Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, January 8th at 5:15pm for “New York Doll” at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion. Note: This film is showing in the Coolidge’s “Screening Room”, which is quite small, so you might want to show up early or preorder tickets.

“With his mild-mannered exterior and day job at a Mormon library, it’s hard to connect buttoned-down Arthur Kane with his raucous rock ’n’ roll past. But during the early 70s Arthur “Killer” Kane was the statuesque bassist for the legendary (and highly influential) glam-rock outfit The New York Dolls. Kane, however, found it difficult to recoup after the Dolls’ demise, struggling to spark his music career, battling alcoholism, and failing in his marriage. Director Greg Whiteley’s film picks up Kane’s story just as his long-held dream of reuniting the Dolls finally comes true with a high profile gig in London, and follows him through the unexpected events of his post-show homecoming.

Before the feature, we present A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN UNDER-APPRECIATED STAR, director David Winkfield’s short documentary about Brookline resident Jerry Pearlswig, a professional autograph hound and all-around sweet guy, who is on his day’s quest to get a photo with actor (and musician) Kevin Bacon.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, January 15th at 7:15pm for “The Matador” at the Boston Common Loews. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the main lobby on the ground floor about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“In writer/director Richard Shepard’s dark comedy THE MATADOR, Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) is a hit man who’s very good at what he does. He’s in Mexico City doing another job but sadly for Julian, he has reached a low point in his life – the murder business has all but killed him.

Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) is also in Mexico City on business, although a decidedly different kind of business. Danny lives in Denver with his wife Bean (Hope Davis), and while they may have troubles financially, there is a youthful lust between them that belies ten years of marriage. Danny finds himself in Mexico City for a business opportunity whose outcome could be the difference between solving all his financial problems or falling even deeper into debt.

One night, at the hotel bar, these two men meet. Before long, they find themselves involved in a strange friendship – built on the dark and drunken honesty shared among strangers who believe they will never see each other in the light of day.

Spanning four countries, six months and many margaritas, THE MATADOR takes the hit man film and spins it on its head, creating a character-driven story that’s hip and hilarious—strange and full of unexpected heart.

Featuring a bold, outrageously original performance from Pierce Brosnan, and a funny, unexpected turn from Greg Kinnear, THE MATADOR is a buddy film, blended with extra tequila.”

On January 12th, 2003, Heather hosted the first meeting of the Boston Sunday Night Film Club. 3 years later the club is still going strong and some of the members that attended on that first meeting still come today! From time to time over the years people have said they would like to have a list of all the movies the club has seen over the years. I thought that a nice celebration of this anniversary would be to pull this together. It took some digging through the scraps of the old website, my personal email archives, and even some Google cache spelunking. Hope you enjoy it!

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, January 22nd at 4:45pm for “Transamerica” at the Kendall Square Cinema. Look for Audra wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Bree, a pre-operative, male-to-female transsexual, holds down two jobs and saves every penny so that she can pay for one last operation that will make her a woman at last. One day, however, she receives a strange phone call. It appears that on the other side is Toby, apparently her son, who must be the product of a somewhat clumsy sexual encounter years ago when she was a man. He stays in New York, incarcerated. Bree flies from Los Angeles to New York in order to get the boy out of jail. At first she is reluctant to do so, but her therapist convinces her to face up to her past. The boy is handed over to her without a word of explanation and Toby believes the woman to be some Christian missionary determined to convert reprobates to Jesus; Bree sees no reason to clear up the misunderstanding. However, she finds out that the boy just wants to escape from her and hitchhike to Los Angeles. She persuades him to accompany her back to the west coast–secretly planning to leave him at his stepfather’s along the way. Toby is happy to take her up on her offer.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, January 29th at 7:20pm for “Bubble” at the Kendall Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“In this unique cinematic experiment from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh, an unlikely love triangle is born at a doll factory in a small midwestern town fallen on hard times. Lonely and isolated, long time employees Martha and Kyle have become friends by default in spite of their drastic age difference, but their dynamic is upset by the arrival of a new worker: young, attractive single mother Rose. As Martha grows increasingly wary about Rose’s dubious character, she discovers Kyle and Rose developing a relationship of their own.”

“One morning, Rose is found dead, strangled in her own home. An investigation begins, one that will call into question our established assumptions about these characters and life in their small town. Featuring a cast of non-professional actors from the Ohio location, Soderbergh brings this tragic story of characters striving to establish and maintain meaningful connections to life with startling realism.”

By popular demand (er, complaint), we’ve decided to have a Sunday Night Film Club gathering this Sunday after all! So if you are looking for something other than the Super Bowl to do this weekend please join us!

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, February 5th at 5:10pm for “Something New” at the Fenway 13. Look for Audra wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“A romantic comedy about finding love where it’s least expected, Something New marks the feature directorial debut of Sanaa Hamri. If love is an adventure, it’s one yet to be embarked upon by Kenya Denise McQueen (Sanaa Lathan). A beautiful L.A. career woman, Kenya works as a senior manager at a prestigious accounting firm, and is on the verge of making partner. But she has yet to find her own partner and a fulfilling personal life. It’s not that she’s stopped looking; her (mental) checklist is at the ready. After another Valentine’s Day spent working late, Kenya agrees to a blind date with Brian Kelly (Simon Baker), a sexy and free-spirited landscape architect who turns out to be not exactly what she’d pictured for herself. Then again, she does need the yard of her new house fixed up… Her girlfriends Cheryl, Suzzette, and Nedra (Wendy Raquel Robinson, Golden Brooks, Taraji P. Henson) are there for her with advice, while Cheryl’s new beau Walter (Mike Epps) shares a male perspective with Brian. Kenya’s socially prominent parents Joyce and Edmond (Alfred Woodard, Earl Billings) and womanizing younger brother Nelson (Donald Faison) also voice their own opinions. But it’s when her perfect match, Mark (Blair Underwood), enters the picture that Kenya is truly thrown into confusion. Ultimately, Kenya has to decide for herself and follow her heart - no matter where it takes her.”

Join the Boston Sunday
Night Film Club this Sunday, February 12th at 7:35pm for “Why We Fight” at the Kendall
Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“He may have been the ultimate icon of 1950s conformity and postwar complacency, but Dwight D. Eisenhower was an iconoclast, visionary, and the Cassandra of the New World Order. Upon departing his presidency, Eisenhower issued a stern, cogent warning about the burgeoning “military industrial complex,” foretelling with ominous clarity the state of the world in 2004 with its incestuous entanglement of political, corporate, and Defense Department interests.”

Tonight’s meeting of the Boston Sunday Night Film Club has been cancelled due to the weather. Public transit is running very slow, and we wouldn’t want to encourage anyone to be on the road with the conditions like they are.

After last week’s cancellation I figured we’d go for a “Take Two” on “Why We Fight”. :)

Join the Boston Sunday
Night Film Club this Sunday, February 19th at 7:35pm for “Why We Fight” at the Kendall
Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“He may have been the ultimate icon of 1950s conformity and postwar complacency, but Dwight D. Eisenhower was an iconoclast, visionary, and the Cassandra of the New World Order. Upon departing his presidency, Eisenhower issued a stern, cogent warning about the burgeoning “military industrial complex,” foretelling with ominous clarity the state of the world in 2004 with its incestuous entanglement of political, corporate, and Defense Department interests.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, February 26th at 7:45pm for Kairo (Pulse) at the Brattle Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion

Often referred to as one of the scariest films ever made, PULSE (KAIRO) tells the story of a group of young friends rocked by the sudden suicide of one of their own, and his subsequent, ghostly reappearance in grainy computer and video images. Is he trying to contact them from beyond the grave or is there something more sinister afoot? The mysterious floppy disk they find in the dead man’s apartment may provide a clue, but instead launches a program that seems to present odd, ethereal transmissions of people engaged in solitary activities in their apartments. But there is something not quite right in the appearance and behavior of these lonely souls. Soon, there are more strange deaths and disappearances within the group, terrifying rooms sealed in red tape, and the appearance of more ghosts as the city of Tokyo – and the world – is slowly drained of life.

The prolific writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is one of the most remarkable talents working in cinema today. While his efforts tend to be in the realm of genre stories (mostly horror), his films portray a lyricism and grace that rise far above other horror directors. With PULSE (KAIRO), eschewing gore and easy shocks for a harrowing tone unique to his cinema, Kurosawa has made a dense and complex film whose metaphysical and psychological resonance will last long after the chills have subsided.

The Boston Sunday Night Film Club will be taking the week off to give members the opportunity to watch the Academy Awards on Sunday Night. See you next week!

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, March 12th at 4:35pm for “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” at the Boston Common Loews. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the main lobby on the ground floor about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“A genuine crowd-pleaser, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party spotlights comedy superstar Dave Chappelle as he presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party. The unprecedented combination of comedy and music was shot on location. In addition to Mr. Chappelle performing all-new material, the stellar roster of artists includes Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane, and – reunited for their first performance in over seven years – the Fugees.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, March 19th at 6:30pm for “V For Vendetta” at the Boston Common Loews. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the main lobby on the ground floor about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“World War III has come and gone. In its wake, is left chaos. This chaos was quickly reigned-in by small insurgent groups who used fear, force and “faith” to subdue an entire nation, forging a new, “Greater” Britain. It is in this brave new world that V (Weaving), a mysterious, masked, swashbuckling figure, saves the young Evey Hammond (Portman) from unspeakable tortures, and takes her under his wing, into the Shadow Gallery; a world that may prove to be full of tortures of its own. All the while, bodies have been piling up within the ranks of the England’s fairly new but powerful government. All the murders are connected, far deeper than any mere affiliation with any governmental branch. These killings are vastly encompassing, but acutely personal. It is a vendetta: In a totalitarian state, the government has the people convinced that a single “terrorist”, V, would have them under siege. But V would stand to say that he is showing the people that they have been under siege by their government. V is out to avenge individuality, and reclaim freedom for the people, even at the expense of their happiness. We are all in prison, and he is “showing us the bars”. The lines between hero and villain do not blur, but become frighteningly clear and you will become uneasy, at times, when you find yourself cheering for V. That is, anyway, if the film is anything like the graphic novel. Find out for yourself, and read the novel, by Alan Moore, first. “England Prevails”, under one law or under chaos.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, March 26th at 7:00pm for “Thank You For Smoking” at the Kendall Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers in today’s neo-puritanical culture. Confronted by health zealots and an opportunistic senator, Nick goes on a PR offensive, spinning away the dangers of cigarettes, but he begins to think about how his work makes him look in the eyes of his young son Joey.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, April 2nd at 4:45pm for “Awesome: I F@&!%*’ Shot That” at the Kendall Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Before the lights went down at Madison Square Garden, 50 fans were given hand-held Hi-8 cameras and told to record their experience of being at a Beastie Boys concert in the band’s hometown. The man behind many of their innovative music videos, director Nathaniel Hornblower (aka MCA, aka Adam Yauch), then edited the best footage from the night with his signature creative imprint into a musical experience that takes you right into the world of Mike D, Ad Rock and MCA. Also features Money Mark, Doug E. Fresh and Mix Master Mike.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, April 9th at 5:30pm for Baby Face at the Brattle Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion

“Baby Face was one of the most notorious of all the films of the Pre-Code era - the time during the early Depression when the Hollywood studios virtually ignored the censors and offered up one sex-filled film after another. Public morals were so offended that the industry was forced to adopt an even stricter Production Code in 1934. Advertised with the titillating warning, “Parents: do not bring your children,” Baby Face stars Barbara Stanwyck as an abused daughter who turns tricks out of a speakeasy in Erie, Pennsylvania, then heads to Manhattan, where she sleeps her way up the corporate ladder (with a young John Wayne, among many others). A longer (by five minutes), even racier version was recently discovered by the Library of Congress and is making its debut at the Brattle. After the film, we’ll be showing scenes from the censored version for comparison. - adapted from notes from the Film Forum, NYC”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, April 16th at 5:00pm for “Following Sean” at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion. Note: This film is showing in the Coolidge’s “Screening Room”, which is quite small, so you might want to show up early or preorder tickets.

“This riveting family saga looks back to San Francisco in the late ‘60s when budding filmmaker Ralph Arlyck made a candid short film about Sean, a precocious 4-year-old hippie child who lived in his apartment building. A natural on camera, Sean is frank about how he smokes pot and hangs out with speedfreaks. The film gained great acclaim (and naturally sounded alarms), but the story doesn’t end there. Three decades later, Arlyck finds Sean again, now a struggling husband and father. New interviews with Sean as well as his freewheeling father, sarcastic communist grandma, and boisterous family are combined with original ’60s footage to paint vivid time-traveling portraits. FOLLOWING SEAN is an epic chronicle of growing up and moving on filled with moments of surprising tenderness and humor.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, April 23rd at 7:00pm for “The Beauty Academy of Kabul” at the Kendall Square Cinema. Look for Sean wearing a nametag and sitting in the little seating area in the lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Who would ever dream that what war-torn Afghanistan needed was a school for hairdressers? Yet this surprising and humorous film reveals that there is healing power—as well as economic opportunity—in the pursuit of beauty. Six American volunteers, three of them Afghan-Americans returning home for the first time in 20 years, come to Kabul to open the country’s first post-Taliban beauty school. The response is so overwhelming that a lottery must be held to select the lucky students. Features the music of Ahmad Zahir. Directed by Liz Mermin. (Partially subtitled)”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, April 30th at 5:30pm for Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story at the Brattle Theatre. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion. This is an exclusive engagement at the Brattle, so you may wish to pre-order tickets or show up early.

“The best mock documentaries - This is SPINAL TAP, BOB ROBERTS, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN - work because they fall just short of mockery. They have real affection for their subjects, and can recreate those subjects’ hilariously skewed version of the world insofar as they fully inhabit that world. Mock-docs that don’t do this are either mean, obvious, or both.

Thankfully, BLACKBALLED writer-director Brant Sersen loves paintballers, and his movie has the winking empathy that marks all great mock-docs. A hilarious cast, complete with (Boston’s own) Rob Corddry of “The Daily Show” and much of the cast from the famed “Upright Citizens Brigade,” put together a group of memorable characters and one-liners that are sure to become tomorrow’s dorm-room jokes.

Corddry is Bobby Dukes, the uncontested Michael Jordan of paintball for many years…until the day he committed the unthinkable during a paintball match: he “wiped.“We get this back-story in a clever opening sequence, then meet Bobby ten years after his betrayal of the sport. Now, he’s decided that it is time to return to the paintball field, face the demons of his past, and assemble a motley crew of paintballers to compete in the Hudson Valley Paintball Classic. Game on! - notes from the Independent Film Festival of Boston 2005.

Alongside Corddry, the cast is rounded out by many familiar comedic faces including: Ed Helms (The Daily Show), Paul Scheer (VH1’s Best Week Ever), Rob Riggle (Saturday Night Live), Rob Huebel (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and local comic legend DJ Hazzard.”

Join the Boston
Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, May 7th at 7:00pm for Mission: Impossible III at the Fenway 13. Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Recently retired, Agent Ethan Hunt lives a slower-paced life training new IMF agents. With this change, new opportunities enter his life, including a possible marriage to his girlfriend Julia. However, when a new conflict arises, Ethan is called back to duty to confront the toughest villain he’s ever faced - Owen Davian, an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, May 14th at 4:25pm for Art School Confidential at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Filmmaker Terry Zwigoff and comic artist and screenwriter Daniel Clowes, who collaborated for the acclaimed 2001 comedy-drama Ghost World, team up once again for this offbeat satire. Jerome (Max Minghella) is an aspiring artist who arrives at a prestigious East Coast art institute to study. While Jerome enjoys daydreams of becoming the best-respected painter on Earth and winning the hearts of his female classmates, he soon learns the sad truth – his “cool artist” act is old hat in the big city, and as he’s surrounded by every art school cliché on Earth, practically nothing about him stands out. Determined to be recognized whatever the consequences, Jerome maps out a bizarre plan to become famous that has some unexpected consequences. Loosely adapted from a story in Clowes’ comic book Eightball, Art School Confidential also stars John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Anjelica Huston, and Sophia Myles.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, May 21st at 6:30pm for The Da Vinci Code at the Fenway 13 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (‘Tom Hanks’) receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci - clues visible for all to see, and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion - an actual secret society. In a breathless race through Paris, London and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who appears to work for Opus Dei - a clandestine, Vatican-sanctioned Catholic organization believed to have long plotted to seize the Priory’s secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory’s secret - and a stunning historical truth - will be lost forever.

The Boston Sunday Night Film Club will not be meeting this Sunday, May 28th, in observance of Memorial Day Weekend. We will return the following Sunday, so enjoy the weekend (and, if you are going to catch it this weekend, enjoy X-Men too).

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jun 4th at 7:00pm for An Inconvenient Truth at the Coolidge Corner Theatre . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“It is now clear that we face a deepening global climate crisis that requires us to act boldly, quickly, and wisely.” - Al Gore.

Former Vice President Al Gore presents this important documentary on the planet-wide crisis of global warming. In a riveting multi-media lecture, he presents a wide array of facts and information that reveal the truth about climate change: if this issue is not addressed, all life on the planet will be devastated. Gore became interested in this startling issue while at college 30 years ago, and in the past few years, since retiring from politics, he has traveled the globe staging free events for small, invited audiences on this issue. He works exhaustively to disabuse doubters of the notion that climate change is debatable. His proof is the indisputable correlation between CO2 emissions and exponentially rising temperatures, an epidemic which is already responsible for ice-cap melting, drought, and rising sea levels. This is not a political issue, rather one of global stability, and Gore’s goal is to lay out the facts for the audience to draw their own conclusions. With humor and searing intelligence, he outlines crucial steps we must take to avert impending disaster and proves that inaction is no longer an option ­ in fact, it’s downright immoral.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jun 11th at 7:00pm for Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Brattle Theatre . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is believed to still hold the ten commandments. Unfortunately, agents of Hitler are also after the Ark. Indy, and his ex-flame Marion, escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jun 18th at 5:30pm for Sir! No Sir! at the Brattle Theatre . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“One of the most memorable chapters of the Vietnam War has also long been one of the least revisited: the antiwar movement inside the military. Called the G.I. Movement, this resistance manifested itself in countless ways: in organized protests, in desertions and in the coffeehouses that sprang up across the country near military bases. In the early 1970’s the documentary filmmaker David Zeiger worked in one such coffeehouse, the Oleo Strut in Killeen, TX, not far from Fort Hood…

In his smart, timely documentary about the G.I. Movement, SIR! NO SIR!, Mr. Zeiger takes a look at how the movement changed and occasionally even rocked the military from the ground troops on up… During the 1960’s and 70’s American newspapers routinely reported a significantly different story than the one later cooked up by Hollywood and other revisionists. This film shows that as antiwar sentiment gathered strength in American streets, a parallel movement seized the armed forces. By September 1971 dissent among the ranks had become a front-page subject in this newspaper, with a headline that read “Army Is Shaken by Crisis in Morale and Discipline.” … John Kerry’s bid for president proved that long after fighting in Vietnam came to an end, a war of words continues to rage. It’s a war of words that finds Jane Fonda - who performed for tens of thousands of troops in an antiwar revue, ‘Free the Army,’ and makes a passionate appearance in the film - still labeled Hanoi Jane. ‘Remembered as a war that was lost because of betrayal at home,’ Mr. Lembcke has written, ‘Vietnam becomes a modern-day Alamo that must be avenged, a pretext for more war and generations of more veterans.’ In SIR! NO SIR!, Mr. Zeiger remembers that war and the veterans whose struggles against it are too often forgotten.” - Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jun 25th at 5:10pm for Wordplay at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

The man most associated with crossword puzzles is New York Times puzzle editor and NPR puzzle-master Will Shortz. Director/co-writer Patrick Creadon introduces us to this passionate hero, and to the inner workings of his brilliant and often hilarious contributors, revealing the process and allure of this uniquely American pastime. The odyssey leads to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, an annual challenge founded by Shortz which is as much about community and camaraderie as it is about competition. Featuring interviews with celebrity crossword puzzlers such as Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Jon Stewart, Ken Burns and Mike Mussina.

The Boston Sunday Night Film Club will be observing the Independence Day holiday this Sunday, July 2nd, and we will not be meeting. Have a great holiday, and we will see you the following Sunday, July 9th.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jul 9th at 5:05pm for A Scanner Darkly at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

AmericaÂ’s endless and futile war on drugs has become one and the same with its war on terror. Reluctant undercover cop Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) follows orders to start spying on his friends, Jim Barris, Ernie Luckman, Donna Hawthorne and Charles Freck. When he is directed to step up the surveillance on himself, he is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode.

Based on legendary science-fiction author Philip K. DickÂ’s own experiences, “A Scanner Darkly” tells the darkly comedic, caustic, but deeply tragic tale of drug use in the modern world. The film plays like a graphic novel come to life with live-action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process - a method known as interpolated rotoscoping, first employed in writer/director Richard LinklaterÂ’s 2001 film “Waking Life” - to create a haunting version of America, seven years from now.

Chuck passed along a link to Wild About Movies, which has a great listing of Advance and Free screenings around the country (including, obviously, Boston).

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jul 16th at 7:25 for Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Since bursting onto the music scene in 1967, Leonard Cohen has inspired generations with his unique personality and haunting music. Director Lian Lunson documents a series of candid interviews with Cohen, using the musician’s artwork, poetry and photographs to reflect upon his colorful past and his creative process. Also featured is live concert and behind-the-scenes footage from the historic “Came So Far For Beauty” Cohen tribute held in Australia in early 2005, with U2, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, Beth Orton, Jarvis Cocker, Antony, Martha Wainwright, Julie Christensen and others.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jul 23rd at 7:00pm for Clerks II at the Fenway 13 . Look for Audra wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

A calamity at Dante and Randall’s shops sends them looking for new horizons - but they ultimately settle at Mooby’s, a fictional Disney-McDonald’s-style fast-food empire. Free from his dead-end job (and lodged in a new one), Dante begins to break free of his rut, planning to move away with his clingy fiancé. Dante is ready to leave the horrors of minimum-wage New Jersey behind, but Randal - always the more hostile of the two - starts to become overwhelmed by his own rancor.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Jul 30th at 6:10pm for Miami Vice at the AMC Loews Boston Common 19 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Ricardo Tubbs is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx-born intel analyst Trudy, as they work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders. Sonny Crockett is charismatic and flirtatious until-while undercover working with the supplier of the South Florida group-he gets romantically entangled with Isabella, the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. The intensity of this case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one-especially for Crockett in his romance with Isabella and for Tubbs in the provocation of an assault on those he loves.

Me in the Boston Metro

Originally uploaded by seangraham.

The Boston Metro, a free Monday-Friday paper, gave a plug to the Sunday Night Film Club last friday. They even used a dorky picture of me that I link to in the newsletter to help people find me. It’s nice to have my picture in a section of the paper that isn’t the police blotter.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Aug 6th at 7:00pm 7:30pm for Little Miss Sunshine at the Coolidge Corner Theatre . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“No one among the Hoovers quite has it together, but it’s not for lack of trying. Father Richard, a hopelessly optimistic motivational speaker, is desperately attempting to sell his 9-step program for success–without much success. Meanwhile, the Hoovers’ pro-honesty mother Sheryl is constantly harried by her family’s eccentric secrets, especially those of her brother, a suicidal Proust scholar fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his gay lover. Then there are young Hoovers with their unlikely dreams–the four-eyed, slightly pump, seven year-old would-be beauty queen Olive and Dwayne, an anger-fueled, Nietzche-reading teen who has taken a staunch vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force Academy. Topping off the family is the grandfather, a foul-mouthed pleasure-seeker recently kicked out of his retirement home for snorting heroin. They might not be the picture of the perfect mental health, but when a fluke gets Olive invited to compete in the fiercely competitive Little Miss Sunshine competition in California, the whole Hoover family rallies behind her. They pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day tragicomic journey filled with madcap surprises and leading up to Olive’s big debut–which will change the entire misfit family in ways they could never imagine.”

Apparently, MovieTickets.com showtimes disagree with those at the website for the Coolidge Corner. Tonight’s showtime is 7:30pm, one half hour later than previously announced. Sorry for the confusion!

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Aug 13th at 7:00pm for Beowulf & Grendel at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“A medieval adventure—part legendary fable, part horror-story—based on the seminal ninth century Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf. Director Sturla Gunnarsson tells the blood-soaked tale of a Norse warriorÂ’s battle against the murderous and vengeful troll Grendel (Ingvar Sigurdsson), who has laid siege to the kingdom of Hrothgar (Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd), King of the Danes. Beowulf (Gerard Butler) leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid the village of the marauding troll, but his willingness to kill on behalf of Hrothgar wavers when it becomes clear that the King is responsible for the trollÂ’s rampages. Filmed in Iceland, the drama plays out in a brutish Northern Europe where Beowulf is caught in a battle of vengeance, loyalty and mercy. In English.”

Join the Boston Sunday
Night Film Club this Sunday, August 20th at 8:00pm for Snakes on a Plane at the Boston
Common 19.

The club is going to be a little different this week, as we will be meeting for food and drink (and drink… and drink) before we venture over to the Common Theatre for the film. Meet us at Remington’s (124 Boylston St) at 6pm, look for Sean wearing a nametag outside the restaurant. We will get a table based on the headcount at 6pm, but if you need to show up later we can always get a second table and float between them. It also might be a wise idea to stop by the theatre before and get some tickets, as the studio has manufactured some cult status for this film.

Plot Synopsis: Snakes… on a Plane

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Aug 27th at 7:20pm for 13 (Tzameti) at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“By intercepting a package and following instructions meant for a deceased gangster, aimless 20-year-old Sébastien (George Babluani, the director’s brother), thinks he’s going to make a quick buck and help his poor immigrant family. Instead, things take a turn for the absolute worse when the trail he is following leads him into the heart of the French countryside and face to face with a clandestine ring of gangsters who bet on human lives. A surreal, neo-noir thriller from debut writer/director Géla Babluani. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. (Fully subtitled)”

The Boston Sunday Night Film Club will not meet this Sunday, September 3rd, in observance of the Labor Day holiday weekend. We will return the following Sunday, September 10th with Half-Nelson (Showtime TBA). Have a great weekend!

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Sep 10th at 7:05pm for Half Nelson at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is an idealistic inner-city junior high school teacher who inspires his students to challenge the status quo. Though he keeps it together in the classroom, Dan has a serious drug habit. He keeps his lives precariously separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey (Shareeka Epps), catches him getting high after school. From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship that threatens to undo them or provide the vital change they both need to move forward with their lives. Directed and co-written by Ryan Fleck.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Sep 17th at 7:20p for This Film is Not Yet Rated at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Director Kirby Dick (Twist of Faith) takes an unprecedented look into the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film ratings system and its profound effect on American culture. By examining controversial ratings decisions, Dick asks whether Hollywood movies and independent films are rated equally for comparable content, and whether keeping the raters and the rating process secret leaves the MPAA entirely unaccountable for its decisions. Features candid interviews with critics, attorneys, authors, educators and filmmakers, including John Waters (A Dirty Shame), Kevin Smith (Clerks), Matt Stone (South Park), Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), Atom Egoyan (Where the Truth Lies), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) and Mary Harron (American Psycho).”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, September 24th at 7:45pm for Jackass: Number Two at the Regal Fenway Stadium 13.

The club is going to be a little different this week, as we will be meeting for food and drink (and drink… and drink) before we venture over to the Fenway 13 for the film. Meet us at Cornwall’s (654 Beacon St) at 5:45pm, look for Sean wearing a nametag outside the restaurant. We will get a table based on the headcount at 5:45pm, but if you need to show up later we can always get a second table and float between them.

Plot Synopsis:

Chris Pontius, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, and the whole crew return to the screen to raise the stakes higher then ever before.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Oct 1st at 7:30pm for The Science of Sleep at the AMC Loews Harvard Square 5 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“The Science of Sleep is a playful fantasy set inside the topsy-turvy brain of Stephane Miroux (Gael Garcia Bernal), an eccentric young man whose dreams constantly invade his waking life. While slumbering, he is the charismatic host of “Stephane TV,” expounding on The Science of Sleep in front of cardboard cameras. In “real life,” he has a boring job at a Parisian calendar publisher and pines for Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), the girl in the apartment across the hall. While Stephanie is initially charmed by Stephane, she is confused by his childishness and shaky connection to reality. Stephane’s co-worker, Guy (Alain Chabat) a vulgar but practical man, offers advice on the opposite sex, but Stephane is too far in the clouds to listen. Unable to find the secret to Stephanie’s heart while awake, Stephane searches for the answer in his dreams.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Oct 8th at 6:05pm for The Departed at the AMC Loews Boston Common 19 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Years ago, a powerful Irish mafia figure placed a small selection of his youngest, brightest men into the Massachusetts Police Academy as cadets. Their purpose is to eventually rise within the prestigious ranks of the city’s police department, to serve as the eyes and ears of their boss. While somewhere else, a young cadet was assigned with an equally dangerous task: infiltrate the Irish syndicate headed by the man sending in his own to the Boston Police. Now, one cadet is an up and coming police official with a torn allegiance to his job and to the criminal mastermind that put him there. While the other cadet is the trusted number two of that man, only finding his professional duties are becoming blurred with his current state. But new clues have lead to unfortunate discoveries, when both sides realize they’re being watched by the enemy. It’s now all just a matter of time before the men assigned to find out whose the infiltrator, could come to a bloody end when someone’s identity may be revealed.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Oct 15th at 7:00pm for The Last King of Scotland at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“In an incredible twist of fate, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world’s most barbaric figures: self-appointed Ugandan President Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). Impressed by Dr. Garrigan, Amin picks him as his personal physician and confidant. Though Garrigan is fascinated by his new position, he soon awakens to Amin’s savagery—and his own complicity in it. Horror and betrayal ensue as he tries to right his wrongs and escape Uganda alive. Co-starring Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington. Directed by Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void) and based on the novel by Giles Foden.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Oct 22nd at 7:15pm for The Prestige at the Fenway 13 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“From the time that they first met as young magicians on the rise, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) were competitors. However, their friendly competition evolves into a bitter rivalry making them fierce enemies-for-life and consequently jeopardizing the lives of everyone around them. Full of twists and turns, The Prestige is set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century London. The cast includes two-time Oscar® winner Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie.”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Oct 29th at 7:25pm for Death of a President at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“The transformation of American life in the aftermath of 9/11 and the assassination of the U.S. President is the subject of this mock TV documentary broadcast in 2008. It is a type of journalism we have grown extremely accustomed to: a combination of archival footage and carefully composed interviews, presented in a respectful and dignified manner. Taking a page from Hitchcock’s playbook, however, director/co-writer Gabriel Range ratchets up the tension. History tells us that the President will be shot—we just don’t know when it will happen in the film. At this point, the documentary turns its attention to the search for the assassin, and traces the efforts of the FBI agent, the forensic expert and others, to find the truth.”

As a special heads-up, on December 3rd the Boston Sunday Night Film Club will be attending a special premiere screening of David Lynch’s upcoming film, INLAND EMPIRE. The reason for the advance notice, is that this screening is a benefit for the Brattle Theatre, and will feature the director **in person!**Tickets will likely sell out quickly, so if you are interested please purchase them in advance now.

This is a pretty cool way to support one of the best independent theatres in boston, so act quickly!

Update: As predicted, the pre-sale tickets have all sold out. Some tickets were reserved for “same-day” sales by the theatre, so if you weren’t able to preorder a ticket, you’ll have to take your chances with that.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Nov 5th at 5:30pm for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan at the AMC Loews Harvard Square 5 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Jagshemash! Sacha Baron Cohen, the star and creator of HBO’s “Da Ali G Show,” brings his Kazakh journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen for the first time. Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him, exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture. In some cases, Borat’s interview subjects embrace his outrageous views on race and sex by agreeing with him, while others attempt to offer a patriotic lesson in Western values. Wa-wa-wee-wa!”

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Nov 12th at 7:00pm for Babel at the Coolidge Corner Theatre . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“A stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun with Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Babel is a grandly conceived and perfectly calibrated epic. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga seek nothing less than a modern version of the story of the Tower of Babel. Our inability to communicate, between cultures or even within relationships, is a jumping-off point for an astonishing series of interwoven stories covering the entire globe.”

“American couple Susan (Cate Blanchett) and Richard (Brad Pitt) travel to Morocco on vacation, where catastrophe stalks their already troubled relationship. As their tour bus passes through a mountain village, a shot rings out and a stranger’s decision to hand his sons a rifle creates an international incident. Meanwhile, in California, the couple’s two children are in the care of Amelia (Adriana Barraza), their nanny. When she has to drive to Mexico with her nephew, Santiago (Gael García Bernal), for her son’s wedding, Amelia illegally brings her young charges with her. And in Tokyo, a widowed father (Kôji Yakusho) struggles to reach his deaf-mute teenaged daughter, Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), as she swings through emotional and sexual extremes.”

Chuck thought that people who have seen Borat might get a kick out of this article.

Two anonymous plaintiffs are suing 20th Century Fox and One America Productions, claiming members of their college fraternity were interviewed to become part of the smash “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” film.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Nov 19th at 7:00pm for Casino Royale at the Regal Fenway Stadium 13 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

“Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to ‘00’ status. Bond’s first 007 mission takes him to Madagascar where he is to spy on a terrorist, Mollaka. Not everything goes to plan and Bond decides to investigate, independently of MI6, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. Following a lead to the Bahamas, he encounters Dimitrios and his girlfriend, Solange. He learns that Dimitrios is involved with Le Chiffre, banker to the world’s terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence reveals that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses, it will destroy his organization. ‘M’ places Bond under the watchful eye of the beguiling Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond’s interest in her deepens as they brave danger together and even torture at the hands of Le Chiffre. In Montenegro, Bond allies himself with Mathis MI6’s local field agent, and Felix Leiter who is representing the interests of the CIA. The marathon game proceeds with dirty tricks and violence, raising the stakes beyond blood money and reaching a terrifying climax.”

The Boston Sunday Night Film Club will not meet this Sunday, November 26th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will return on Sunday, December 3rd for the premiere screening Inland Empire featuring director David Lynch in person! If you were unable to purchase tickets for this event online, it is my understanding that the Brattle reserved quite a few tickets for box-office sales, so you might want to contact them directly.

Join the Boston Sunday
Night Film Club this Sunday, Dec 3rd. Many people who wanted to get tickets for this Sunday’s premiere of INLAND EMPIRE were unable to before they sold out. So we decided to host two separate outings this Sunday. As always, after the films each group will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Outing #1

Look for Sean at 6:00pm for INLAND EMPIRE at the Brattle Theatre. Sean will be waiting in line (wearing a nametag) well before the start of the show. Due to the large crowd, we will likely have to meet up outside of the theatre after the show.

Outing #2

Join Audra at the Kendall Square Cinema at 7:10pm for Volver. Look for Audra in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Dec 10th at 7:20pm for F*CK: A Documentary (Not Rated) at the Kendall Square Cinema . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Digital Projection, No one under 18 admitted.

A definitive look at the infamous expletive, director Steve Anderson explores how this oft-used word permeates our culture. Through interviews, film and television clips, and original animation by Oscar-nominee Bill Plympton, the word’s impact is debated by scholars and linguists as well as comedians, actors and writers who defend their Constitutional right to use it, all in an effort to discover what it is about this one syllable that both unites and polarizes people. Featuring appearances by Pat Boone, Drew Carey, Billy Connolly, Sam Donaldson, Janeane Garofolo, Ice-T, Ron Jeremy, Bill Maher, Michael Medved, Alanis Morissette, Kevin Smith and the late Hunter S. Thompson.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Dec 17th at 7:20pm for Blood Diamond at the Regal Fenway Stadium 13 . Look for Sean wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Please Note: The club will not be meeting the last two Sundays of 2006 (December 24th and December 31st). We hope to see you in the New Year when we return on January 7th, 2007!

Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990’s Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) - a South African mercenary - and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) - a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon - who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields - has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a trek through rebel territory, a journey that could save Solomon’s family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Dec 24th at 7:10pm for Night at the Museum at the Regal Cinema Fenway 13. Look for Ari wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he’s destined for something big. But even he could never have imaged how “big,” when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry’s watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he’s history’s fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.