BMFI's Holiday Gift Guide for Movie Lovers

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager, BMFI

Happy holidays from all of us at Bryn Mawr Film Institute! Have you trimmed the tree and baked the cookies, but are still looking for the perfect gifts? Here are some of our favorite film-related gifts to give and receive.

Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit
Suggested by Patricia Wesley, Director of Development and Communications

The Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit game challenges your memory of characters, places, elvish languages, and plot points of the great J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy PLUS your knowledge of Peter Jackson’s film adaptations. Surviving a round of this game is the litmus test for prospective suitors in our family.

Swag from the All American Girls Professional Baseball League
Suggested by Nicole Redman, Executive Assistant

A League of Their Own is one of my favorite movies. The All American Girls Professional Baseball League has some great merchandise for the female sports fan, including some fun callbacks to the film, like this t-shirt. Plus, the proceeds support the non-profit AAGPBL Players Association.

Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock's San Francisco by Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal
Suggested by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of Education

This book is a wonderful gift for any serious Hitchcock fan, and especially for those who enjoy his Bay Area-set films: Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Vertigo (1958), and The Birds (1963). In addition to wonderful then-and-now photographs, behind-the-scenes dirt, location maps, and an introduction by Hitch’s daughter, Patricia, this book is a great help when planning a Northern California itinerary. Just ask my wife, who saw far more of Bodega Bay (setting of The Birds) than she bargained for during our trip to San Francisco.

Overlook Hotel Hat
Suggested by Valerie Temple, Programming Manager

Fans of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining are sure to appreciate this funky knit hat, the pattern of which is meant to emulate the garish carpeting of the Overlook Hotel--the creepy manor featured in the film. The bold print may not be everyone's cup of tea but this distinctive piece is sure to bring some much-needed color to the bleak winter months. Remember: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!"

Serenity "Aim to Misbehave" Apron
Suggested by Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager

I'm fan of Joss Whedon's work, especially his show Firefly and subsequent film, Serenity. I gave a similar apron as a gift last year to another fan so that they could cook with abandon and show their loyalty to the "browncoat" cause. I think Mal's example might have even encouraged them to take more risks in the kitchen!

PS. Of course, Bryn Mawr Film Institute has gift cards, gift memberships, tickets for a night out on the town at The Best Exotic Oscar Party, and raffle tickets to win a seven-night stay in Rome. To assist you with your last-minute gift purchases, the Box Office is open early every day this week.

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Devin Wachs is the Public Relations Manager for Bryn Mawr Film Institute. She joined BMFI in 2005, following her graduation from Bryn Mawr College. If you send BMFI a message on Facebook or Twitter or are interested in onscreen sponsorships, she's the one who'll be in touch!

Five More Fourth of July Film Favorites

By Angela Monaco, BMFI Intern

Last Fourth of July, we offered five movie suggestions to help get you in the patriotic spirit. Now that Independence Day is upon us once again, celebrate with five more films that will surely leave you feeling proud to be an American!

1. 1776 (1972)
It’s the summer of 1776 in Philadelphia, where the thirteen colonies are in the midst of constructing the hotly-debated Declaration of Independence. The film version of the Broadway musical comedy, 1776 offers a humorous yet educational depiction of our nation’s founding. This movie will have the whole family voting “yay” in favor of America’s freedom!

2. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Tom Cruise stars in this biography of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who, feeling betrayed by his country, becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights activist. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, Born on the Fourth of July presents a new and different take on patriotic idealism.

3. Forrest Gump (1994)
Who could be a better symbol of American patriotism than the beloved Forrest Gump? Tom Hanks plays this simple-minded yet sweet man who just happens to be present for some of America’s most famous moments in history. A decorated Vietnam War hero, Forrest Gump shamelessly approaches life with the sheer gumption and determination that every American aims to possess.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird (1963)

To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of an American hero of a different kind. In this adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel, Gregory Peck stars as Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman in the South in the 1930s. Atticus fights to make the Declaration’s main principle “all men are created equal” a reality in his racially-divided town. He exemplifies the qualities for which America is known: fairness, tolerance, and the courage to do what is right.

5. Apollo 13 (1995)
Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon star in Apollo 13, the true story of the astronauts aboard the infamous Apollo 13 space mission to the moon. Apollo 13 celebrates the pioneering spirit of the American space program, leaving you with a renewed sense of pride in America’s audacity to go where no man has gone before!

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Angela Monaco is a Spanish and Communications student entering her senior year at the University of Pittsburgh, currently interning at the Bryn Mawr Film Insitute.

St. Patrick's Day Movie Picks

By Mike Mazzanti, BMFI Intern

Instead of making jokes about leprechauns and large consumptions of alcohol for Saint Patrick’s Day, I will focus my attention on films starring famous Irish actors and actresses. With the 17th just around the corner, you can celebrate your Irish heritage with a few of these films, or just admire the awesome accents from afar.

Liam Neeson
Pick: Schindler’s List
In Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Liam Neeson was nominated for an Oscar for his starring role as Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Jews during the height of the Second World War. Based on a true story, this stirring and heartbreaking masterpiece was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won seven including Best Picture and Best Director.
Most Irish Role: Gangs of New York
In Martin Scorsese’s ten-time Oscar-nominated Gangs of New York, Neeson plays Irish immigrant leader ‘Priest’ Vallon.

Cillian Murphy
Pick: Sunshine
With the sun beginning to dim, a small team of astronauts are sent out to reignite the dying star and mankind’s future. Visually striking and intelligent, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine has all the makings of a sci-fi classic. Thanks in large part to strong performances from Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Cliff Curtis, and Mark Strong, this cerebral drama is both grim and touching.

Honorable Mention:
28 Days Later
In another of Boyle’s sci-fi flicks, 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes to find London seemingly deserted; as Jim travels the streets, he soon learns the truth behind the abandoned city and the creatures lurking in the shadows.

Maureen O’Hara
Pick/Most Irish: The Quiet Man
In this romantic comedy, Irish-born American boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne) travels to his homeland to reclaim his family’s farm. He soon falls in love with Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), the fiery sister of the bullying landowner. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, The Quiet Man won two, including Best Director for John Ford.

One tough broad: Maureen O'Hara in John Ford's The Quiet Man

Colin Farrell
Pick: In Bruges
In Bruges follows Ray (Colin Farrell), a rookie hit-man with a guilty conscious who is sent to lay low in Bruges after a hit goes awry. Accompanied by veteran assassin Ken (Brendan Gleeson), they await orders from their hot-tempered and extremely principled boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes). Instantly bored with the small town, Ray soon gets into a tangle of trouble and romance with the locals, tourists, and a film crew in this witty pitch-black comedy.

Honorable Mention: Tigerland
Farrell stars as Roland Bozz, a young man trying to fight the military system, only to find it fighting back in Joel Schumacher’s gritty war drama.

Peter O’Toole
Pick: Lawrence of Arabia
In a film that has been called the epic of all epics, Peter O’Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence, a complex and controversial military figure. Sweeping and spellbinding, director David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.

Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole star in Lawrence of Arabia

Honorable Mention: Becket
In Becket, winner of the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Peter O’Toole stars as King Henry II alongside Richard Burton.

Brendan Gleeson
Pick/Most Irish: The Guard
Brendan Gleeson stars as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, an unorthodox Irish cop who is forced to work with a fish-out-of-water FBI agent (Don Cheadle). Brimming with dry wit and subversive humor, The Guard is an impressive directorial debut from John Michael McDonagh that is both raw and hilarious.

So, if you’d like to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with a flick or two, give a toast (okay, just one joke) to one of these Irish stars.

The Presidential Selections: 6 Films to Celebrate Presidents' Day

By Mike Mazzanti, BMFI Intern

Do you wish you could party in the White House this Presidents' Day but don’t, in fact, live in the White House? Well, fortunately, I’ve elected a few films to bring you into a president’s world from the comfort of your own home.

1776

Three of the Founding Fathers in 1776.

If you’re interested in celebrating Washington and Jefferson, 1776 is the candidate for you. Adapted from the hit Broadway musical and starring William Daniels and Howard Da Silva as two of America’s founding fathers, 1776 has been hailed as “a star-spangled, all-singing delight” (The Las Vegas Review-Journal), and a film “every American should watch ... once a year” (Common Sense Media).

Young Mr. Lincoln
John Ford’s classic Young Mr. Lincoln is the highly fictionalized account of the early life of Abraham Lincoln. Driven by Ford’s fine direction and a spellbinding performance from Henry Fonda, Young Mr. Lincoln received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and has been called both “a masterpiece” (Chicago Reader) and “one of the decade’s most significant works” (Variety).

Henry Fonda as a young Honest Abe.

The Conspirator
Robert Redford’s atmospheric and compelling courtroom drama The Conspirator follows Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), who is charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Swearing innocence, Mary must rely on her reluctant lawyer, Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), to uncover the truth. The star-studded drama also includes Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Alexis Bledel, and Justin Long.

Wright and McAvoy in The Conspirator.

Hoffman and Redford in
All the President's Men.

All the President’s Men
All the President’s Men is the smart and gripping drama/thriller about reporters Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) who uncovered the details about the Watergate scandal which led to President Nixon’s resignation. Nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards, Alan J. Pakula’s classic was also nominated for Best Picture, and won four Oscars including Best Adapted Screenplay.

W.
Chronicling the life and presidency of George W. Bush, Oliver Stone’s W. is led by an astounding performance from Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, True Grit) in the title role. Called both “harsh” and “surprisingly sympathetic,” W. nevertheless fascinates thanks to Brolin’s engrossing and humanizing performance.

Brolin Portraying George Bush in W.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Finally, Presidents' Day would not be complete without watching the trailer for Timur Bekmambetov’s (Wanted) adaptation of the New York Times bestseller Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. That’s right. It’s Honest Abe hacking up vampires with his trusty axe. Be warned: this trailer might shock those who were unaware that our 16th president was moonlighting as a slayer of nocturnal bloodsuckers.

So change into something formal this Presidents' Day and embark on a presidential journey through the power of cinema.

IN A LONELY PLACE and Four More Anti-Valentine's Day Flicks

By Mike Mazzanti, BMFI Intern

Romance does not fill the air for everyone this Valentine’s Day. If you find yourself in a lonely place today, the dreaded fourteenth of February, Bryn Mawr Film Institute has the perfect solution to break the romantic tradition. At 7:00 pm, BMFI will be showing the Humphrey Bogart noir classic In a Lonely Place. Suspected of murder, burnt-out screenwriter Dixon Steele (Bogart) begins a dangerous relationship with Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) after she provides the police with a solid alibi to clear his name. However, doubt and suspicion begin pushing the lovers apart in this taut thriller.

However, if your couch’s calls are too alluring, here are a four more anti-Valentine’s Day films to reassure you that being single isn’t always so bad:

Suspicion
In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1941 noir mystery Suspicion, Academy Award-winner Joan Fontaine plays Lina, a shy English woman who meets handsome gambler Johnnie Asygarth (Cary Grant) on a train. Married soon after, Lina begins to suspect Johnnie is not the man she fell for after his friend and business partner is mysteriously murdered. Blending drama and suspense, Hitchcock’s provocative tale shows just how much love can hurt.




Blue Valentine
If you’re looking for a modern story of love-gone-sour, 2010’s Blue Valentine charts the disintegration of a contemporary couple. Spanning their relationship through the years by cross-cutting between blossoming infatuation and collapsing marriage, Blue Valentine is a romantic, bleak, and ultimately harrowing depiction of love and loss. Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine is the anti-Notebook.


(500) Days of Summer
(500) Days of Summer is a charming, witty, and offbeat romantic dramedy that is both depressing and uplifting. Quirky and intelligent, the film tells story of Summer (Zooey Deschanel), a girl who doesn’t believe true love exits, and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the boy who falls for her. Perfect pacing, refreshing originality, and my personal favorite cinematic musical sequence ever make (500) Days of Summer an unusual, bittersweet romance.


True Romance
Finally, if romance is what you’re looking for but Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams kissing in the rain doesn’t cut it, give True Romance a shot. Written by Quentin Tarantino, True Romance is an off-kilter romantic pulp flick filled with humor and violence. After call-girl Alabama (Patricia Arquette) and Clarence (Christian Slater) fall hard for each other and get married, Alabama is afraid her boss, Drexel Spivey, won’t let her leave the business. Taking matters into his own hands, Clarence shoots Drexel (“So romantic!”), and accidently takes off with a briefcase full of cocaine. Looking to sell the cocaine and ride off into the sunset, the newlyweds must first outrun both the mob and police, who are both hot on their trail.

So, if you’re saying ‘no’ to The Vow and a bunch of roses this Valentine’s Day, BMFI's suggestions will keep you engaged... so to speak.

Thanksgiving Films to Feast On

By Mike Mazzanti, BMFI Intern

Starting today, November 23, Bryn Mawr Film Institute will begin screening two new films stirring up Oscar buzz. My Week with Marilyn tells the story of the tension between Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl and is led by a mesmerizing performance from Michelle Williams. Also showing is The Descendants, Alexander Payne's new dramedy that follows a land baron (George Clooney) as he attempts to reconnect with his two daughters. Critics have hailed it as “terrific” and “near perfect”.

My Week with Marilyn and The Descendants start today at BMFI

However, if you were looking for a movie themed more around turkey, mashed potatoes, and dinner tables filled with family and friends, here are five filling films for your Thanksgiving holiday feasting (though I don’t recommend adding gravy):

First, regarded as one of Woody Allen’s best, Hannah and Her Sisters is a sharp, tender, and witty comedy about three sisters, two Thanksgivings, and a tangled web of relationships. The film won three Academy Awards, for its sparkling script and performances by Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest.

Katie Holmes in Pieces of April

For a second helping, Pieces of April revolves around black-sheep April Burns (Katie Holmes) and her attempts to make the perfect Thankgiving dinner for her dying mother (Oscar-nominee Patricia Clarkson) and the rest of her estranged family in this intelligent and heartfelt 2003 indie dramedy.

Want something different on your plate? Ang Lee's The Ice Storm is a star-studded drama (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, and Elijah Wood) centered on a wealthy Connecticut family during the weekend after Thanksgiving in 1973 who find their lives spiraling out of control.

Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell in Scent of a Woman

For more drama (with touches of comedy), Al Pacino gives a masterful performance in Scent of a Woman, the story of a prep school student in need of money who “babysits” a blind man (Pacino). The classic Thanksgiving scene may or may not end with Pacino putting someone in a chokehold. “Hoo-ahh!”

Finally, if you want something less touching and dramatic and with more killer turkeys, give thanks for the irreverent and ridiculous Thankskilling, which follows a group of teens getting axed off by a homicidal turkey. Thankskilling has become a fan favorite as a horrible-but-hilarious low-budget horror-comedy flick with a tagline so crude it cannot be quoted here.

So, be it gripping drama or heartfelt comedy, Pacino chokeholds or killer turkeys, this list should satisfy your holiday movie craving. Happy Thanksgiving!

Labor Day Movies

By Zoe Portman, BMFI Intern

In honor of Labor Day, here are six films that all reflect pride in the power of the common laborer and their ability to organize. Celebrate the end of summer and the return to work by recognizing the sacrifices of workers across the years.  

1) The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Based on John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, a migrant worker during the Depression, traveling from Oklahoma to California with his family. Despite overwhelming poverty, the Joads manage to keep their family together, because they are “the people.” Both John Steinbeck and director John Ford were later investigated by Senator McCarthy due to the pro-union stance of the film.

2) Salt of the Earth (1954)

This story of Mexican miners living in New Mexico who go on strike for humane working and living conditions was made by workers who were blacklisted from Hollywood due to Communist leanings. Starring few professional actors, actual miners appeared in Salt of the Earth, which was purposefully suppressed and shown in very few theaters at the time of its release, due to the controversial subject matter. (This film will be shown as part of BMFI's Film History Discussion Series: 1945-Present later this fall.)

3) On the Waterfront (1954)

On the Waterfront stars Marlon Brando at his glowering best as dockworker Terry Malloy who confronts a corrupt labor boss Johnny Friendly. Friendly controls the docks and all dockworkers, and no one is willing to tell the police about his crimes, until Terry finds the courage to speak up. This film is always "a contender."

4) Matewan (1987)

John Sayles's Matewan depicts the struggle of West Virginian coal miners in the 1920s. A union organizer comes to town, attempting to unite workers of different races while struggling against a union infiltrator who attempts to incite violence. The mythic tone of the story is underscored by the realism of its characters, and the film is praised for its strong performances.

5) Harlan County, USA (1976)

This documentary chronicles a nearly year-long miners strike in Harlan County, Kentucky. Told through interviews with miners and their families, Harlan County, USA is unremitting in its images of poor working conditions, while the presence of the camera crew at the strike is credited with limiting the violence enacted against the striking miners.

6) Norma Rae (1979)

Sally Fields won the Best Actress Academy Award for portraying Norma Rae, a textile worker who attempts to unionize her mill despite the riffs it causes in her personal life and the dangers of antagonizing the factory.



BMFI will be showing regularly scheduled main attractions this week, but if you're in the mood for a more topical film, you can check these out.



Zoe Portman is a Film Studies student entering her fourth year at Hampshire College. She recently completed an internship at Bryn Mawr Film Institute.

Five Film Favorites for the Fourth of July

By Zoe Portman, BMFI Intern

To commemorate America’s Independence Day and spark that patriotic spirit, here are five films that celebrate America and inspire that fourth of July feeling.

1) Independence Day (1996)

Starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman, Independence Day is the story of an alien invasion of Earth launched in the days preceding America’s Independence Day. Nothing screams American patriotism like blatant xenophobia and making the rest of the world celebrate our independence. No wonder this was a #1 hit!                                         

2) Air Force One (1997)

Get off my plane!

Harrison Ford is the President of the United States, flying home on Air Force One from a conference in Russia. All he wants to do is relax with his wife and daughter, and watch the football game. However, his plans are disrupted when the plane is hijacked by Soviet radicals, led by Gary Oldman. Can good old American know-how defeat these highly trained military terrorists?

3) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Starring James Cagney as the singer/songwriter/performer George M. Cohan, Yankee Doodle Dandy is the story of Cohan’s contribution to World War I morale, told in flashback as his patriotic songs are revived for World War II. James Cagney won a Best Actor Academy Award for portraying the song-and-dance man.

4) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Jefferson Smith, a Boy Ranger leader filled with idealistic patriotism, accidently discovers political corruption in the senate. Despite his naivety, he refuses to back down, instead fighting for the American values he believes in. Even in the wake of recent political corruption and scandals, this Frank Capra classic is sure to inspire faith in America. 

5) Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

In the same vein as All the President’s Men, Good Night and Good Luck shows how honest reporting can shine through the darkness of fear and hysteria. Edward R. Murrow, already famous and beloved for his radio reports during the London Blitz, decides to attack Senator Joseph McCarthy’s fear tactics during the height of the Red Scare. This film is a testament to the power of the press.


Zoe Portman is a Film Studies student entering her fourth year at Hampshire College, currently interning at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.