Fellow cinephiles, there is much to be excited about in the world of movies this week. Tonight, we’re playing the last great film of the 20th century, “Being John Malkovich,” and don’t you dare go see “Shutter Island” at Destinta instead. There is nothing that can justify missing the opportunity to see this work of genius on the big screen. Even I’ll be in attendance, and I have the most unexplainable, viscerally felt hatred for Cameron Diaz. I literally refuse to see any movie she is in, but I plan on conquering my Diaz phobia tonight at the Goldsmith, and I would love nothing more than to do so in a packed house.

In other Film Board news, we’ve just wrapped up programming the last Film Series calendar of the year. I’ve seen calendars I thought were perfect, but this one is the real thing. I don’t know if I’m at liberty to give anything away just yet, but when you return from spring break, prepare to have your minds blown. Here’s a teaser: Thursday nights will have a very, very special “theme,” and we promise it’s not Israeli. Also, for those of you out there who think you have what it takes to keep the glory of the Film Series going, the Film Board will soon begin soliciting applications for the 2010-2011 year (before the break), so keep your eyes peeled for future announcements in The Argus and on our website for when and where you can pick up a copy.

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
1999. USA. Dir: Spike Jonze. With John Cusack, Catherine Keener. 112 min.
TONIGHT, Feb. 19, 8p.m. $5
As a pimply 11 year-old, I (Conor) saw this movie (perhaps a little too young, at that), and was determined to live on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a quirky, dark office building forever. This wildly original cinematic vision—brought to you by the modern titans of such filmmaking, Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman—is not only surreal, poignant, twisted, and uproariously funny, but will transport you to a place that you, too, will never want to leave. The adventure begins as down-and-out puppeteer Cusack, and his sultry, manipulative co-worker Keener, discover a portal to the mind of actor John Malkovich—a metaphysical anomaly that turns out to be as disturbingly addictive as it is identity-bending. To witness the raw vision of first-time feature director Jonze on the big screen is a truly transformative experience; your head will spin and your imagination will run wild. Not to mention, your thirst for all things Malkovichian will be satisfied for a long, long while. Crawl your way into the Goldsmith and witness greatness.

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
1937. USA. Dir: Fritz Lang. With Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sidney. 86 min.
SATURDAY, Feb. 20, 8p.m. FREE
From the mind of legendary Hollywood-via-Deutschland auteur Fritz Lang, the man who brought you both “Metropolis” and “M,” comes a steamy, shocking early noir—Lang’s second American effort. This interpretation of the Bonnie and Clyde tale casts an extremely young, green Henry Fonda and a smoky Sylvia Sidney on a gripping run from the law through a crime-filled, passionate, and highly expressionistic world. America in the dirty thirties has never been so romantic, or so deliciously Fondastic (sorry, couldn’t resist the corny pun). Like the title suggests, take advantage of this chance while you have it, and steal away to this movie.

ARMY OF SHADOWS
1969. France. Dir: Jean-Pierre Melville. With Lino Ventura. 145 min.
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 8p.m. $5
What is the Wesleyan film series, if not consistent? Well, even though our French Film Series is officially over, we’ve decided to close out the quarter on a French note, both for the sake of uniformity and in the name of exposing you to a tremendous work of foreign cinema. Melville’s de-sensationalized masterpiece about the harsh struggle of the loyalist resistance during Nazi-occupied France is not only fascinating and grim, but also extremely culturally important. Re-released and restored to international critical acclaim in 2006, Army of Shadows is a hidden cinematic treasure as notable for its expertly-crafted form as it is for its notorious historic honesty. This is a thinking-(wo)man’s film, so keep your mind limber in midterm season by gracing it with your presence.

ELI & BEN
2008. Israel. Dir: Ori Ravid. With Lior Ashkenazi, Shmuel Edelman. 91 min.
THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 8p.m. FREE
The last installment in this quarter’s Ring Family Israeli Film Festival is well worth the wait; it’s a poignant coming of age tale about a young child struggling to prove the innocence of his white-collar-crime-accused father. This film, which is particularly notable for its timely dose of truth in a post-Madoff world, strings together this unique modern sentiment with a brilliant representation of the magic of childhood. An extremely relatable tale of the loss of innocence and the strong bonds of family, Eli & Ben rounds out what has been a tremendous film series term for modern non-American cinema. Film critic and special guest speaker Laura Blum will introduce the film. Instead of ogling those brilliant mini-posters for the Israeli series you see all around campus, come out and be wowed by this movie.