Deep Cuts: Hundreds of Beavers + The American Astronaut

by Pablo Kjolseth

The editor asked me to write up two movies, one old, one new—both out of the mainstream. A local angle, it was suggested, would be nice but not necessary. A recent movie and an older film did come to mind, and each has a tenuous connection to Colorado. Do you think anything released two decades ago is old? It certainly makes me feel old. I'll leave it at that.

The two titles I have selected share certain characteristics. Both were shot in black and white. Both were adored on the festival circuit. Both got a bit of help from small distributors and received wide acclaim as they screened in arthouse theaters across the nation, often being brought back for repeat performances. Both have surrealistic qualities. Both evoke the magic from the bygone era of silent cinema, especially when you keep in mind that silent cinema was never entirely silent, as such screenings were often accompanied by live music and, of course, whatever emotional outbursts came from the crowd, such as gut-busting laug…