Sunday Night Film Club – Boston

Two friends wonder if there might be more between them when their lives both take a left turn in this romantic comedy. Terry (Joan Allen) is a middle-aged housewife and mother of four teenaged daughters and gets the shock of her life when her husband, without a word of warning, leaves them behind to move to Sweden with his secretary. Going through a bender of depression and alcohol, Terry finds herself commiserating with Denny (Kevin Costner), a former baseball star turned unenthusiastic radio personality who was her husband’s best friend and a frequent presence at the house. With both Terry and Denny feeling down in the dumps about recent events in their lives, the two find themselves drawn to one another, and while Terry fights the notion of a new romance, her daughters — Andy (Erika Christensen), Hadley (Alicia Witt), Emily (Keri Russell), and Lavender (Evan Rachel Wood) — have different ideas. The Upside of Anger was written and directed by Mike Binder, who also plays a supporting role as the producer of Denny’s radio show. – Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

If you’ve been itching to see Kevin Costner play another Baseball player, than this is the movie for you! – Sean Graham

Based on the life and career of boxer Jake LaMotta, Raging Bull focuses on Jake’s rage and violence that makes him virtually unstoppable in the ring. The same anger also drives Jake to beat his wife and his brother Joey, and sends Jake down a self-destructive spiral of paranoia and rage.

Looks like an alien, sings like a diva – Klaus Nomi was one of 1980’s most profoundly bizarre appearances. He was a cult figure in the New Wave Underground scene who sang pop music like opera and brought opera to club audiences. He was a performer with a look so strong, that his first audiences went wild before he even opened his mouth. On the verge of international fame as a singer, he instead became one of the first prominent artists to die of AIDS. But the reaction Nomi provoked was so strong, that he is still unforgettable even 20 years after his death.

THE NOMI SONG is a story of love of music and love of performing at a time when it seemed as though everyone was struck by a sense of urgency to make something (anything) simply because they wanted to make the most of the limited time they felt they were given on this earth. It’s a story that grows out of a group of people who influenced him, loved him, felt pity for him or betrayed by him, yet above all, were inspired by him.

Nomi constructed his own myth out of elements so completely wrong, yet so deliberate, that it all seemed oddly possible. He was an alien amongst the outcasts, a tortured soul who also radiated optimism at a time when optimism was officially out of fashion. He was as much a genuine talent as he was the engine of his own destruction. His appeal is not easy to explain in words. He has to be seen (and heard) to be believed.

“Estranged siblings, still mourning the recent loss of their parents, struggle with daily life in Los Angeles, when a werewolf attack unites them and a stranger, who then must fight for survival against the beast and its curse.”

“The close-up of the tear-stained face of Marie Falconetti in Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of the most famous images in all of cinema. Based on authentic records of the eighteen-month-long trial of the fifteenth-century warrior-saint in Orlians, the film brings a rigorous formal style, exquisite cinematography, and striking architectural sets to bear on the moral questions that surround Joan, her judges, and her ultimate fate. Falconetti had never appeared in films before and would never act again, but her performance here is ranked among the greatest creations of cinema.”

“Inside Deep Throat examines the unanticipated lasting cultural impact generated by Deep Throat, a sexually explicit film first shown in a midtown Manhattan adult theatre in 1972 that quickly became the flashpoint for an unprecedented social and political firestorm. Generally considered the most profitable film of all time (produced for less than $25,000 but earning countless millions), the barely one-hour movie became compulsory viewing for millions of ordinary Americans and celebrities, as an individual’s fascination or repulsion identified his or her place in the cultural shifts of the time. Written and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (Party Monster, The Eyes of Tammy Faye)”

“In a tribute to the resiliency of childhood, debut writers/directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman offer a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Briski, a photographer, gives each child a camera and teaches them how to take pictures, causing them to look at their world with new eyes. Humorous and heartfelt, the film reveals the power of art and how beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places. Winner of ten major film festival prizes, including the 2004 Sundance Audience Award for Best Documentary. Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature.”

“The proceedings of a Paris courtroom are the basis for one of the most striking nonfiction works to emerge from the continent in recent years. Drawing from over two hundred appearances in the 10th District Courtroom, all featuring the same steadfast judge, renowned photographer Raymond Dipardon provides compelling, often humorous observations of a series of misdemeanor hearings and sentencings. Using a simple, static formal structure, he captures the subtler details of human behavior which reveal the complexities of race, class, and gender in contemporary society.” Directed by Raymond Dipardon.

Showtime is at 7pm, and I will be there about 15 minutes early wearing a nametag reading “Sean”. The first few people who show up will get a somewhat discounted ticket thanks to Corinna’s employee discount.

P.S. Be sure to check out the new and improved homepage of the Boston Sunday Night Film Club at https://boston.sundaynightfilmclub.com/. It is still a work-in-progress, so feel free to use the leave a comment on the page if you have any suggestions, questions, or requests.