Ritz at the Bourse: Black Lizard, January 26, 1992

I'm really excited at the prospect of new art house independent film venues in Fort Worth, Texas, because as things are, there aren't any besides weekend and sporadic showings. Otherwise, the big chains have it -- all mega-mediocre, all the time. There is great hope especially in plans for The Citizen, possibly opening next year on Magnolia over near Spiral DIner. 

But hey, Philadelphia. At least when I was living there in the 1990s, the City of Brotherly Love had everything everywhere: movie houses like Temple University's Cinémathèque (aka Temple Cinematheque) and the Ritz at the Bourse, for example. Very civilized, indeed, though I just read this update: "REPAIRS TO THE RITZ AT THE BOURSE. Construction has begun to fully replace the air conditioning system at the Ritz at the Bourse. The theatre complex is currently closed but will re-open for business on Friday, July 13 [2012]!"

In any case, the Ritz at the Bourse (Landmark Theatres) lives on, soon with new AC! Today's triggering artifact, scanned above: a ticket receipt for Black Lizard (1968). Tickets cost a whopping $3.50.   

 

Black Lizard is strange. Based on a 1934 novel by Edogawa Rampo (whose "real" name was Hirai Tarō), filtered through a play adaptation by Yukio Mishima and directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the 1968 movie is like some unholy cross between a James Bond and David Lynch film, with a little John Waters mixed in for bad measure. Cool, though.  

Edogawa Rampo -- get it? Edgar Allan Poe . . . who lived for a spell in Philadelphia, come to think of it. More on that little side adventure at some point, I suspect.

Beware 黒蜥蝪 -- Kurotokage -- Black Lizard -- The Black Lizard!

Today's Rune: Fertility.