It’s time to break the silence. We have all, without exception, been emotionally and spiritually shattered by the failure of Zack Snyder’s magnum opus “Sucker Punch.” After his recent spurt of masterpieces, Snyder was to be our shining cinematic savior. His “Watchmen” was a vast improvement on the original text, inspiring My Chemical Romance’s original song, “Desolation Row.” His art-house sensation “300” stands as one of the most daring and sensitive depictions of sadomasochistic lust since the Marquis De Sade. But now the fickle critical establishment slanders his baby as “a spastic wet dream,” “an endless, punishing, unholy mess,” and “noxious.” Oh the humanity! How dare they? Can they truly call themselves men?!?
Despair not, for this week’s film series promises to restore light to the unremitting darkness of post-“Sucker Punch” life. It is indeed time to emerge, timidly, from your tearful place and rejoin humanity at the Goldsmith Family Cinema.
TINY FURNITURE
2010. USA. Dir. Lena Dunham. With Lena Dunham. 98 min.
WEDNESDAY, March 30, 8 p.m., $5.
The tragic evisceration of Snyder’s film further exposes the cruelty and godlessness of the “real world.” Ease your anxiety with the first time director Dunham’s SXSW darling. Working on a miniscule budget and casting her actual family in the film, Dunham resourcefully captures the anxiety and exhilaration of a life after school. Come and see the film that shows that, regardless of how emotionally and socially unprepared you are for the responsibilities of post-graduate life, you can just make a movie about it and everything will work out fine.
“SRUGIM” & “ARAB LABOR”
Israel. Approximately 100 min.
THURSDAY, March 31, 8 p.m., FREE.
Has “Sucker Punch” made you too traumatized to ever watch a movie again? Fear not. Come to the Goldsmith on Thursday to see the screening that shows that they make quality television programs in other countries too. These Israeli shows tackle a wide array of issues, including religion, romance, feminism, Arab-Israeli relations, cultural identity, and conformity. Guest speaker Isaac Zablowski, Director of Film Programs at JCC Manhattan, will be on hand afterwards to discuss the programs and the questions they raise.
PINK FLOYD: THE WALL
1982. UK. Dir. Alan Parker. With Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves. 95 min. FRIDAY, April 1, 8 p.m. $5.
Has gouging out your eyes during a screening of “Sucker Punch” made you blind? You can still enjoy Friday’s screening of Pink Floyd’s seminal film, “The Wall.” Featuring the psychedelic sounds of the rock legends’ most ambitious project as well as some pretty nifty images, it’s the film that shows that the Goldsmith’s awesome surround sound system is just as cool as its epic big screen.
LOLA MONTES
1955. France/Germany. Dir. Max Ophüls. With Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov. 116 min.
SATURDAY, April 2, 8 p.m. FREE.
Hailed by film critic Andrew Sarris as “the greatest film ever made,” Ophüls’ final film tells the story of cabaret dancer and prolific lover Lola Montez, the Irish-born “Spanish dancer” who bedded King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Ophüls, whose elegant camera movements inspired a young filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick, takes things to the next level by adding glorious Technicolor and Cinemascope to the mix. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the film that shows that, even in the age of “Sucker Punch,” you can still see some great movies on the big screen.
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