It’s almost time! It’s almost Thanksgiving Break! I, for one, simply cannot wait. I’m almost approaching the little kid-style countdown on the wall…though I’ve noticed that nobody makes an Advent calendar for Thanksgiving. That hardly seems fair. (For those of you who were hoping for something thematically relevant on the calendar this week, my apologies.) It doesn’t seem like there are that many films that have truly captured the depressing paradox of Thanksgiving. Take note, future film majors: maybe you are the one who will make the senior thesis film that captures the glory of feasting, the gluttony of American consumerism and the series of colonialist massacres that we “celebrate” on the last Thursday in November.

However, we do have our share of offensive fare this week, beginning with the very funny…

TROPIC THUNDER

2008. USA. Dir. Ben Stiller. 107 min.

Friday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $5

Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller and Jack Black do Vietnam humor. It’s a sort of “M*A*S*H” of the modern satirical age, but with more fighting and fewer doctors: half-combat, half-very-light-hearted-behind-the-scenes romping. And it’s “totally awesome,” in the words of one board member…. so there’s that.

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

1935. USA. Dir. Sam Wood. 96 min.

Saturday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m., FREE

On Saturday, we turn to a very different brand of humor—the Marx Brothers. This is a hilarious film, and if you’ve never seen slapstick from this trio, “A Night at the Opera” is one of the first films to check out. Modern cinematic humor (particularly the broad comedies that are so popular now, like “Tropic Thunder”) owes much to the Marx Brothers’ model, which would prove the progenitor of many styles of comedy to follow, including stand-up.

Now, this might seem a little excessive, but I can’t restrain my enthusiasm for the Film Series week that follows Thanksgiving Break. If you think you’re going to be depressed about returning for finals: don’t. Get psyched, because we’re saving some of the best films for last. This is definitely my favorite week of the semester. Think about it: BATMAN; one for the craziest, best, most romantic musicals; then MORE BATMAN; then a quiet, beautiful and tender masterpiece of Japanese cinema. How can you be less than totally and completely excited? I, for one, don’t know. I really don’t.

BATMAN BEGINS

2005. USA. Dir. Christopher Nolan. 140 min.

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., $5

We’ll start off with an older film, a film whose merits we recently remembered when we all rushed out and bought tickets to “The Dark Knight” in IMAX four weeks in advance. I know that this film lacks a brilliant performance from a recently deceased actor, but don’t you remember how sweet it was? That totally crazy Batmobile? The birth of our nation’s darkest and most fraught superhero? Plus…Christian Bale being a hottie.

DARLING LILI

1970. USA. Dir. Blake Edwards. 143 min.

Thursday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m., FREE

Then, on the Thursday following break, we are playing my new favorite movie, one that is impossible to see in its correct form except when projected. (The DVD of this film is a different and much darker version, with a lot of the comedy cut out.) What’s exceptional about this film is that it is able to balance such wildly different tones and still feel like a cohesive piece of cinema. It is, in short, a musical with slapstick comedy, melodrama and the morally unsettling vision of Julie Andrews (hello, Mary Poppins!) as a sexually risqué WWI spy for the Germans. And yet—this movie totally works. It’s hysterically funny, very romantic and, surprisingly, it succeeds on all fronts. This may be your only opportunity to see this film in its true form: don’t miss out!

THE DARK KNIGHT

2008. USA. Dir. Christopher Nolan. 152 min.

Friday, Dec. 5, 8 p.m., $5

THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME. There’s a reason it topped the charts all summer. And it’s not Maggie Gyllenhaal.

LATE SPRING

1972. USA. Dir. Yasujiro Ozu. 108 min.

Saturday, Dec. 6, 8 p.m., FREE

This is one of the better-known Ozu films, and with good reason. It’s sweet, tender, sad and perfectly depicts the director’s pensive style of filmmaking. A real treat for all ye film buffs and otherwise.

Don’t forget! If you see anything you’d like to see on the Film Series, don’t hesitate to suggest it to us: wesleyanfilmseries@gmail.com. Thanks to all who’ve suggested films so far!