Weird Science is a compendium of eccentric, unknown science films from 70 years of scientific discovery. These films cover a range of disciplines and topics, from the biological impulses and social situations of rats to men handling raw electricity. Films in this sampling include; Crystallization, An Experimentally Produced ‘Social Problem’ in Rats, Snails: Backyard Science, Facts of Faith, Invisible Forces: Everyday Science Experiments, Magnetism, Arcs and Sparks, Blind as a Bat, Protist Ecology, and a beaker full of the bizarre!

Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco

Date: Saturday, January 9th at 8:30PM
Admission: $10.00 RSVP (Limited seating) to info@oddballfilm.com or 415.558.8117.

Social Lab Rats, Crystals, Electric Men, Microscopic Mayhem, Incredible Experiments, Mad Scientists and Magnetic Children

On Saturday, January 9th, Oddball Films guest curator Jeremy Menzies presents “Weird Science”, a program of bizzaro science films at Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco. “Weird Science” uncovers some of the more outrageous science films in the Oddball archives, exploring Physics, Chemistry, and Biology across a spectrum of time and genre. The screening begins at 8:30PM, Admission (limited seating by RSVP) is $10.00. For reservations please email info@oddballfilm.com or call 415.558.8117.

Super Science Flicks Include:

“Crystallization” (1975, Color, 11min.) This incredible film gives a simple yet visually stunning look into the formation of microscopic crystal structures. Scientific and psychedelic at the same time, this film explores how liquids become solid by rearranging their molecules into precisely ordered patterns. Unseen and unbelievable processes creep along to trippy, electronic music.

“An Experimentally Produced ‘Social Problem’ in Rats” (1948, BandW, Silent, 11min.) Ever wonder how class-based societies form? Check out this strangely interesting Psychobiology short from the labs of Yale University and get the full analysis; white rat style. Silent with a live soundtrack.

“Facts of Faith” (1954, Color, 28min.) Who knew Evangelical Christians were into serious science experiments? From the Moody Institute of Science, this film featuring absurdly dangerous experiments proves that the faithful and scientific can co-exist. In a lightning storm of electrocution, sound, and magnetism experiments, Dr. Irwin A. Moon simultaneously proves God’s protecting hand and science’s raw facts in one fantastic display of faith.

“Arcs and Sparks” (1980, Color, 14min.) A fun educational film that covers some basic bases about electricity and conductivity, this film runs through a variety of simple but interesting science experiments. Funny music and quirky narration explains the ins and outs of arcs and sparks.

“Invisible Forces: Everyday Science Experiments” (1916, B/W, Silent, 6min.) One of the archive’s earliest science films, this film demonstrates some common experiments using ordinary tools. A curious look into early educational uses of cinema and some interesting Do It Yourself science.

“Protist Ecology” (1975, Color, 15min.) Topping the charts of bizarre, this film takes a very weird (and slightly disgusting) look into the world of microscopic organisms. Cows with holes in their stomachs, decomposing fish, and plenty of microscopic cinematography make this film stranger than strange while maintaining an air of educational information.

“Blind as a Bat” (1955, Color, 7min.) Another gem from the Moody Institute of Science, this short film explains how and why bats can ‘see’ in the dark, even though their eyesight is poor. Scientists catch some cave bats and try out various experiments on them to discover the secrets of this nocturnal mammal.

“Magnetism” (1947, BandW, 7min.) Every little kid has a natural curiosity for the world around them but not all of them know how to explain scientific theories and build experiments from scratch. Join the 'Dick and Jane' duo in this film to learn all about magnetism and how to build your own telegraph.

“Snails: Backyard Science” (1962, Color, 8min.) A short scientific peek into the fascinating world of snails. This film covers everything from slime to shell when it comes to explaining the life and times of a common garden creature. The far reaching branches of science surely do explore all the mysteries of our world.

Plus! A beaker full of bizarre movie trailers, monocularly pattern deprived cats, and radioactive reactions!

Curator Biography Jeremy Menzies is a San Francisco based artist and film curator working in 16mm film, photography, and printmaking. A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, he has worked as a projectionist, curator, and archivist with the San Francisco Cinematheque, Canyon Cinema, The Filmmakers’ Cooperative, and Millennium Film Workshop in San Francisco and New York.

About Oddball Films Oddball films is the film component of Oddball Film+Video, a stock footage company providing offbeat and unusual film footage for feature films like Milk, documentaries like The Summer of Love, television programs like Mythbusters, clips for Boing Boing and web projects around the world. Our films are almost exclusively drawn from our collection of over 50,000 16mm prints of animation, commercials, educationals, feature films, movie trailers, medical, industrial military, news out-takes and every genre in between. We’re actively working to present rarely screened genres of cinema as well as avant-garde and ethno-cultural documentaries, which expand the boundaries of cinema. Oddball Films is the largest film archive in Northern California and one of the most unusual private collections in the US. We invite you to join us in our weekly offerings of offbeat cinema.