It’s been quite some time since I posted here, primarily because of how much time we’ve put into programming and operating The Varsity. But I think it’s worth taking the time to pull back the curtain a little bit, talk about some things I’ve seen and maybe preview some things coming to The Varsity in the coming months.
Before I do that, I would be remiss to not mention it’s Membership Month. Earned revenue cannot support all the special event screenings, community partnerships, film education and more we do, so it is literally because of our Members that The Varsity can o what we do. Whether you join or renew in October, you can get some very special additional perks. We also have monthly memberships available now to spread the cost out through the year. Check out all the options on our Membership Page.
I was thrilled to take a small group on our first Members Film Festival trip to the New York Film Fest. We caught some amazing films coming out later this year, ate some great food and even found ourselves seated next to David Byrne at one screening.
NICKEL BOYS was the high point for me. As a big fan of Hale County This Morning, This Evening, it was incredible to see RaMell Ross create a similar aesthetic in the narrative Nickel Boys. Shot entirely in POV, the film is quite literally told through the eyes of the two boys at its center. Far from just a gimmick, the device frees Ross to linger on the kind of incidental details he has such an eye for, even in the midst of very intense situations. There’s a strong narrative at the core of the film, but it’s told with such a pastiche of images that builds an emotional truth which goes beyond the plot.
THE BRUTALIST was another stand-out film. The 3.5 hour epic follows Adrien Brody as an architect and Holocaust survivor who makes his way to America, starts again from scratch and eventually finds himself in the employ of an eccentric industrialist set on building a colossal modernist temple. While Nickel Boys stands apart with its unique stylistic choices, this film stands apart insomuch as this kind of Modern American Epic – once a Hollywood staple – has fallen completely out of style. But The Brutalist is a big, bold story of the American Dream, which earns a place in that pantheon. (And did so on a shockingly micro budget.)
I’m actually typing this from Iowa City, where I am for the 3rd edition of FilmScene’s Refocus Film Festival. This is a great film event I would encourage Iowans to check out each fall. I’m only in the middle of my experience here, but NIGHTBITCH with Amy Adams was an absolute treat.
You can see my thoughts on other films from Refocus and NYFF (including the fantastic UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE) on my Letterboxd page.
Back home we’re in the last half of October and we’re really embracing the spooky season vibes. As I type this, you’ve got at least a few more chances to catch THE SUBSTANCE, one of our most popular films of the year. We’re also running mostly late shows of TERRIFIER 3. We’re excited not just to be screening Edgar Wright’s classic SHAUN OF THE DEAD, newly remastered, with a recorded intro from Wright himself. But that’s not all! We’re really geeking out about welcoming actor Mark Donovan to the theater Sunday, October. 27. Mark played the Hulking Zombie they throw records at. He’ll meet and great fans in the lobby before the film and then discuss this and his many other roles in a Q&A to follow.
ROCKY HORROR is back with our amazing local Shadow Cast, for a one night only performance on Halloween. Our friends from The Fright Zone podcast are hosting TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON NIGHT on Oct. 24. We’ve got a screening of MONSTER HOUSE with a costume parade for kids on Oct. 26.
All in all, we’ve got a variety of great options for your Spooky Season movie watching entertainment. I’m currently booking some of the festival films mentioned above and more for November and December, as we move into end-of-year awards season.
Thanks as always for supporting your only local nonprofit art house cinema, and especially to those of you who have gone one step further and become members.