OBSCENE opens in New York on September 26
NEW YORK (RUSHPRNEWS)AUGUST 13, 2008–OBSCENE is the definitive film biography of Barney Rosset, the influential publisher of Grove Press and the Evergreen Review. He acquired the then fledgling Grove Press in 1951 and soon embarked on a tumultuous career of publishing and political engagement that continues to inspire today’s defenders of free expression.
Not only was he the first American publisher of acclaimed authors Samuel Beckett, Kenzaburo Oe, Tom Stoppard, Che Guevara, and Malcolm X, but he also battled the government in the highest courts to overrule the obscenity ban on groundbreaking works of fiction such as Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Tropic of Cancer and Naked Lunch. Ultimately he won and altered the course of history, but not without first enduring lawsuits, death-threats, grenade attacks, government surveillance, and the occupation of his premises by enraged feminists.
But the same unyielding and reckless energy Rosset used to publish and distribute controversial works such as Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, the Swedish film I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW), and the provocative Evergreen Review, also brought him perilously close to destruction. Featuring music by Bob Dylan, The Doors, Warren Zevon, and Patti Smith, and never-before-seen footage, OBSCENE is directed by first time filmmakers Neil Ortenberg and Daniel O’Connor.
THE UNIVERSE OF KEITH HARING opens New York on October 24
THE UNIVERSE OF KEITH HARING, directed by Christina Clausen, is an intimate portrait of the world-renowned artist Keith Haring whose mantra was “Art is for everyone!” The film is an intimate exploration of his background and career of one of the most popular and significant artists of the 20th century. The film features interviews and archival footage of Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Kim Hastreiter, Grace Jones, Madonna, Yoko Ono, David LaChapelle, Kenny Scharf, Carlo McCormick, Andy Warhol, Ann Magnuson, Tony Shafrazi, and Junior Vasquez, among many others.
Audio excerpts from original interviews with Keith Haring, were conducted by Haring’s biographer John Gruen (Keith Haring: the Authorized Biography). The film’s theme song is by the famed DJ and record producer, Junior Vasquez, with an original soundtrack by Angelo Talocci.
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Erin Owens
Arthouse Films
80 Greene Street
c/o Hastens
New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212.966.1760
Fax: 212.966.1751
Mobile: 917.940.1687
erin@arthousefilmsonline.com
www.arthousefilmsonline.com
