Can two films that share the same film from the same spool be considered extensions of each other? Wim Wenders had given Jim Jarmusch, the then budding director, roughly 40 minutes of leftover film from his film The State of Things (ironically a film about a crew running out of film to complete their feature) to complete the first 30 minutes of what would later become the now beloved feature Stranger Than Paradise. It’s hard not to think of Stranger Than Paradise as being in the same filmic reality of The State of Things, as both films are–in one way or another–centered around individuals drifting in spaces foreign to them, trying desperately to make do with what they’ve been dealt.

The State of Things, 1982

Week 6: May 12-14

The State of Things

Dir. Wim Wenders (1982); Germany, Portugal, 121 min

Programmed by: Cadie Godula

On location in Portugal, a film crew runs out of film while making their own version of Roger Corman's Day the World Ended (1955). The producer is nowhere to be found and director Friedrich Munro (Patrick Bauchau) attempts to find him in hopes of being able to finish the film.

Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

Stranger Than Paradise

Dir. Jim Jarmusch (1984); USA, 90 min

Programmed by: Cadie Godula

New York City layabout Willie (John Lurie) and his dopey sidekick, Eddie (Richard Edson), get by on TV dinners and beer financed by haphazard card-sharking. Willie gets an unwelcome visit from his Hungarian teen cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), but, just as he warms to her, she ditches him for her aunt in Cleveland. Impulsively, Willie and Eddie take a road trip to pick up Eva, after which they head out to find fortune and paradise in Florida -- or at least alleviation from their constant boredom.

Friday, May 12 at 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM
Saturday, May 13 at 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM
Sunday, May 14 at 3:00 PM & 5:30 PM