As Rob Nelson mentioned earlier this week, the Walker has held a sizeable portion of William Klein’s films in our Ruben and Bentson Film and Video Study Collection. Some of the prints often go out on loan to other organizations, but there are several cans of film that have remained fairly untouched on the shelves for quite some time. We have a can of film in our archives here that we have long understood to include clips and camera tests from some of William Klein’s feature films. Heading into the Regis Retrospective, we decided to take a closer look at the content of this particular can. What we discovered was not the clips and tests we expected, but actual theatrical trailers for several of Klein’s features, and they are in excellent condition with perfect color. Film trailers can often be interesting in their own right, but in the case of someone like William Klein, they can take on a life of their own. Klein involves himself in every aspect of his films. From the actual photography all the way through the graphic design of the promotional materials, his hand is intrinsically there. These trailers amplify that phenomenon incredibly and become films of their own in some fascinating ways. If you were able to catch Tulpan last weekend, you likely caught the trailer for Who Are you, Polly Magoo? We’ll show that one again before the screening of Mr. Freedom this Friday. The trailers for Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther and Muhammad Ali the Greatest will be played before the screenings of Who Are You and Messiah this weekend. These trailers are such a treat, and they will knock your socks off. As rare as William Klein screenings are, these trailers are even moreso. Don’t miss them.
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