2017 FALL CINEMA CINEMA SERIES
September 6: THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO
Woody Allen, 1985, USA
September 13: BEATRIZ AT DINNER
Miguel Arteta, 2017, USA
When car trouble strands Mexican immigrant and holistic medicine practitioner Beatriz (Salma Hayek) at the house of a wealthy and ruthless business tycoon (John Lithgow), the result is an increasingly uncomfortable dinner party that mirrors the rift between red and blue America. Miguel Arteta’s biting social satire features a top-notch acting ensemble in this profoundly contemporary fable. 82 minutes.
September 20: LAND OF MINE
Martin Zandvliet, 2015, Denmark/Germany
Land of Mine tells an often forgotten chapter of post-WWII history where surrendered German soldiers are forced to remove their own landmines from the Danish Coast before returning home. Brilliantly told with tension and humanity, the film poses wrenching emotional questions about the brutality of war and the nature of forgiveness. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards. 100 minutes.
September 27: SHOW PEOPLE
King Vidor, 1928, USA
King Vidor’s crowd-pleasing Hollywood satire chronicles aspiring actress Peggy Pepper’s (Marion Davies) rise to movie stardom and its impact on those around her. Packed with behind-the-scenes footage of the early studio backlots and featuring a long roster of cameos from Charlie Chaplin to Douglas Fairbanks, the film is the perfect blend of silent comedy and cinematic craft. Featuring live piano accompaniment by Frederick Hodges. 83 minutes.
October 4: ANNA KARENINA
Joe Wright, 2012, UK
Leo Tolstoy’s popular tragedy has never looked better than Joe Wright’s highly stylized meta-theatrical approach to its 19th century source material. When married St. Petersburg aristocrat Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) is seduced by the charming Count Vronsky, she is forced to deal with the consequences of breaking social norms in Russian high society. Nominated for four Oscars with a win in Costume Design, the film also stars Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. 129 minutes.
October 11: THE APARTMENT
Billy Wilder 1960, USA
Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon star in Billy Wilder’s 1960 comedy about C.C. Baxter, an ambitious office worker who consents to letting the management use his apartment for extramarital trysts. With love and money at stake, interests soon diverge forcing C.C. to reassess the bargain he made at the risk of losing it all. Nominated for ten Oscars, the film won Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Art Direction, and Editing. 125 minutes.
October 25: GET OUT
Jordan Peele, 2017, USA
When it’s time for Chris to meet Rose’s parents, paranoia sets in that their interracial relationship might come as a shock. However, once the weekend unfolds, Chris realizes that much more nefarious forces are at play that endanger not just his relationship with Rose but his life. Part horror, part comedy, part social satire on race in America, Get Out has become one of the surprise box office hits of the year. 104 minutes.
November 1: BABY DRIVER
Edgar Wright, 2017, USA
Edgar Wright’s high octane and hyper kinetic heist film tracks a young getaway driver coerced by a mob boss into doing bigger and bigger jobs. With an impressive wall-to-wall soundtrack, the film melds music and movement into a smart, original, and propulsive action film with heart. Featuring Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Fox in strong supporting roles. 112 minutes.
November 8: THE GRADUATE
Mike Nichols, 1967, USA
In recognition of The Graduate‘s 50th anniversary, re-experience movie history’s most famous love affair between an older woman and a young college graduate confused about his future. Featuring masterful cinematography, a legendary soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel, and pitch perfect performances from Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, The Graduate is easily one of the most well crafted films in the history of motion pictures. Nominated for 7 Oscars, including a win for Best Director Mike Nichols. 106 minutes.
November 15: I, DANIEL BLAKE
Ken Loach, 2016, UK
When woodworker Daniel suffers a heart attack that leaves him dependent on the UK welfare system, things quickly go awry in this powerful and populist drama that demonstrates how the bureaucracy of the state too often neglects the humanity of the individual. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and British Film of the Year at the 2017 British Academy Awards. 100 minutes.
November 29: PERSONA
Ingmar Bergman, 1966, Sweden
Celebrated Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s experimental masterpiece tells the story of an accomplished actress who refuses to speak and her enigmatic relationship to the nurse employed in her care. Gorgeously photographed in stunning black and white, Bergman explores the psychological connections between the two women in a manner that is mysterious, complex, and wholly engrossing. 82 minutes.
December 6: THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
Charles Laughton, 1955, USA
Robert Mitchum delivers one of the most impressive performances of his career as a preacher hunting down two innocent children for the secrets they hold about their father’s hidden fortune. A film noir classic that was years ahead of its time, this good-vs-evil nightmarish fable features breathtaking cinematography and incredible visual design. 92 minutes.
December 13: ZOOTOPIA
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, & Rich Moore, 2016, USA
There’s trouble in the modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia and it’s up to a rookie bunny cop and a fast-talking con artist fox to get to the bottom of it. Disney is in top form in this sumptuously animated allegory of how one species is prone to stereotype and stoke fear of the others. Hilarious, timely, and action-packed, Zootopia delivers for young and old alike. Winner of Best Animated Feature at the 2017 Academy Awards. 108 minutes.