December Film Club

I mentioned at Horror Fest that there wouldn't be a film club meeting in November since that's Thanksgiving, so our next meeting will be in December.

 For those you who have been attending Film Club for some time now, you'll remember that I am not a huge fan of Christmas movies, so we've watched several unconventional picks the last couple years (Die Hard, Gremlins, Krampus, etc.). Last Christmas, I came down with a case of COVID, so we had to skip that year. SO, for this return to our regularly scheduled December film, I've decided to show a Christmas movie that I showed my first year in command of Film Club (11 years ago!): Bob Clark's classic horror film-Black Christmas!

I'M KIDDING, it's Bob Clark's OTHER Christmas classic, A Christmas Story.

A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash", with some elements from his 1971 book "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters". It stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, and Peter Billingsley and is a seasonal classic in North America.

Initially overlooked as a sleeper film, A Christmas Story was released a week before Thanksgiving 1983 to moderate success, earning about $2 million in its first weekend. Over the years, the film's critical reputation has grown considerably and it is regarded by some as one of the best films of 1983. Based on 57 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 89%. Roger Ebert gave the film 4/4 stars and added it to his list of Great Movies.

We will be meeting Thursday, Dec. 22rd at 5:30 pm.

Here's a trailer for the film.

Hope to see you there!

October Film Club: 11th Annual Crete Library Horror Fest

Oh, it's that most wonderful time of year again, and I don't mean Christmas. A chill is in the air, bonfires burning bright, fall is here, and Halloween is right around the corner. Of course, as any Film Club aficionado knows, with Halloween comes Horror Fest. For those unfamiliar, Horror Fest is a Film Club event that occurs at the end of October, where we spend two nights and watch four scary movies. 

Each year I try to come up with some kind of theme for the films to fit into and this year is no exception, in fact, this year's theme is my favorite type of horror movie: Folk Horror.

Folk Horror is a subgenre of horror film that uses elements of folklore to invoke fear in its audience. Typical elements include a rural setting and themes of isolation, religion, the power of nature, and the potential darkness of rural landscapes. It harkens back to a time before, when the old gods prevailed. The primary focus of the stories is often upon naïve outsiders coming up against these forces.

Like Horror Fests of the past, we will be meeting two nights and watching four movies. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th, both nights the first film will start at 4pm and the second film will start at 6pm.

And now, on to the fun stuff: the films. This is what the lineup looks like:

Wednesday, Oct. 26th

4pm- The Lighthouse

6pm- Gretel & Hansel

Thursday, Oct. 27th

4pm- Men

6pm- Kill List

(click the title for the trailer)

There will be coffee provided, but as an added bonus, candy, soda and maybe even popcorn, will make an appearance. But as always, everyone is welcome to bring whatever they like for themselves or to share!

So come on out to our spooky little double features, and get into the Halloween spirit.

Hope to see you there!

September Film Club

 Hello everyone! A big thank you to everyone who came out and made our Summer Sci-Fi series another success! (A bonus thanks to those of you who would not consider themselves necessarily fans of the genre, but attended nevertheless) Now, on to September.

Sometimes, a film just jumps into my head and I really want to show it, and that's what happened this time. I know we just watched Dune and maybe you're all "Duned" out (though, I can't imagine what that's like), if that's the case you may want to miss this next one, but I would recommend against it, because it is a wonderful film.

For the month of September, I've decided to show Jodorowsky's Dune.

Jodorowsky's Dune is a 2013 American-French documentary film directed by Frank Pavich. The film explores cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's unsuccessful attempt to adapt and film Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction novel Dune in the mid-1970s.

The film currently holds a fresh rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and Matt Zoller Seitz, writing for Rogerebert.com gave the film 3/4 stars saying this in his review, "Jodorowsky's Dune is an account of a film that was never made despite all the love that its makers poured into it, yet somehow it's warm and inspirational: a call to arms for dreamers everywhere. Jodorowsky's statements tend toward the grandiose, but you never get the sense that he's a charlatan, or that he's overestimating his power to fill the screen with images no one had seen before. Entering the time machine of nostalgia, the director portrays his younger self as a man who thought he could do anything and could make his collaborators feel invincible, too."

We will be meeting Thursday, Sept. 22 at 5:30 pm.

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0cJNR8HEw0

Hope to see you there!

August Film Club #2

 For our second film of August and our final film of our Summer Sci-Fi Series, I've decided to show Denis Villeneuve's new adaptation of my favorite book, Dune.

Dune is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screen play by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth. It is a the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. Set in the far future, the film follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The ensemble cast includes Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

The film currently holds a fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Glenn Kenny, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 3.5/4 stars saying this in his review, "Throughout, the filmmaker, working with amazing technicians, manages to walk the thin line between grandeur and pomposity in between such unabashed thrill-generating sequences as the Gom Jabbar test, the spice harvester rescue, the thopter-in-a-storm nail-biter, and various sandworm encounters and attacks. If you're not a "Dune" person these listings sound like gibberish, and you will read other reviews complaining about how hard to follow this is. It's not, if you pay attention. I'll always love David Lynch's 1984 Dune, a severely compromised dream-work that had little use for Herbert's messaging. But Villeneuve's movie is Dune."

We will be meeting Thursday, Aug. 25th at 5:00pm

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g18jFHCLXk

Hope to see you there!

August Film Club #1

 Our first film for the month of August is a personal favorite. We will be watching Steven Spielberg's Minority Report.

Minority Report is a 2002 American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, loosely based on the 1956 short story "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick. The film is set in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia in the year 2054, where Precrime, a specialized police department, apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge provided by three psychics called "precogs". The cast stars Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow.

The film currently holds a fresh rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Roger Ebert gave the film 4/4 stars saying this in his review, "At a time when movies think they have to choose between action and ideas, Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" is a triumph-a film that works on our minds and our emotions. It is a thriller and a human story, a movie of ideas that's also a whodunit. Here is a master filmmaker at the top of his form, working with a star, Tom Cruise, who generates complex human feelings even while playing an action hero. Some directors place their trust in technology. Spielberg, who is a master of technology, trusts only story and character, and then uses everything else as a workman uses his tools. This film is such a virtuoso high-wire act, daring so much, achieving it with such grace and skill. Minority Report reminds us why we go to the movies in the first place."

We will be meeting Thursday, Aug. 4th at 5:00pm.

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7DGMgfOb8&t=10s

Hope to see you there!

July Film Club #2

 Our second film for the month of July is Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special.

Midnight Special is a 2016 American science fiction film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. The film stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Martell, and Sam Shepard. It is Nichols' fourth full-length film and his first studio production. Michael Shannon plays a father who escapes with his son from both the government and a cult after they discover that his son has special powers.

The film received positive critical reception, and currently holds a fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Brian Tallerico, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 4/4 stars saying this in his review, "Jeff Nichols' brilliant Midnight Special weaves relatable themes of parental responsibility and faith in that which is traditionally unexplainable into a sci-fi road movie. Midnight Special respects your intelligence, letting you come to its themes emotionally instead of narratively. It is a breathtaking display of visual storytelling, confidently rendered by someone who understands the power of cinema. It is images from the film that pass through my mind most-flames falling from the sky, a father carrying his child, the shaking of grass as something is about to happen, and the jaw-dropping finale. Nichols is the rare filmmaker who understands that this is what we take away from the best films, and the powerful way that art reflects that which transcends words."

We will be meeting Thursday, Jul 28th at 5:30pm

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB07DFgELn4

Hope to see you there!

July Film Club #1

 Alright, thanks to everyone who came out for Predestination. I thought it was a good way to kickoff our Sci-Fi series, because good sci-fi should make you think (even if it may end up hurting your head a bit). For the month of July, we will have 2 films, and we will be meeting Thursday, Jul 7th and Thursday, Jul 28th.

Our first film for July is District 9.

District 9 is a 2009 science fiction action film directed by Neill Blomkamp in his feature film debut, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson. The film stars Sharlto Copely, Jason Cope, and David James, and was adapted from Blomkamp's 2006 short film Alive in Joburg. The film is partially presented in a found footage format by featuring fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras. The story, which explores themes of humanity, xenophobia and social segregation, begins in an alternate 1982, when an alien spaceship appears over Johannesburg, South Africa.

It currently holds a positive rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film 3/4 stars saying this is his review, "District 9 does a lot of things right, including giving us aliens to remind us not everyone who comes in a spaceship need be angelic, octopod, or stainless steel. They are certainly alien, all right. It is also a seamless merger of the mockumentary and special effects. And there's a hard parable here about the alienation and treatment of refugees."

We will be meeting Thursday, Jul 7th at 5:30pm

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLUwOcR5pk

Hope to see you there!

June Film Club

 Ok, to kick off our Summer Series I've decided to show Predestination. 

Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction action thriller written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor, and is based on the 1959 short story "All You Zombies" by Robert A. Heinlein. A temporal agent (Ethan Hawke) embarks on a final time traveling assignment to prevent an elusive criminal from launching an attack that kills thousands of people.

The film currently holds a fresh rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Peter Sobczynski, writing for Rogerebert.com gave the film 3.5/4 stars saying this in his review, "It is an impressive job that the Australian writing-directing team of brothers Peter and Michael Spierig have done in bringing Heinlein's story, which he claims to have written in a day, to life. Sticking fairly close to the source material for the most part, they have figured out a way of recounting it in a way that is straightforward enough for most attentive viewers to follow and yet complex enough to inspire them to want to go back and watch it again."

We will be meeting Thursday, June 30th at 5:30 pm.

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxG-YfedrfU

Hope to see you there!

Summer Series

 Hello everyone! I hope you're all enjoying this crazy hot weather and staying hydrated. Thank you to everyone who came out for Licorice Pizza, we had a great turnout. Those of you who have been attending Film Club for some time will be familiar with how the summer usually plays out. In years past we have done a Summer Series, where I pick some sort of theme and find movies that fit it. We've done the films of specific filmmakers such as Werner Herzog and Christopher Nolan, as well as genres like Neo Noir and Shakespeare adaptations. Generally, we watch two movies a month over the course of June, July, and August. Unfortunately, since things have been a bit hectic and I may be gone the 23rd for jury duty, we will be watching only ONE movie for June. July and August will both have TWO. So, without further ado, here is what the summer will look like:

Summer Series: Sci-Fi

 June 30 @ 5:30pm- Predestination

July 7 @ 5:30pm- District 9

July 28 @ 5:30pm- Midnight Special

Aug 4 @ 5:00pm- Minority Report

Aug 25 @ 5:00pm- Dune

(note the start times for our August films are earlier to accommodate lengthier runtimes)

I will make a normal post for each film, just like any other month, with more information about what we will be watching each night. So, keep an eye on your email or stop by the library for a booklet.

Hope to see you there!

May Film Club

 Hey everybody! How about those days of summer we had? Who needs spring?! No matter how much I lament the lack of actual spring, the warm weather is a welcome sight. Thank you to everyone who made it out for Hail, Caesar!

For the month of may, I've decided to show a film I missed in theaters and one of our fellow members suggested. We will be watching Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza.

Licorice Pizza is a 2021 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper and Benny Safdie. Set in 1973, the film follows the development of a young couple's relationship. The film received critical acclaim and received 3 Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It currently holds a fresh rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and Christy Lemire, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave it 4/4 stars saying this in her review, "Paul Thomas Anderson's golden, shimmering vision of the 1970s San Fernando Valley in Licorice Pizza is so dreamy, so full of possibility, it's as if it couldn't actually have existed. With its lengthy, magic-hour walk-and-talks and its sense of adventure around every corner and down every block, it's a place where anything could happen as day turns in to night."

We will be meeting Thursday, May 26th at 5:30pm SHARP! (It's 2hrs 13min, so we'll be tight with time).

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnXPwUPENo

Hope to see you there!

April Film Club

 Hello everyone! It's April! It finally looks like we might be moving away from winter! (Huzzah!)

Ok, down to business. Thank to you everyone who came out for Belfast, great group, great discussion as always. For the month of April, I generally just show one of my favorite movies because it's my birthday month, and that's how I roll. So, for this month, I've decided to show Hail, Caesar! by the Coen Brothers.

Hail, Caesar! is a 2016 comedy film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum with Michael Gambon as the narrator. It is a fictional story that follows the real-life fixer Eddie Mannix (Brolin) working in the Hollywood film industry in the 1950s, trying to discover what happened to a star actor during the filming of a biblical epic.

Hail, Caesar! received positive reviews from critics. It currently has an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Glenn Kenny, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 4/4 stars saying this in his review, "The Coen's three previous films were pretty heavy stuff, this new film is an exhilarating switch up: A comic fable that's both deftly clever and irrepressibly goofy. It is also, from stem to stern, the sweetest and sunniest film the Coens have ever made."

We will be meeting Thursday, April 28th at 5:30pm

Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqeoW3XRa0

Hope to see you there!

March Film Club

 Hello everyone! Spring is trying its best to get here and honestly, it can't come soon enough. In Film Club tradition, I like to show some kind of Irish film for the month of March, for St. Patrick's Day. I wasn't quite sure what to show until one of our fellow members made a suggestion that I had completely forgot about: Kenneth Branagh's Belfast.

Belfast is a 2021 British coming of age drama film written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film stars Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Morgan and newcomer Jude Hill.  The film, which Branagh has described as his "most personal film", follows a young boy's childhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the beginning of The Troubles in 1969. The film holds an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards and Cristy Lemire, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 3/4 stars saying this in her review, "Belfast is unquestionably Kenneth Branagh's most personal film to date, but it's also sure to have universal resonance. It depicts a violent, tumultuous time in Northern Ireland, but it does so through the innocent, exuberant eyes of a nine-year-old boy. Within the steady hum of the threat Buddy and his family face is an impossible decision: Do they stay in this neighborhood where they've lived their whole lives, where everyone knows everyone, or do they move somewhere safer and start over? Long before the dedication that plays in front of the closing credits, we can feel Branagh's wistful heart on his sleeve."

We will be meeting Thursday, March 24th at 5:30 pm.

Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja3PPOnJQ2k

Hope to see you there!

February Film Club

 Hey everybody! It's February! It's winter! and there's snow end in sight! (that was bad, I apologize for nothing). I have our next film selected, and just like all the years I've done this, I relied on my research skills and relentless study of all of film history to find the most perfectly perfect pick! I'm kidding, it just popped into my head, as always. Normally, I show a Romance of some sort because of Valentine's day, but this year I've selected a film that honors both Valentine's Day and Black History Month. Our film this month is Jeff Nichols' wonderful film, Loving.

Loving is a 2016 American biographical romantic drama film which tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The film takes inspiration from The Loving Story (2011) by Nancy Buirski, a documentary which follows the Lovings and their landmark case.

The film was directed by Jeff Nichols, who also wrote the screenplay. Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton co-star as Mildred and Richard Loving. Martin Csokas, Nick Kroll and Michael Shannon are all featured in supporting roles. The film received praise for its acting, Nichols' direction and screenplay, and the film's faithfulness to the Lovings' account. It holds a certified fresh rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and Brian Tallerico, writing for Rogerebert.com, gave the film 3.5/4 stars saying this in his review, "Jeff Nichols' "Loving" is that rare mainstream film that provokes frustration and rage without resorting to monologues or melodrama.  The two people at the center of this period drama aren't prone to long speeches. They're quiet, conservative, almost shy folk who ended up at the center of one of the most important Supreme Court cases of the '60s by virtue of falling in love, getting married and having children.  Nichols' approach is careful, reserved and deeply considerate of the human story he's trying to tell.  There's no sense of exploitation here. One can sense a director's understandable  trepidation in telling the story of two private people whose life was made very public.  What's most important to Nichols' vision is how much trust he has in his two leads, and what they give back to him in exchange for that trust."

We will be meeting Thursday, Feb. 24th at 5:30. 

Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRXuCY7tRgk

Hope to see you there!

January Film Club

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2022. Can you believe it? Well, the new year is here and with it comes a whole new lineup of films to enjoy (barring any further virus related issues). To begin this new year of Film Club, I've decided to show one of my favorite movies from 2019. Rian Johnson's modern whodunnit, Knives Out.

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman.  It follows a master detective investigating the death of the patriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family.  The film features an ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer. 

The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its screenplay, direction and acting. It currently has a fresh rating of 97% on Rottentomatoes.com and Brian Tallerico writing for Rogerebert.com gave the film 3.5/4 stars saying this in his review, "Knives Out is one of the most purely entertaining films in years.  It is the work of a cinematic magician, one who keeps you so focused on what the left hand is doing that you miss the right. And, in this case, it's not just a wildly funny mystery to unravel but a scathing bit of social commentary about where America is in 2019. Directing a wildly charismatic cast who are all-in on what he's doing, Johnson confidently stays a step or two ahead of his audience, leaving them breathless but satisfied in the end."

We will be meeting Thursday, January 27th at 5:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi-1NchUqMA