Film Club Shakespeare Series: June

For the month of June we will be watching Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing.

June 21st at 6:15pm- Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 British-Italian romantic drama film based on the play of the same name (1591-1595) by William Shakespeare.  The film was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, and stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.  It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design; it was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture, making it the last Shakespearean film to be nominated for Best Picture to date.  Being the most financially successful adaptation of a Shakespearean play at the time of its release, it was popular among teenagers partly because it was the first film to use actors who were close to the age of the characters from the original play.  The film holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert awarded the film 4/4 stars later adding it to his list of Great Movies.  He said this in his review, "I believe Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is the most exciting film of Shakespeare ever made.  Not because it is greater drama than Olivier's Henry V, because it is not.  Nor is it greater cinema than Welles' Falstaff.  But it is greater Shakespeare than either because it has the passion, the sweat, the violence, the poetry, the love and the tragedy in the most immediate terms I can imagine.  It is a deeply moving piece of entertainment, and that is possibly what Shakespeare would have preferred."

June 28th at 6:15pm- Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is a 2012 black and white American romantic comedy film adapted for the screen, produced, and directed by Joss Whedon, from William Shakespeare's play of the same name.  The film stars many regulars from Whedon's other works, including: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, and Jillian Morgese.  The film was shot over a period of 12 days at Whedon's home while on contractual vacation from the post-production of The Avengers.  Whedon's idea to adapt the play for the screen originated from having "Shakespeare readings" at his house with several of his friends, years prior.  The film holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Sheila O'Malley, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 4/4 stars saying this in her review, "Within the first 10 minutes of Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, I found myself smiling with excitement, while also holding my breath in nervous anxiety.  Would the film be able to sustain its confident manic tone, maintain its humor and smarts, its depth of characterization and innovative use of text and landscape?  Would the magic hold?  The magic holds.  It holds from beginning to end.  The adaptation by Whedon, is terrific.  The play moves from comedy to tragedy and back with dizzying speed, and while you may feel like you're getting whiplash, that's the desired effect."