The Film Series is still alive and kicking, and you’d best not forget because we’re showing a ton of awesome movies in this part of the calendar. If you haven’t picked up your calendar yet, it is in your mailbox, so go get it. The Film Board slaved away all fall break making those for you, while you were being hand fed peanut butter cookies from the loving hand of your mother, so you better appreciate those posters.
This week, the column offers you a dose of trivia, courtesy of ye old world wide web. First thing’s first: TODAY IS HALLOWEEN. I learned that from Google calendar. Apparently, all the ghoulies and ghosties will be out, torturing small children, eating babies, and generally poisoning tasty snacks for the young humans. Also of note: a nerdy high school girl will discover telekinetic powers of extreme violent power when she is taken to prom. Don’t miss our Halloween feature tonight.
Also, Halloween is an important day in movie history, as it was the release date for such fine films as “Spellbound” (1945), “Curses! Said the Villain” (1913), “The Squid and the Whale” (2005) and “Evil Bong” (2006). It was not, however, the release date for “Halloween.” It was also the day that shooting began on both “Tarzan the Ape” and “Face/Off.” I don’t see the connection there, but maybe you do.
THIS WEEK is our Halloween week, so get yer thrills in.
CARRIE
Dir. Brian De Palma, 1976. USA
TONIGHT, October 31, 8 p.m. $5
Classic prom horror, starring Sissy Spacek, who (trivia!!) refused to wash off her blood make-up at the end of the day and ended up sleeping in crusty ’bloody’ clothes in her trailer for three days. This is the ultimate revenge of the nerds, only less funny, more scary, and filled with RED. Our Halloween pick!
Trivia: This film features an actress actually being knocked out by the pressure from a hose. That isn’t acting.
KING KONG
Dir. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933. USA
SATURDAY, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. FREE
This movie is the OG. The original horror. Imagine how scary this movie was when special effects consisted mostly of trick photography. Then try to let go of the problematic racial implications of this film, and ENJOY THE CAMP. Truly a rare treat.
Trivia: King Kong was actually 24 inches high.
MAN ON WIRE
Dir. James Marsh, 2008. USA
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 8 p.m. $5
This film is about the “artistic crime of the century,” which in this case means a high-wire routine between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. A fantastic documentary, and one that wasn’t seen by enough people when it was in theaters. Seriously, this shit is awesome.
Trivia: The title comes from the police report, attempting to describe why the men were arrested.
GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT GAMING
THURSDAY, November 6, 8 p.m. FREE
This is a special event! Once in your lifetime, or at least your Wesleyan career. Jeremy Bernstein ’97 is now a game designer. Only he makes games that are “serious.” Yeah, we’re not joking. He’s working on the kinds of games that are used to simulate real-life experiences, and train people for tasks outside the limits of their personal understanding (i.e. like the games that the military is using now to train soldiers for combat in Iraq.) He’s coming to talk to us about the possibilities of serious gaming, what that means, and how those technologies will be used in the years ahead. Don’t miss this.
Trivia: Unfortunately, I don’t have any for Mr. Bernstein. Hopefully, if you come to the talk, he will fill this in. Or, if you know his old college roommate, maybe you can ask hir.
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