Contraband Cinema at BAM: I Will Crush You, I Will Krush Groove 7/8

Two films (not Miracle at St. Anna) will be playing next week as part of BAM's current Contraband Cinema series that are toward the top of my favorites in respective categories. It just so happens, these two films are playing on July 8th. The series examines a wide range of films that are politically charged in different ways: personal, imagined, proposed, social. I'm just surprised a few more well known films such as Harlan County USA wouldn't be on here. Anywho, BAM does it again and I'm glad I'm about a 10 minute walk from it.

Sound and Fury, an extraordinary documentary about a deaf family and their internal debate about cochlear implants and deaf culture, is on the early bill on the 8th. It's heartbreaking and the frustration of the father is so incredible to witness because it comes from pureness of heart.

And for the main event of the evening, Rocky IV. Before you laugh, consider that it is the most pleasurable of the 6 films in the series (not the best, just the most touch-yourself one) and the undercurrent of 80s propaganda along with other mainstream films such as Superman IV and any Chuck Norris movie makes it an excessive and really interesting movie. It's not that it should be given a gold star for merit, but it also comes from a pure purpose it seems, even if it's subconscious. That and Sylvester Stallone slurring through an epic speech in English to a Russian audience that realistically doesn't understand him is hilarious. Those crazy Russians, just in time for all that hobknobbery about spies.

In other news, I enjoyed the new Karate Kid (I own the original on VHS).

I would give you the training montage to Rocky IV. It's insanely awesome. However, I'll just give you a scene from Gorky Park.