FilmScene and The Englert Theatre Present CRAZY HORSE, 5/18

The newest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will be screened at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 18 at The Englert Theatre. Presented by FilmScene and the Englert, the screening will be the Iowa premiere of "Crazy Horse." Before the film, Iowa City's own Les Dames du Burlesque will perform an opening-act routine inspired by the film.

Admission is 18-plus only, and seating for the film is general admission. Tickets are $8 in advance or $11 day of show.

The event is sponsored by Deluxe Cakes and Pastries, which will provide treats for a special pre-show reception from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Douglas and Linda Paul Gallery at the Englert. A limited number of reception tickets are available for $15, which includes admission to the film. Reception guests will enJoy Sweets from Deluxe, as well as a complimentary beer or wine. A cash bar will also be available, and reception guests will have a photo opportunity with ladies from Les Dames for a small fee.

In "Crazy Horse," director Wiseman takes audiences inside one of the most famous nude dance shows in the world -- Paris's legendary Crazy Horse cabaret, founded in 1951 by Alain Bernardin. Over the years it has become a "must" of Parisian nightlife, ranking in stature alongside the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Wiseman's impeccable eye finds the Crazy Horse to be a uniquely French showcase, with an emphasis on elegance, perfectionism and a grueling schedule (two shows a night and three on Saturdays, seven days a week). The film shows us the rehearsals and unveiling of the cabaret's brand new show -- Désir -- created by renowned French choreographer Phillippe Decoufle.

Film critic A.O. Scott of The New York Times writes, "'Crazy Horse' is a study of artistic process that is itself a work of art, and, as such, a reminder of what a documentary can be. Mr. Wiseman has planted his camera at the intersection of the cerebral and the sensual... Some of the dances, at least as captured on film, are both pretentious and beautiful. Others are silly (occasionally on purpose), and a few do seem to touch The Lofty and mysterious realms of the sexual imagination."