SATURDAY, APRIL 11Once in a while, we find ourselves all too thankful for globalization. How else to explain a Swedish singer-songwriter whose raspy voice and nimble fingerpicking makes you think he was raised on Mississippi John Hurt and Will Oldham? The Tallest Man on Earth (né Kristian Matsson) is not, in fact, the main attraction for a traveling sideshow or the title of a new Diane Arbus exhibit, but he does make an impression that’s hard to shake for days. With a crackly voice that sounds like it’s been remastered off of dusty old vinyl, he’s the latest Swedish export to cause an indie sensation (see also: Lykke Li, Jens Lekman, and Peter, Bjorn and John). The Tallest Man last passed through town supporting famously reclusive songwriter Bon Iver, but now he’s hitting the road as a headliner. See him reach new musical heights tonight at 9 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge. 617.876.6837). For tickets ($15), call 617.876.4275 or visit www.worldmusic.org.
Considering how generally craptacular the last 12 months have been, we wager there’s no one reading this who won’t be happy to see 2008 sleep with the fishes. So it seems fitting that the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 17.876.6837) is closing out the year with a full week of The Godfather and The Godfather II, two Mafia hits destined to forever hold their spots on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list. And thanks to Francis Ford Coppola’s newly rejuvenated prints — the result of two painstaking years of meticulous restoration from shrunken, warped, and tattered negatives — Vito Corleone’s silk suit has never looked so crisply black, nor his childhood Sicily so achingly gorgeous (though deadly). The films screen at the Brattle from December 25 through 31.
Say what you will about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but one thing is clear: there’s just no out-swashbuckling Harrison Ford. Still, although Ford might be the best, he certainly wasn’t the first, as the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.876.6838) proves with its series “Roots of the Whip: Indiana Jones and His Influences.” Bookended by all four Indiana Jones films, this showcase includes 1937’s Zorro Rides Again and 1954’s Secret of the Incas. As a bonus, the Brattle is also showing Hellboy and Serenity, films whose devil-may-care heroes seem cribbed straight from the Dr. Jones playbook. The series runs December 10 through 14; more information is available at 617.876.6837 or www.brattlefilm.org.
For a beloved movie house that’s given local cinephiles so much — annual Bogie marathons, exclusive David Lynch premieres, hometown gems, gritty midnight flicks, and a zillion first dates — the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge) doesn’t ask a whole lot from us. Since the thought of a Harvard Square without our favorite cozy, rear-projectin’ theater is a bleak one indeed, we’re mighty inclined to cough up the cash for its swank annual gala, held at the Charles Hotel (One Bennett Street, Cambridge, 617.864.1200) on November 16. To sweeten the deal, attendees will have the chance to meet indie-film legend (and occasional Green Goblin) Willem Dafoe, whom the Brattle is honoring alongside longtime Boston Phoenix scribe Gerald Peary. Tickets start at $150; call 617.876.8021 or visit www.brattlefilm.org.
Since ancient times, Muslim cultures have valued the arts in all their multimedia glory. So it’s little surprise that the Art Under Fire! The Boston Muslim Film Festival will showcase films about a variety of artists. Democracy in Dakar is about politically-minded Senegalese underground hip-hop artists, who will perform live at the screening on October 20, at Boston University’s George Sherman Union (755 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.353.2921). Iranian-American stand-up comedians are the focus in the documentary Stand Up; you can catch them live, too, on October 15, also at the George Sherman Union. The festival’s theme this year is “Art Under Fire,” so expect to find films that address issues of censorship and hostility toward Muslim creative types. Screenings take place at various theaters and universities around town. The festival kicks off with Operation Filmmaker with Liev Schreiber on October 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.876.6837). As expression should be everywhere, the events are free. Visit www.muslimfilm.org for the full schedule.
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