/Film Boston

The 5 Movies I’m Most Looking Forward To at the Independent Film Festival of Boston 2012

David Chen — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:00:27 +0000

The Independent Film Festival of Boston gets under way this week, and as I’ve mentioned in my past coverage, it’s probably my favorite film-related event of the year. Given that I’m moving out to Seattle within two weeks, this’ll probably be my last IFFB for awhile, but it looks like it will not disappoint. After the jump, find the five movies that I’m really looking forward to this year, and feel free to share your own in the comments.

Sleepwalk with Me - Mike Birbiglia’s directorial debut has already garnered a great deal of critical acclaim (not the least of which has come from this site), so it’s been on my radar for quite some time now. I’ve been a big fan of Birbiglia from his work on This American Life, and I earnestly believe that Lauren Ambrose needs to appear in more movies. Most intriguingly, co-writer and producer Ira Glass will be in attendance for a Q&A, virtually guaranteeing a packed opening night audience at the Somerville Theatre.

2 Days in New York - I’m a Julie Delpy fan who still frequently reflects on the deeper meanings in the Before Sunrise/Sunset combo of films. While I wasn’t crazy about 2 Days in Paris and its rushed denouement, the opportunity to see Delpy and Chris Rock – two actors with what I think can safely be described as having different styles — play off each other is probably going too much for me to resist. Delpy will be there in the flesh for a director/actress Q&A.

God Bless America - It’s interesting to consider that the guy from those Police Academy movies who kind of talks weird has come to occupy an important part of the indie film scene. Yet three years after World’s Greatest Dad, we find ourselves on the eve of another Bobcat Goldthwait film. Promising to be another irreverent and twisted time at the movies, God Bless America has already received some great buzz, and Goldthwait’s IFFB Q&A from a few years back was exquisite (he’ll be in attendance this year as well). Count me excited.

Knuckleball - While I thought Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg’s Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work was pretty rough around the edges, the two documentarians demonstrated a knack for shooting and assembling footage in the service of illustrating a fascinating, typically-unseen side of the titular iconic comedienne. In Knuckleball, the two turn their talents to examining one of baseball’s greatest mysteries: the knuckleball pitch. I’m looking forward to being enlightened and moved by what they have to show us. Sundberg and Stern will be in attendance for a Q&A.

V/H/S – This found footage horror anthology film combines the skills of David Bruckner (The Signal), Ti West (The Innkeepers), and more to create what promises to a memorable, terrifying evening. I love anthology films. I love found footage films. And I love seeing young directors get a chance to show their chops in unconventional formats.

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View the full schedule for IFFB and buy tickets at their official website. If you’re around this week and see me, be sure to say hi!

/Film Has Your Ticket to See ’50/50′, One of Peter’s Favorite Movies of 2011

Peter Sciretta — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:36 +0000

I was a huge fan/supporter of Jonathan Levine‘s 2008 film The Wackness, which premiered years ago at Sundance and got dumped at the box office by Sony Pictures Classics. Levine has had some tough luck in terms of distributors — his debut feature, the critically acclaimed horror film All The Boys Love Mandy Lane premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, yet has still never gotten a US release (both theatrically and even on dvd/blu-ray). But as they say, the third times the charm. I saw this film at an early screening a couple months back and it remains one of my favorite movies of the year. And I’m not alone, Germain also agrees.

50/50 (originally titled I’m With Cancer) is an autobiographical story based on the experiences of Will Reiser, a producer on HBO’s Da Ali G Show and VH1′s Best Week Ever. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam, a 27-year-old who is diagnosed with cancer, and his sometimes funny “struggle to beat the disease.” The film, funded with Summit Entertainment’s giant pile of Twilight money, co-stars Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston.

50/50 won’t hit theaters until September 30th 2011, but I’m very happy to be able to give you guys/gals a chance to see it early. /Film is giving out 100 tickets to screenings in:

Austin, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Screenings take place on August 30th (with the exception of Austin, which is on August 29th). Get your tickets now while they are still available. And as with any of these advance screenings, arrive a bit earlier than you normally would to ensure a seat.

SYNOPSIS
Inspired by personal experiences, 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humor in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis in this new comedy directed by Jonathan Levine from a script by Will Reiser.

“We worked with Will on Da Ali G show, and it was shortly after that we learned he was sick.” Rogen recalls. “As shocking, sad, confusing and generally screwed up as it was; we couldn’t ignore that because we were so ill-equipped to deal with the situation, funny things kept happening. Will got better, and when he did, we thought the best way to pull something good out of the situation was to get him to write a screenplay. Ideally we wanted to make a film that would be as funny, sad, and hopefully as honest as the experience we went through. As soon as the script was completed, it quickly became a passion project for all of us. It helped us come to terms with Will’s struggle as well as our own experiences.”

50/50 is the story of a guy’s transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health – drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser’s own experience with cancer and reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers.

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/Film Boston – See a Free Screening of ‘Another Earth’ on Wed. 7/6, Featuring a Q&A with Mike Cahill & Brit Marling

David Chen — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 20:00:27 +0000

Actress Brit Marling’s career got a shot in the arm recently when she co-wrote, co-produced, and acted in Another Earth and Sound of My Voice, both of which made it into Sundance this year. This woman can do it all, and she’s apparently pretty damn good at it too.

I’m excited to see her performance in at Another Earth, which is why I’m even more excited that we’re giving away free passes to a Wednesday night screening of this film at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Boston. Afterwards, I’ll be hosting a Q&A with director Mike Cahill and Brit Marling. Hit the jump to learn how to get passes to this special event.

To get the pass, just go to go to http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp (you must sign up for an account if you don’t have one yet) and enter the RSVP Code SLASHBDWL. Then print out the pass and head over to the screening. We only have a limited number of passes, although I believe that each pass entitles you to bring a guest with you as well.

Passes are limited in supply and downloading a pass does not guarantee you or your guest a seat! The screening will begin at 7:00 PM at the Coolidge Corner Theater and they overbook these things, so if you want to get a seat, show up EARLY! [Typically, people show up about 60-90 minutes in advance for screenings, although you might have more luck showing up slightly later with an indie film such as this. I cannot make any guarantees either way.]

I’ll try to record the Q&A in some way, shape, or form. In the meantime, good luck, hope to see you there, and if you bump into me, please say hi!

/Film Boston: IFFBoston Announces Lineup

David Chen — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:00:25 +0000

The Independent Film Festival of Boston recently released their full line-up and it’s a doozy. Sundance favorites such as The Future and Submarine will be there, along with awesome documentaries like Being Elmo (WITH ELMO IN ATTENDANCE!!!) and Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times. I’m looking forward to films I wasn’t able to catch at Sundance and SXSW, such as the legal documentary Hot Coffee, the heartbreaking How to Die in Oregon, and the new fascinating Conan O’Brien film. Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins also looks like it will rock the house.

The full line-up is below. The festival is April 27th through May 4th, and it’s one of my favorite movie events of the year. If you live anywhere in New England, I invite you to come and check it out. You can follow IFFBoston on Facebook for updates or buy your passes now!

Narrative Features

13 ASSASSINS directed by Takashi Miike
ANOTHER EARTH directed by Mike Cahill
BELLFLOWER directed by Evan Glodell
BENEATH CONTEMPT directed by Benjamin Brewer
THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM directed by Todd Rohal
CIRCUMSTANCE directed by Maryam Keshavarz
FANNY, ANNIE & DANNY directed by Chris Brown
THE FUTURE directed by Miranda July
GREEN directed by Sophia Takal
LITTLE ROCK directed by Mike Ott
THE MULBERRY TREE directed by Mark Heller
OLIVER SHERMAN directed by Ryan Redford
ON THE ICE directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
SAHKANAGA directed by John Henry Summerour
THE SALESMAN directed by Sebastien Pilote
SEPTIEN directed by Michael Tully
STAKELAND directed by Jim Mickle
SUBMARINE directed by Richard Ayoade
TERRI directed by Azazel Jacobs
TRIGGER directed by Bruce McDonald
THE TRIP directed by Michael Winterbottom
THE TROLL HUNTER directed by Andre Ovredal
THE WHISTLE BLOWER directed by Larysa Kondracki

Documentary Features

BEING ELMO directed by Constance Marks
THE BENGALI DETECTIVE directed by Philip Cox
BETTER THIS WORLD directed by Kelly Duane & Katie Galloway
BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD directed by Liz Garbus
BUCK directed by Cindy Meehl
BURMA SOLDIER directed by Nic Dunlop, Ricki Stern, & Annie Sundberg
THE CHINESE ARE COMING TO TOWN directed by Ronja Yu
THE CITY DARK directed by Ian Cheney
COLOR ME OBSESSED: A FILM ABOUT THE REPLACEMENTS directed by Gorman Berchard
CONAN O’BRIEN CAN’T STOP directed by Rodman Flender
CONVENTO directed by Jarred Alterman
CRIME AFTER CRIME directed by Yoav Potash
CULTURES OF RESISTANCE directed by Iara Lee
DRAGONSLAYER directed by Tristan Patterson
EL BULLI: COOKING IN PROGRESS directed by Gereon Wetzel
GOD WILLING directed by Evangeline Griego
GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR directed by Pamela Yates
HEAVEN + EARTH + JOE DAVIS directed by Peter Sasowsky
HOT COFFEE directed by Susan Saladoff
HOW TO DIE IN OREGON directed by Peter Richardson
IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT directed by Marshall Curry
IVAN & IVANA directed by Jeff Silva
LAST DAYS HERE directed by Don Argott & Demian Fenton
MAKE BELIEVE directed by J. Clay Tweel
PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES directed by Andrew Rossi
PROJECT NIM directed by James Marsh
PUPPET directed by David Soll
PUSH: MADISON VS. MADISON directed by Rudy Hypolite
RAISING RENEE directed by Steven Ascher & Jeanne Jordan
SONS OF PERDITION directed by Jennilyn Merten & Tyler Measom
SUPERHEROES directed by Michael Barnett
WE STILL LIVE HERE directed by Anne Makepeace
WHO TOOK THE BOMP?: LE TIGRE ON TOUR directed by Kerthy Fix
WINDFALL directed by Laura Israel

Short Films

8 directed by Daniel Laabs & Julie Gould
AFTER YOU LEFT directed by Jef Taylor
ALL DAY YEAH directed by Charlie Anderson
BABY directed by Daniel Mulloy
BOB AND THE TREES directed by Diego Ongaro
THE BOWLER directed by Sean Dunne
BOY directed by Topaz Adizes
CHAINSAW FOUND JESUS directed by Spencer Parsons
THE CONTRACT directed by Lina Mannheimer
DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY directed by Ariel Kleiman
THE DENTIST directed by Alex Mallis
FLYING ANNE directed by Catherine Van Campen
FRACTURE directed by Nicolas Sarkissian
ICE HOCKEY directed by Larry Cohen
ICH BIN’S HELMUT directed by Nicolas Steiner
IRMA directed by Charles Fairbanks
JUPITER ELICIUS directed by Kelly Sears
LITTLE HORSES directed by Levi Abrino
MR. HAPPY MAN directed by Matt Morris
NEGATIVIPEG directed by Matthew Rankin
PIONEER directed by David Lowery
POSTER GIRL directed by Sara Nesson
PROTOPARTICLES directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra
THE STRANGE ONES directed by Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein
TATOOINE directed by Eric Power
WE’RE LEAVING directed by Zachary Treitz
YOUNG BIRD SEASON directed by Nellie Kluz

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/Film Boston: Boston Underground Film Festival Begins Tonight

David Chen — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:45:52 +0000

Spring is a great time for movie lovers who live in New England. Not only does old man winter seem finally on the cusp of relinquishing his cold, hard death grip on the region, but there are a couple of interesting film festivals taking place. For example, The Boston Underground Film Festival begins tonight, and brings with it some awesome screenings, Q&As, and events. Hit the jump for the full schedule.

The highlights of BUFF for me this year are unquestionably Hobo with a Shotgun (see Germain’s review from Sundance) and The Woman (which prompted this angry reaction when it debuted), BOTH of which will feature their directors in attendance. But as usual, BUFF has put together some very diverse offerings, many of which look unbelievably f__ked up. If you’re a lover of subversive, marginal, underground cinema, I think you’ll probably find some good stuff this year. Here’s the BUFF’s full schedule, with all screenings being held at the Kendall Square Theater (some screenings also held at the Coolidge; check out their website for details):

THURSDAY MARCH 24

7:00pm Hobo With a Shotgun
9:00pm Opening Night Party

FRIDAY MARCH 25

5:15pm L’amour la mort (or Coupling is Hell)
5:30pm BUFF Family Values
7:00pm J. Cannibal’s Tapas of Terror
7:30pm Machete Maidens Unleashed!
9:30pm The Woman
9:45pm Twilight People
10:00pm Machete Maidens Unleashed Party
11:55pm Wound*
11:55pm Midnight Transgressions*

SATURDAY MARCH 26

12:15pm OMFG LMAO!
12:30pm Illustrated Oddities
2:15pm Psychedelicinema
2:30pm Frankie in Blunderland
4:30pm The Corridor
5:00pm Where the Music’s At
7:00pm Luster
7:15pm A Horrible Way to Die
9:00pm Cold Fish
9:15pm Chop
10:00pm Kaiju Karaoke Party
11:55pm Profane*
11:55pm Helldriver

SUNDAY MARCH 27

12:00pm CineMental Gets BUFF
12:15pm Son of God
2:15pm Future Imperfect
2:30pm Lucid Dreaming
4:15pm Atomic Brain Invasion
4:30pm Satan Hates You
6:30pm The Dead Inside
7:00pm The Beast Pageant
9:00pm Phase 7
10:00pm Closing Night Party

MONDAY MARCH 28

3:30pm Future Imperfect
5:30pm BUFF Family Values
5:45pm OMFG LMFAO!
7:30pm Luster
7:45pm Machete Maidens Unleashed!
9:30pm Twilight People
9:45pm A Horrible Way to Die

TUESDAY MARCH 29

3:30pm CineMental Gets BUFF
5:30pm Where the Music’s At
5:45pm Lucid Dreaming
7:15pm The Corridor
7:30pm Chop
9:30pm Helldriver
9:45pm Profane*

WEDNESDAY MARCH 30

3:30pm Psychedelicinema
5:30pm L’amour la Mort (or Coupling is Hell)
5:45pm Frankie in Blunderland
7:15pm Atomic Brian Invasion
7:30pm J. Cannibal’s Tapas of Terror
9:30pm Cold Fish
9:45pm Midnight Transgressions*

THURSDAY MARCH 31

5:30pm Son of God
5:45pm Illustrated Oddities
7:15pm The Beast Pageant
7:30pm The Dead Inside
9:30pm Satan Hates You
9:45pm Phase 7

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/Film Boston – Come See a Screening of ‘Source Code’ Tonight, Featuring a Q&A with Director Duncan Jones

David Chen — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:27:55 +0000

Good news, Boston sci-fi fans! Tonight at 7:00 pm, there’s going to be a special advance screening of Source Code at the AMC Boston Commons theater. Afterwards, I’ll be moderating a Q&A with director Duncan Jones. I anticipate mind-bendy, sci-fi fun for everyone involved!

We have 40 free passes to give away to tonight’s screening. Hit the jump for the details on how to get one. (P.S. for those of you who can’t make it all the way to Boston, Duncan Jones will also be in NYC tomorrow night for a Source Code screening at Lincoln Center. You’ll have to buy tickets to that one, though).

To get the pass, just go to www.gofobo.com/rsvp and enter RSVP code: SLASHUT8S. I believe that each pass entitles you to bring a guest with you as well. Downloading a pass does not guarantee you or your guest a seat! The screening will begin at 7:00 PM at the AMC Boston Commons and they overbook these things, so if you want to get a seat, your best bet is to print out your pass and show up at the AMC Boston Commons sometime between 6:00pm and 6:15pm.

We’ll try to have audio/video of the Q&A up at some point in the future. In the meantime, good luck, hope to see you there, and if you bump into me, say hi!

/Film Boston – 45365, and an Interview with Turner Ross

David Chen — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:26:32 +0000

Lots of cool film-related stuff happens in Boston, Massachusetts and not that many people are here to document it, preserve it and spread the word about it. Special screenings, Q&As, panel discussions — we have them all, and frequently too. /Film Boston aims to be a bi-weekly column that will bring you audio and video content from film-related events around the Boston area. If you don’t live in Boston, I hope that this column will give you a window into some of the cool stuff that happens here regularly. If you do live here, hopefully you’ll come here to get the heads-up on what’s been going on, and what is to come. As always, every edition of /Film Boston is available at http://www.slashfilm.com/boston.

After the break, some thoughts on the powerful documentary 45365, which has been lighting up the festival circuit around America, and an interview with one of its filmmakers, Turner Ross.

All summer long, the Brattle Theater is hosting screenings by The DocYard. From the little I know of it, the DocYard is an incredibly worthwhile endeavor that brings filmmakers to Boston on a bi-weekly basis to discuss new and exciting documentaries. It will culminate with a screening of Lixin Fan’s incredible film, Last Train Home (and honestly, I can’t wait, seeing as how that’s one of my favorite documentaries of all time). Unfortunately, I missed the screening for /Film reader Joshua Ligari’s Cleanflix a few weeks ago, but I was luckily able to catch 45365 last week, which first premiered at SXSW this year.

45365 is the postal code for Sidney, Ohio, a small American town with a population of about 20,000 people. Over the course of 9 months, the filmmakers followed dozens of the town’s inhabitants as they went about their daily lives. Many of us might think we don’t have that much in common with these townspeople, but that is perhaps the film’s greatest achievement: it reminds us all of our shared humanity.

45365 works primarily as a collection of moments, brief vignettes that give us just a taste of what is happening in the day-to-day occurrences of Sidney. We see people managing their relationships with others, a family in the middle of an argument, the goings-on at a local radio station, some kids TP’ing a house. We sense the malaise of small-town living at the same time as we feel the thrills that the triumphant small moments bring. The interactions we are privy to are alternately funny, moving, heartbreaking, and revealing. While we are offered these moments in their full glory there’s not enough to know the beginning, middle and end to each story, and that’s part of the point. There’s no voiceover, no narration, no talking heads interview. 45365 is just as much about mood as it is about telling these small stories stories. I greatly enjoyed the film, but if you’re looking for a regular documentary that won’t challenge you, then you should probably look elsewhere.

The film was made by the Ross Brothers, Turner and Bill, who grew up in the town they so elegantly profiled in the film. I was able to speak with Turner during his brief stay here in Boston. We discussed what compelled him to make the film, his process for capturing the honest moments you see in 45365, and the difficulties inherent in structuring a film like this one. Feel free to check out the film’s official website.

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Here’s some other cool stuff that’s happening in Boston in the near future (some info via the Boston Screening Community). Information is subject to change, so always check with the source before trekking out to the screening:

Monday, 7/5, 7:00 pm – The Brattle hosts the DocYard’s next screening: P-Star Rising, with Q&A by the director.
Friday-Sunday, 7/9-7/12 - Brattle Theater has screenings of Inglorious Basterds, plus a new 35mm print of The Evil Dead. Seems like a good weekend to be a member.
Friday and Saturday, 7/9 and 7/10, 11:59 PM – As part of their “End is Nigh” series, Coolidge Corner is hosting screenings of Mad Max.
Tuesday, 7/13, 7:00pm – Brattle Theater has a FREE screening of Winnebago Man, co-presented with IFFBoston. Check out my review of the film.
Wednesday, 7/14, 6:00pm – Brattle Theater is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird with a panel discussion about the book’s unique place in our literary landscape, plus a screening afterwards.
Monday, 7/12, 7:00pm – Coolidge Corner is hosting a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark! If I didn’t have my Inception screening this evening, I would totally be there.
Friday and Saturday, 7/16 and 7/17, 11:59 PM – Coolidge Corner is hosting screenings of 12 Monkeys.

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For now, /Film Boston is an experiment, a movie travelogue of sorts. I know the camera audio/video quality can be better, but I hope you find it viewable/listenable, as well as entertaining and interesting.

Hosting an event in Boston that you want me to cover? E-mail me at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Readers should also feel free to e-mail me if you have any other feedback, or any ideas of what you’d like to see here. What do you like about the column? What don’t you like? etc.

Like /Film Boston? Subscribe to it by RSS or by e-mail below to receive updates automatically:

/Film Boston: Interview with Mark and Jay Duplass, Directors of Cyrus; Free Tickets to Cyrus Screening on Wednesday (6/23)

David Chen — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:00:12 +0000

After the break, a hilarious interview with Jay and Mark Duplass, the directors of Cyrus (at least, it was hilarious for us). Plus, your chance to get free tickets to a screening of Cyrus this Wednesday at the Boston Commons AMC at 7 PM.

Press days can be challenging affairs. Oftentimes, movie studios put the talent in one room for a day full of interviews with a constant, revolving door of entertainment journalists. Under these circumstances it’s possible for anyone to lose their mind a little bit.

By the time I spoke with the Jay and Mark Duplass, whose new film Cyrus is out in limited release this weekend, they were already pretty loopy. (Side note: I’m a huge fan of the film and think you should check it out if it’s in a theater near you). The brothers were here for a special screening of Cyrus at the Kendall Theater, followed by a Q&A. I was probably their 10th or 12th interview for the press day afterwards, and I’m always grateful to anyone who can muster the energy to speak with me after they’ve given others the same answers over and over again.

Since I’d already interviewed Mark before (a Sundance interview which I encourage you to check out), I gave the brothers permission to relax and cut loose during my time with them. Hit the jump to see the result. Cyrus is in New York and LA this weekend, and expands wide next week.

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This week on Wednesday, June 23rd, Fox Searchlight is hosting a special advanced screening of CYRUS in Boston, and /Film readers are invited! Tickets for this event are free, but expected to go quickly. You must have a ticket to attend this screening, and you may bring a guest!

Again, the details are:

Wednesday, June 23rd, 7 PM
AMC Loews Boston Commons 19
175 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02111

TO DOWNLOAD A SCREENING PASS
==============================
1) Go to http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp

2) Enter the following RSVP Code: SLASHMVU1

3) You will be prompted to create a gofobo account, if you don’t have one already. Sign up, print the pass and attend the screening!

Please note: Remember to arrive early as screenings are always overbooked to ensure a full theater. Seating is first come-first served, and is not guaranteed. However, if you show up at around 6:00pm-6:15pm, you will have a pretty good chance at getting in. Enjoy the free screening!

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Monday, 6/21 – Brattle Theater is hosting a screening of 45365 with a filmmaker Q&A afterwards. I have heard amazing things and can’t wait to see it. I will try to have an interview with Turner Ross for the next edition of /Film Boston.
Thursday, 6/24, 6:00 pm - Brett Easton Ellis will be presenting his new book at the Harvard Book Store.
Friday and Saturday, 6/25 and 6/26, 11:59 PM – Coolidge Corner is hosting screenings of Troll 2.
Friday and Saturday, 7/2 and 7/3, 11:59 PM – Coolidge Corner is hosting screenings of Independence Day.
Throughout the next two weeks – The Harvard Film Archive has an amazing series on science fiction films from the 1970s.

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/Film Boston – Splice Q&A with Director Vincenzo Natali

David Chen — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:32:14 +0000

Lots of cool film-related stuff happens in Boston, Massachusetts and not that many people are here to document it, preserve it and spread the word about it. Special screenings, Q&As, panel discussions — we have them all, and frequently too. /Film Boston aims to be a bi-weekly column that will bring you audio and video content from film-related events around the Boston area. If you don’t live in Boston, I hope that this column will give you a window into some of the cool stuff that happens here regularly. If you do live here, hopefully you’ll come here to get the heads-up on what’s been going on, and what is to come. I’m in LA for the week, so this will be a super-abbreviated version of /Film Boston. /Film Boston should resume as usual in a couple of weeks. After the jump, see a spoiler-filled Q&A with director Vincenzo Natali following a Splice screening that took place in Boston. As usual, you can find past columns by going to slashfilm.com/boston.

Unfortunately, Splice didn’t fare too well at the box office this weekend, but I hope those of you who went to check it out this weekend still were able to “enjoy” it (insofar as one can enjoy Natali’s twisted creation). Natali was gracious enough to come into Boston a couple weeks back to chat about his film. Below is a portion of the Q&A, in which he discusses some of his inspirations, his creative process, and how he achieved some of the creature effects that you see in Splice.

***

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/Film Boston: They Came To Play

David Chen — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:51:15 +0000

After the break, thoughts on Alex Rotaru’s wonderful music documentary, They Came To Play, which recently screened at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA. Plus, live performances from musicians who were featured in the film.

Years ago, my mother graduated from the Yamaha School of Music in Taiwan. When my brother and I were wee little ones, she trained us in the arts of classical piano. As high school rolled on into college, and college became the working world, music became more and more of a distant memory for me. I felt like I didn’t have time to devote 5-8 hours per week to practicing, especially if I wasn’t going to perform or teach music for a living. My mind fallaciously divided the world into two categories: there were professional musicians, and then there was everybody else. Sure, some talented people I knew might’ve still dabbled in music here and there, but none of them possibly had the time to practice at the pro-level. Right?

My woefully flawed thinking was brought to light this past week, when I had the chance to see a special screening of Alex Rotaru’s They Came To Play. The film documents the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation. Rotaru also follows several of the participants as they prepare to play in one of the most difficult competition of their lives.

According to the Van Cliburn website, entrants must be over 35 years old, and must not play professionally. As a result, the participants come from all walks of life. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, dentists, consultants, project managers, etc. And they are all insanely talented.

As a lover of classical music, I found myself thrilled as I watched They Came To Play. It rekindled my love for the art of performance and introduced me to new pieces, like Scriabin’s monstrously difficult Nocturne for the left hand. But it was seeing dozens of middle-aged men and women perform these amazing works that was the most inspiring. Entering the competition was an act of will; winning it, an act of endurance. That these people were able to reach the competition at all was a testament to their commitment to music. With full-time jobs, families, marriages, and life in general to contend with, they still managed to put in the hundreds of hours of practice required to sound like expert pianists. The film serves as a testament to the idea that for some people, music is as essential as breathing, and that no matter who you are, no matter where you are in life, it is never too late to start following your dreams.

It’s been a few years since They Came To Play first premiered. The film is still screening at venues across the country (including New York and California) and a DVD will be out for purchase soon. More details at the film’s official website.

I had a chance to speak with Suzanna Perez, one of the musicians featured in the film. We spoke about her background and how the competition transformed her life.

When she’s not playing piano, Suzanna is a financial consultant for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Suzanna was gracious enough to perform for us on Coolidge Corner’s stage after the film screened. Here’s her rendition of Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata:

Robert Finely, another Van Cliburn contest entrant, was also on hand to answer questions and perform for the audience. He previously worked as an Electrical Engineer for General Dynamics. Here, he plays Schumann’s Widmung, followed by a Chopin Mazurka:

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Thursday, 5/28 – Brattle Theater is hosting their “Reunion Weekend” featuring a “reunion of films celebrating their 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries.” On this year’s schedule? A 35mm print of The Goonies followed by a Real Genius quote-along.
Friday and Saturday, 5/28 and 5/29, 11:59 PM – Coolidge Corner is hosting the U.S. Premiere screening of Journey of the Childmen: The Mighty Boosh on Tour. It will feature a “Pre-Boosh celebration and costume contest.”
Monday, 5/31, all day – The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will be having an all-day Memorial Day Open House. At 1:45 pm in the Remis Auditorium, there will be a presentation highlighting “films produced by young filmmakers from Mission Hill’s Sociedad Latina and the Community Art Center of Cambridge.”
Friday, 6/4, 8 pm – Coolidge Corner will be screening Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (the new one, featuring 25 minutes of newly found footage) with a live performance of the score by Alloy Orchestra. This will be freaking spectacular.
Sunday, 6/6, 1:15 pm – Brattle Theater has a special screening of The Lady from Shanghai, followed by a special appearance by Orson Welles’ daughter Chris Welles Feder.
Throughout the next two weeks – The Harvard Film Archive is presenting Part III of their John Ford Retrospective, featuring his military-related work.

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/Film Boston: Micmacs Movie Review and Closing Thoughts on IFFBoston

David Chen — Sun, 09 May 2010 11:27:02 +0000

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Independent Film Festival of Boston. The closing night film for the festival was supposed to be James Franco’s Saturday Night, but it was replaced at the last second and instead we were shown Jean Pierre Jeunet’s latest film, Micmacs. Hit the jump for some of my thoughts on that movie, and for some closing thoughts on the festival. Throughout this post, I have interspersed audioblogs from interviews I conducted during the festival. First, actor John Hawkes speaks with me about his role in Debra Granik’s film festival sensation, Winter’s Bone. Then, I speak with Bryan Poyser, who directed Lovers of Hate, about getting into Sundance and IFFBoston, and the state of the indie film scene. Finally, a chat with Adam Roffman and Nancy Campbell, the organizers of the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

I think people often forget that as charming and ultimately light-hearted as Jean Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie was, it also had a pretty deep mean streak. When Amelie wasn’t bringing magic and joy to the lives of others, she was totally screwing with Mr. Collignon. Granted, Collignon deserved what he got, but the movie wants us to revel in as much in his misery as it does in the pleasure of the other characters.

Jeunet’s Micmacs unabashedly takes this revenge sentiment to the next level. Bazil (Dany Boon) is a man whose father was a soldier killed by a landmine. Decades later, Bazil is working at a video store when a freak accident causes him to get shot in the head. Bazil survives, but left without a job, he takes shelter with an eclectic group of misfits in a junkyard, selling scrap to get by. Bazil eventually stumbles upon the two rival weapons manufacturers that created the landmine that killed his father and the bullet lodged in his skull, both conveniently located across the street from one another. Together with his newfound friends, he plots elaborate revenge on those that have wronged him and his family.

With the possible exception of our protagonist, the characters here are paper thin, often defined completely by a single, quirky character trait (Among Bazil’s newfound friends, there’s the dude who builds elaborate, bizarre animatronics, the female contortionist, the guy who speaks only in idioms, the human cannonball, etc.). Their motivations aren’t really ever explained, and their friendship with Bazil never feels plausible; they simply exist as cogs in the machine of Jeunet’s movie, as well as cogs in Bazil’s elaborate pranks on his enemies.

That being said, these pranks allow us to delight in the flummoxed plans of these despicable human beings, who presumably traffic in destruction and death. Boon’s comedic timing brings some great laughs throughout, and Bazil’s Rube-Goldberg-ian machinations are matched by the complexity of the devices that are used to bring them to fruition. The joy of this movie is seeing weapons dealers get a taste of their own medicine through a series of increasingly intricate plots. Who doesn’t enjoy that?

And what more can be said about how good Jeunet’s movies look? Micmacs is achingly beautiful, employing the muted, old-style palette that is so common to Jeunet’s films. I believe this is Jeunet’s first collaboration with cinematographer Tetsuo Nagata (who also did Vincenzo Natali’s Splice), and if this is the result, I hope they can work together again in the future. There’s plenty of the impossibly smooth camera work that has become the hallmark of Jeunet’s work, and if you’ve liked the look of his previous films, this movie delivers the goods too. Production designer Aline Bonetto also deserves some credit, as the sets here are (as usual) impossibly elaborate while still maintaining a strong sense that it was all built by some do-it-yourself work ethic.

I found Micmacs to be a great time at the cinema and a sumptuous feast for the eyes, but ultimately inconsequential. Still, if you’re a fan of Jean Pierre Jeunet, I think you’ll have a great time. Micmacs will be out in theaters this summer.

This year was IFFBoston’s eighth year, and I was incredibly impressed with the professionalism and smoothness with which the festival was run. I didn’t think this year’s slate was quite as strong as last year’s, but that’s less a comment on the festival organizers and more about the general state of indie films this year (See my thoughts on this year’s Sundance too). Last year’s highlights included The Brothers Bloom, Bronson, Best Worst Movie, We Live in Public, and Children of Invention, among others. That is a pretty difficult group of films to measure up to, but this year also had its gems; standouts for me included The Freebie, The Elephant in the Room, The Parking Lot Movie, and Life During Wartime, which featured a fantastic Q&A with director Todd Solondz. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to catch Down Terrace, Cell 211, or Marwencol, but I heard they were also excellent, and I look forward to seeing them in theaters later or on DVD.

For me, IFFBoston serves as a microcosm for the American indie film scene, gathering together some of the country’s most exciting filmmakers along with an intelligent moviegoing public interested in original ideas. For a few short days, Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston, Massachusetts are transformed into a movie lover’s paradise. Attending IFFBoston makes me excited for the present and future of independent cinema, and quite frankly, this festival probably one of the most enjoyable events I’m able to participate in on any given year. A lot of others agree, as evidenced by the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time, and by the core team of festival organizers who labor tirelessly each year without getting paid. At this point, IFFBoston feels big enough to command some big names, but not so big so as to receive the national attention it truly deserves. As a result, there is a palpable sense that this festival is being done solely for the love of movies, and there’s something infectious and endearing about that. If you live in New England and didn’t get a chance to go this year, I’d strongly urge you to check it out next time around.

You can check out the rest of our coverage of this fest by clicking here.

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Monday, 5/10, 7 pm - Lucky Days will have its Boston premiere at the Coolidge Corner. Director Angelica Torn and her father, actor Rip Torn, will be on hand for a Q&A afterwards.
Thursday, 5/13, 5 pm – The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will be hosting the MassArt Senior Animation Show, a series of short animated films by local students. Looks like it could be really interesting, and admission is free.
Tuesday, 5/18, 7 pm - Coolidge Corner will be screening They Came to Play, which is a documentary about the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. Suzanna Perez, Robert Finley, and Richard Einhorn, who appear in the film, will perform following the screening. There will also be a Q&A. Seems worthwhile for anyone interested in classical music and music competitions.
Thursday, 5/20, 7:00 pm – The Safdie Brothers will be at the Brattle Theater to screen The Pleasure of Being Robbed and some of their other short films. The Safdies graduated from Boston University and their recent film Daddy Longlegs was chosen to be at Sundance this year.
Throughout the next two weeks – The Harvard Film Archive is presenting what they describe as “The first U.S. retrospective on the works of [Portuguese director] Cesar Monteiro.”

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/Film Boston: Paul Verhoeven Introduces Robocop; An Interview with Tommy Wiseau, Director of The Room

David Chen — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:19:50 +0000

After the break, director Paul Verhoeven explains why Robocop is a Christ metaphor, and I speak with the enigmatic director of The Room, Mr. Tommy Wiseau. You can find all past versions of /Film Boston by going to http://www.slashfilm.com/boston

On April 12th, 2010, legendary director Paul Verhoeven was in town to promote his new book about Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. The Brattle Theater hosted a discussion of the book with Verhoeven, and followed it up with a screening of his dystopian classic, Robocop. You’ll find the video below (fast forward to one minute into the video to get to the good stuff). A big thanks to Maxwell Clark for capturing this footage for us!

I’d heard about how screenings of The Room were pretty raucous, so when I learned that the Coolidge Corner theater would be screening the film, this time with director Tommy Wiseau in attendance, I had a feeling that I was in for a real treat. There were three screenings of the film, two at midnight and on at 9:30 PM last Sunday. I discussed my experience at these screenings on this week’s /Filmcast. For those who are unfamiliar, The Room is generally regarded as one of the worst films ever made. Wiseau wrote, produced, and directed the film, and appeared as its main star. Here’s a clip from the film:

Wiseau and his colleague Greg Sestero (who plays Mark) were on hand to do a Q&A each night before the film screened. I was lucky enough to have a chance to chat with Wiseau. You’ll find that interview below. Usually, I like to sum up what is discussed in my interviews, but after watching this interview repeatedly, I still don’t really have any idea what is going on. As my colleague Adam said on the /Filmcast, this interview will remove any doubt that the hilarity in The Room is in any way intentional:

I also spoke with Greg Sestero about some of the unresolved plotlines in The Room. Only hardcore fans need check out this interview.

And in case you doubt the enthusiasm behind this film, here’s footage I took right outside the theater, 10 minutes before the midnight screening began. Hundreds of people were already in line, and when Tommy stepped outside, the crowd exploded. Tommy soaked it up, as anyone would.

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Usually, I use this space to list cool stuff happening in Boston. Since I’m covering IFFBoston, this week’s list will be very abbreviated. Just a couple of things I have time to mention today:
Wednesday, 4/28, 8 pm - IFFBoston’s closing night film Saturday Night will be playing at Coolidge Corner
All week - Coolidge Corner is screening a restored print of Akira Kurusawa’s Rashomon.

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/Film Boston – An Interview with Michael Madsen

David Chen — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:27:28 +0000

After the break, an interview with Michael Madsen about poetry, David Carradine, Jack Kerouac, and that ear scene from Reservoir Dogs. You can find all past versions of /Film Boston by going to http://www.slashfilm.com/boston

Most of us probably know actor Michael Madsen from his work in films such as Species, Donnie Brasco, Sin City, Free Willy, and Reservoir Dogs. But Madsen also has a passion for poetry, and has already published several poetry books.

On Friday, April 2nd, at Triden Booksellers in Boston, MA, Madsen came into town to take photos with fans and sign copies of his new book of poetry, American Badass, which is on sale now. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Madsen to chat with him about his career and his previous roles. In particular, Madsen offered some interesting insights about his work with director Quentin Tarantino.

Monday, 4/12, 8 pm - Director Paul Verhoeven has written a new book about Jesus, and will be in town to present it. But more importantly, the Brattle Theater is hosting a screening of Robocop, with Verhoeven giving the introduction! I imagine this will be amazing.
Wednesday, 4/14, 6:30 pm – Director Rick Beyer’s will be screening a rough cut of his documentary, The Ghost Army in West Newton. The story behind this secret army is fascinating. This screening courtesy of the Center for independent Filmmaking, who will be workshopping the film afterwards.
Friday, 4/16, 7:00 pm - The Harvard Film Archive has a whole screening series on Josef von Sternberg entitled “Sternberg Before Dietrich,” and focusing on the films he made before his collaborations with Marlene Dietrich. On Friday, film scholar Janet Bergstrom is presenting a screening of The Salvation Hunters with live piano accompaniment!
Friday, 4/16 and Saturday, 4/17, 11:59 pm – Tommy Wiseau will be at the Coolidge Corner to introduce midnight screenings of THE ROOM!
Wednesday, 4/21 – The Independent Film Festival of Boston begins! Their schedule is already out, and as usual, it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun this year. I’ll try to cover some of the films and directors that will be here this year, so depending on how things go, /Film Boston may go on hiatus next time around, due to this coverage.

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/Film Boston – An Animal Shrink’s Opinion of Best In Show; Jennifer Kroot, Justin Edwards, Simon Rumley, and GEORGE KUCHAR at the Boston Underground Film Festival

David Chen — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:56:41 +0000

After the break, veterinary behaviorist Nicholas Dodman weighs in on how accurate Best in Show is, plus interviews with directors from the Boston Underground Film Festival. Also, see video a cross-dressing dude with a Hitler haircut and mustache perform a cappella. You can also subscribe to this column by RSS or by e-mail below. [Above photo: A performer at the Boston Underground Film Festival's opening night Tokyo Steampunk party. ALL photos of this post courtesy of Justin Moore]

A couple weeks back, Coolidge Corner continued their “Science on Screen” series by inviting a local veterinary expert to talk about Christopher Guest’s Best in Show. I couldn’t make it, but my colleague Matt was able attend and get footage of this event, which I’ve embedded below. For me, it’s always interesting to hear real-world people talk about how accurate movies are, and this instance was no exception (I could have done without the very unnecessary plot summary at the beginning of the talk though).

This week also marked the beginning of the Boston Underground Film Festival, a celebration of the underground film scene. There’s not an enormous audience for these types of films in Boston, but from the parts of the festival that I attended, it struck me as a scrappy, yet charming festival, and in general, a whole lot of fun.

I had the opportunity to see It Came from Kuchar, a sweet documentary about legendary underground filmmaker George Kuchar. Kuchar was one of the pioneers of the Underground Film movement in the 1960s and has made over 200 films, most of them low-budget and using non-actors (currently no complete filmography exists for his films, as there are too many of them, but you can see IMDB’s attempt).

Here’s my interview with the director of the It Came from Kuchar, Jennifer Kroot (pictured above, with George Kuchar on the right), in which she divulges the film’s heartwarming message about life and art:

And my interview with the man himself, George Kuchar. We talked about the reason for showing feces on screen, the role of religion in his movies, and why right now is the best time to make a movie. This guy is awesome. [Note that I incorrectly say the title of one of his films; it's actually Hold Me While I'm Naked.]

Local filmmaker Justin Edwards premiered his film Love on the Rocks at the BUFF. It has quite possibly one of the most messed up and brilliant trailers I’ve seen.

I had a chance to speak with Justin the night before his film premiered. Here’s our conversation:

In addition, I spoke with director Simon Rumley and DP Milton Kam, whose film Red White & Blue has been garnering tons of praise, about whether or not Avatar deserved to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, and why Dogme 95 really wasn’t very inventive:

Finally, on Friday night at Tommy Doyle’s, BUFF had Kucharfest, a party in honor of Mr. Kuchar. At this party, a cross-dressing man who looked a lot like Hitler got up and performed a bunch of songs a cappella and on the piano. Apparently, his name is Titler. And no, I do not yet know how to react to this information.

Monday, 3/29, 7 pm - Coolidge Corner is hosting an evening of “an evening of art, art films, discussion, and Q&A” with two of the artists from the 2010 DeCordova biennial.
Monday, 3/29, 6:30 pm - Harvard is hosting a screening of Chongqing, with director Zhang Lu in attendance. Wish I could go to this!
Tuesday, 3/30, 7 pm – The Harvard Film Archive is screening Rashomon for free.
Thursday, 4/1, 7 pm – WGBH is screening Sundance-featured film Earth Days with a discussion to follow featuring writer/producer/director Robert Stone and others. It’s free, but RSVP is required.
Friday, 4/2, 7 pm – BU is screening Sergio, with director Greg Barker in attendance. The late Karen Schmeer won the Documentary Editing Award for this film at Sundance in 2009.
Friday, 4/2 through Sunday, 4/4, 7 pm - The Harvard Film Archive has a series on “The Comic Art of Martin Rejtman.” Director Rejtman will be in attendance.
Monday, 4/5, 7 pm – Coolidge Corner continues their “Science on Film” series with a screening of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and a talk by a BU physics professor. Physics + Crouching Tiger sounds like it will be an awesome event.
Thursday, 4/1, 6:30 pm – The Brattle is hosting Motion Graphics Fest 2010, New Psychedelia
Monday, 4/6, and Tuesday, 4/7, 7 pm – The Harvard Film Archive has free screenings of In the Mood for Love
Friday, 4/9, 11:59 pm – The Coolidge Corner hosts a Pee Wee’s Big Adventure quote-along
Friday, 4/9, 7 pm – The Harvard Film Archive will screen two films with director Kamal Aljafari in attendance.
Saturday, 4/10 and Sunday, 4/11, 11:59 pm – The Coolidge Corner has midnight screenings of Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop
Saturday, 4/10, 11 am – The Brattle is screening Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control for FREE.
Sunday, 4/11 and Monday, 4/12, 7 pm – The Harvard Film Archive screens Gandhi’s Children and With Morning Hearts. Director David MacDougall will appear at both screenings.
All This Week And Next Week - The Brattle Theater is playing a bunch of films by Akira Kurusawa in honor of his 100th birthday!
Coming Soon - This week, the Independent Film Festival of Boston announced their lineup. GET PSYCHED!

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/Film Boston – Bong Joon Ho’s Mother; Jonathan Demme Accepts the Coolidge Award; The Art of the Steal

David Chen — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:37 +0000

After the break, an interview with director Bong Joon-Ho and a panel discussion with Elvis Mitchell and Jonathan Demme. Plus, I chat with Nick Argott, the director of The Art of the Steal. [Above photo: Screenwriter Jenny Lumet stands at the podium on the stage of the Coolidge Theater, while a Jonathan Demme montage plays on screen]

On February 28, 2010, South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho came to the Harvard Film Archive to present his newest film, Mother. The film was part of a series entitled “Bong Joon-Ho: The Pleasures and Terrors of Genre,” which screened all four of his films, including the rarely-seen Barking Dogs Never Bite. If you haven’t seen Bong’s other films (The Host, Memories of Murder), you owe it to yourself to put them into your Netflix queue, as they are unique, remarkable creations.

I loved Mother. The first 3/4ths of the film were uneven, thriller/whodunit material that has been trod many times before (including by Bong himself in Memories of Murder), but the last 1/4th was absolute genius and left me with images that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see the movie again when it hits theaters.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Bong after the film for a lengthy chat. For your convenience, I have created two versions of my interview: One with spoilers and one without. Here’s the one without spoilers:

The below interview contains SPOILERS for all of Bong’s films. If you haven’t seen his movies, bookmark this page and come back; this version of the interview is much more interesting in my opinion:

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Over the past few weeks, the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA has been screening a bunch of Jonatham Demme films, a prelude to awarding him the Coolidge Award on March 2, 2010. The Coolidge Award “is an annual celebration honoring a film artist whose body of work is recognized as consistently original and challenging.” The award rotates to different categories each year, in order “to reflect the broad range of film arts championed by The Coolidge Corner Theatre throughout its history.” This year, Jonathan Demme won as “English Language Director.”

On the day of the award, the theater screened Demme’s Melvin and Howard and hosted a panel discussion afterwards moderated by the superlative Elvis Mitchell from “The Treatment.” Here is the first 50 minutes of that panel, in which Jonathan discusses the making of the film, and the importance of collaboration in filmmaking. Two of his colleagues, music editor Suzana Peric and renowned cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, also join him (This is a lengthy discussion so you can download it by visiting the Vimeo page and using the “Download video” option on the right side of the screen).

Later in the evening, during the award ceremony, many people got up on stage to pay tribute to Demme. Here’s a speech that author Walter Mosley gave:

Actress Anne Hathaway could not make it to Boston, but sent a letter that screenwriter Jenny Lumet read aloud:

And finally, here’s Jonathan himself, accepting the award and talking about how he first got started in film with the help of legendary director/mentor Roger Corman:

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Finally I had a chance to check out Don Argott’s The Art of the Steal, which screened at the Landmark Kendall Square theater on March 3rd, 2010, courtesy of the fine folks at Independent Film Festival of Boston. The plot description explains that “The Art of the Steal plays like a thrilling whodunit as it seeks to solve what happened to the world-renowned Barnes art collection, valued in the ‘billions and billions.’” I found the film exceptionally well-made, evoking the work of Errol Morris and creating thriller material out of humdrum civil procedure. Here’s the trailer:

I also had the chance to chat with the film’s director, Don Argott. Here’s our interview below. Note that The Art of the Steal is out now in theaters and also available on video-on-demand all across the country:

Monday, 3/15 AND 3/22, 6 PM - The Boston Public Library is hosting a series of FREE screenings called “Made in Mass,” featuring movies that were shot in Masssachusetts. These next two weeks will feature Just Cause and A Civil Action.
Monday, 3/15, 7 pm - Coolidge Corner is hosting a screening of Christopher Guest’s Best In Show with veterinary behaviorist Nicholas H. Dodman. Polka Dog Bakery will be raffling off free dog goodies at the screening.
Wednesday, 3/17, 7 pm – The people behind The Boondock Saints are hosting a DVD/soundtrack release party at The Paradise.
Thursday, 3/18, 8 pm – The Brattle is hosting a FREE screening of The Verdict, with special appearances by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and Boston Herald critic James Verniere.
Saturday , 3/20, 8 pm - The Brattle is hosting a screening of The Unknown, with Cirkestra performing the score live.
Tuesday, 3/23, 7 pm – Babson College is hosting a FREE screening of Volver, with an introduction and post-film discussion.
Thursday, 3/25 – The Boston Underground Film Festival begins at Kendall Square.
Thursday, 3/25, 7 pm - Harvard will be hosting a FREE screening of Garlic is As Good as Ten Mothers, featuring an introduction by filmmaker Les Blank. Contributions encouraged.
All This Week - The Coolidge Corner theater continues to screen the Oscar-nominated short films, live action and animated.
All This Week - The Brattle is screening The Red Shoes.

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