So says one of the many party invitations that I’ve received here at IDFA–this one from a Guests Meet Guests cocktail hour hosted by the Krakow Film Foundation, Polish Film Institute and Estonian Film Foundation. We’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy, look alive.

I’m currently working my way through screenings of as many award-nominated films as I can, but between the Forum events, Talk Shows, panels and other events here, it’s a challenging festival to navigate. Veterans were disoriented, too, because everything in this snowglobe town shifts a bit when you change your focus and, this year, the venues changed. You feel like you’re in a bit of a spiderweb if you spend too much time here.

Luckily, I can go to the Docs for Sale viewing stations and watch screenings of films that are sold out. So, I’ve seen dozens of films and my head is spinning and I’ve spent a week standing next to the likes of Peter Wintonick and Werner Herzog talking about vampires and losers–more on this later. (I’ll refrain from using the other word Werner spouts a lot because even in this day and age, it’s dicey. But that’s why we love him, right?) And for the record, Werner, people smiled in pleasure when recalling seeing your film, so kudos on that.

Audiences here are the most brutal I’ve seen. Now, granted, I’ve been hanging out in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and Silver Springs, Maryland so I’m no sophisticate, but, holy crap, the Dutch are rude as fuck. It’s humbling; you’re just their bitch if you want to spend time in their town. And I’m saying that mostly in admiration, for some reason.

Really long-winded way of saying that I will be posting reviews and impressions, interviews, etc. for a while–seriously, it could have been more fun, but I’ll be getting a lot of mileage out of the knowledge I gleaned going to this festival outside my own country. Tres different. Where those things will appear, who knows, because I want to spend the next little bit rocketing around the planet trying to be a goodwill ambassador for our humble States. Seriously, we have a lot of ’splainin’ to do.

More soon from Amsterdam. Our lovely Mr. Schnack, and the little devil on his shoulder, have a post on the winners at IDFA last night. Next stop on the daisy train, south of England to frolic in the type of place Morrissey sings about. Ciao, ciao.

Paul Lovelace and Sam Wainwright Douglas’ new documentary, The Holy Modal Rounders. . .Bound to Lose, is opening in New York at the Anthology Film Archives down in the East Village for one week starting December 7. Each of the seven nights will bring a unique event with special guests and related films. The Holy Modal Rounders were a 1960s Greenwich Village psychedelic folk duo. Sounds interesting already, huh?

Featured in the film are Dennis Hopper, former Modals drummer, now famous playwright/director/writer/actor Sam Shepherd, Peter Tork of The Monkees (like most, I had the biggest crush on Davey, but always thought Peter was really cute), Wavy Gravy, The Fugs, Loudon Wainwright III and other various and sundry celebs, burnouts, music lovers and friends of fiddler, Peter Stampfel and guitarist Steve Weber (whose resemblance to a giant muppet is uncanny). In a lot of ways, it’s a familiar music story where we see the young, idealistic goof-offs get together when they’re in their 20s and full of beans and storytell about the trajectory of their careers (in this case, it’s usually straight ahead or torked a bit down most of the time; success eludes these men like the plague). And the reasons success eluded these men brings up the usual suspects of drugs, alcohol, and living a life of unrestricted mayhem 24/7 for years on end. The gray matter takes a beating.

The co-directors are going the self-distribution route (yay) and have booked week-long runs and one-off screenings across the country. Lots of work–let’s see if it pays off for them. This film is a bit of East Village, New York history and they gather some really striking, very gritty black and white archival footage of the city in the 60s and 70s, well before Times Square was Disney-fied and when you could still go home, after being in a bar all night, smelling like a cigarette butt.

As part of their “hey, we’re playing in your hometown soon!” approach, the myspace page is in place and a crack team of dedicated friends and supporters are on board the train. They are presenting each night as a special curated event with other films, musical guests and some really interesting moderator/special guests like Nick Tosches and Lenny Kaye introducing films. They are also showcasing the theatrical premiere run of their film here with Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point, co-written by Sam Shepard while the band was recording its psychedelic landmark album The Holy Modal Rounders Eat the Moray Eels. Now that’s a fab film-geek factoid, ain’t it?

Contact Anthology Film Archives and get your tickets to one of these fun evenings. (Drugs not included.)

Chicago: Nothing cuts through a mid-summer haze like the sound of Isabella Rossellini warbling a Bobby Vinton song. My alma mater the Art Institute of Chicago is sponsoring a month-long festival of David Lynch films. This week offers three chances to see Blue Velvet in the gorgeous Gene Siskel Theater. And what luck! If you prefer your Italian women to keep mouths shut, there’s an Antonioni retrospective in the very same theater complex. Via ScreenGrab.

Seattle: Quick, go home and change–you’ve finally got an audience for that Ruby Keeler impression you’ve been practicing. Cineoke starts tonight at the Jewelbox Theater at 8pm. Sponsored by the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Cineoke is basically karaoke set to your favorite scene from your favorite movie musical. The organizers say they have hundreds of songs to choose from, but you’re also welcome to bring your own DVD or cued-up VHS. More info here [via Wes Kim].

New York: You have just four more nights to catch what is essentially the New York cinephile sequel event of the summer. Though not a literal sequel to Army of Shadows by any means, Le Doulos is another re-release of another Jean-Pierre Melville masterpiece, and it’s again packing a single screen at the Film Forum screen. Jean-Paul Belmondo (all dressed up like Bogart two years before Godard went there again in Pierrot le Fou) sneaks his way around a world where every criminal dreams of gathering some money and a girl and retreating to “a place with no cops and no hoods.” In a film flooded with casual violence, Belmondo’s character uses his charisma as his most efficient weapon. I’d see it ten times between now and Thursday … if I didn’t have anything else to do. See more at FilmForum.org.

To have your event included in a future Cinephile Calendar, please send info to Karina AT Spout DOT com.