Georges Franju’s JUDEX Screens at The Classic French Film Festival This Saturday

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The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the 1980s (with a particular focus on filmmakers from the New Wave), offering a comprehensive overview of French cinema. JUDEX will screen as part of the festival  at 8:30pm Saturday, June 28th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium.

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This effortlessly cool crime caper, directed by Georges Franju, is a marvel of dexterous plotting and visual invention. Conceived as an homage to Louis Feuillade’s 1916 cult silent serial of the same name, “Judex” kicks off with the mysterious kidnapping of a corrupt banker by a shadowy crime fighter (American magician Channing Pollock) and spins out into a thrillingly complex web of deceptions. Combining stylish ’60s modernism with silent-cinema touches and even a few unexpected sci-fi accents, “Judex” is a delightful bit of superhero pulp fiction and a testament to the art of illusion.

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The Chicago Reader’s Jonathan Rosenbaum observes: “There’s a world of difference between the natural, ‘found’ surrealism of Louis Feuillade’s lighthearted French serial (1914) and the darker, studied surrealism and campy piety of this 1964 remake by Georges Franju. Yet in Franju’s hands the material has its own magic (and deadpan humor), which makes this one of the better features of his middle period. Judex (Channing Pollack) is a cloaked hero who abducts a villainous banker to prevent the evil Diana (Francine Bergé in black tights) from stealing a fortune from the banker’s virtuous daughter. Some of what Franju finds here is worthy of Cocteau.”

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JUDEX will screen  at 8:30pm Saturday, June 28th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (Winifred Moore Auditorium in Webster Hall – 470 E Lockwood Ave – Webster Groves, MO 63119)

With an introduction and post-film discussion by Pier Marton, video artist, former lecturer in the Film and Media Studies Program at Washington U., and self-designated unlearning specialist at the School of No Media.

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Admission: $12 general admission; $10 for students, Cinema St. Louis members, Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) members, and Alliance Française members; Webster U. screenings free for Webster U. students.

A PDF version of the Classic French Film Festival program is available to download HERE:

http://www.cinemastlouis.org/sites/default/files/downloads/2014/Classic_French_Program_2014_lo_res.pdf

Check back later in the week here at We Are Movie Geeks for more information about the Classic French Film Festival

WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. JAMES J. BULGER – The Review

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It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a decent real-life career criminal to ogle over in the media. It seems the days of Al Capone, Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde have long since passed. Since then, we’ve had plenty of fictional films to fill in the void, but even THE GODFATHER and SCARFACE stop short of the infamous “based on a true story” appeal that gets us truly salivating.

WHITEY: UNITES STATES OF AMERICA VS. JAMES J. BULGER is a film that perhaps attempts to fill this void. This is not the story of the rise of a criminal empire, but the complicated and calculated decline of a lone wolf. This film indirectly chronicles the trial of James J. Bulger, a ruthless criminal loose cannon who ruled Boston with an iron first for some three decades. I say indirectly, because the film deals more directly with the emotional and legal aftermath of Bulger’s past actions.

In all fairness, WHITEY is not a dramatic film intended to entertain viewers, but rather a documentary intended to educate and raise questions. However, I could not help but feel trapped within a Bermuda Triangle of conspiracy theories and finger-pointing. As a documentary, I hope for a more engaging story that captures my attention through human experience and factual revelation. Instead, WHITEY ends up feeling like a 120-minute block of 24-hour cable news programming.

Director Joe Berlinger is best-known for his PARADISE LOST trilogy of documentaries, arguably one of the more monumental pieces of non-fiction filmmaking. Personally, I feel — not all — but a small portion of that is due to the hot button content and that BROTHER’S KEEPER is his most accomplished film, thus far. WHITEY never seems to establish a connection with the viewer. The two men we feel the most empathy for are given relatively minimal screen time in comparison to the film at large. Stephen Rakes, a man terrorized and extorted by Bulger, a man whose livelihood was taken and whose family was threatened — allegedly — by Bulger, ends up the ultimate victim.

For me, the priorities in WHITEY seem to be slightly misguided, focused more on the sensationalist nature of the story than the human element and the facts. Then again, this is a relatively recent story, fresh in our collective minds. This is a hot bed of media interest, now with Johnny Depp beginning production on a feature film about the criminal. In some sense, I feel the documentary suffers from having jumped on the bandwagon too soon. Had Berlinger allowed the topic to simmer and settle for a few years, allowing emotions to subside and minds to regain some objectivity, it could have made for a much more compelling piece of cinema.

Clearly, there is a sense of urgency built into Berlinger’s work. Documentary filmmaking, to some great extent, relies on the filmmaker’s ability to move at a moment’s notice and seize opportunities as they occur. After all, this is real life, not scripted tales that can be shot and re-shot until you get just the right take. With the PARADISE LOST trilogy, there was an even greater sense of urgency as these films were, in part, an effort to help support a case to free these three young men from death sentences for crimes of which they were wrongfully accused.

WHITEY has some strong moments, especially later in the film as we continue to follow Steve Davis, the brother of victim Debra Davis and regular friend in circumstances with Stephen Rakes. On the flip side, the brutal honesty and complete lack of remorse shown in interviews by Bulger collaborator Kevin Weeks is both repulsive and fascinating. I could not help but give the man credit for knowing, without compromise, what he was and not apologizing for that, but still feeling this was an unforgivably terribly human being.

In the end, once I managed to get there, I found myself somewhat informed but mostly exhausted after having waded through two hours of slowly paced, unfocused filmmaking. I am a patient man when it comes to viewing films. It is truly rare for me to have that tell-tale moment when you look at your watch during a film, but this occurred a couple of times in the second half of the film. Had this been strictly a cable television special, which is how it felt, I would be less critical, but as a feature-length film, I fear WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. JAMES J. BULGER is equally long and insignificant as its title.

WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. JAMES J. BULGER opens in theaters and Video On Demand on Friday, June 27th, 2014.

Opens in Los Angeles Friday, July 11th at Laemmle’s Royal in West L.A.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

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TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION – The Review

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

Review by Dana Jung

Well, Michael Bay has done it again. The master of “Bayhem” has pulled out all the stops in the latest of the TRANSFORMERS series, with several gigantic setpieces, at least 5 villains, Hong Kong action, car chases, new robots, new sports cars, and an all new cast.   From 2007 to 2011, we got a new TRANSFORMERS installment every other year, all of which followed the story of the Witwicky character portrayed by Shia LaBeouf. These films are famous for their incredible robot battle scenes, big explosions, and for introducing the world to Megan Fox. Borrowing many storylines directly from the cartoon series, the trilogy was a hugely successful franchise due mostly to the vision of Bay and his talent for making visual chaos fun and entertaining. The first TRANSFORMERS film in particular was a crowd-pleasing mixture of realistic depictions of infantry warfare, a nice sense of humor, and fanboy fantasy.

For the new film, Bay and the writers have again taken story elements from the cartoon series and movies involving new breeds and models of robots. The plight of Optimus Prime and the remaining autobots to save themselves and humanity is the core story; however, this time the plot layers on large doses of governmental politics, raging capitalism, and unrestricted science into a nearly-three-hour (yes, you read that right) running time. Plot-heavy as it is, the movie divides itself fairly neatly into three acts. Taking place several years after the events in the third TRANSFORMERS film, the story begins with the introduction of the main characters, featuring Mark Wahlberg playing the everyman as devoted father and backyard inventor. He has a pouty daughter (Nicola Peltz, giving Bay yet another attractive pair of legs to shoot through), a devoted sidekick (the hilarious T.J. Miller), and a stack of unpaid bills. When he accidentally discovers a Transformer, all their lives change forever.

Stanley Tucci and Kelsey Grammer lend gravitas to the roles of heavies they play during the second act. Grammer in particular is really in serious villain mode (to be fair, the script gives him less to play with), while Tucci has much more fun, especially later in the film, when he provides some needed humour (which had inexplicably disappeared toward the beginning of the film). The story here takes some darkly complex turns as it follows at least three distinct plotlines.

Finally, things come together—literally and figuratively—in the third act, which delivers on all the promise of ultimate “Bayhem.” Let it be said that TRANSFORMERS: AOE has nothing over MAN OF STEEL in the wanton mass destruction department. Skyscrapers are demolished, hundreds of motor vehicles are destroyed, and who knows how many human casualties are the fallout of these battles.

There is very little real human emotion or interaction to slow down these sequences; but Bay has added several other action scenes which are just as memorable as all the CGI Transformer battles. A chase scene down the side of a high rise apartment building recalls many Asian action films. Sequences onboard an alien ship are as claustrophobically suspenseful as anything in the ALIEN series. And a brutal fight scene between (human) hero and villain is surprisingly violent and realistic, comparing favorably with something out of a James Bond flick.

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The other parts of the film are a mixed bag. The script veers wildly between near self-parody and dead serious family drama. The film is best when it shows a lighter touch, as when Wahlberg acknowledges the product placement in the movie by opening a beer, taking a swig, and then discarding the bottle—all without interrupting the tone of a scene. But we also get some of the corniest action film dialogue since the Stallone days of the 1980s: when asked for a search warrant, one villain provides a steely glare and replies, “My face is my search warrant.”

Wahlberg ekes out a good performance with what he is given, but really has to work for it. Part action man, part over-protective father, part voice of reason, Wahlberg exudes the natural screen presence necessary to make even the more outrageous parts of the film more believable. The trio of women in the film don’t fare quite as well. Nicola Peltz’s character more often than not is just used for comic relief. It’s to her credit that she registers a few genuine moments in what could have easily become an annoying and clichéd teen role. Bingbing Li (RESIDENT EVIL, FORBIDDEN KINGDOM) is perfectly cast as a fussy corporate officer who is not afraid of mixing it up in a little martial arts action. And while it’s nice to see the talented Sophia Myles onscreen again, she is given little to do to further the story and virtually disappears from the film. Mention should also be made of the excellent voice talents of Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Ken Watanabe, Robert Foxworth, Mark Ryan and particularly John Goodman, who really make the various Transformers come to life.

Kids will love the cool stuff, critics will loathe the excess, but for a summer action film that has all the ups and downs of a Michael Bay creation, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth from TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION.

3 out of 5 stars

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PACIFIC RIM 2 To Be Released In 3D and IMAX 3D on April 7, 2017

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Guillermo del Toro, director of PACIFIC RIM and the upcoming CRIMSON PEAK has announced Legendary’s PACIFIC RIM 2, the next chapter of the epic action-adventure, will be released in 3D and IMAX 3D on April 7, 2017. The sequel will be distributed by Universal Pictures.

It was announced last year that Universal Pictures and Legendary Entertainment would enter into a multi-year film partnership in which the two companies would produce and co-finance Legendary and Universal films with Universal distributing Legendary films worldwide.

Legendary’s films include PACIFIC RIM directed by Guillermo del Toro; GODZILLA, based on Toho Company’s famed character; the upcoming SEVENTH SON, starring Jeff Bridges; WARCRAFT; and HOT WHEELS. Legendary will produce Guillermo del Toro’s next feature film, CRIMSON PEAK.

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Warner Bros. Pictures distributed PACIFIC RIM in 2013.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are synched via a neural bridge, called “The Drift.” But as the enemy grows more powerful with each attack, even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.

On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes – a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) – who are teamed to drive a seemingly obsolete Jaeger. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Oscar nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) directed the film from a screenplay by Travis Beacham and del Toro, story by Beacham. Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, del Toro and Mary Parent produced the film, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer and Jillian Zaks co-producing.

PACIFIC RIM starred Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, and Ron Perlman.

POINT BREAK Remake Begins Filming – Stars Édgar Ramírez, Ray Winstone & Delroy Lindo

Alcon Entertainment’s action-thriller POINT BREAK, starring Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone, Teresa Palmer and Delroy Lindo, begins principal photography today, it was announced by Alcon principals Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.

The production will film on four continents, including North America, Europe, South America and Asia, and features stunts performed by the world’s top extreme sports athletes, as opposed to stunt performers. Locations set for filming include Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Mexico, Venezuela, French Polynesia, India and the United States. Alcon will release through its output deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.

Ericson Core (“Invincible”) is directing from Kurt Wimmer’s (“Salt,” “Law Abiding Citizen”) screenplay. Ramírez (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Che: Part One”) stars as Bodhi and Bracey (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” upcoming “The Best of Me”) will portray Johnny Utah.

POINT BREAK is inspired by the classic 1991 hit starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

In “Point Break,” a young FBI agent infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists. Deep undercover, and with his life in danger, he strives to prove they are the architects of the mind-boggling crimes that are devastating the world’s financial markets.

The film marks an extraordinarily ambitious shooting schedule involving some of the most daring stunts ever committed to film. Extreme sports featured include surfing 70-foot waves, snowboarding, wingsuit flying, free rock climbing, and high-speed motorcycle stunts.

Johnson and Kosove are producing, along with John Baldecchi, Chris Taylor and Kurt Wimmer. Studio Babelsberg will also co-produce. RGM Media principal Devesh Chetty and investor John McMurrick, Chairman of Marloss Entertainment, will serve as executive producers.

Renowned extreme athletes performing stunts in the film include surfers Makua Rothman, Billy Kemper, Brian Keaulana and Ahanu Tson-dru; snowboarders Lucas DeBari, Ralph Backstrom, Mitch Toelderer, Mike Basich and Xavier De La Rue; motorcyclists Riley Harper and Oakley Lehman; wingsuit stunt pilots Jeb Corliss, Jon Devore, Julian Boulle, Noah Bahnson and Mike Swanson; and free climber Chris Sharma, among others.

Director Ericson Core, who served as director of photography on such films as “The Fast and the Furious,” will also serve as director of photography. Other behind-the-scene team members include Oscar-winning editor Thom Noble (“Thelma & Louise,” “Witness”), production designer Udo Kramer (“North Face,” “The Physician”) and Oscar-nominated costume designer Lisy Christl (“Anonymous,” “White House Down”).

It is scheduled for release on August 7, 2015, and will be distributed in North America and in select territories around the world by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

OBVIOUS CHILD – The Review

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Let’s take a detour, a very hard left turn to be more precise, from the noisy Summer block busters and head to the independent side streets of cinema. And, as is usually the case, the side street is in New York City. This is another quirky comedy about an off-kilter, free-spirit trying to make a life for herself while rebelling against adulthood as her 20’s come to a close, the same territory treaded by PARTY GIRL and FRANCES HA. Oh, and perhaps she can hook up with a good guy along the way. The heroine of this new film faces a complication that sets her journey on a different path than many of those previous “indie” movie icons. That’s because some very tough, very adult decisions are in store for this OBVIOUS CHILD.

Our introduction to Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) takes place as she regales a small audience with her witty observations and anecdotes at a small comedy club. Her euphoria from all the laughter is erased backstage, in the co-ed bathroom, as her boyfriend breaks up with her (he’s hooked up with one of her pals!). The streak of bad luck continues as her bookstore boss informs her that he’s closing the place in a few weeks (I wonder if it’s near the bookstore that Woody Allen shuts down in FADING GIGILO?). Donna gets great support from her roommate Nellie (Gaby Hoffmann), stand-up pal Joey (Gabe Liedman), and her comedy writer/puppeteer pop, Jacob (Richard Kind). Her college professor mother Nancy (Polly Draper), on the other hand, thinks that Donna should have a life plan and has printed up some spread sheets to help jump-start her job quest! Donna’s frustration build until she uses her comedy gig to vent, laying a big egg at the club. As she proceeds to drown her sorrows post-show with Joey, she meets hunky, somewhat straight-laced Max (Jake Lacy) at the bar. The booze helps float Donna back to Max’s place that night and (to quote the TV show “Seinfeld”, “Yada, yada, yada…”), that next morning a groggy Donna heads back home. The two lose track of each other over the next few weeks, when she’s hit with some physical maladies. A drug store test kit confirms her suspicions: she’s pregnant. A nurse at the local clinic sets an appointment for the termination procedure on February 14. Really, an abortion on Valentine’s Day? As the days click away, Donna wonders what else will life have in store for her in advance of the big day.

So, in the last couple of sentences I dropped the big ‘A-bomb”. Perhaps I should have issued the big spoiler alert, but since it’s emblazoned on several ads via a critic quote I think it should be brought up in the discussion. The procedure isn’t dismissed away with a couple of lines of dialogue as in films like PARENTHOOD or the source of a desperate action sequence, going back fifty years or so to Hollywood flicks like BLUE DENIM and LOVE WITH A PROPER STRANGER, where the back-alley abortionists were slapped down. In OBVIOUS, the alternatives aren’t really discussed either, but a lengthy debate wouldn’t work using this main character. The closest scenes to that are experiences related by Donna’s friends that evoke melancholy and even tears. Kudos must go to the screenplay by director Gillain Robespierre working from a story by Karen Maine, Elisabeth Holm, and Anna Bean which was expanded from  a 2009 short film. But this is not a hot-button “message” film, it can be exhaustingly funny as when Donna hangs out across the street from his ex’s place, hoping to spy him and her former friend (“Just two more minutes, then I’ll leave”). As the poster quote states, it is a “rom-com”, but the controversial subject will put off many fans of those usual studio-made bits of fluff. More kudos to director Robespierre for treating the audience as adults by not attempting to “play it safe”. She also displays a great knack for comic timing and giving sequences a taut rhythm and flow.

Oh, and she’s assembled a superb cast anchored by a big, brassy breakout performance by Slate, who’s best known for her television work. Most recently she stole scenes as the gold-digging Mona-Lisa Saperstein on “Parks and Recreation”, but her first be claim to fame was on her first episode as part of the cast of TV’s “Saturday Night Live” in 2009 when she accidentally dropped the dreaded “F-bomb” (she was not asked to return for a second year). Her stand-up persona in the film recalls the raunch of Amy Schumer and Chealsea Handler along with the ethnic gags (and more raunchiness) of Sarah Silverman. Her fearlessness fades away from the mike to reveal an endearing vulnerability. We’re immediately in her corner hoping she’ll get past the big break-up, even as she leaves countless drunken messages on her ex-beau’s voicemail. Later, as she lets loose with Max, Slate shows a wild, sexy side as they careen about his apartment to a pounding beat blasting from the stereo. More leading roles for this lady, please! But wait, there’s other actors in the film and Ms.Slate works very well with them, most prominately is her leading man Mr. Lacy as the somewhat button-down Max. Happily his relationship with Donna gets him to loosen up considerably and Lacy is able to use the comic skills he devolped in the last couple of seasons on TV’s “The Office” as the besieged Pete. Liedman takes the often clichéd role of the gay best pal of the heroine role and gives it a fresh spin. Also terrific in the supportive buddy role is Hoffman, in a twist from many films, is “the roommate from Heaven (yes, not that other place)”. It’s a great companion piece to her “Earth mother” role in last year’s CRYSTAL FAIRY. Kind and Draper are welcome additions to the cast as the different parents (a flashback to their courtship would make for an engaging film), as is David Cross as an on-the-make comedian acquaintance.

Splendid work from all involved, so if you can handle the tough subject matter and some very coarse language than this film may be the Summer respite from the sequels and reboots that you’ve been hoping to see. OBVIOUS CHILD eschews the easy juvenile gross-out gags, to be one of the year’s best, truly adult comedies.

4 Out of 5

OBVIOUS CHILD opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

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271 Invited To Join The Academy

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.

Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.

“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”

The 2014 invitees are:

Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,” “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Josh Hutcherson – “The Hunger Games,” “The Kids Are All Right”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “Enough Said,” “Planes”
Kelly Macdonald – “Brave,” “No Country for Old Men”
Mads Mikkelsen – “The Hunt,” “Casino Royale”
Joel McKinnon Miller – “Super 8,” “The Truman Show”
Cillian Murphy – “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Inception”
Lupita Nyong’o – “Non-Stop,” “12 Years a Slave”
Rob Riggle – “21 Jump Street,” “The Hangover”
Chris Rock – “Grown Ups 2,” “Madagascar”
June Squibb – “Nebraska,” “About Schmidt”
Jason Statham – “Parker,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”
David Strathairn – “Lincoln,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

Casting Directors
Douglas Aibel – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Immigrant”
Simone Bär – “The Monuments Men,” “The Book Thief”
Kerry Barden – “August: Osage County,” “Dallas Buyers Club”
Nikki Barrett – “The Railway Man,” “The Great Gatsby”
Mark Bennett – “Drinking Buddies,” “Zero Dark Thirty”
Risa Bramon Garcia – “Speed,” “Wall Street”
Michelle Guish – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Nanny McPhee”
Billy Hopkins – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Disconnect”
Ros Hubbard – “Romeo & Juliet,” “The Mummy”
Allison Jones – “The Way, Way Back,” “The Heat”
Christine King – “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” “Star
Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith”
Beatrice Kruger – “To Rome with Love,” “The American”
Marci Liroff – “Mean Girls,” “Pretty in Pink”
Debbie McWilliams – “Skyfall,” “Quantum of Solace”
Joseph Middleton – “TheTwilight Saga: New Moon,” “Legally Blonde”
Robi Reed – “For Colored Girls,” “Do the Right Thing”
Kevin Reher – “Monsters University,” “Finding Nemo”
Paul Schnee – “August: Osage County,” “Dallas Buyers Club”
Gail Stevens – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Slumdog Millionaire”
Lucinda Syson – “Gravity,” “Fast and & Furious 6”
Fiona Weir – “J. Edgar,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
Ronnie Yeskel – “The Sessions,” “Atlas Shrugged Part 1”

Cinematographers
Sean Bobbitt – “12 Years a Slave,” “The Place beyond the Pines”
Philippe Le Sourd – “The Grandmaster,” “Seven Pounds”
James Neihouse – “Hubble 3D,” “Nascar: The IMAX Experience”
Masanobu Takayanagi – “Out of the Furnace,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Bradford Young – “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” “Pariah”

Costume Designers 
William Chang Suk Ping – “The Grandmaster,” “In the Mood for Love”
Pascaline Chavanne – “Renoir,” “Augustine”
Daniela Ciancio – “The Great Beauty,” “Il Divo”
Frank L. Fleming – “Draft Day,” “Monster’s Ball”
Maurizio Millenotti – “Hamlet,” “Otello”
Beatrix Aruna Pasztor – “Great Expectations,” “Good Will Hunting”
Karyn Wagner – “Lovelace,” “The Green Mile”

Designers
William Arnold – “Lovelace,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
K.K. Barrett – “Her,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Susan Benjamin – “Saving Mr. Banks,” “The Blind Side”
Bill Boes – “The Smurfs 2,” “Fantastic Four”
Tony Fanning – “Contraband,” “War of the Worlds”
Robert Greenfield – “Priest,” “Almost Famous”
Marcia Hinds – “I Spy,” “The Public Eye”
Sonja Brisbane Klaus – “Prometheus,” “Robin Hood”
David S. Lazan – “Flight,” “American Beauty”
Diane Lederman – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Tower Heist”
Heather Loeffler – “American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Christa Munro – “Jack Reacher,” “Erin Brockovich”
Andy Nicholson – “Gravity,” “The Host”
Adam Stockhausen – “12 Years a Slave,” “Moonrise Kingdom”

Directors
Hany Abu-Assad – “Omar,” “Paradise Now”
Jay Duplass – “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” “Cyrus”
Mark Duplass – “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” “Cyrus”
David Gordon Green – “Joe,” “Pineapple Express”
Gavin O’Connor – “Warrior,” “Miracle”
Gina Prince-Bythewood – “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Love and Basketball”
Paolo Sorrentino – “The Great Beauty,” “This Must Be the Place”
Jean-Marc Vallée – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Young Victoria”
Felix van Groeningen – “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” “The Misfortunates”
Denis Villeneuve – “Prisoners,” “Incendies”
Thomas Vinterberg – “The Hunt,” “The Celebration”

Documentary
Malcolm Clarke – “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life,” “Prisoner of Paradise”
Dan Cogan – “How to Survive a Plague,” “The Queen of Versailles”
Kief Davidson – “Open Heart,” “Kassim the Dream”
Dan Geller – “The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,” “Ballets Russes”
Dayna Goldfine – “The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,” “Ballets Russes”
Julie Goldman – “God Loves Uganda,” “Gideon’s Army”
Sam Green – “Utopia in Four Movements,” “The Weather Underground”
Gary Hustwit – “Urbanized,” “Helvetica”
Eugene Jarecki – “The House I Live In,” “Why We Fight”
Brian Johnson – “Anita,” “Buena Vista Social Club”
Ross Kauffman – “E-Team,” “Born into Brothels”
Morgan Neville – “20 Feet from Stardom,” “Troubadours”
Matthew J. O’Neill – “Redemption,” “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan
Province”
Rithy Panh – “The Missing Picture,” “S-21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine”
Lucy Massie Phenix – “Regret to Inform,” “Word Is Out”
Enat Sidi – “Detropia,” “Jesus Camp”
Molly Thompson – “The Unknown Known,” “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer”
Cynthia Wade – “Mondays at Racine,” “Freeheld”

Executives
Adrian Alperovich
Sean Bailey
Len Blavatnik
Nicholas Carpou
Nancy Carson
Charles S. Cohen
Jason Constantine
Peter Cramer
William Kyle Davies
Christopher Floyd
David Garrett
David Hollis
Tomas Jegeus
Michelle Raimo Kouyate
Anthony James Marcoly
Hiroyasu Matsuoka
Kim Roth
John Sloss

Film Editors
Alan Baumgarten – “American Hustle,” “Gangster Squad”
Alan Edward Bell – “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”
Dorian Harris – “The Magic of Belle Isle,” “The Mod Squad”
Sabrina Plisco – “The Smurfs 2,” “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Tatiana S. Riegel – “Million Dollar Arm,” “The Way, Way Back”
Julie Rogers – “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl”
Mark Sanger – “Gravity”
Joan Sobel – “Admission,” “A Single Man”
Crispin Struthers – “American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Tracey Wadmore-Smith – “About Last Night,” “Death at a Funeral”
Joe Walker – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
John Wilson – “The Book Thief,” “Billy Elliot”

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Vivian Baker – “Oz The Great and Powerful,” “Conviction”
Adruitha Lee – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “12 Years a Slave”
Robin Mathews – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “The Runaways”
Anne Morgan – “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” “A Little Bit of Heaven”
Gloria Pasqua-Casny – “The Lone Ranger,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”

Members-at-Large
Peter Becker
Jeff Dashnaw
Kenneth L. Halsband
Jody Levin
Tom MacDougall
Chuck Picerni, Jr.
Spiro Razatos
Mic Rodgers
Kevin J. Yeaman

Music
Kristen Anderson-Lopez – “Frozen,” “Winnie the Pooh”
Stanley Clarke – “The Best Man Holiday,” “Boyz N the Hood”
Earl Ghaffari – “Frozen,” “Wreck-It Ralph”
Steve Jablonsky – “Lone Survivor,” “Ender’s Game”
Robert Lopez – “Frozen,” “Winnie the Pooh”
Steven Price – “Gravity,” “The World’s End”
Tony Renis – “Hidden Moon,” “Quest for Camelot”
Angie Rubin – “Pitch Perfect,” “Sex and the City”
Buck Sanders – “Warm Bodies,” “The Hurt Locker”
Charles Strouse – “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” “Annie”
Eddie Vedder – “Eat Pray Love,” “Into the Wild”
Pharrell Williams – “Despicable Me 2,” “Fast & Furious”

Producers
Jason Blumenthal – “Hope Springs,” “Seven Pounds”
Dana Brunetti – “Captain Phillips,” “The Social Network”
Megan Ellison – “American Hustle,” “Her”
Sean Furst – “Daybreakers,” “The Cooler”
Nicola Giuliano – “The Great Beauty,” “This Must Be the Place”
Preston Holmes – “Waist Deep,” “Tupac: Resurrection”
Lynette M. Howell – “The Place beyond the Pines,” “Blue Valentine”
Anthony Katagas – “12 Years a Slave,” “Killing Them Softly”
Alix Madigan – “Girl Most Likely,” “Winter’s Bone”
Paul Mezey – “The Girl,” “Maria Full of Grace”
Stephen Nemeth – “The Sessions,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”
Tracey Seaward – “Philomena,” “The Queen”
John H. Williams – “Space Chimps,” “Shrek 2”

Public Relations
Larry Angrisani
Nancy Bannister
Christine Batista
Karen Hermelin
Marisa McGrath Liston
David Magdael
Steven Raphael
Bettina R. Sherick
Dani Weinstein

Short Films and Feature Animation
Didier Brunner – “Ernest & Celestine,” “The Triplets of Belleville”
Scott Clark – “Monsters University,” “Up”
Pierre Coffin – “Despicable Me 2,” “Despicable Me”
Esteban Crespo – “Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me),” “Lala”
Peter Del Vecho – “Frozen,” “The Princess and the Frog”
Kirk DeMicco – “The Croods,” “Space Chimps”
Doug Frankel – “Brave,” “WALL-E”
Mark Gill – “The Voorman Problem,” “Full Time”
David A. S. James – “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” “Megamind”
Fabrice Joubert – “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” “French Roast”
Jean-Claude Kalache – “Up,” “Cars”
Jason Katz – “Toy Story 3,” “Finding Nemo”
Jennifer Lee – “Frozen,” “Wreck-It Ralph”
Baldwin Li – “The Voorman Problem,” “Full Time”
Nathan Loofbourrow – “Puss in Boots,” “How to Train Your Dragon”
Lauren MacMullan – “Get a Horse!,” “Wreck-It Ralph”
Tom McGrath –  “Megamind,” “Madagascar”
Dorothy McKim – “Get a Horse!,” “Meet the Robinsons”
Hayao Miyazaki – “The Wind Rises,” “Spirited Away”
Ricky Nierva – “Monsters University,” “Up”
Chris Renaud – “Despicable Me 2,” “Despicable Me”
Benjamin Renner – “Ernest & Celestine,” “A Mouse’s Tale (La Queue de la Souris)”
Michael Rose – “Chico & Rita,” “The Gruffalo”
Toshio Suzuki – “The Wind Rises,” “Howl’s Moving Castle”
Selma Vilhunen – “Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitta? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?),”
“The Crossroads”
Anders Walter – “Helium,” “9 Meter”
Laurent Witz – “Mr. Hublot,” “Renart the Fox”

Sound
Niv Adiri – “Gravity,” “The Book Thief”
Christopher Benstead – “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,” “Gravity”
Steve Boeddeker – “All Is Lost,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Beau Borders – “Million Dollar Arm,” “Lone Survivor”
David Brownlow – “Lone Survivor,” “The Book of Eli”
Chris Burdon – “Captain Phillips,” “Philomena”
Brent Burge – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey”
André Fenley – “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “All Is Lost”
Glenn Freemantle – “Gravity,” “Slumdog Millionaire”
Greg Hedgepath – “Frozen,” “The Incredible Hulk”
Craig Henighan – “Noah,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
Tony Johnson – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Avatar”
Laurent M. Kossayan – “Red Riding Hood,” “Public Enemies”
Thomas L. Lalley – “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”
Ai-Ling Lee – “Godzilla,” “300: Rise of an Empire”
Stephen Morris – “Monsters University,” “Fruitvale Station”
Jeremy Peirson – “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Looper”
Mike Prestwood Smith – “Divergent,” “Captain Phillips”
Alan Rankin – “Iron Man 3,” “Star Trek”
Oliver Tarney – “Captain Phillips,” “Philomena”
Chris Ward – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey”

Visual Effects
Gary Brozenich – “The Lone Ranger,” “Wrath of the Titans”
Everett Burrell – “Grudge Match,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Marc Chu – “Noah,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
David Fletcher – “Sabotage,” “Prisoners”
Swen Gillberg – “Ender’s Game,” “Jack the Giant Slayer”
Paul Graff – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Identity Thief”
Alex Henning – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Hugo”
Evan Jacobs – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Olympus Has Fallen”
Chris Lawrence – “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Gravity”
Eric Leven – “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking
Dawn Part 1”
Steven Messing – “Godzilla,” “Oz The Great and Powerful”
Ben Matthew Morris – “Lincoln,” “The Golden Compass”
Jake Morrison – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Eric Reynolds – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire”
David Shirk – “Gravity,” “Elysium”
Patrick Tubach – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Bruno Van Zeebroeck – “Lone Survivor,” “Public Enemies”
Tim Webber – “Gravity,” “The Dark Knight”
Harold Weed – “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Star Trek”

Writers
Chantal Akerman – “A Couch in New York,” “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce,
1080 Bruxelles”
Olivier Assayas – “Summer Hours,” “Irma Vep”
Craig Borten – “Dallas Buyers Club”
Scott Z. Burns – “Side Effects,” “Contagion”
Jean-Claude Carrière – “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” “The Discreet Charm of
the Bourgeoisie”
Steve Coogan – “Philomena,” “The Parole Officer”
Claire Denis – “White Material,” “Beau Travail”
Larry Gross – “We Don’t Live Here Anymore,” “48 Hrs.”
Mathieu Kassovitz – “Babylon A.D.,” “Hate (La Haine)”
Diane Kurys – “For a Woman,” “Entre Nous”
Bob Nelson – “Nebraska”
Scott Neustadter – “The Spectacular Now,” “(500) Days of Summer”
Jeff Pope – “Philomena,” “Pierrepoint – The Last Hangman”
John Ridley – “12 Years a Slave,” “Undercover Brother”
Paul Rudnick – “In & Out,” ”Jeffrey”
Eric Warren Singer – “American Hustle,” ”The International”
Melisa Wallack – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Mirror Mirror”
Michael H. Weber – “The Spectacular Now,” “(500) Days of Summer”
Terence Winter – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”

Associates
Matt Del Piano
Joe Funicello
Robert Hohman
Paul Christopher Hook
David Kramer
Joel Lubin
David Pringle
Melanie Ramsayer
Beth Swofford
Meredith Wechter

Each year Academy members may sponsor one candidate for membership within their branch. New member application reviews take place in the spring. Applications for the coming year must be received by March 19, 2015.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in September.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

JE T’AIME, JE T’AIME Screens at The Classic French Film Festival This Saturday

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The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the 1980s (with a particular focus on filmmakers from the New Wave), offering a comprehensive overview of French cinema. JE T’AIME, JE T’AIME will screen as part of the festival  at 6pm Saturday, June 28th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium.

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Recovering after a suicide attempt, Claude Ritter (Claude Rich) is obviously the perfect guinea pig for an anonymous corporation’s tentative attempts at time travel. What could go wrong? After all, the mouse came out OK. And maybe, when he goes back a year, he can re-live one particular minute. Resnais’ switch into science fiction continues his theme of time (“Hiroshima Mon Amour,” “Last Year at Marienbad”) as Claude’s memories – thanks to the obligatory unaccounted-for glitch – flip back and forth in time in tiny bits and pieces, returning again and again to a Riviera beach and to a bed-sitter in Glasgow, sometimes in alternate and surreal versions. A major influence on Michel Gondry’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Je t’aime, je t’aime” is Resnais’ highly experimental attempt to encompass a life totally via non-linear impressionism.

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Calling Resnais’ work “a magnificent film,” the New York Times’ Manohla Dargis writes: “In ‘Je t’aime, je t’aime,’ Claude’s journeys into the past resemble nothing less than memory – fragmented, inconstant, taunting, joyous and heartbreaking. We are, the movie reminds us, what we remember, with a consciousness built from reminiscences that flicker, fade and repeat, flicker, fade and repeat. It’s no wonder that movies enthrall us! Cinema is a time machine, and, as he has long proved, from ‘Last Year at Marienbad’ to ‘Muriel’ and beyond, Mr. Resnais is its ultimate time traveler.”

JE T’AIME, JE T’AIME will screen  at 6pm Saturday, June 28th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (Winifred Moore Auditorium in Webster Hall – 470 E Lockwood Ave – Webster Groves, MO 63119)

With an introduction and post-film discussion by Robert Hunt, former film critic for the Riverfront Times and adjunct professor of film studies at Webster University.

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Admission: $12 general admission; $10 for students, Cinema St. Louis members, Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) members, and Alliance Française members; Webster U. screenings free for Webster U. students.

A PDF version of the Classic French Film Festival program is available to download HERE:

http://www.cinemastlouis.org/sites/default/files/downloads/2014/Classic_French_Program_2014_lo_res.pdf

Check back later in the week here at We Are Movie Geeks for more information about the Classic French Film Festival

HELLION – The Review

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HELLION is the feature-film debut for writer and director Kat Candler. With this film, Candler certainly has my full attention and should have yours as well. Few filmmakers can make such a powerful and meaningful statement — and do so successfully — on their first outing, but the term “rookie” would be gravely misused in its traditional context on such a filmmaker.

Aaron Paul, most notably recognized as Jessie from the television series Breaking Bad, portrays Hollis Wilson, a hard working father struggling to raise his two sons on his own. After his wife and mother of his boys died, times got tough and Hollis slipped into an alcoholic state as a means to cope. Meanwhile, his 13-year old son Jacob, played by Josh Wiggins, heads down a dangerously deviant path. In his first feature film, Wiggins shines. Influenced by heavy metal music and a passion for motor cross, Wiggins gives the troubled Jacob a thoughtful, reflective quality that resists our temptation to write him off as just another punk hoodlum. In the beginning, we witness Jacob making efforts to protect his younger brother Wes (played by Deke Garner) from his own choices, but soon gives in and ultimately regrets having let his guard down.

What transpires at this crucial turning point sets in motion the downward spiral of events that will forever changes Hollis’ and Jacob’s lives. Hollis’ sister-in-law Pam, played by Juliette Lewis, provides at first a role of functional necessity in the story, but gradually shows another level of human compassion which could be misconstrued as heartless betrayal, but Lewis manages to overcome this with her subdued performance and level-headed nature. This is not something we’re used to in her performances, but this provided a wonderful contract to Paul’s wonderfully dramatic and rigidly emotional performance of a father battling his demons. Hollis is torn between doing what he knows he must do and being who he fears he is unable to become.

Candler triumphs over melodrama, as nothing in the film feels forced or artificial. HELLION is a story that wears its heart on its sleeve, but is pure and honest. The film does not pull its punches, but does withhold any inclination to be excessively overwrought. Watching the film, we can as easily empathize with Hollis as we can with Jacob, even if they make some poor decisions. The difficulty is coming to terms with whether or not these two forces can come to terms and work together in resolving their shared dilemma.

HELLION has two things working in its favor, along side the talented Candler and her cast. First is a hard, heavy metal soundtrack that plays as a stark contrast against the honest, emotional storytelling. Bands such as Metallica, Slayer and The Sword reverberate as the film continually asks the viewer to maintain a partial, non-judgmental perspective. Secondly, Brett Pawlak‘s cinematography is a mesmerizing beacon of inviting warmth that also contradicts and marries with the harsh metal sounds. The entire film feels saturated by the golden glow of dusk.

After this family’s misfortune has accumulated to what appears to be a point of no return, something clicks. Hollis has what we may consider an epiphany and Jacob quickly discovers what it means to be a responsible man, doing what is right, consequences be damned. The cards are stacked against Hollis and Jacob, but despite the odds, Candler still leaves us feeling like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. HELLION is a heartbreaking, heavy story told with a gentle touch and a focus on maintaining hope.

HELLION is currently playing theatrically in New York and Los Angeles, and nationwide on Video On Demand platforms.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK at Schlafly Bottleworks July 3rd – Johnny Cash Rockumentary

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“I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he’s a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read”….Johnny cash

Head down to Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood Thursday June 3rd where MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK screens at  at 7pm.

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The 2012 documentary MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK is the story of Saul Holiff, the manager of Johnny Cash from 1960 to 1973, told from the personal perspective of Holiff’s son, Jonathan. After Saul Holiff’s suicide, his estranged son, Jonathon, returns home. There, Jonathon learns from his mother that his father’s personal records exist in storage. As Jonathon searches through them, he discovers much about his father’s life of deferred dreams in London, Ontario until he became the manager of Johnny Cash. From there, Jonathon learns of his father’s hectic life managing the erratic country star with his personal demons and moods and how the material success came with a profound cost of its own for Saul. In doing so, Jonathon gets a new perspective of a father who had his problems that he never fully conquered himself.

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A Film Series is presenting a new Rockumentary film series – MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK will be part of it next Thursday, July 3rd at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood, Missouri 63143). The movie begins at 7pm.

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Variety said of MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK:

“Documentaries as expressions of filial trauma usually fail to generate audience empathy. But with its posthumous, anguished, first-person confessional revolving around the larger-than-life Man in Black, this one partly transcends its inherent self-indulgence…..”

$6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. Dan the bartender will be on hand to take care of you.

The Crown Room at Schlafly opens at 6:00.
Come on out for dinner and a movie.

Funds generated from this series” help support programming and events produced by Helping Kids Together (HKT).

Presented by A Film Series and Schlafly Bottleworks. Sponsored by Real Living Gateway Real Estate, AUDP, Cinema St. Louis and YOU. Thank you for your support!

A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/698003156901561/

Schlafly Bottleworks site can be found HERE