Jochum, Tobi

Interview: Oskar Roehler

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 03:34:00 GMT

OUT NOW! Oskar Roehler is used to controversy. After his hate-it-or-love-it 2006 adaptation of Houellebecq’s The Elementary Particles, the German director is back with fuel for a final roasting: Jud Süß.

KulturBrauerei: 20-Year Jubilee

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:27:09 GMT

Few locations have thriven undeterred from the city’s post-Wende awakening till today’s boom. But Prenzl’Berg’s KulturBrauerei successfully made the transition, straddling the bridge between off-scene and mainstream with an eclectic mix of cultural events. And no wonder: the building itself is a true survivor. The old Schultheiss brewery was built in 1842, and remains one of the only well-preserved examples of industrial architecture in Berlin. This year, the multi-purpose, city block-sized complex – home to seven different clubs, bars and theatres – celebrates its twentieth anniversary. After the kick-off on September 1, there’ll be special events all year. On the big night: Theater RambaZamba, Polish street-theater artists Teatr Osmego Dnia and Israeli group Kenafayim will turn the Brauereihof (courtyard) into an open-air stage Frieden – Ein Fest, a reinterpretation of Aristophanes’ ancient comedy. Stick around for fireworks and DJs.

"Fear good movies"

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:59:00 GMT

It’s all “fantasy” at the 24th annual Fantasy Filmfest (Aug 17-25) – from the British thriller Harry Brown, in which Michael Caine snaps in the face of social depravity, to gory trash like The Human Centipede.

The Hurt Locker

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:23:37 GMT

Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winning drama about an American bomb disposal unit in pre-escalation Baghdad (2005) is a stunner in its dense hyperrealism and minimalist structure. It’s tough for war flicks to completely avoid glorifying the action at least on some level – aka soldier porn – but Bigelow and her brilliant cast get it right, even while (or perhaps partly due to?) omitting any ideological nitpicking: you’ll have to figure out the big "Why?" on your own. OV with German subtitles.

Barbarella

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:01:25 GMT

One glance at the poster is all you need to know about Barbarella. As a quick reminder: 1968. Who Can Save the Universe? Jane Fonda. Queen of the Galaxy. Space boots, laser gun and a barely there bikini. A fixture in pop culture for decades, few films have carried the cult tag as proudly as this one, but today it seems fewer people than you might think have actually ever seen Fonda (re)discover sexuality for future mankind. Here’s your chance to catch the original on the big screen – just in time before they butcher its charm with an all-but-inevitable blockbuster remake. English OV.

Barbarella

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:54:57 GMT

Der Himmel über Berlin

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:48:28 GMT

In one of the highlights of Arsenal’s ongoing Wim Wenders retrospective, young Bruno “Hitler” Ganz stars in what Nick Cage and Meg Ryan would later turn into high-quality kitsch with City of Angels. You may need to know some German to get the poetic musings (Rainer Maria Rilke served as an inspiration), but not for the beautiful black-and-white shots of a rundown pre-Wende cityscape. An all-time Berlin classic.

Ski’s Country Trash

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:14:03 GMT

The name gives away their sound, but you’d be hard-pressed to guess these face-tattooed rock greasers are actually from Bavaria. Sometimes credited with the invention of “trashabilly”, this band's jams cover topics like Hells Angels and Jack Daniels, or take on Johnny Cash songs with a twist. In any case, these guys know their shit and their live shows rarely disappoint, so check them out at what looks like the perfect venue: the rockin' Wild at Heart.

Detroited: Stacey Pullen & Ryan Eliott

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:57:27 GMT

Get Detroited big time by second wave Motor City vet Pullen and his younger colleague Elliott with the deep machine sound that so heavily influenced Berlin’s techno hype throughout the 2000s. The roof will be open as well, so step outside to catch some air and breathe in the stunning view of the city at dawn.

Flachlandfest: De Staat

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:54:07 GMT

Flachlandfest: Wintertuin & Flemish Popunt/Trix Music Contest

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:36:01 GMT

Flachlandfest: The Bony King of Nowhere, Balthazar & Joachim

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:29:38 GMT

The flatlanders are coming! For just the second time in two years, Flachlandfest is bringing Dutch and Flemish culture to Berlin. The three-day festival, hosted by Arena (Badeschiff, Glashaus etc), will feature contemporary young theater, dance, music, film, visual arts and literature of all sorts. On Friday, the Fest kicks off in spectacular fashion with some musical treats. At Glashaus, The Bony King of Nowhere, a singing/songwriting prodigy from Belgium, puts in an appearance, followed by band-contest sweepers Balthazar. Or you can walk over to the Club and put on your dancing clogs for Joachim's (a.k.a. Concolor’s) minimal tech-house grooves. EXBERLINER is giving away 3x2 weekend tickets for this event. Since the evenings will promise "Starry Nights", please tell us in what year Vincent van Gogh painted this famous picture. Send your answer to: win@exberliner.com

Reading: Sexbomben

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:14:26 GMT

Sick of the stiff self-importance of "serious" lit readings? At Kalkscheune's Die Schöne Party, the self-named "Sexbomben" intentionalize the unintentional comedy of erotic pulp fiction. The catch: it's all in German. But hobby-DJ and VIVA-vet Nilz Bokelberg will do his best to compensate for any missed punchlines.

Experimontag: Mpala Garoo & Tetsuya Hori

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:22:36 GMT

Whatever actual music Russia's Mpala Garoo may be hiding behind tags like "tropical lo-fi" and "sandal gaze", it sure sounds like something you'd wanna give a chance to on a hot summer night, especially when it's "Experimonday" at Kreuzberg's favorite upside-down basement. And even Garoo can't out-weird Tetsuya Hori's warbles, which are co-starring this time around.