The Bootleg Files: Hot Dogs for Gauguin

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 864: “Hot Dogs for Gauguin” (1972 student film short by Martin Brest starring Danny DeVito).

LAST SEEN: On the OK.ru website.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

At the risk of being cruel, it needs to be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of student films represent a victory of enthusiasm over talent. But that’s not to say the genre lacks gems – Denis Sanders’ “A Time Out of War” (1954) won the Academy Award, while George Lucas’ career has its roots in his 1967 “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.” Martin Brest is also credited with hatching one of the best student films of all time, the 1972 “Hot Dogs for Gauguin,” which he made while at New York University – that film wound up on the National Film Registry, one of the very few student films to earn such an honor.
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The Bootleg Files: 3rd Ave. El

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 857: “3rd Ave. El” (1955 Oscar-nominated short).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and Internet Archive.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: It was reportedly on video, but I can’t confirm that.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: This fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe as a special feature.

New York City residents of a certain age will remember the IRT Third Avenue Line, an elevated railway that operated between Manhattan and the Bronx. The Manhattan portion of the line – which was informally known as the 3rd Avenue El – ended in 1955, while the Bronx portion of the line had service until 1973.
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Kosmonavt (2021)

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Phil Hall

A sexy young Russian lady who doesn’t speak English sets herself up at a chess table in New York City’s Central Park and tries to invite passersby to engage her in a game. A sad faced shlub who was stood up by his date ambles by and agrees to play. After losing badly, the lady encourages him to try again. They continue playing through the course of the day – but where can this relationship go?
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Lisa Hurwitz’s Documentary ‘The Automat’

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Phil Hall

On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” filmmaker Lisa Hurwitz discusses her award-winning documentary “The Automat,” which features interviews with Mel Brooks (pictured here), Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Colin Powell.

The episode can be heard here.

Changing Face of Harlem (2016)

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Phil Hall

Among New York City’s neighborhoods, Harlem has seen the most dramatic highs and harrowing lows: it was a cultural epicenter during the 1920s and a beacon for African-Americans seeking an escape from the Jim Crow South, but economic deprivations during the Great Depression and acute social inequalities in the post-World War II years saw the community’s standard of living rapidly decline.

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