Films at the Freer|Sackler

This weekend marks the reopening of the Freer|Sackler here in DC. The films shown at this Smithsonian gem are always worthwhile, and there are a few coming up. Check out their website for the lineup: https://www.freersackler.si.edu/events/films/

...if we may be allowed to highlight, here's the trailer for Neko Atsume House, a film based on the popular app, which will be shown Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 3:30. It's free!!

 

Disco Film Screenings at the LOC

The Library of Congress just announced their "Bibliodiscotheque" and a whole series of film screenings to go with it!
Here are a few disco-themed movies from our collection to get you dancing!

• The Greasy Strangler (HU DVD 13736): Ronnie runs a disco walking tour of Los Angeles with his adult son Brayden when the appearance of a beautiful woman on their tour along with the surfacing of the killer The Greasy Strangler changes their world forever.
• 54 (HU DVD 12193): Just another kid with big ambitions, Shane O’Shea was like countless others, stuck at the end of the line outside New York’s infamous Studio 54 Disco. But when he finally gets a foot in the door, it doesn’t take him long to experience 54.
• Saturday Night Fever (HU DVD 3123): Tony is an undereducated Brooklyn teenager who is bored with his daytime job. The highlight of his week is going to the local disco, where he is the king of the dance floor. Tony meets Stephanie at the disco and they agree to dance together in a competition. Stephanie resists Tony’s attempts to romance her, as she aspires to greater things. Gradually, Tony also becomes disillusioned with the life he is leading and he and Stephanie decide to help one another to start afresh.
• Boogie Nights (HU DVD 8): A film that throws the covers back on California’s adult entertainment industry in the swinging seventies. It’s a touching and often humorous portrait of a most unusual family of filmmakers, brought to dazzling life by an all-star cast and sizzling seventies soundtrack.
• The Last Days of Disco (HU DVD 3318): Depicts the ’last days’ at a disco palace, where drugs, sex and weirdness ran rampant. Icy Charlotte and demure Alice toil by day as publishing house assistants and by night the two look for romance and entertainment at a premier disco club. But, as the disco is closed, they wonder if disco can ever really be dead?
• Airplane (HU DVD 6241): An off-the-wall comedy that spoofs airplane disaster flicks. An ex-fighter pilot is forced to take over the control of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning. (Has a disco scene!)
• Xanadu (HU DVD 6744): Danny, an aging musician who wants to open a nightclub, and Sonny, a young artist, are both searching for inspiration. Kira, a beautiful mythical muse, is brought to earth in order to help both men fulfill their dreams.

And let's not forget this epic disco scene:

Come check out a movie! You should be dancing...yeah!

See Rings two days early!

There are many, many reasons you might want a break this week. So we have one for you – free passes to see the upcoming movie Rings two days early!

The American remake of The Ring came out 15 years ago, back when most people probably had the means to watch a cursed videotape. This time around, it looks like Samara's video has ended up on YouTube. That's probably way more efficient for cursing people. Although there are plenty of cursed videos on the internet already.

We have passes to see this movie tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 1st, at 7pm in Friendship Heights. We only have physical passes this time, so you'll have to swing by the Media Services desk in the library to grab one. As always, keep in mind that advance screenings are intentionally overbooked. Show up early to guarantee a seat.

See The Accountant early and for free, with director Q&A!

We have more passes to see movies in advance this week – with a Q&A with the director!

This time around, we have passes for a preview screening of The Accountant, the new Ben Affleck-fronted thriller with a title that doesn't suggest that all. You'd normally have to wait until this hits theaters to see whether a movie about an accountant could actually be exciting, but you can see it for free on Thursday, October 6th, at 7pm in Friendship Heights. Stick around afterwards for the Q&A with director Gavin O'Connor.

We only have physical copies of these passes, so you'll need to swing by in person at the Media Serviecs desk to pick these up. As always, remember that these events are intentionally overbooked, so get there as early as you can to ensure that you get a seat.

SOC's Media that Matter series kicks off with Thank You for Playing

Every semester, SOC's Media that Matter film series highlights social issues as captured on the screen, from race issues in America to the ethics of food. It's a very AU film series in the best way, and often, the screening includes a discussion with the filmmakers. Last semester, the series included a screening of Best Picture winner Spotlight and an interview with then-Boston Globe editor Martin Barton.

Media that Matter starts again this Wednesday with a screening of Thank You for Playing, a documentary about the development of the video game That Dragon, Cancer – an autobiographical game by Amy and Ryan Green about caring for their infant, who was diagnosed with cancer. That Dragon, Cancer is a raw, emotional experience to play, and Thank You for Playing looks at the people who chose to tell their story through an unexpected medium.

The screening begins at 6pm on Wednesday, September 14th, in the McKinley Building's Forman Theater; the film will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers led by AU Game Lab's Lindsay Grace.

See Queen of Katwe for free TOMORROW!

One of the great perks of living in a major city is getting to see movies before they come out. This week, we have free passes to see Queen of Katwe, the upcoming biopic about Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, weeks before it hits theaters! The screening is tomorrow, Monday, September 12th, as 7pm in Friendship Heights.

To redeem your pass, visit SeeItFirst.net and enter the code 625515. You can redeem a pass for one or two people. These screenings are always intentionally overbooked to ensure a full house, so plan to show up early to ensure you get a seat.

AFI Docs begins tonight with a Werner Herzog treat on Friday

AFI Docs has arrived! For one week every summer, the American Film Institute takes over DC, hosting five days of screenings for new documentaries and documentary shorts. AFI Docs attracts top talent from around the world – including, this year, a special event with Werner Herzog and his new film Lo and Behold.

Tickets for Herzogpalooza are already sold out, but there are plenty of other documentaries to watch this week in downtown DC and Silver Spring. Highlights include...

• The Man Who Saw Too Much, about a photojournalist who covered crime and tragedy in Mexico City for five decades.
• Toucan Nation, which looks at toucan rehabilitation programs and animal welfare laws.
• Sonita, the story of an aspiring rapper living in Iran, where women are not allowed perform music.
• Obit, a behind-the-scenes look at the New York Times's obituary department.

The festival kicks off tonight with a screening of Zero Days, a new documentary from Alex Gibney (director of HBO's Going Clear) about American Stuxnet virus reporetedly designed to attack Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Tickets cost around $12 each, the usual price for a high-end movie screening. See the AFI Docs website for a full list of what's playing this week. Or you can get the official app!

See Inside Out tonight in Adams Morgan!

It's been a while since we checked in with all the outdoor movie screenings happening in DC this summer. As it turns out, there's one tonight!

The Adams Morgan BID will be screening Inside Out tonight at the Marie Reed School Soccer Field, just a block or two away from Amsterdam Falafelshop. The movie starts half an hour after sundown – which should be around 8:30 to 9-ish – and the first 50 attendees get free cookies courtesy of Tryst.

If you're still riding the Pixar train after Finding Dory this weekend and need evening plans, why not swing by AdMo for Inside Out? If you leave near AU anyway, it's convenient and, best of all, free!

Watch Purple Rain for free at the MLK Library tonight

Prince graffiti in Tenleytown

Prince's sudden death last month still comes as a shock, and the public outpouring of grief and remembrance has reminded us of his singular musical talent. In the realm of film, Prince also left four movies of varying quality. While Under the Cherry Moon may not be remembered as more than an oddity, his soundtrack and starring role as The Kid in Purple Rain are beloved contributions to the film canon.

As part of the extended mourning period, the MLK Library downtown will host a free screening of Purple Rain at 6pm. This is part of DC Public Library's ongoing Tuesday Night Movies series. The event room can hold 250 people, so whoever shows up first gets a seat.

If you haven't seen Purple Rain before, now is the right time. This is the movie that established Prince is a superstar.

Get ready for DC's outdoor movie season

Photo via Bethesda Urban Partnership

You did it! The semester's over! Despite the overcast, soggy weather, we're officially in the academic summer. For those sticking around DC for the summer (as we are), we'll keep you updated on interesting film events and happenings around town.

As part of our favorite DC summer tradition, communities all around the DMV will be hosting outdoor movie screenings from May through August. No matter where in the area you live, you'll find something interesting to watch one evening. We're most excited about the Congressional Cemetery Cinematery, a movie screening series in a graveyard.

We'll update you about these as they come up, but if you want a master list of what to expect, visit the handy website DC Outdoor Films. The site also mentions which screenings will have captions (hurray accessibility!).

See The Terminator with artificial intelligence experts – free!

Tomorrow, AU takes a day-long study break before final exams begin. Use this time wisely if you need it, and don't forget about the library's Final Perk event!

But suppose you're off-campus, have time on your hands, and want something film-y to do. Slate's Future Tense has you covered. Tomorrow, the web magazine's futurist column will host a free screening of The Terminator at 6:30pm at E Street Cinema downtown. The screening will be accompanied by a discussion from robotics and technology experts Kevin Bankston and Sean Luke about the concept of "killer artificial intelligence."

We hope the robot uprising won't happen for many years, but expert testimony and a great movie on the topic are a great way to spend the evening. See the linked article for details about how to attend; you'll need to RSVP via email.

See local film shorts, featuring the AU Library's Christina Floriza!

We have a special film screening recommendation today: the AU Library's own Christina Floriza is starring in Rendezvous, a new independent short film playing at the NOVA Film Festival tomorrow in Fairfax, VA.

The film looks like a small-scale dinner date dramedy, filmed on location at a restaurant in Tysons Corner. We haven't seen it and can't much it or its merits, but we'll gladly encourage you to go see it to support Christina!

The NOVA Film Festival continues tomorrow, April 25th at 7pm at the Angelika Film Center in Fairfax. Tickets for the two-hour block featuring Rendezvous cost $11 – not a bad price for a bunch of local shorts. Purchase them through the NOVA Film Festival website.

Congratulations to Christina for her theatrical debut!

Hear Betty Boop and Max Fleischer favorites performed live

Discussion about the early history of animation tends to focus on Walt Disney and Looney Tunes, ignoring good old Max Fleischer. Fleischer was the man behind Betty Boop, Popeye, and other Depression-era classics. We could talk about those for a week, especially the censorship of Betty Boop, but one of the most critical parts of Fleischer's cartoons was the music he used. Compared to Steamboat Willie's stereotypically peppy score, Betty Boop was jazzier, riskier, and a little more culturally savvy.

In celebration of Max Fleischer's career, the currently ongoing Washington Jewish Film Festival will host a screening this weekend of some of Fleischer's cartoons with the music performed live, as improbable as this sounds, by a Max Fleischer cover band. Hear Betty Boop sing! Marvel at how Fleischer's animation reflects the Jazz Age rather than glossing it over!

The video embedded above should give you an idea of what to expect. This is really novel performance idea and a great way to celebrate Fleischer's body of work.

The screening-concert will be at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 5th, at the AFI Silver in Silver Spring.

See Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie early and for free!

Sacha Baron Cohen rose to fame for his prank documentary characters like Ali G and Bruno, but in recent years, he's chosen to hone his character-building in self-produced scripted movies like The Dictator. Cohen has been out of the limelight for about four years since The Dictator – the longest he's gone without portraying one of his many characters. His next film, The Brothers Grimsby, will hopefully be a return to form.

The Brothers Grimsby won't hit American theaters until the middle of March, but we have advance passes to see it early, one week from now!

The film will screen at 7pm on Wednesday, March 2nd, at the AMC Mazza Gallerie in Friendship Heights. Grab your passes online via this link. As is the case with all advance screenings, this preview of The Brothers Grimsby will be intentionally overbooked, so show up early to ensure that you get a seat.

Cohen is a gifted former, so we hope this one is good. We'll find out next week!

Games on Film invades National Harbor's MAGFest this weekend

In DC, film festivals turn up in the oddest places. This city hosts so many non-profits and interest organizations that you can usually find special screenings for any topic or culture, as we've covered in the past. For 2016, you can add gaming to that list: as part of the annual Music and Games Festival in National Harbor, Maryland, MAGFest is hosting Games on Film, a selection of 15 films and 40 shorts about games and gaming culture.

Over the four-day event, which starts tomorrow, Games on Film will screen a mix of feature films and documentaries about gaming. We'll admit that the feature film selection seems less interesting (most are fan adaptations of popular games), but the documentaries caught our attention. Of particular interest are Thank You for Playing, about the production of a game based on a true story of childhood cancer, and The Power of Glove, a tongue-in-cheek look at the infamously poor Nintendo glove controller.

There's also quite a few about the culture around gaming and game conventions, especially costuming Keep an eye out for Shades of Cosplay: A Black Cosplayer Documentary.

MAGFest isn't an inexpensive event – $75 for the weekend or $45 per day – so we're not sure we can recommend going entirely for the film lineup. But if you're interested in gaming anyway (board games too!), you should stop in at this up-and-coming festival.

Need a finals break? See The Danish Girl on Thursday!

Welcome to finals week! We know it might be a rough time of year, so best of luck.

We're kicking off this hellacious week with a little present: advance passes to see The Danish Girl on Thursday, December 10th at 7pm in Friendship Heights. The story of transgender woman Lili Elbe is fascinating and timely, and Eddie Redmayne's performance has garnered major attention (and some controversy). No one has won back-to-back acting awards since Tom Hanks for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump; could Redmayne be next?

You can see for yourself weeks before the film expands to a larger national release – what better study break? You can pick up passes in person at Media Services or online. Remember to show up early: passes don't guarantee admission, and these screenings typically fill up early.

Hopefully you can make time this week to head to the movies. If not, we hope to at least see you at the library's Final Perk event on Wednesday!

See Leonardo DiCaprio's next big (award-winning?) film early!

November and December are the peak release months for prestige films. Academy Award nominees are announced in January, and the big hopefuls have a habit of popping up right before the deadline. We've been fortunate enough to share passes to a few of these movies, but we're saving the biggest for the end of the semester...

We have advance passes to see The Revenant, director Alejandro González Iñárritu's upcoming frontier movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio! The Revenant is in serious contention for Best Picture, and DiCaprio is an early favorite to win Best Actor – potentially his first Oscar. And you can see it almost a month before everyone else. Lucky you!

(Plus, there will be a Q&A afterwards with supporting actor Will Poulter!)

We have only 40 admit-two passes to give away for this screening on Thursday, December 3 at 7pm at the Georgetown Loews 14. Follow this link to redeem your pass before they're gone. This screening will no doubt be packed, so you'll need to arrive way in advance of the 7pm start time to ensure that you get a seat. Passes don't guarantee that you'll get in!

Snag a pass now so you can lord it over your family for Thanksgiving! Or, because it's an incredibly exciting movie that you can see weeks early for free before it becomes a hot topic.

See The Night Before a week early! (Yes, Christmas in November, sorry.)

So here's the deal: we absolutely do not want to contribute to the early glut of pre-Thanksgiving Christmas and holiday celebration. Thanksgiving is a great holiday, and November deserves to be its own month. That said, holiday-themed movies are coming out early this year, and since we have advance passes to one, we are obliged to promote it. (Also because it's an exciting one!)

Our advance passes this time are to see The Night Before, an upcoming, R-rated Seth Rogen comedy about a group of manchildren celebrating their last raucous Christmas party together before they grow up. Joseph Gordon-Levitt co-stars as one of Rogen's friends, a great casting choice that might counterbalance Rogen's usual antics. The movie opens on November 20th (too soon!), but we have passes to see it on Monday, November 16th at 7:30pm (even sooner!).

The movie screens at the Regal Stadium 14 in Gallery Place on Monday. Grab your passes from this link or in-person at the Media Services desk. As usual, remember that these passes don't guarantee that you'll get in; show up early to ensure that you get a seat.

(Hopefully this will be our last holiday season-themed post for a few weeks... but at least we did it in the service of something funny!)

Grab more passes for two weeks of free advance movies

Our steady stream of advance passes for films continues this week with two new release movies that you can see before they hit theaters! If you need a pre- or post-Halloween film happening, we have you covered.

First up is My All American, an Aaron Eckhart-fronted drama about the University of Texas's football team from the writer of Hoosiers. We have no clue if it's any good, but that's some good sports movie pedigree. This one is at 7pm on Thursday, October 29th at the AMC in Friendship Heights. Grab passes here.

A little further down the road, we also have passes for Brooklyn, the story of an Irish immigrant in the 1950s played by Saoirse Ronan. Early reviews from film festivals are very positive (with some Oscar talk, of course), so you might want to see this one before Ronan breaks out. This screening will be at 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 3rd at the Georgetown Loews theater. Early birds can get their passes via Fox Searchlight.

Of course, as we always need to warn that these events are intentionally overbooked to ensure that there's a full house. Arrive early at these screenings to get a seat.

DC rings in the official arrival of The Future

At long last, 26 years after the film's release, today is the day that Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrive in the future in Back to the Future Part II. Despite occupying only a fraction of the running time of the entire trilogy, the futuristic 2015 is one of the most iconic and memorable depictions of the future on film.

Dozens of websites have already covered what BTTFII got right and wrong about the distant future of 2015, so instead, let's round up all the Back to the Future-related happenings in the city today!

Reston, VA is the center of the biggest celebrations: as part of the Washington West International Film Festival, the city has changed its name to Hill Valley and will host a marathon screening of the trilogy at EXACTLY 7pm tonight. On Sunday, WWIFF will also screen a new documentary about the history of the series and a sold-out red carpet celebration featuring Doc Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd.

If you can't make it out to Reston, the Regal 14 in Gallery Place downtown will host a screening of BTTFII at 5pm... which we assume is as close as they could get to the 4:29pm, the exact time Marty and Doc arrive in the future. The Esquire Network will also run a marathon of the series throughout the day. (Our copy of Back to the Future II is already checked out, sorry! The original is still available though.)

And for the 21+ crowd, Fantom Comics in Dupont Circle will hold a Back to the Future celebration party this evening, complete with a costume and impression contest. Hill Valley-themed drinks are promised.

We could join the chorus bemoaning that we didn't get hoverboards or self-drying jackets, but instead, let's celebrate that our 2015 is exciting in different, totally unexpected ways. for instance, you're reading this blog post that I wrote from the basement of a library instead of a newspaper! Take that, USA Today!