Hey there Everyone!
While I was very tempted to catch STEAMBOY this week for the Chlotrudis Monday Night Movie of the Week, I deferred (partially because only the English language version is showing at that time). Instead I went with OFF THE MAP, the latest directorial effort from Campbell Scott (BIG NIGHT). In what Roger Ebert calls, “one of the year’s most unusual and affecting films,” Scott takes us to 1974 and the harshly beautiful wilds of Taos, New Mexico. Join us for the 7:30 p.m. screening at the Kendall Square Cinema.
The wilds of Taos, New Mexico are home to eleven-year-old Bo Groden (Valentina de Angelis) and her free-thinking parents, Arlene (Joan Allen) and Charley (Sam Elliott). When a hapless IRS agent (Jim True-Frost) arrives to investigate the Groden’s tax history, he proves to be a catalyst in their lives. Embraced by the Groden’s idyllic, peculiar world, the agent soon falls in love with the magical landscape and its extraordinary people and quickly forgets what he came for. Screenplay by Joan Ackermann, based on her play. Directed by Campbell Scott (co-director of BIG NIGHT).
DIRECTOR: Campbell Scott
CAST: J.D. Hawkins, Joan Allen, Amy Brenneman, Valentina de Angelis, Sam Elliott, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Skousen, Jim True-Frost
Weekend film buffs should try and catch the new documentary playing at the Brattle Theatre, L.A. PLAYS ITSELF, which kicks off a series of Noir films set in L.A. Other recent releases that have been getting some buzz include Danny Boyle’s MILLIONS and the German film HEAD-ON, both playing currently at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The other new release at the Kendall this week is SCHIZO, director Guka Omarova’s coming-of-age story is set in 1990s Kazakhstan.
I hope those of you who attended last weekend’s 11th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony had a terrific time! I’ve heard comments such as, “the best Chlotrudis Awards ever!” to multiple comments on the “best after-party ever!” It’s great to hear that kind of feedback, despite the fact that we were woefully under-attended. Still, it was a terrific audience, and those of you who couldn’t make it, I hope to see you at next year’s event (and lots of times in between!) Our three guests, Lucas Belvaux, Ellen Page, and John O’Brien were absolutely delightful, and all our guest presenters, and Chlotrudis participants did an outstanding job. You can get a sneak preview of some of the terrific photos taken by ace photographer (and all around sweet guy) Brandon Constant on your left. That’s Kate Pike, Emily Pike (on video), Michael Colford, Scot Colford, Merri Lavine, and Janet Young (in the foreground) during the opening multimedia extravaganza. Look for results and the rest of the pictures on the web over the weekend!
As for our other event last weekend, thanks to all of you who attended the WILBY WONDERFUL screenings. Ellen Page was a trooper, introducing or doing q&a’s at four screenings. Attendance was healthy, and I saw lots of Chlotrudis members on Saturday night! I’d love for some of you to send in your reviews so we can get them up on the website. For those of you who missed it, we will have a screener copy available when THAT season starts up again.
See you at the movies!
Playing this week, March 25 – 31.
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
Area Theatrical Premiere
L.A. Plays Itself (Fri. – Sun.)
Dark Side of the Sun: L.A. Noir
The Big Sleep (Sat. & Sun.)
Chinatown (Mon.)
Criss Cross (Tue.)
This Gun for Hire (Tue.)
Point Blank (Wed.)
Collateral (Thu.)
To Live & Die in L.A. (Thu.)
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline
Head-On
Million Dollar Baby
Academy Award Nominated Shorts
Millions
Watermarks
Midnite Madness
Ladyhawke (Fri. & Sat.)
Coolidge Award retrospective of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
Apocalypse Now (Mon.)
Coolidge Award Seminar:
THE AMERICAN VIEW: Coppola & Beatty (Wed.)
Booksmith Presents
Jonathan Lethem (Thu.)
FEI Theatres Capitol Theatres, Arlington
A Very Long Engagement (ineligible)
Finding Neverland
Bride & Prejudice
Sideways
Closer (ineligible)
FEI Theatres Somerville Theatres, Somerville
Sideways
Bad Education
Closer (ineligible)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (ineligible)
Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge
California Stars: Los Angeles on Film
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (Fri. & Sun.)
Tarzan and Jane Regained’Sort of (Fri. & Tue.)
Mayor of the Sunset Strip (Sat. & Sun.)
The Kid Stays in the Picture (Sat.)
Los, Pasadena Freeway Stills, & L.A.X. (Mon.)
Los Angeles, Now (Tue.)
Hollywood Hits Theatre, Danvers
Born into Brothels
Paper Clips
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
Sideways Nominated for FOUR Chlotrudis Awards, including Best Cast!
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby (ineligible)
Landmark Theatres
Kendall Square, Cambridge
Schizo
Off the Map
Steamboy
Millions
Walk on Water
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Nobody Knows
Downfall
Born into Brothels
Hotel Rwanda
Embassy Cinema, Waltham
Melinda and Melinda
Downfall
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Bride & Prejudice
Born into Brothels
Million Dollar Baby (ineligible)
Loew’s Harvard Square, Cambridge
Melinda and Melinda
In My Country
The Upside of Anger
Dear Frankie
Schultze Gets the Blues
Million Dollar Baby (ineligible)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Staircase (Fri.)
Spanish Cinema
In the City (Fri. – Sun.)
Pre-Release Screening
Turtles Can Fly (Fri.)
Vietnamese Cinema
Buffalo Boy
Maurice Pialat Retrospective
Graduate First (Sat.)
Van Gogh (Sun.)
Art on Film
Antonio Gaudi (Sun.)
The Newburyport Screening Room, Newburyport
Travelers & Magicians
West Newton Cinema, West Newton
Walk on Water
Hotel Rwanda
The Chorus
Schultze Gets the Blues
Being Julia
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
Michael R. Colford
Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, President
The real excitement is coming up this weekend, with the Chlotrudis Society of Independent Film’s WILBY Weekend and 11th Annual Awards Ceremony! The weekend kicks off on Friday and Saturday when Chlotrudis and the Brattle Film Foundation co-present 
collect the Breakthrough Award, won last year by the fabulous Kerry Washington. Other guests include Belgian writer/director/actor Lucas Belvaux, whose films 
To celebrate the young actress’ auspicious beginning, the Chlotrudis Society will also present Ellen Page with its Breakthrough Award as part of its 11th Annual Chlotrudis Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 20th. In addition to the astounding work Ms. Page has evidenced in her Canadian features, CSIF is looking to the near future when she surprises American in HARD CANDY, a raw and controversial film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The public is invited to attend – festivities begin at 5pm, and admission is $15. Ms. Page joins French director Lucas Belvaux (
Join us this Sunday, March 13 for the Sunday Eye Opener, 11:00 a.m. at the Brattle Theatre. This week’s screening features the lovely documentary, SUNSET STORY. Lucille Alpert and Irja Lloyd are the main subjects of SUNSET STORY, a wonderful documentary by Laura Gabbert that may make you laugh and cry ‘ and may change your mind about age and aging. You probably won’t find two more fascinating camera subjects, two livelier conversationalists or two richer, more rewarding, more engaging and inspiring companions in any movie, fiction or non-fiction, this year. SUNSET STORY has been shot with minimal resources but with maximum heart and soul. It’s a film ‘ and a pair of people ‘ you won’t soon forget.
This week we’re thrilled to feature this provocative new documentary that covers an unseen aspect of the U.S. war in Iraq. GUNNER PALACE reveals the complex realities of the situation in Iraq not seen on the nightly news. Told first-hand by U.S. troops, GUNNER PALACE presents a thought provoking portrait of a dangerous and chaotic war that is personal, highly emotional, sometimes disturbing, surprisingly amusing … and thoroughly fascinating. Filmmaker Michael Tucker, who lived with 2/3 Field Artillery, a.k.a. “The Gunners” for two months, captures the lives and humanity of these soldiers whose barracks are the bombed-out pleasure palace of Uday Hussein (nicknamed Gunner Palace), situated in the heart of the most volatile section of Baghdad. With total access to all operations and activities, Tucker’s insider footage provides a rare look at the day-to-day lives of these soldiers on the ground — whether swimming in Uday’s pool and playing golf on his putting green or executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs, mortar attacks, RPGs and snipers.
Chlotrudis will present John O’Brien its Maverick Award, given to a member of the film community who best exemplifies that description. Based in Vermont, O’Brien has mined his hometown of Tunbridge for inspiration, location shooting and even casting for his last three movies, including this year’s 
Lucas Belvaux, on the other hand, opted for the highest degree of difficulty with his threesome of films by adding actor to his job description along with writer/director. Moreover, 
Korean cinema has really come into it’s own. At the same time, the Asian “hair horror” genre has taken the U.S. by storm, spawning American remakes left and right. 
Speaking of Kore-eda, you’ve got another chance to catch DISTANCE, one of his unreleased in the U.S. films, which is playing again Friday night, February 18, at the Harvard Film Archive. This dreamlike examination of a group of people who all have connections with victims of Japan’s seren gas subway tragedy is a challenging piece for fans of the filmmakers. I’m disappointed taht I will not be able to catch this film again after seeing it in 2002 at the Toronto Film Festival. It could definitely use a second viewing. Another HFA film that you might want to catch is Tuesday night’s screening of 
We will certainly miss Ivy leading the discussion for this week’s Sunday Eye Opener, the latest in the Asian “hair-horror” genre, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, but we’re thrilled to have Clinton McClung, Program Director for the Coolidge Corner Theatre, and Chlotrudis Board Treasurer, who will be filling in this week! It’s sure to be pretty lively. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is our second film in two weeks from Korea, and as we saw last weekend, Korea is putting out some pretty challenging films! Chlotrudis members can pay $25 for the remainder of the series (which goes through early April… still quite a bargain!) or just pay $10 to drop in for a single day. But I will give you a little preview: we’re hoping to have a guest discussion leader on March 20 (Chlotrudis Day) who was an award winner last year! THAT’s an event you won’t want to miss!