It’s not often that a classic film is better remembered for its cinematography and score than its plot and acting, but such is the case with Redes — a 1936 anomaly that rallied the talents of iconic American photographer Paul Strand, Austrian-born director/future Oscar winner Fred Zinnemann and noted Mexican composer Carlos Chávez. Commissioned by the Mexican Government’s secretary of public education, the film began as a documentary but unexpectedly morphed into a scripted drama starring non-actors in semi-biographical roles. Set in the coastal town of Alvarado, Veracruz, the film employs arresting imagery and a classical soundtrack to help build a socially conscious story about poor fishermen struggling to survive on exploitive wages. Following the death of his son, protagonist Miro leads his fellow fishermen in revolt — convincing them to not release their catch until they’re all offered fair wages. Considered by some to be a precursor to the Italian Neorealism movement, Redes (marketed in the U.S. as The Wave) screens in conjunction with Texas Public Radio’s Cinema Tuesdays film series.
Legendary California punk bands Bad Religion and Social Distortion brought their anthemic sounds to Boeing Center at Tech Port on Friday night. Here's…