June Film Club

Look out everyone, summer is here!

Our first two features for our series will be Insomnia and The Prestige.

 Insomnia will be showing Thursday, June 9th at 6:15pm

Insomnia is a 2002 American psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank.  It tells the story of two Los Angeles homicide detectives investigating a murder in an Alaskan town.  A remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, Insomnia was released on May 24, 2002, to critical acclaim and commercial success, grossing $113 million worldwide.  To date, this is the only film that Nolan has directed without receiving at least a share of one of the writing credits, even though he wrote the final draft of the script.

The film currently holds a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 190 critical reviews.  Roger Ebert awarded the film 3 ½/4 stars and said this of the film in his review, “Unlike most remakes, the Nolan “Insomnia” is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play.  “Insomnia” is a film with a lot of room for the director, who establishes a distinctive far-north location, a world where the complexities of the big city are smoothed out into clear choices.  The fact that it is always daylight is important:  The dilemma of this cop is that he feels people are always looking at him, and he has nowhere to hide, not even in his nightmares.”

Here's the trailer:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHA3CF4_Mw

The Prestige will be showing Thursday, June 16th at 6:15pm

The Prestige is a 2006 mystery thriller drama film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay adapted by Nolan and his brother Jonathan from Christopher Priest’s 1995 World Fantasy Award-winning novel of the same name.  The story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19^th century.  Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results.  The American-British co-production features Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier, Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.  It also stars Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis, and Rebecca Hall.  The film reunites Nolan with actors Bale and Caine from Batman Begins, and returning cinematographer Wally Pfister.

The film has a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 179 critical reviews.  Richard Roeper and guest reviewer A.O. Scott gave the film two thumbs up.  Scott, a reviewer for The New York Times said this in his review, “Set in a stylized late-Victorian world of dueling music-hall magicians and diabolically clever inventors, it has a satisfyingly puzzle-like structure, zipping around in time and scattering clues throughout its busy scenes and frames.  Like, Memento, The Prestige is a triumph of gimmickry, a movie generous enough with its showmanship and sleight of hand to quiet the temptation to grumble about its lack of substance.  The point of a magic trick, after all, is not the content, whatever that might be, but the ingenuity of its conceit and the skill of its execution.  And The Prestige-the title is a magician’s term of art referring to the climactic surprise that seals a successful magic trick-manifests an enthusiasm for the nuts and bolts of illusionism that is pretty much irresistible.”

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4gHCmTQDVI 

  

Summer Film Series

Hey everybody!

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to our viewing of Mad Max: Fury Road.  Also, special shout-out to everyone who was nice enough to bring treats, you guys rock!

Down to business.  I thought I'd make a post to discuss our Summer Film Series.  The theme is again going to be a director spotlight (like last year's focus on Werner Herzog).  When I handed out that quiz last year, the second highest voted theme was the spotlight of director Christopher Nolan.  I thought that would be a fun and entertaining summer theme (also, all his films were covered by our licensing, so, woo hoo!).
We will be watching six films over the next three months.  Unfortunately, due to bad planning on my part, and better planning on my co-workers' parts, some of the days I would normally show films have been snatched up.  SO, we will be having a slightly unorthodox viewing schedule, as far as Film Club is concerned.  Some days will be different and so will the times to accommodate the longer running times.  Be sure to give me your email, or come in to the library to pick up a flyer to stay up to date on when exactly we will be watching our films.  So far, this is what I have planned for us:

June

6/9-Insomnia @6:15pm
6/16-The Prestige @6:15pm

July

7/5-Batman Begins @6:00pm
7/26-The Dark Knight @6:00pm

August

8/11-Inception @6:00pm 
8/18-Interstellar @5:30pm


I know this is a little bit confusing compared to our regular schedule but hopefully it all goes smoothly and we can enjoy some fine films.  Stay tuned for some more detailed descriptions and trailers for each film.

This summer series is full of exciting action, wonderful acting, and thought provoking ideas, I hope you can make it out to all of them but if you can't, we look forward to seeing you whenever you can make it!

Enjoy the weather and hope to see you there!

May Film Club

Hey everybody!

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens with us.  We had a great turnout and some wonderful treats.  As always, thank you so much for your support.
Due to popular demand, our next film is going to be one of my absolute favorite films of 2015, and that film is Mad Max: Fury Road.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 action film directed and produced by George Miller and is the fourth installment in the  Mad Max franchise.  The film is set in a future desert wasteland where gasoline and water are scarce commodities.  It follows Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), who joins forces with the Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to flee from cult leader Immortan Joe and his army in an armored tanker truck, which leads to a lengthy road battle.  Fury Road was in development hell for many years, with pre-production starting as early as 1997.  Attempts were made to shoot the film in 2001 and 2003 but were delayed due to 9/11 and the Iraq War.  Miller briefly considered producing it as a computer-animated film but abandoned it in favor of live-action.  In 2009, Miller announced that filming would begin in early 2011.  It was delayed several more times until it finally wrapped in December 2012, with additional footage shot in November 2013.

The film had its world premiere on May 7, 2015 at the TCL Chinese Theatre.  It has grossed over $378 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film in the Mad Max franchise.  Fury Road received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, the second most-nominated film of the 88th Academy Awards.  It won six, for its production values: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hair-styling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.  It currently holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  Brian Tallerico, writing for Rogerebert.com says this in his 4 star review, “Fury Road” would be remarkable enough as a pure technical accomplishment-a film that laughs in the face of blockbuster CGI orgies with some of the best editing and sound design the genre has ever seen-and yet Miller reaches for something greater than technical prowess.  He holds aloft the action template that he created with “The Road Warrior” and argues that Hollywood shouldn’t have been copying it for the past three decades, they should have been building on it.  “Fury Road” is a challenge to a whole generation of action filmmakers, urging them to follow its audacious path into the genre’s future and, like Miller, try their hardest to create something new.”

Film Club will be meeting on the FOURTH Thursday of the month rather than the THIRD.  I had to make a schedule change so it will be a week later than normal.  We will still be meeting at 6:15pm, just on a different day.  If you came into the library recently, ignore the posters that say the 19th, we will be meeting the 26th.  Sorry for the confusion, I'll try to get the new date circulating to avoid further miscommunication.

Hope you can make it, see you there!

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4doz_Nltc

April Film Club

Bad news everyone...Film Club has been CANCELLED indefinitely.  Pending a police investigation, we will no longer be meeting. As the song goes, "I fought the law, and the law won."  It's been a lot of fun, sorry to be the bearer of bad news....
(Read below for even MORE bad news...)

Kidding! APRIL FOOL'S!
Film Club is not cancelled, in fact, I have a special treat for all of you this month.

It seems no Film Club post would be complete without first thanking everyone that came out to see Waking Ned Devine, and also those of you who brought snacks.  I swear it's like you guys try to outdo your own awesomeness each month!  We had a fantastic turnout, probably one of our biggest in recent months, so again, another big thank you to all of you that support the Film Club and make each meeting a wonderful time!

For the month of April I have decided to show a little indie movie called, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, not sure if any of you have heard of that one...  So, you have another month reprieve from a dark and serious film (don't worry, another will be coming...).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed, co-produced, and co-written by J.J. Abrams.  The seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series.   Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, The Force Awakens is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi; it follows Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight alongside the Resistance, led by veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a group that is the successor to the Galactic Empire.  The film is the highest-ever grossing film in North America, and the third-highest grossing film of all time.  It was the 24th film in cinematic history to surpass $1 billion worldwide, standing as the fastest film to surpass the mark, doing so in 12 days.  It was the third film in history to surpass $2 billion worldwide, doing so on its 53rd day of release.

The film currently holds a 92% certified fresh rating out of 343 counted reviews, on Rotten Tomatoes, and received  3 1/2 stars from Matt Zoller Seitz, writing for Rogerebert.com.  He said this of the film in his review, "This new one, set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, is funny, touching, and surprisingly light-footed.  It boasts a lot of familiar elements, including Skywalker family mythology and another Death Star-type weapon, as well as self-aware lines about how things work in the series...it's an exhilarating ride, filled with archetypal characters with plausible psychologies, melodramatic confrontations fueled by soaring emotions, and performances that can be described as good, period, rather than "good, for Star Wars"...it's a treat to see beloved older characters placed beside new ones in situations that respect Lucas' myth-making but correct his flaws as a storyteller...they've made the new characters so compelling and quirky that the film never seems to be putting an up-to-date wrapping on moldy cliches.  The result is not merely a crowd-pleasing display of heroics; it's an affirmation that a good movie with a good heart can serve as everyone's mirror."

I hope you can forgive me for a little April Fool's Day joking and come out and join me for one of my favorite movies of the past year.  We will be meeting Thursday, Apr. 21st at 6:15pm.  If you can, try to be as prompt as possible as the film is about 2 hr. 15 mins long and will push us right to 8:30.  May the Force be with you, and hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

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

March Film Club

Hello everyone and happy first day of March!  Let's hope that spring is close because this cold and snow business is really getting old.

I'd like to start things off with once again thanking everyone who was able to make it out to our film last month, we had a great turnout and an abundance of snacks.  We missed all of you who were unable to attend, but we also welcomed a few new faces!  I'm so very appreciative of your continued attendance at Film Club, it not only keeps us going, but also makes it that much more enjoyable.  As they say, "The more the merrier!"

This month's Film Club actually meets on St. Patrick's Day, so feel free to bring some Guinness or Jameson to celebrate! (I'm kidding, please don't bring alcohol, I would like to keep my job). In keeping with my tradition of showing an Irish-themed film in honor of St. Paddy's day, I've decided to show Waking Ned Devine.  This was actually a suggestion by our very own Tom and Donna, thanks guys!

Waking Ned Devine is a 1998 comedy film by English writer and director Kirk Jones.  It stars Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan.  Kelly was nominated for a Screen Actors' Guild award for his role of Michael O'Sullivan.  The film is set in Ireland, but was filmed on location in the Isle of Man.
When word reaches Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly), two elderly best friends, that someone in their tiny Irish village of 52 people in Tulaigh Mhor (Tullymore) has won the Irish National Lottery's Lotto game, they along with Jackie's wife Annie (Fionnula Flanagan), plot to discover the identity of the winner.

The film holds an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert awarded the film 3/4 stars saying this of the film, "Most of the time we're smiling more than laughing; we recognize the human nature involved in Waking Ned Devine, and we like the way Kirk Jones, the writer and director, throws up obstacles just to have fun leaping over them.  One reason we like village comedies from Ireland and the U.K. is of course that they're funny.  Another is to meet the characters and the actors and enjoy the pleasure of their company.  I have a feeling that an evening spent with David Kelly would be a merry one."

We will be meeting Thursday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) at 6:15pm.  Hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

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

February Film Club

Hey everyone!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to last month's film, On the Waterfront, we had a fantastic turnout!  Another special thank you to those of you who brought snacks, we had such an abundance of treats we had to add a second table!  You guys are the best!

For the month of February I've decided to go with a romantic pick (wink wink) and show a film by Woody Allen.  We will be watching The Purple Rose of Cairo.

The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American romantic fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen.  Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin’, and Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author.  Set in New Jersey during the Great Depression in 1935, the film tells the story of Cecilia, a clumsy waitress who goes to the movies to escape her bleak life and loveless, abusive marriage, which she has attempted to leave on numerous occasions.  It also is the tale of a film character named Tom Baxter who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real world.

The Purple Rose of Cairo received much critical acclaim upon release, and currently holds a 91% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes out of 33 critical reviews.  Roger Ebert gave the film 4/4 stars, writing, "The Purple Rose of Cairo is audacious and witty and has a lot of good laughs in it, but the best thing about the movie is the way Woody Allen uses it to toy with the very essence of reality and fantasy.  It is delightful from beginning to end, not only because of the clarity and charm with which Daniels and Farrow explore the problems of their characters, but also because the movie is so intelligent.  It's not brainy or intellectual-no one in the whole movie speaks with more complexity than you average 1930s movie hero-but the movie is filled with wit and invention, and Allen trusts us to find the ironies, relish the contradictions, and figure things out for ourselves.  While we do that, he makes us laugh and he makes us thing, and when you get right down to it, forget about the fantasies; those are two of the most exciting things that could happen to anybody in a movie."

We will be meeting Thursday, Feb. 18th at 6:15pm.  Hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp6YDZVVbj0