Cult Film: "Another Day, Another Man" and "Born In Flames" Double Feature

Portland Movie Club Cult Films Meet-Up - Spotlight on ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MAN and BORN IN FLAMES
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club Members David and Victoria for an unusual double feature of Doris Wishman’s Another Day, Another Man (1966), and Lizzie Borden’s Born In Flames. David’s rule for double features is that if each film is relatively brief (say, around 70 - 80 minutes or so) and combined they are shorter than the typical James Cameron epic about blue people, then a pairing of two movies with similar themes or qualities should make for an exciting and eye-opening experience.

Here's how it works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton, OR at 2 pm on a Saturday. We'll have signs at our tables, but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable. Please note that this is a change in venue from many of our scheduled Sunday Meet-Up events.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing these masterpieces with us. (The Breakside in Beaverton has a full-service bar and a quality assortment of food carts in the outdoor patio area.)

A little about Doris Wishman and her exploitation classic "ANOTHER DAY, MANOTHER MAN."
Pauline Kael once remarked, “Most of the films we enjoy are not art.” It has been said of director Doris Wishman – who specialized in “grindhouse” cinema – that she was the most prolific woman who directed commercial films in the 20th century, and also that she was “the female Ed Wood.” Wishman single-handedly directed, wrote, produced, cast, selected the music and locations for, and even self-financed and self-distributed her own movies – at least 30 of them. (Let’s see Quentin Tarantino try that!) Wishman was so dedicated she once exclaimed, “When I die, I’ll be making films in hell!”

Another Day, Another Man was made during the “roughies” period of “sexploitation” cinema, and while it was designed to lure in the “raincoat crowd,” the unsuspecting patrons of a Doris Wishman film in this period were subjected to stories focusing on their female protagonists, outmaneuvering the men who demonstrated their contemporary mid-sixties' attitudes about manipulation and dominance.

Trigger Notes: The Wishman movie is considered “sexploitation” and is very much a product of the year it was made: 1966. You may find some of the - um, “racier” - scenes objectionable, or you may find them naïve and amusing. You may end up wanting to add some of the lingerie to your own personal collection. This is really a matter of taste and perspective. Those familiar with the halcyon days of “Skinemax,” will likely be in for a very big disappointment. This is not elevated to – or perhaps if you prefer, downgraded to – the explicitness of soft- or hardcore “sin-ema” produced in the following decades. This was, by the dubious virtues of censorship, a much more innocent time. To a modern perspective, the emphasis may appear to be more on the capture of the era’s social attitudes, décor, fashion and music long gone, and a seemingly chaotic editing style that jump-cuts back and forth between performers and possibly random (or are they?} closeups of feet, shoes, ashtrays, handbags, peeling wallpaper and what-have-you.

A little about Lizzie Borden's "BORN IN FLAMES."
This 1983 production from the fiercely independent and underground filmmaker Lizzie Borden, who has been called a "radical intersectionist" and one of the primary contributors to the "no-wave cinema movement," presents a semi-futuristic authoritarian society, and the women who rise up in revolt against its domineering policies. There's a certain similarity in style and themes as well as the mode of production to the Wishman films here - which is why we are presenting these as a double feature. But this film has an entirely different reputation.

Trigger Notes: There's a few brief scenes that may be alarming to some viewers, including a sexual assault.

Viewing Options
Viewing options for this Doris Wishman film are more limited than usual - but that shouldn't be surprising to a cult film connoisseur, just part of the hunt for an elusive gem. You should still be able to find it on You Tube ( Another Day, Another Man (1966 Sexploitation, Nudist) - Doris Wishman ). IMPORTANT: Please note that this link starts about 2;20 minutes into the movie, so you will want to back it up to the beginning using the time bar at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, two of the more obscure streaming channels feature the film: Cultpix and Mometu (which reportedly offers a free with ads option). It has been released on Blu-ray by the AGFA thru Vinegar Syndrome, and on DVD by Something Weird Video. Both of these options are likely still available at Movie Madness.

Additional Viewing Suggestion: Co-host David was hoping to combine "Born In Flames" (the second half of our double feature) with Doris Wishman's "Bad Girls Go To Hell" since there is a little more symmetry between the two movies' themes. But it has proven to be an even more elusive film to find viewing options for before those options unexpectedly disappear. If you're courageous enough to test the waters with another fascinating and short film from Doris Wishman, you may want to try Bing Videos or Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965) Not Rated Full Drama Movie. These two movies were officially double featured by Cinema 21 once, and by Something Weird Video - which were this co-organizer's initial jaw-dropping (and extremely entertaining) exposure to the unique world of Wishman.

Viewing Options
Viewing options for the Lizzie Borden film are fortunately much more accessible and include Amazon Prime and Apple TV. It has also been released on home video as part of The Criterion Collection.

About Cult Films
Sometimes good, almost always interesting, and only somewhat definable, Cult Films defy mainstream criticism and are noted for their obscurity and dedicated fan bases. Many cult films exist at the borderline between art and exploitation and are rich candidates for open-minded entertainment and interpretation. We recommend viewing them for their uniqueness, regardless of their financial success or failure, or their adherence to a shared mainstream cinematic language.

Tips

1. Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. As with a book club, we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
2. Some members enjoy researching the films and sharing what they find with the group. Others prefer to engage with the films in a more casual way. Both approaches are absolutely fine! Most PMC members land somewhere in the middle. You may find it useful to take notes as you watch but definitely don't feel obligated. At the end of the day, we're here to socialize and have fun.
3. If you come up with any discussion topics you'd like to explore with the group, bring them with you! We love fresh eyes and new voices!

Previous titles viewed by our Cult Film Meet-up members for group discussion have included: Titane, Barbarella, Fantastic Planet, Eraserhead, Daisies (aka, Sedmikrásky), Jennifer’s Body, The Human Tornado, The Love Witch, Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, Phantom of The Paradise, Takashi Miike's Audition, and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Rabid.

The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!