2014 FALL CINEMA SERIES
September 3: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Curtis Hanson, 1997, USA
September 10: THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
George Cukor, 1940, USA
Katharine Hepburn plays a wealthy socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a tabloid journalist (James Stewart). At once an intelligent and sophisticated romantic comedy, a screwball farce, and a cunning satire on love, marriage, and social class, The Philadelphia Story showcases the top talent of 1940 in peak form. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including a win for Stewart. 112 minutes.
September 17: KUNDUN
Martin Scorsese, 1997, USA
Martin Scorsese directs this epic biographical film about the Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. A feast for the senses, Scorsese defies expectation with this visually stunning and hypnotic meditation on ritual, spirituality, and human nature. Nominated for four Oscars including Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Original Score. 135 minutes.
September 24: NETWORK
Sidney Lumet, 1976, USA
A television network cynically exploits a deranged news anchor’s ravings and revelations on the media for its own profit. Both a critical and commercial success when it was released, Network satirized the television industry and predicted the rise of entertainment news. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, the film earned Oscars for Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, and writer Paddy Chayefsky. 121 minutes.
October 1: A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Robert Redford, 1992, USA
Set in western Montana, the story follows two sons of a Presbyterian minister — one studious and the other rebellious — as they grow up and come of age during the early part of the twentieth century. Robert Redford’s lyrical direction and Philippe Rousselot’s Oscar-winning cinematography set the tone for this evocative adaptation of author Norman MacLean’s memoir of his idyllic Montana youth. Presented in association with the SRJC English Department as they focus on the novella on which the film is based. 124 minutes.
October 8: BLAZING SADDLES
Mel Brooks, 1974, USA
In this bawdy spoof of the Western, a corrupt political boss appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. Daring, provocative, and laugh-out-loud funny, Blazing Saddles marks a high point in Mel Brooks’ storied career. Nominated for three Academy Awards. 93 minutes.
October 15: LONE STAR
John Sayles, 1996, USA
When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town. Working with an excellent group of actors, including Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, and Matthew McConaughey, writer/director John Sayles delivers what many consider one of his finest films. 135 minutes.
October 22: THE KID
Charlie Chaplin, 1921, USA
When Chaplin’s Tramp character comes to the aid of an abandoned child, the two quickly become partners in petty crime until events unfold that could jeopardize their relationship and send the child to become a ward of the state. Chaplin strikes the perfect balance between slapstick and sentiment in his first self-produced & directed feature. 68 minutes.
October 29: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Jonathan Demme, 1991, USA
A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative psychopath in order to receive his help in catching a serial killer. Jonathan Demme adapts Thomas Harris’ novel to create a shocking mix of the horror and the detective genres. The film picked up the top five Oscars in 1992 making it the third film in history to win Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay. 118 minutes.
November 5: LYNCHING CHARLIE LYNCH
Rick Ray, 2011, USA
The outrageous contradictions swirling around the medical marijuana issue are explored in this new documentary film that features the story of small business owner Charlie Lynch, who tried to do the right thing but ended up losing everything. What started out as a camera assignment became a passion project for documentary filmmaker Rick Ray who will be in attendance at the screening. Rick Ray has produced numerous films on regions as diverse as Israel, Bali, Borneo, Lebanon, Syria, and Iceland with titles that include Raise the Bamboo Curtain with Martin Sheen, the highly regarded The Soul of India, and the award-winning film 10 Questions For The Dalai Lama. 100 minutes.
November 12: BRAVE
Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman, 2012, USA
In Pixar’s first feature with a female protagonist, Princess Merida, determined to make her own path in life, defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. This revisionist fairy tale with stunning animation and sound earned it the Oscar for Best Animated Feature of 2012. EJ Holowicki, the film’s sound designer, will be in conversation at the screening. Holowicki has worked in all aspects of motion picture sound on titles such as Cars, Wall-E, & Up as well as the live action features Beasts of the Southern Wild and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. 93 minutes.
November 19: REAR WINDOW
Alfred Hitchcock, 1954, USA
A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. With great character development, sharp dialogue, and solid plot twists, Rear Window has undoubtedly become one of Hitchock’s most popular films. Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Director. 115 minutes.
December 3: THE AFRICAN QUEEN
John Huston, 1951, USA
In Africa during WWI, a gin-swilling riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship. Huston’s romantic adventure has easily become one of the most admired movies in American history with iconic performances from Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in his only Oscar-winning role. 105 minutes.
December 10: THE NAMESAKE
Mira Nair, 2006, India
The Namesake follows the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta, India to New York initiates a lifelong balancing act between integrating with the new world without forgetting the old. An ambitious exploration of the immigrant experience in America, Nair weaves together intelligence, insight, and a good deal of humor into an emotional and powerfully moving film. 122 minutes.