culture. Les Blank---USA---1990---30 mins.
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PUAMANA
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Our Price: $29.95
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Les Blank's joyous examination of Irmgard Farden Aluli and her remarkable family of performers and musicians, part of the vibrant musical scene in Hawaii. The film interweaves concert footage, archival stills and on-screen text to produce "a cinematic translation of the pulse of island life." Les Blank---USA---1991---37 mins.
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SIX SHORT FILMS OF LES BLANK
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Our Price: $29.95
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This collection features six short works by acclaimed filmmaker Les Blank (Burden of Dreams). Includes Running around Like a Chicken with Its Head Cut Off (1960, 4 mins.), Blank's first film, done as an homage to Bergman's Seventh Seal. Cigarette Blues (1980, 6 mins.) is a short and effective plea to stop smoking. Dizzy Gillespie (1965, 22 mins.) features a fascinating discussion with the bebop jazzman. Chicken Real (1970, 23 mins.) is a darkly funny portrait of a large-scale chicken farm . God Respects Us (1968, 20 mins.) is a document of an Easter Sunday "Love-In" from 1967. Finally, The Sun's Gonna Shine (1969, 10 mins.) is a poetic recreation of Lightnin' Hopkins' life-changing decision to pursue a Les Blank---USA---1960-1985---85 mins.
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SPEND IT ALL
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Our Price: $29.95
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The Cajuns of Southwest Louisiana in scenes such as quarter horse racing, accordion building, cooking and the intoxicating music of the Balfa Brothers, Marc Savoy, Nathan Abshire and others.
Les Blank---USA---1970---41 mins.
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SPROUT WINGS AND FLY
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Our Price: $29.95
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A compassionate, life-affirming document on the old-time Appalachian fiddler Tommy Jarrell. A fascinating film on the theme that art, music, dance, food and earthly pleasures help human beings live joyously in the face of certain death. "Jarrell is a fabulous fiddler and ballad singer...a fascinating cast of backwoods characters plus a compelling look at one of the central issues facing a civilization" (Berkeley Monthly). Les Blank---USA---1983---30 mins.
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SWORN TO THE DRUM: TRIBUTE TO
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Our Price: $29.95
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Afro-Cuban drummer Aguabella has brought the rich, complex, religious musical traditions of bata and the secular conguero traditions to the U.S . and the world of jazz. Now a long time U.S. resident, this program tells both his personal story and of his contribution to Latin Jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana and Katherine Dunham, among other musicians, appear. Les Blank---USA---1995---35 mins.
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