I think that we’re off to a good start. In fact, I think we have had the most fantastic opening weeks in my now-elderly Film Series memory. “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” made me think about my Dad, which is sometimes an adventure in itself. “The Holy Mountain” prompted Anna “not a girl, not yet a woman” Szapiro ’11 to confess that she’s “seriously scarred for life.” And the party that was “Stop Making Sense” produced a photograph by Rachel Finkelstein ’08 that is the best I’ve seen in the Argus in years.

Not to be outdone by the first half of the calendar, the film series continues this week with selections that are diverse, exciting, and politically charged, with entries from South Korea, the UK, France/Morocco/Algeria/Belgium, and Brooklyn.

I’m sure that for most of you, homework has arrived with a vengeance, and you’re already nearly out of points. But if you can summon the courage to stop watching the Andrew Meyer Taser video on YouTube, I urge you to walk down to the Center for Film Studies at 7:30 p.m. this weekend for a stress-free couple of hours. Even the walk will be worth it. Dusk is beautiful in autumn—the weather is nice, it’s late September, and the freshmen from LA are starting to shiver.

THE HOST
South Korea. Dir: Bong Joon-ho. 2006.
FRIDAY September 21, 7:30 $4

Contemporary cinema is severely lacking in kick-ass monster movies. Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” was an overlong mess, and it appears that, for now, Hollywood is not interested in reviving the genre. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, however, has created one of the best monster movies ever made (keep in mind that there are only about eight really good monster movies anyway). “The Host” is also notable for being a family comedy, which places it outside of any set-in-stone genre. It’s scary, relentlessly hilarious, and a perfect film to see again if you happen to have been lucky enough to catch it in its brief theatrical run.

THE THIRD MAN
USA. Dir: Carol Reed. 1949.
SATURDAY September 22, 7:30 Free!

Many people think of Orson Welles’ career trajectory as an odd, disjointed progression from radio mastermind of “War of the Worlds,” to infamous director and star of “Citizen Kane,” to tragically drunk and incoherent in an early ’80s wine commercial. And though all of that is true, Welles’ rich career as an actor in the immediate aftermath of “Citizen Kane” is unfortunately overlooked. “The Third Man” is a classic of pulpy film noir that succeeds in bearing and overcoming Welles’ corpulent shadow. Directed by Carol Reed and starring fellow Kane actor Joseph Cotton, the film is a stylish mystery with an exciting and endlessly intriguing construction.

DO THE RIGHT THING
USA. Dir: Spike Lee. 1989
WEDNESDAY September 26, 7:30 $4

So there’s this guy named Radio Raheem, and he’s called that because he carries around this boom box wherever he goes. And he’s got this great speech in “Do the Right Thing” that brilliantly pulls together Spike Lee’s understanding of power in cinema, power in the street, and the power of cinema history. If you’re really cool, you’ll watch Radio Raheem talk about the struggle between love and hate, and you’ll think to yourself, “Damn! Robert Mitchum is cool, and Spike Lee is a bastard for stealing this speech, but I’m really enjoying it anyway.” I understand the obscurity of this reference, but it’s exactly how I feel about the film. Lee concocted a wildly entertaining, stylish, and deathly serious film from his past, his education, and his gut that opens and closes with great bombast and never relinquishes the audience’s attention in between.

DAYS OF GLORY
France/Morocco/Algeria/Belgium. Dir: Rachid Bouchareb. 2006
THURSDAY September 27, 7:30 Free!

Art is important, at least to the French. When “Days of Glory,” a World War II combat film that explores the unrecognized sacrifices of Algerian and Moroccan men fighting for the French army, debuted at Cannes, it caused an enormous political stir. The film places a mirror up to French 20th century history to reveal the genuine nationalistic contributions of individuals from certain ethnic groups who continue to be treated as second-class citizens. The officials at Cannes changed the rules of competition at the festival to allow for the entire central cast to receive the award for Best Actor. In response to the film, former French president Jacques Chirac granted the surviving Algerian veterans (or their widows) retroactive pensions that they had previously been denied. It’s also a war movie, so you know shit blows up.