Issue five

To coincide with the BFI’s Black Screen Icon poll that celebrates black cinema we look at Melvin Van Peebles’ 1972 incendiary Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song and at Horace Ové’s Pressure, the stirring tale of a youth caught between West Indian and British cultures. We also have an interview with Melvin Van Peebles and his actor and director son Mario, who made a docu-drama about the making of Sweetback in 2005.

Also in the spotlight this month is the great Werner Herzog, who has a recent documentary on general release, The Wild Blue Yonder, and one of his seventies classics Fitzcarraldo re-released on DVD. If you’re in London don’t miss the Werner Herzog season at the ICA!

And we review Lunacy, revered Czech animator Jan Å vankmajer’s latest foray into live action, the delightful Aboriginal tale Ten Canoes and John Cassavetes’ Opening Night, part of a retrospective of the über-indie director’s work at the BFI Southbank.

DVD releases include the latest collection of shorts from the acclaimed digital festival onedotzero while our Rock’n’Roll Movies of the month are a batch of sixties pop films – Catch Me If You Can, Gonks Go Beat and Pop Gear.

Playing with our Film Jukebox this month are Bearsuit, a ‘stop-start boy-girl cutie-killer six-piece with everything from cinematic waltzes to catchy electro disco and hard punk screaming riot grrl noise.’ Take a look at their selection here!

Starting this month we’ll be making regular contributions to I’m Ready for my Close-Up, Resonance FM’s excellent weekly show on cinema and visual culture. Our first broadcast is on June 21 and you’ll be able to hear our interview with the inimitable Alejandro Jodorowsky. You can listen on the radio (104.4) or on line. Go to our Events page to find out about upcoming radio broadcasts.

Every month we’ll give you the chance to get your cinephile hands on a film prize – all you have to do to win is spin the Film Roulette! We’re pleased to announce that our May winner is Richard Todman. Well done Richard, you’ve won a DVD of El Topo, courtesy of Tartan Video. This month we have a DVD of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, courtesy of the BFI (Please be aware that it’s a Region 2 disc). So get spinning!

The Electric Sheep Magazine team