Oddball Films Media
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Apr 13, 2012
Oddball Films and guest curator Jeremy Menzies present Weird Science, a compendium of eccentric, unknown science films from 70 years of scientific discovery. These films cover a range of disciplines and topics, from the biological impulses and social situations of rats to men handling raw electricity. Films in this sampling include; Carrol Ballard's Crystallization (1975), An Experimentally Produced ‘Social Problem’ in Rats (1948), Snails: Backyard Science (1962), Facts of Faith, Invisible Forces: Everyday Science Experiments, Magnetism, Arcs and Sparks,Moody Institute of Science's Blind as a Bat (1955), the slightly disturbing Protist Ecology (1975), a beaker full of the bizarre trailers and More!
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Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 - Limited Seating RSVP to programming@
oddballfilm.com or
415-558-8117
oddballfilm.com or
415-558-8117
Crystallization (1975, Color, 11min.)
Carrol Ballard's incredible film gives a simple yet visually stunning look into the formation of microscopic crystal structures. Scientific and psychedelic at the same time, this film explores how liquids become solid by rearranging their molecules into precisely ordered patterns. Unseen and unbelievable processes creep along to trippy, electronic music.
An Experimentally Produced ‘Social Problem’ in Rats (1948, B&W, Silent, 11min.) Ever wonder how class-based societies form? Check out this strangely interesting Psychobiology short from the labs of Yale Universityand get the full analysis; white rat style. Silent with a live soundtrack.
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Protist Ecology (1975, Color, 15min.) Topping the charts of bizarre, this film takes a very weird (and slightly disgusting) look into the world of microscopic organisms. Cows with holes in their stomachs, decomposing fish, and plentyof microscopic cinematography make this film stranger than strange while maintaining an air of educational information.
Blind as a Bat (1955, Color, 7min.) Another gem from the Moody Institute of Science, this short film explains how and why bats can ‘see’ in the dark, even though their eyesight is poor. Scientists catch some cave bats and try out various experiments on them to discover the secrets of this nocturnal mammal.
Magnetism (1947, B&W, 7min.) Every little kid has a natural curiosity for the world around them but not all of them know how to explain scientific theories and build experiments from scratch. Join the 'Dick and Jane' duo in this film to learn all about magnetism and how to build your own telegraph.
Snails: Backyard Science (1962, Color, 8min.)
A short scientific peek into the fascinating world of snails. This film covers everything from slime to shell when it comes to explaining the life and times of a common garden creature. The far reaching branches of science surely do explore all the mysteries of our world.
Plus!A beaker full of bizarre movie trailers, monocularly pattern deprived cats, and radioactive reactions!
Curator Biography
Jeremy Menzies is a San Francisco based artist and film curator working in 16mm film, photography, and printmaking. A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, he has worked as a projectionist, curator, and archivist with the San Francisco Cinematheque, Canyon Cinema, The Filmmakers’ Cooperative, and Millennium Film Workshop in San Francisco and New York.