Five Best Indie Films To See This Month

Bless Me, Ultima

No

How To Survive a Plague

Side Effects

Smashed

'The Great Gatsby' Teaser Revealed As Release Date Approaches

http://huff.to/WVWIgL

85th Annual Oscars Night Recap

ARGO Cleans Up... 

WINNERS LIST

 Surprise! Michelle Obama Crashes Oscars

 http://oscar.go.com/

 

85th Annual Oscars Could Make History

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/academy-awards-2013-85th-oscars_n_2753907.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/oscars/2013/

http://data.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/oscar-predictions

85th Academy Awards Nominees, February 24th, 2013

Twitter / Search - #oscars

 

Film Society Showing Tonight-Wednesday, January 9th, 6PM

Hi Film fans!   

Hope you had a great holiday and are ready to come see a great film, this Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 6:00 p.m! If anyone can come early to help make popcorn, please let me know! Our licensing co. will be licensing "Les Miserables" the musical, so I will plan a special event around that. Also hoping to show "Argo" when it's released!   

Thanks! Stephanie

This Year’s Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced

http://www.flavorwire.com/350569/this-years-independent-spirit-awards-nominations-announced

Film Society Meeting Tonight! Wednesday, November 14th,6PM

Hi everyone,

 

Tonight, Wed., Nov 14 at 6, we will be showing Moonrise Kingdom for free and with a special guest, a local boy who was in the film. If anyone can come early to help out, make popcorn etc...that would be great. Please let me know!

 

Hope to see you there.
Steph

Five Indie Movies To See This Month

 
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonard-maltin/offhollywood-the-five-bes_10_b_1862312.html

Sleepwalk With Me

Robot and Frank

Hit and Run 

Ruby Sparks 

Side by Side 

Highlights From The 2012 SAG Awards

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/sag-awards-scorsese-drinking-game-photos_n_1241258.html

'Great Gatsby' Movie Was Influenced By James Cameron, 'Avatar'

http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/17/baz-luhrmann-great-gatsby-3d_n_1210068.html?ref=books&ir=Books

The Five Best Indie Movies To See This Month

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonard-maltin/leonard-maltin-indie-films_b_1124109.html

The Artist

A Dangerous Method

My Week With Marilyn

Sarah's Key

Life Above All

Five Indie Movies To See

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonard-maltin/offhollywood-the-five-bes_b_887201.html

Buck

  

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/movie_review_buck/

 

Terri

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/movie_review_terri/

 

Page One: Inside The New York Times

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/movie_review_page_one_inside_the_new_york_times/

 

City Of Life And Death

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/movie_review_city_of_life_and_death/

The Art Of Getting By

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/movie_review_the_art_of_getting_by/

European Film Industry Circumvents Hollywood At Venice Film Festival

Europe Climbs Film Festival Bill

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/01/european-film-industry-ci_n_945962.html

Venice Film Festival Announces Full Lineup- Amy Lee Top Picks

 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/27/venice-film-festival_n_911426.html

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (in competition)
Based on the 1974 John le Carre novel of the same title, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" follows British spy George Smiley as he leaves retirement to pursue a Soviet double agent who has infiltrated MI-6 during the Cold War. Starring the consistently superb Gary Oldman, the cast is rounded out by Oscar-winner Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds and Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie was directed by Tomas Alfredson, whose last film, "Let The Right One In," delivered a chilling, gorgeously shot vampire story stripped of cliches.

 

"Carnage" (in competition)
Roman Polanksi's best films leave you with the sense that evil is not just an abstract concept, but rather, a failure in ordinary people that leads inevitably to atrocity. Carnage, based on the Tony Award winning play "God of Carnage," portrays a single evening in which two bourgeois Brooklyn couples (played by Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) meet to discuss their children's playground fight. Over the course of the night, civilization gives way to primal viciousness, as the characters attack each other brutally. Filmed in real-time, it's thrilling to think of how actors this good will work to break each other down on screen.

"Damsels in Distress" (closing film, out of competition)
Director Whit Stillman's first movie since 1998's "Last Days of Disco," "Damsels in Distress" will return to the twitchy, self-conscious twenty-somethings and rapid, erudite dialogue that made Stillman famous. Starring Greta Gerwig, Analeigh Tipton and Adam Brody, "Damsels" tells the tale of two perfume-loving girls at a New England college who decide to volunteer at the Suicide Prevention Center. In an interview with New York Magazine, Stillman said that the film is a ""a freewheeling comedy, full of musical numbers, failed love affairs, and Stillmanian bons mots on everything from Hacky Sack to the sexual proclivities of twelfth-century Cathars." While there are a lot of movies about neurotic intellectuals who talk too fast, few treat their characters with the tenderness Stillman manages.

"A Dangerous Method" (in competition)
Despite their 20-year age gap, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung had an intense relationship, both personal and professional, that lasted for six years before dissolving abruptly -- supposedly because of ideological differences over the practice and theory of psychoanalysis. In "A Dangerous Method," director David Cronenberg turns to the story of Sabina Spielrein to explain the rift. Played by Keira Knightley, Spielrein is a young Russian patient who starts an affair with Jung (Michael Fassbender) while under his care, and later, turns to Freud (Viggo Mortensen) for support. Though the trailer plays up the sex and plays down the psychology, with Cronenberg in charge, it's likely the film will be more brutal than sentimental.

"Wilde Salome" (out of competition)
Combining documentary and movie, "Wilde Salome," Al Pacino's third turn as a director will explore Oscar Wilde's controversial play about the biblical temptress from multiple angles, in an attempt to better understand both Wilde and the play itself. Wilde Salome will contain a mixture of interview, filmed performance and more, as in Pacino's "Looking For Richard," which examined Shakespeare's "Richard III." Pacino, who has appeared as Herod in several productions of the play over the years, stars alongside Jessica Chastain as Salome and Kevin Anderson as John the Baptist. Pacino is also set to receive the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the festival.

Other highlights:
"W.E." (out of competition): Madonna's first directed feature-length film tells the story of American divorcee Wallis Simpson, the woman who caused the abdication of Edward VIII alongside a contemporary romance.

"The Ides of March" (opening film, in competition): George Clooney stars and directs in a political drama about a presidential candidate on the trail in Ohio during the Democratic primary. With Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei.

"Contagion" (out of competition): A biothriller about the global spread of a lethal virus. With Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demetri Martin, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, and Sanaa Lathan. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

"Shame" (in competition): Michael Fassbender plays a sex-addicted thirty-something man living in New York whose younger sister, played by Carey Mulligan, comes to stay with him, throwing his life into disarray. Directed by Steve McQueen.

"Poulet aux Prunes, or "Chicken With Plums" (in competition): The latest from author of "Persepolis," Marjane Satrapi, the animated film tracks the last days of violin player Nasser Ali Khan in 1958 Tehran.



Full lineup of films in competition:
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” Tomas Alfredson
“Wuthering Heights,” Andrea Arnold
“Texas Killing Fields” Ami Canaan Mann
“The Ides of March,” George Clooney
“Quando la notte,” Cristina Comencini
“Terraferma,” Emanuele Crialese
“A Dangerous Method,” David Cronenberg
“Last Day on Earth,” Abel Ferrara
“Killer Joe,” William Friedkin
"Un Ete Brulant," Philippe Garrel
"Taojie (A Simple Life)," Ann Hui
“Hahithalfut (The Exchange),” Eran Kolirin
"Yorgos Lanthimos - Alpeis (Alps)," Yorgos Lanthimos
“Shame,” Steve McQueen
“L’ultimo terrestre,” Gian Alfonso Pacinotti (Gipi)
“Carnage,” Roman Polanski
“Poulet aux prunes (Chicken With Plums),” Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
“Faust,” Alexander Sokurov
“Dark Horse,” Todd Solondz
“Himizu,” Sion Sono
“Seediq Bale,” Wei Te-sheng

Full lineup of films out of competition:
"Collectif Abounaddara - The End"
"Colleftif Abounaddara - Vanguard"
"La Folie Almayer," Chantal Akerman
"In the Name of the Father," Marco Bellocchio
"Evolution" (Megaplex)(3D), Marco Brambilla
"Baish Echuanshuo (The Sorcerer And The White Snake)," Tony Ching Siu-Tung
"Giochi D’estate (Summer Games)," Rolando Colla
"Tamer Ezzat - Tahrir 2011," Ahmad Abdalla, Ayten Amin, Amr Salama (documentary)
La Desintegration, Philippe Fauchon
The Moth Diaries, Mary Harron
"Mildred Pierce," Todd Haynes
"Duvidha," Hands Kaul
"Vivan las Antipodas!", Victor Kossakovsky (documentary)
"Alois Nebel," Tomas Lunak
"W.E.," Madonna
"Eva," Kike Maillo
"Pietro Marcello," Marco Bellocchio (documentary short)
"La Meditazione Di Hayez," Mario Martone (short)
"Scossa," Francesco Maselli, Carlo Lizzani, Ugo Gregoretti, Nino Russo
"La Cle Des Champs," Claude Nuridsany, Marie Perennou
"Il Villaggio Di Cartone," Ermanno Olmi
"Wilde Salome," Al Pacino
"Questo Storia Qua," Alessandro Paris, Sibylle Righetti (documentary)
"We Can't Go Home Again," Nicholas Ray
"Don't Expect Too Much," Susan Ray (documentary)
"India, Matri Bhumi," Roberto Rossellini (documentary)
"Tormented," Takashi Shimizu
"Contagion," Steven Soderbergh
"Damsels in Distress," Whit Stillman
"Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel," Lisa Immordino Vreeland (documentary)
"Joule" (3D), David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi
"Spell. The Hypnotist Dog" (3D), David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi
"Suite" (3D), David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi

'The Iron Lady' Trailer: Meryl Streep As Margaret Thatcher

To watch more, visit tag

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/the-iron-lady-trailer-meryl-streep_n_891969.html

Film Review-Cash McCall

Cash McCall was one of the films in the Natlaie Wood movie collection we recently purchased and it was not one we had seen before. It was about what I expected from a romantic comedy from this era. I really enjoyed it, but many people will not enjoy it nearly as much as I did. I have to be honest the romantic elements of the film are thin, the comedy is dry and very dated, and the drama is contrived. This film gives you a very idealistic, isolated view of the nation at the time. Family values, traditional paradigms, and WASP visions of home and marriage dominate many of the rom-com films of the fifties and sixties and this one is not any different. Natalie Wood and James Garner make this film and give it modern relevance it would not have without them. The supporting cast is wonderful and has many greats from the time including Dean Jagger, Nina Fox, E. G. Marshall, and Henry Jones. Natalie Wood is Lory Austen in the film, a young and up and coming illustrator and the daughter of a well respected inventor and plastics manufacturer, who decides to sell his plastics company. James Garner is Cash McCall, a young, successful businessman, whose character is in question, as he has built his fortune by buying, retooling, and then selling companies. Cash McCall decides to buy Lory’s father’s company. It is fun to watch the predictable story take its’ odd path and watch the Lory/Cash romance unfold, though the romance is a bit strange. The costumes in Cash McCall highlight the styles and paint a beautiful fashion snapshot of the time. The sets are scaled well, fit each character like a glove, and reflect high décor prevalent in pop culture of the time. If you like romance films from the fifties or early sixties, give this one a try. I did and I do not regret it at all. 4 stars out of 5

Find out about Cash Mccall on IMDb here.

Film Review-Coco Chanel

I was expecting much more from Coco Chanel. This Lifetime biopic is about one of France’s most famous fashion designers, where is the drama? Coco Chanel clawed her way to her iconic status after being abandoned as a child, how much more dramatic a base could you have for a film? This is the woman who created one of the world’s signature perfumes, Chanel No. 5 and gave birth to idea of the little black dress. She was witty and funny and difficult, and was equally revered and disliked by her contemporaries. Unfortunately, this story, as written, is very tame; it does not have any bite. It shows nothing of the style and grace of the woman, only the elegance of her creations and her ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing the magnificent clothes, and the art design of the film couldn’t be better. From furniture, to appliances, from sets, to the details of each costume, this film is a visual feast. The personal relationships in the film are dead and the emotions are lifeless. The script isn’t a mess, but it is not pulled together in a fashion that makes the story pull you in. Shirley MacLaine was an admirable addition to the film, but she does not get much screen time compared to the rest of the cast. This film is worth watching to see Shirley or if you have an interest in clothing design or Coco Chanel. For everyone else, I think it is safe to say you can leave this one out of the queue. 3 stars out of 5.

Find out about Coco Chanel on IMDb here.

Film Review-The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a horrific tale with deep beauty, meaning, substance, and humanity. The story follows an upper class German family during the height of World War II. The father is a Nazi officer and his wife is willing to go along with all of this, as long as she does not have to be reminded of what is really happening and her family is safe. When Berlin is being heavily bombed the officer is reassigned to a small town and gladly excepts the assignment to get his family to safety, This small rural town houses a work/concentration camp and the father is to be the lead officer of the camp. The officer also has a young son and a tween daughter. Neither is very happy about the move to the country, away from their very comfortable lives in Berlin. That changes when the son meets a boy his age that lives on a strange farm nearby. He is perplexed by this strange farm, where everyone wears striped pajamas all the time, the farm is fenced in, and no one can leave. The two boys strike up a friendship and they begin to play together, well as best they can through the fence. Do not be fooled by this light description, because this film has a very dark undercurrent that sweeps you in and does not let go. Though it is not terribly graphic, this film saturates your mind and uses what you do know about this period to fill in all the disgusting details of what is really going on in the film. The cinematography is a visual feast, the music a fitting partner, and the sets and costumes perfectly scaled for the production. The entire cast brings this film to life, with characters that are not easy to define or pin down. You know these people; the awfulness, the goodness, the fear, the hope, the love, the tragedy and the horror these people experience feels true and that resonates to the audience in every scene. A film I highly recommend. 5 stars out of 5.

Find out more about the Boy in the Striped Pajamas on IMDb here.

Film Review-Sparkle

What a movie! I wanted to watch Sparkle after hearing about it, after falling in love with Dream Girls, when that film was released. Sparkle, made in 1976, has some obvious similarities to Dream Girls, but has many differences that set it apart from the Hollywood titan. Sparkle might be three decades old, but the story and characters are just as relevant today as they were when this film was made. Sparkle was probably made with a fraction of the cost of Dreamgirls, but shines just as bright and sounds just as wonderful, it just isn’t as showy in its’ delivery. The performances, both acting and singing, are nuanced and never seem contrived or misplaced. Sparkle is not a musical, but seats itself as a dramatic film, that follows the life of several women as they try to build lives in the entertainment industry. It also details how painful life is for those around them. Every choice we make has effects we do not often realize, with consequences we never intend, and this film is very good at exposing those moments, bringing the characters to life. The cast is incredible; they have a strength and power missing in many films and they make this film timeless. This film is a bit darker than Dreamgirls, but that adds to the movie; it does not burden it. Watching the eldest sister fall into a life of drugs and abuse is painful, but it is also entirely real and plausible. This film is not without some faults. The story is too often predictable and many times the era it was constructed in shows. The film seems a bit too melodramatic at times, but these slips are few and the film does not lose focus because of them. A classic film in my book; add this one to the queue. 4.5 stars out of .

Find out more about Sparkle on IMDb here.