The unit is in effect. The unit is most certainly in effect. Quel unit? The Film Series Unit, obvs. What else would I be blathering about on these dirty newsprint pages? Yes, fine feathered friends: we’ve returned from our Van Winkle-esque mid-semester slumber. And we are refreshed, I think. Ready for another semester of wintry mix and springy step. For a number of peeps in the coterie, this is their first semester after adventures abroad. To them I say hello and have a pleasant stay. For another number of peeps in the coterie, this semester is the final one. I am happy/sad to say that I fall into this category. To these people, I say, enjoy the dwindling days of college. Drink drugs, be promiscuous-ish, graduate on time, and, above all else, watch movies.
That’s right. My advice to second semester seniors and my New Year’s resolution are indeed one and the same. Because really, what else is there in life other than the cinema? Not much, I say. Not much.
So here’s a story that I think sets a great precedent for the semester and that I hope encourages film viewing at our prestigious academy. Begin!
Cinestudio is Trinity College’s version of the film series/second-run art house. It’s on campus, it’s old and neat looking, and the programming is excellent. In truth, their schedule for this season makes my blood boil with jealousy. Urgh! Anyway, over the holiday season, the esteemed Monsieur Robert Janvey noticed that Cinestudio would be showing the newly restored and reconstructed version of Samuel Fuller’s WWII epic “The Big Red One,” a film that we tried and failed to get for OUR film series. Not only that, but they would be presenting it on the Tuesday night right before classes were to begin at Old Wesleyan. Robert, being the energetic and whimsical young man that he is, heralded the event as super-duper important and ordered a pilgrimage from the familiar surroundings of Middletown to the dangerous environs of Hartford in order to view said film. Robert: “We’re going. There’s going to be like ninety of us.” Me: “Ninety?”
Now ask your average college-aged film fan about “The Big Red One,” or the great Sam Fuller, and you wouldn’t get too many answers of recognition. But Fuller was a great filmmaker, a true visionary. You see his passion and sweat and guts on the screen 24 frames per second. But he isn’t terribly well known among the youth. I wondered, how were ninety people really going to be that interested in seeing a three hour movie from 1980 the night before classes start? Not ninety, surely. Obviously there was Robert and myself. That’s two. Who else? Some other film major-types, probably. But surely not ninety of them. Oh well, I was excited. And Robert certainly was as well.
So I let him plan it and I showed up in the parking lot of the Center for Film Studies and was like, where’s the ninety people?
Well, in the end, there were fifteen of us. We piled into three cars, got a little lost, and eventually made it to Trinity. Weird place. Anyway, we saw the movie and it was fantastic. Really excellent. See it if you get the chance (and an anonymous source tells me that we will be showing it next year).
Why am I telling you this? Not because I’m trying to sell you on how good the movie is so you’ll go see it. No. I’m telling you this because fifteen students from YOUR SCHOOL took a trip to ANOTHER SCHOOL with the sole purpose of seeing a movie. And there were more of us there than there were Trinity students. No lie. We were like a cinephile street-gang. And the tickets there were seven bucks for students, but we didn’t really care.
The moral is: enjoy the film series while you’re here. At least here students go see the movies playing at their school. At least here tickets don’t cost as much as they do at regular theaters. At least here you get to see awesome stuff for free. THE FILM SERIES: It’s the social event of the season! Natch.
THIS WEEKEND IN THE FILM SERIES:
From the director of indie fave “The House of Yes,” and from the word processor of Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey comes “Mean Girls,” a surprisingly funny and, yes, mean, high school comedy about bitchy popular girls. I’ve seen this movie before. It was called “Heathers.” Then it was called “Jawbreaker.” Now it’s “Mean Girls,” and it’s very watchable, thanks in part to the adroit and nubile Lindsay Lohan. Also writer Fey, her “Weekend Update” co-anchor Amy Poehler and SNL alumnus Tim Meadows are particularly hilarious in their supporting roles. I also really liked Rachel McAdams as Regina George, the most popular girl at school (despite the fact that the actress is 28 years old, I stil kinda buy her as a high-schooler…kinda).
“Mean Girls” plays Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 10 in the CFA Cinema, $4.
AND FOR FREE IN THE SCIENCE CENTER:
Friday: “Mean Streets.” In keeping with the “Mean” theme (I knew you thought I was going to say that, but I said it anyway)check out this early Scorsese flick. Could this be the year that Oscar has bushy eyebrows? I don’t know. And if that reference wasn’t too obscure to get, praise the lord.
Saturday: “Rififi.” Like heist movies? Well, this is one of the best. Seriously. So much better than “Oceans Twelve.” And the director, Jules Dassin, though French-sounding, was born in Middletown. For realz.
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