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EWB Film Club


Jimmy

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Attempt #67,000. 

As mentioned in the BBC Poll thread, I want to attempt another EWB watch-a-long thing. If we could get between 4-7 people interested, with the aim of getting people to watch films they might not usually watch, then I think it could be pretty worthwhile. It feels like, lately, there's been some really interesting discussions about films: both new, old and foreign-language and it'd be great to just get everyone watching some good stuff and we can discuss it. 

As ever, the format of something like this is hard to nail down. I'd suggest keeping it loose, we try to watch one film a week, which is linked by a theme: a certain director or film movement (Italian Neo-Realism, New Hollywood, French New Wave etc). 

There's a pretty interesting challenge on Letterboxd at the moment which covers a bit of film history: http://letterboxd.com/karmanoodle/list/film-school-drop-outs-weekly-challenge-2017/

Just a few suggestions. I'd also happily design / come up with something along these lines. I think it's best if we pick a category or something, so then everyone has the opportunity to have a bit more choice in what they watch, instead of making everyone watch the same film. 

So yeah, bit vague, but who is in? And what do people want this to be?

WEEK ONE 

  • Watch a Stephen King adaptation. 
  • Liam's Suggestions: The Shining, Misery and Carrie (original). It doesn't have to be one of these.
  • Bonus points if it's a horror themed one, which most of them are. 
  • You have until Saturday 23:59 GMT to watch. 

WATCHED:

Myke - Apt Pupil (1998)

The Canadian Destroyer - The Shining (1980)

I DDT 'Em - Children of the Corn (1984)

DFF - The Dead Zone (1983)

 

Edited by Jimmy
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I have a weird amount of spare time to watch films, so I may be able to do multiple per week, then none for a couple of months etc. Otherwise, I'm interested. I have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Lovefilm, as well as a Cineworld card so can usually find a new/old film to fit the bill.

 

EDIT:

As for ideas on what to focus on, I think the looser the better. As much as I'm sure those us that did media/film studies may enjoy some Italian neo-realism ( :P ), it may be a bit too of a highbrow approach to sustain a regular, casual group.

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27 minutes ago, Fly the W! said:

Sounds too fancy for me already. The hell is  Italian Neo-Realism?

Yeah, I'm up for a film club, but I sort of feel like if it's ever going to work long term on EWB then it needs to be popular films, which is probably the opposite of what you want from a film club >_>

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1 hour ago, Benji said:

Yeah, I'm up for a film club, but I sort of feel like if it's ever going to work long term on EWB then it needs to be popular films, which is probably the opposite of what you want from a film club >_>

I mean generally yeah, this was kinda born out of the discussion people were having in the critics thread about wanting to see more, or discussing stuff like The Third Man, Casablanca and Battle of Algiers. We could potentially run it so every week there was an option to do a more popular film and something considered a little more critically-acclaimed / film snob-y.

I'm just aware we've tried to cater for both in the past, or meet in the middle, and it ends up with only three of us doing it anyway. So thought I'd try and jump in and push people out of their comfort zone. I strongly believe you don't need to have studied film or whatever to enjoy something like The Apartment and as long as you strictly don't hate subtitles, I think something like The Bicycle Thieves (a neorealist film) is super great and really accessible. I wouldn't make it so we were watching stuff that's crazy challenging or dipping too into experimental. 

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2 hours ago, Jimmy said:

I mean generally yeah, this was kinda born out of the discussion people were having in the critics thread about wanting to see more, or discussing stuff like The Third Man, Casablanca and Battle of Algiers. We could potentially run it so every week there was an option to do a more popular film and something considered a little more critically-acclaimed / film snob-y.

I'm just aware we've tried to cater for both in the past, or meet in the middle, and it ends up with only three of us doing it anyway. So thought I'd try and jump in and push people out of their comfort zone. I strongly believe you don't need to have studied film or whatever to enjoy something like The Apartment and as long as you strictly don't hate subtitles, I think something like The Bicycle Thieves (a neorealist film) is super great and really accessible. I wouldn't make it so we were watching stuff that's crazy challenging or dipping too into experimental. 

What I think you should do is just rotate. One week something that is more mainstream but still interesting (something like Hanna), the next week do something that pushes people's boundaries. Even mainstream movies have interesting things to talk about, so long as you pick the right ones. 

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10 minutes ago, RPS said:

What I think you should do is just rotate. One week something that is more mainstream but still interesting (something like Hanna), the next week do something that pushes people's boundaries. Even mainstream movies have interesting things to talk about, so long as you pick the right ones. 

Was going to suggest the same thing. I would be interested in doing something along the lines of this.

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18 minutes ago, RPS said:

What I think you should do is just rotate. One week something that is more mainstream but still interesting (something like Hanna), the next week do something that pushes people's boundaries. Even mainstream movies have interesting things to talk about, so long as you pick the right ones. 

Oh yeah, that was totally my plan. I was trying to say I didn't wanna watch current stuff, there's been loads of amazing stuff in the last five years we could watch, something like Hanna is perfect. This works. 

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4 hours ago, Fly the W! said:

Sounds too fancy for me already. The hell is  Italian Neo-Realism?

I wrote an essay at University about it. It was a movement designed to show the reality of life in Italy post war, often completed on bare bones budgets and even re-using film stock from various sources. The people involved were also often not actually actors, to try and make it as realistic as possible.

If anyone shies away from The Bicycle Thieves purely due to a)it being foreign, or b) it being part of a foreign cinema movement, you are missing an excellent film. One that, outside of slow pacing, is easily accessible and tells a simple, yet effective story. Not aimed at you just generally - brilliant film.

Not that I'm likely to be part of this, but getting members to choose on a rotation basis might be good.

That Letterboxd thing looks really interesting btw.

Also also, it would be cool to see people stretch their boundaries. Check out 'The General' with Buster Keaton, 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari', things like that.

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I'd love to do something like this but I don't think it'll be all that easy to source most of these films you guys have been talking about, like without costing a bundle.

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Just now, MechaKanezilla said:

I'd love to do something like this but I don't think it'll be all that easy to source most of these films you guys have been talking about, like without costing a bundle.

Or being dodgy.

I think being dodgy should be the way.

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23 minutes ago, Liam said:

I wrote an essay at University about it. It was a movement designed to show the reality of life in Italy post war, often completed on bare bones budgets and even re-using film stock from various sources. The people involved were also often not actually actors, to try and make it as realistic as possible.

If anyone shies away from The Bicycle Thieves purely due to a)it being foreign, or b) it being part of a foreign cinema movement, you are missing an excellent film. One that, outside of slow pacing, is easily accessible and tells a simple, yet effective story. Not aimed at you just generally - brilliant film.

Not that I'm likely to be part of this, but getting members to choose on a rotation basis might be good.

That Letterboxd thing looks really interesting btw.

Also also, it would be cool to see people stretch their boundaries. Check out 'The General' with Buster Keaton, 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari', things like that.

Metropolis is probably my favourite from that early era. Nosferatu and Sunrise also hold up really, really well. Would also suggest people try some of Buster Keaton's short films like Scarecrow and nearly-feature Sherlock Jr, which, will wet your appetite for something like The General. Keaton is a genius. 

 

2 minutes ago, MechaKanezilla said:

I'd love to do something like this but I don't think it'll be all that easy to source most of these films you guys have been talking about, like without costing a bundle.

You'd be surprised, there's a lot of great stuff available on the cheap. For us Brits, even outside of Netflix, Amazon, Mubi etc then you can rent classics and great independent film from Curzon Home Cinema and BFI Player for like £2.

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