Fabulous froshies, returning rogues, let’s gather round and accept an unassailable fact: Wesleyan would not be Wesleyan if there weren’t incredible movies coming your way every week. There always are cinematic gems sparkling in our dazzling Center for Film Studies, a soaring cinematic cathedral that is hands down one of the finest screening facilities in the entire country. Whether a casual moviegoer or someone who hyperventilates before the altar of Ozu and Tarkovsky, the beauty of the film series is that it holds something for everyone.
Every week, Wednesday through Saturday, the Wesleyan Film Series presents four outstanding films chosen especially for the Wesleyan student body. All films begin at 8pm; Wednesday and Friday shows are $5 (which can charged to your student account), and Thursday and Saturdays are FREE. All screenings are in the state-of-the-art Goldsmith Family Cinema at The Center for Film Studies (the CFS), a newly constructed building located at the northern edge of campus on Washington Terrace next to the CFA.
As you can see in the ultra-compact yet stylish film series calendar you have received in your mailbox, the films range from classics and cult films, to foreign flicks and documentaries, with the occasional big blockbuster bonanza to jolt your megaplex joneses. We’ve also recently been graced by extraordinary guest lectures and screenings lead by such film luminaries as Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme and Alexander Payne, as well as mini-film festivals highlighting the exciting work bursting from world cinema hotspots like Iran, South Korea and Israel. In short, the film series is to Wesleyan as bananas are to gorillas, as guns are to Charlton Heston, as gorillas, guns and Charlton Heston are to “Planet of the Apes.” This upcoming week should prove no exception:
Special welcome back screening:
WEST SIDE STORY (1960, Dir. Robert Wise), FREE
Monday Sept. 4, 8 p.m.
“Help me,” the doe-faced freshmen plead, “please help me make it through my first week.”
The first week of college can be overwhelming, exhausting, and, well, scary. From the painful tasks of choosing classes and taking placement exams, to conceding to the social heathendom of frat parties, to unpacking and becoming acquainted with your weird roommate, to saying goodbye from the tight hold of the “soulmate” you have likely cheated on by now, you will surely be in dire need of a little recovery time. How better to unwind than with a healthy dose of Jets, Sharks, and star-crossed romance? No, we’re not talking about some post football practice hank-panky, we’re talking about the classic musical “West Side Story,” bursting onto campus in all its Technicolor glory. If you’ve never seen “West Side Story” or even if you starred in your middle school production of it and still remember all the lyrics, you should still come and see it on the big screen. For those of you who don’t know or are hazy about the details of this “Romeo and Juliet” adaptation, we’ll give you a quick rundown. It’s 1950s New York City and two rival gangs, the Puerto Rican Sharks and the all-white Jets, are in continual opposition over territory and respect. Former Jet leader Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader (played by the lovely Natalie Wood), spot each other from across the dance floor and fall for one another at first sight. Passionately in love, Tony and Maria attempt to surpass the obstacles that come from their deep ties to opposing gangs. This film contains some of the best dance and song sequences on film and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. So please come and enjoy this fun yet tragic musical that will make you smile, cry, and sing – what more could you ask for?
THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984, Dir. Rob Reiner) , $5
Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m.
Turn the volume to 11 and rock out with the rock titans of Spinal Tap, the holy fools behind such classic jams as “Sex Farm,” “Bitch School” and “Lick My Love Pump.” Released in 1984, this magical mockumentary was the directorial debut of Rob Reiner, who has gone on to become one of the most successful of Hollywood directors (“The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery”). Reiner plays Marty DiBergi, a dogged documentarian who follows rock band Spinal Tap on their first U.S. tour in six years. He was first attracted to the band, he says, by its “unusual loudness,” the madcap band members’ absurd devotion to the comic and ear-splitting realm of guitar theology. Filled with hilarious performances and delicious one-liners, this mischievous satire is widely considered one of the greatest comedies of all time. Hair metal is the perfect antidote to your back-to-class blues.
FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! (1965, Dir. Russ Meyer), FREE
Thursday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m.
“Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” is the campy cream-of-the-crop, a classic exploitation film from the late great Russ Meyer, the creative powerhouse behind such tour-de-forces as “Confessions of a Sexy Supervixen” (1967) and the greatly celebrated “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” (1970). Varla, Billie, and Rosie are three fed-up go-go dancers who drive out into the California desert to let off some steam. When they encounter squeaky clean couple Tommy and Linda, also out for a desert joyride, the girls’ invitation to drag race turns ugly. Though originally made for the trenchcoat-clad breast fetishists who filled exploitation theaters of the mid-60’s, “Faster, Pussycat!” has transcended its humble origins to become a beloved cult classic. Campy maverick John Waters (“Hairspray,” “Pink Flamingos”) pontificates that it is “beyond a doubt the best movie ever made. It is possibly better than any film that will be made in the future.” With its exuberant action, pop and comic-book imagery and dialogue that seems phoned in from another universe, “Faster, Pussycat!” is a visceral and truly unique cinematic experience.
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