Page 14 - the NOISE September 2013

Two great Northern Arizona University film series return to the Flagstaff community on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the next two semesters. These free films with ex-
pert introductions and post film discussions return the first week of September so mark your calendars and go to nau. edu/cal/events/calevents/ for more information.
The NAU Classic Film Series on Tuesday nights in Cline library begins September 3. Paul Helford, Principle Lecturer and one of the Tuesday night co-hosts along with Paul Don- nelly, told this writer: “This year’s theme: ‘In Support: Unfor- gettable Supporting Actors and Actresses’ explores the great supporting actors of cinema history. It’s our 10th anniversary with the Classic Film Series and we plan to celebrate this year, we may even have a guest director visit next February in col- laboration with the Sedona Film Festival’s 20th anniversary, but it’s probably too early to mention. We had such a wealth of great film titles this year that we limited our choices by not going beyond the 1970s.”
Their great selections of films ...
9/3/13 — the classic Marx Brother’s comedy A Night at the Opera (1935) directed by Sam Wood. Starring Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx, who bring their zany antics to the big screen while playing a crafty business manager and his two wacky friends trying to help a couple opera singers make it big. These innovative performers came from vaudeville to stage to film and literally represent the silent era (Harpo) to pratfall comedy (Chico) to the modern genius of Groucho’s verbal wit.
9/10/13 — Top Hat (1935) 110 minutes, unrated. Directed by Mark Sandrich. Starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Dancing cheek to cheek, Fred and Ginger eat up the scenery in a dance classic from the Golden Age of movies. (Look for Lucille Ball too!)
9/17/13 — The Maltese Falcon (1941) 100 minutes, un- rated. Directed by John Huston. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. Detective Sam Spade (Bogart) investigates his partner’s murder, leading to a femme fatale, film noir ele- ments and the Maltese Falcon.
9/24/13 — Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) 81 minutes, un- rated. Directed by John Sturges. Starring Spencer Tracy and
CW FROM TOP lEFT: A Night at the Opera; The Maltese Falcon, both playing at Cline library; Videocracy; Violetta Went to Heaven, both playing at NAU’s liberal Arts Building.
Robert Ryan. Tracy comes to the town of Black Rock and looks under the rock to find human nature in its snake-like dark- ness. A great supporting cast with Lee Marvin, Ernest Borg- nine, Anne Francis and Dean Jagger.
The NAU International Film Series continues on Wednes- day nights in the liberal Arts Building (room 120) for free on September 4. Astrid Klocke, who has shepherded the series tells this writer: “This semester’s focus is ‘Global Issues – Per- sonal Consequences’ and the first film, which I’ve seen, Miss- ing Home will also have the director Weimen Zhang present to answer questions after the screening.” The film is a China- USA production from 2012, 77 minutes in English. Missing Home explores the complexities of modernization and devel- opment in urban environments and the effect it has on indi- vidual lives. As ancient architectural styles, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1341) are destroyed under the economic boom in China, old Beijing disappears.
9/18/13 — Videocracy (2009) 85 minutes, viewer discretion advised, in Italian with English subtitles. Directed by Erik Gan- dini. Using a wide variety of damning footage, Gandini shows how Silvio Berlusconi and FOB (Friends of Berlusconi) actively shape public opinion to the President’s financial and political benefit. Proves that if you’re not on TV, you’re nobody!
9/25/13 — Violeta Went to Heaven (2011) 110 minutes, viewer discretion advised, in Spanish with English subtitles. Biopic tells the story of the famed Chilean singer Violeta Parra, who went from an impoverished childhood to an interna- tional sensation. We learn of Violeta’s passions and fears, as she works through her memories, her loves and her hopes...
“Creation is a bird without a flight plan that will never fly in a straight line.” – Violeta Parra
| Bob reynolds is not likely to mix his milk duds with his licorice. bob699669@hotmail.com
14 • september 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us