For those of you who can't get enough (mostly free) films, there's something for almost every day of the week (everyday, if you include regular shows at the Charles, Senator & Rotunda, Landmark, and all the suburban multiplexes).
Here's info on series I've been able to track down (let me know any I've missed):
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Of course, I have to mention films at Pratt Library first:
FILMTALK
Film Talk viewing and discussion group
Central Library - Wheeler Auditorium Saturdays 10:00 AM
June 14
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
In their second collaboration (after 1938's You Can’t Take It With You), director Frank Capra and star James Stewart create the character of Jefferson Smith, an altruistic, naïve small-town newspaperman who becomes an erstwhile Senator forced to deal with corruption in politics. The film received an Academy Award (Best Original Story), a New York Film Critics Circle Award (Best Actor), and was placed on the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 1989. (USA, 1939, 130 min., b&w)
Links:
Movie Review Query Engine
Internet Movie Database
Pacific Film Archives
TCM/AFI Movie Database
July 12
Young and Innocent (The Girl Was Young)
Film Talk viewing and discussion group
One of the most charming of Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers treating the "wrong man" theme, in part due to the performance of Nova Pilbeam, who had played the kidnapped daughter in the original The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1934. Some of Hitchcock's regular players (Mary Clare, Basil Radford, Percy Marmont) appear; Hitch himself has one of his funniest cameos. Charles Bennett, one of Hitchcock's best writers (who also worked on Blackmail, The 39 Steps, and Secret Agent, among others), co-scripted. (U.K., 1937, 80 min., b&w)
Links:
Movie Review Query Engine
Internet Movie Database
Pacific Film Archives
August 16
Le Corbeau (The Raven)
Film Talk viewing and discussion group
Though not as famous as his later thrillers The Wages of Fear and Diabolique, Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le Corbeau is an equally bleak masterpiece. In one of the great portrayals of collective hysteria, anonymous poison-pen letters circulating in a French village make the entire citizenry suspicious of each other. Cinematography reminiscent of German expressionist films, superb acting (from a cast led by the marvelous Pierre Fresnay), and a great screenplay take this film far beyond a simple thriller. Because it was made during the Occupation by a German-controlled production company (and used by the Nazis as anti-French propaganda), Le Corbeau was banned for several years in France and not released in the U.S. until 1948. Clouzot himself was barred from filmmaking until 1947. (France, 1943, 92 min., b&w, English subtitles)
Links:
Criterion
Internet Movie Database
Movie Review Query Engine
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"RARE REELS: The Best Films You've Never Seen" film series
Central Library - Wheeler Auditorium Saturdays 2:00 PM
June 14
Chinese Super Ninjas
Legendary martial arts director Chang Cheh (Five Deady Venoms) directs this chop-socky classic from Hong's Kong's illustrious Shaw Brothers studio. Following a humiliating defeat in a martial arts tournament between two rival clans, the losing side hires the "Five Element Ninjas" from Japan - whose fighting styles are based on the five Chinese elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth - to even the score. They do and then some, wiping out the entire "good" clan save for Shi-Shang (Five Deadly Venoms star Lo-Meng). Lone survivor Shi-Shang vows revenge and, with the help of some new friends, manages to outwit the sneaky ninjas, leading up to a climatic clash with their leader that must be seen to be believed!
July 12
Tears of the Black Tiger (Fah Talai Jone)
(dir. Wisit Sasanatieng, Thailand, 2000, 110 minutes)
This film, whose Thai title Fah Talai Jone translates as "the Heavens strike the thief," has been called a high-camp merging of Douglas Sirk melodrama with Sergio Leone Western. But critic Brad Fetzer nails it best when he writes: "Imagine John Ford, Jean-Luc Godard, and John Waters collaborating on an insane 1950s melodrama, drenched in succulent Technicolor...and you're just barely encompassing the cinematic delirium of Tears of the Black Tiger.
The film features rival gunslingers, a poor farmboy and the daughter of a wealthy landowner, a murdered father, bloody revenge, a forced marriage, and a half-dozen other cliches stitched into a preposterous yet weirdly engaging story. But the story isn't the point; director Wisit Sasanatieng takes every opportunity to dive into a different style or device, ranging from delicate shots of a lovely girl in a mint-green gazebo to spewing gore and full-on battle with machine guns and grenade-launchers. The sets are often blatantly theatrical, the lighting exaggerated, and the acting ranges from wooden to maniacal. In short, this Thai movie is like nothing you've ever seen, born of a deep moviemania and unbridled chutzpah.
Cast: Chartchai Ngamsan (Dum/Black Tiger), Stella Malucchi (Rumpoey), Supakorn Kitsuwon (Mahasuwon), Arawat Ruangvuth (Capt. Kumjorn), Sombat Metanee (Fai). In Thai with English subtitles.
August 16
Death of a Cyclist (Muerte de un Ciclista)
part of the "RARE REELS: The Best Films You've Never Seen" film series
A special screening of Juan Antonio Bardem's long-lost masterpiece, Death of a Cyclist (Muerte de un Cliclista), a rarely-seen indictment of 1950s Spanish society under Franco's rule that was unavailable for over 50 years until its release on DVD this year by the Criterion Collection. Bardem, uncle of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), was in jail for political dissent when this film won the International Critics Award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Even Franco's censure could not repress its influence and artistic merit.
Death of a Cyclist is a neo-realist noir melodrama that tells the story of two well-to-do lovers -- college professor Juan (Alberto Closas) and wealthy adulterous trophy wife Maria Jose (Lucia Bose) -- who accidentally hit a bicyclist while driving in the Spanish countryside. In order to cover up their illicit affair, they leave the man to die on the roadside. The crime goes unnoticed until a blackmailer (Carlos Casaravilla) suddenly turns up to threaten their privileged lives.
Under Bardem's stylized direction, characterized by tight framing and imaginative "match cuts" (in which the film jumps back and forth between two different scenes with the same compositional elements), Bardem turns the death of an anonymous cyclist into a scathing indictment of decadent Spanish society and the gulf between the rich and the poor. Despite being made during Franco's regime, it manages to get in its share of political barbs about life in Spain 15 years after its bloody Civil War. Glenn Erickson says, "Death of a Cyclist has Italian actors, a French producer and a Hollywood style, but it's distinctly Spanish in theme and characters."
This Criterion DVD print, meticulously remastered and restored, represents the first time this movie has been released in America since its brief theatrical run here in 1958 under the title Age of Infidelity. Though this film was screened last fall at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD, today's screening marks the Baltimore premiere of Death of a Cyclist.
Directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, Spain, 1955, 88 min., b&w
Cast: Alberto Closas, Lucia Bose, Manuel Alexandre, Carlos Casaravilla, Antonio Casas. In Spanish with English subtiles.
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At the Southeast Anchor Library:
Saturday, Jun 14, 2008 (3:00 p.m.)
East Baltimore Heroes and Legends
Baltimore cannot boast Times Square or the Hollywood Hills, but we're home to more eccentric icons and enigmatic celebrities than any other city in America. Come meet a few of East Baltimore's "heroes and legends" on film:
Love Letter to Edie (1975) -- You'll be star-struck by B-movie queen, Edith Massey, unlikely star of numerous John Waters' films.
My Ethnic Meighborhood (1976) -- Have an intimate conversation with Barbara Mikulski atop marble steps as she describes the character and vitality of Baltimore's east side communities.
The Great Dantini (1968) -- You'll be razzled and dazzled when a Fells Point magician offers you an audience with his devoted pigeon pals.
*****
Saturday,Jul 12(1:00 p.m.)
Saturday Matinee at The Grand: "From Russia With Love"
For years, the Grand Theater stood proud and true in the heart of Highlandtown, offering much-deserved distraction for hardworking residents. Celebrate bygone days as the Southeast Anchor Library presents the James Bond classic, From Russia With Love (1963). Popcorn, cartoon shorts, and theater minstrels will all be on hand to bring the classic theater experience to life.
*****
Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 (3:00 p.m.)
Treasures from the Vault
Baltimore International Film Festival Award Winners
See these award-winning films from the 1970s and '80s :
About That Time (1973) -- A 22-year old filmmaker struggles to discover his raison d'etre.
Refrigerator (1983) -- A man battles a refrigerator that is trying to run his life.
The Wild Goose (1973) -- An endless round of octagenarian birthday parties, insipid poetry readings, boring meals, and confrontations with no-nonsense nurses make the "wild goose" determined to escape from his nursin
For more information, including links for many of the films at Pratt:
http://www.prattlibrary.org/calendar/series.aspx?folder=514&mark=film
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The Charles
ALFRED HITCHCOCK REVIVAL SERIES
Showtimes: SATURDAYS AT NOON. MONDAYS AT 7PM, THURSDAYS AT 9PM.
THURSDAY 5/29 9pm.
PSYCHO
SATURDAY 5/31. MONDAY 6/2, THURSDAY 6/5.
THE BIRDS
SATURDAY 6/7, MONDAY 6/9, THURSDAY 6/12.
MARNIE
SATURDAY 6/14, MONDAY 6/16, THURSDAY 6/19.
FRENZY
SATURDAY 6/21, MONDAY 6/23, THURSDAY 6/26.
TO CATCH A THIEF
http://www.thecharles.com/schedules/now.asp#1250
Call 410-727-3456 to verify.
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Baltimore Hostel
17 W. Mulberry St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Baltimore Film Series
Every Tuesday Night, 8pm
Back by popular demand! The Baltimore Film Series features films made
by Baltimore Directors, that were filmed in Baltimore, or are about
Baltimore culture. All films will be shown on our projector screen in
our basement common room or outside on our back patio weather
permitting.
* June 3rd - Pecker, John Waters
* June 10th - Liberty Heights, Barry Levinson
* June 17th - Cry Baby, John Waters
* June 24th - Diner, Barry Levinson
* July 1st - Hairspray, John Waters
* July 8th - Ladder 49
* July 15th - Boys of Baraka
* July 22nd - Tin Men, Barry Levinson
* July 29th - The Accidental Tourist
* August 5th - Avalon, Barry Levinson
see the hostel web page for film links, hostel photos & more info:
http://www.baltimorehostel.org/explore.shtml
For more information, call (410)-576-8880
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Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Office of Cultural Affairs
Summer 2008 Directors Series
The Films of Joel and Ethan Coen
Wednesday Evenings June 4- June 25, 2008
Mountcastle Auditorium 7:15PM
June 4 No Country for Old Men (2007)
June 11 Blood Simple (1984)
June 18, Miller's Crossing (1990)
June 25 O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/jhoca/events.html
For more information, contact:
Office of Cultural Affairs
2024 East Monument Street
Suite 1-100
Baltimore, MD 21205-2223
PH 410-955-3363
FAX 410-614-2828
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Hopkins Summer Outdoor Films
FRIDAY NIGHTS
Live Music at 7:30 pm | Movies start just after sunset
Location: All screenings to be shown at Johns Hopkins
University Homewood Campus Upper Quad in front of
Gilman Hall
Rain Location: In case of rain, films will be shown in
Shriver Auditorium
June 20
"THE SIMPSONS MOVIE" | ARTIST: FASTER FASTER HARDER HARDER
June 27
"October Sky" | Artist: August
July 11
"Ratatouille" | Artist: Special Entertainment
July 18
"Stardust" | Artist: Fools and Horses
July 25
"Some Like It Hot" | Artist: Felicia Carter
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American Visionary Art Museum
FLICKS from the HILL: OUTDOOR FILM series
Thursdays, June 19–August 7, 9PM
Grab a blanket, picnic under the stars, and watch a great film inspired by the current exhibition ALL FAITHS BEAUTIFUL.
Rain location: Jim Rouse Visionary Center
Museum is open & free between 5 and 9 pm on Flick nights (donations welcomed).
June 19, Sound of Music
June 26, Rebel Without a Cause
July 3, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? [in case you miss it at JHU(see below) on June
25, but then,one can never have enough of the
Coen Brothers]
July 10, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
July 17, The Gods Must Be Crazy
July 24, Quiz Show
July 31, Harold and Maude
August 7, Casablanca
http://www.avam.org/cgi-bin/Events.cgi
For more information, call 410.244.1900
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First Thursday Film Series
Film @ the BMA
Enjoy the opportunity to see a rare or new film at the BMA on the first Thursday of each month. Films are shown in the Meyerhoff Auditorium on the 2nd floor, and are free and open to the public.
The First Thursday Film Series is curated by Eric Allen Hatch, Maryland Film Festival Programming Administrator.
Please note: Some films may contain adult content.
Thursday, June 5
8 p.m.
Film: The Landlord
(Hal Ashby, 1970, 110 min.)
Wealthy young white man Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges) buys a home in the then low-income African-American neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, becoming landlord to a variety of vibrant characters quickly bringing issues of race, class, and gender to the forefront.
Thursday, July 3
8 p.m.
Film: Falkenberg Farewell
(Jesper Ganslandt, 2006, 91 min.)
This dream-like yet dark Swedish film vividly captures the post-graduation confusion of a group of high-school friends trying to decide whether or not to remain in their small home town.
Thursday, August 7
8 p.m.
Film: Together
(Lukas Moodysson, 2000, 106 mins.)
Set in a commune during the 1970s, the genuine narrative introduces a group of like-minded idealists trying to fashion a sustainable way of life that is out of step with their time and place.
For more information: http://www.artbma.org/calendar/films.html
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Screenings at the Creative Alliance
Creative Alliance at The Patterson
3134 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224.
For more information, call 410-276-1651
www.creativealliance.org
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LITTLE ITALY OPEN-AIR FILM FESTIVAL 2008
FILMS BEGINNING at 9 P.M. FRIDAY EVENINGS
INTERSECTION of HIGH and STILES STREETS in the heart of Little Italy
July 11 Moonstruck
July 18 Seabiscuit
July 25 My Big Fat Greek Wedding
August 1 Hairspray
August 8 Life is Beautiful
August 15 The Blues Brothers
August 22 Cinderella Man
August 29 Cinema Paradiso
For more information: http://www.littleitalymd.com/openair.htm
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Main Street Outdoor Movie Series
the Dundalk Renaissance Corp
The outdoor movies will be shown in the parking lot behind the Patapsco Masonic Lodge on Trading Place, directly across from Heritage Park, where they were viewed last year.
Preshow starts at 7:30 p.m. Feature presentaion begins at dusk. Bring a chair or blanket, and money for food and drinks (or bring your own).
Main Street Movies
June 7: Shrek III
June 21: My Fair Lady
July 12: Spider-Man III
July 26: Hairspray
Aug. 9: Ratatouille
Aug. 23: Bee Movie
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In Columbia:
Columbia's Lakefront Summer Festival Movies
Columbia Town Center
10320 Little Patuxent Pkwy.
Columbia, Maryland
1-877-713-9674
Bring chairs or blankets; starts at dusk
Food available from adjacent Clydes
in general: Friday - for the family Mondays - for the little kids
Weather Hotline: 410-715-3154
JUNE
20 Bourne Ultimatum
23 Curious George
27 The Bucket List
30 Horton Hears A Who
JULY
7 Bee Movie
11 Batman Begins
14 The Spiderwick Chronocles
18 Bringing Up Baby (Cary Grant)
21 Misty of Chincoteague
25 The Golden Compass
28 Nim's Island
AUGUST
1 Hairspray
4 The Witches
8 Stardust
11 The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
15 Transformers
18 Charlotte's Web
22 National Treasure: Book of Secrets
29 Pirates of the Caribbean 1
30 Pirates of the Caribbean 2
31 Pirates of the Caribbean 3
SEPT
5 Enchanted
6 Ratatoullie
12 Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
13 Harry Potter & the Prisioner of Azkaban
19 Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
20 Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
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Also check out, a little farther afield:
Films at the National Gallery of Art
http://www.nga.gov/programs/film/
!!!!! Japanese film lovers, note - Tatsuya Nakadai (Kagemusha, Ran, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, High and Low, The Human Condition, Rebellion, HaraKiri, Sword of Doom and many others) in person on Sunday, June 22 !!!
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Silverdocs at the Silver Theater - Silver Spring June 16-22
http://www.silverdocs.com/
Tickets went on sale starting May 27, and some shows are already sold out.
This is a great festival for documentary lovers - I've gone every year.
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And if you're travelling to LA, there's thethe outdoor films at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. The New York Times article mentions some other outdoor film series and an outdoor film web page
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Please let me know about any other local film events that I've missed.
And please pass this on to any film-loving friends on Myspace, Facebook, elseswhere on the Internet ether, and in the real world.
Why Movies Don’t Matter Anymore
-
Jerry Seinfeld was interviewed for GQ, and he dropped this truth bomb:
“Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it
did for ...
19 hours ago
