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Oddball Films and guest curator Hannah Airriess present Road Trip USA. Just as everyone is gearing up for summer, this program showcases road trips of all kinds, from turn of the century trolley rides to space-age amusement parks. In the promotional film America for Me (1952), we see America from the vantage point of a cross-country Greyhound bus ride, filmed in beautiful Technicolor. The educational shorts Highway Mania (1942) and Not So Easy (1973) warn the viewer against the dangers of the open road; in Highway Mania we are warned against crazed, murderous drivers, and in Not So Easy, Peter Fonda and Evel Knievel explain the basics of motorcycle safety. Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas (1956) features a caustic Brooklynite’s night in Sin City, featuring dazzling lights and vintage signs. To conclude, we will screen examples of road trips from the distant past and future. A Trip Down Market Street (1906), a “road trip” in a very literal sense, showcases San Francisco’s Market Street just days before the devastating earthquake the destroyed much of what is filmed. Finally, Westworld Production Short (1973) goes behind the scenes into a Michael Crichton film about futuristic amusement parks for the ultra-wealthy. Interspersed throughout the program will be home movies from the ‘40s to the ‘60s, documenting road trips throughout America.

Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 - Limited Seating RSVP to programming (at) oddballfilm.com or 415-558.8117

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