|
Volume CXXXII, Number 9 |
 |
Excitement on screen
AUDREY AMIDON
STAFF WRITER
This weekend Smith Auditorium is full of exitement. In the absence of a more creative theme, Bowdoin Film Society is showing films that all feature exiting events. Exited?
Starting Friday night at 7:00 p.m., we will present a special screening of this summer's Signs (2002). This film will not be available on DVD or video until January, so if you missed it this summer, now's your chance-of course, it's always better to see it on the big screen anyway. Signs stars Mel Gibson as Graham Hess, a priest who has his faith tested when he finds an enormous crop circle in his backyard. Also featured are Joaquin Phoenix, as Graham's brother, and Rory Culkin as his son.
Following Signs will be a presentation of the documentary Without Lying Down at 9:00 p.m. This Tuesday Cari Beauchamp, biographer of screenwriter Frances Marion and author of a book of the same title, will be speaking about her work. To prepare for this event it is worthwhile to see the documentary based on her book. It's only an hour long and one can learn a lot about the role of women like Frances Marion in early Hollywood. Cari Beauchamp's talk will be Tuesday, November 19 at 8:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium and is sponsored by the Film and Women's Studies Departments.
Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. Smith Auditorium will be hosting part of the German Department's very special event. Frank Beyer, director of the original Jacob the Liar (1974), is the guest of the department this week. In advance of his Sunday talk, Jacob the Liar will be shown with a question and answer session with the director afterwards. In this film, Jacob invents a story that gives hope to Jews under Nazi oppression. The story starts small and then spins out of control.
There is no better way to view a film than with the director on hand to answer questions, so this will be an incredible event. Beyer's talk about making films in East Germany will be Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Beam classroom.
Finally, Saturday at 9:00 p.m., Mulholland Drive (2001) will be shown in Smith Auditorium. This film was written and directed by David Lynch, who is famous for strange films like Lost Highway. Mulholland Drive is considered modern film noir, so it follows last week's The Man Who Wasn't There quite well. The story is rather difficult to describe, but involves two women, one of whom is suffering from amnesia.
If the plot is not intriguing enough, Becky Fenning '03 describes this movie as "a little racy." She'll be there if you want to talk about what you think about the film. Also, Billy Ray Cyrus is featured as Gene the Pool Man, making this a must-see.