Fall 2000 Movie Descriptions

Movies

Classic Movies

Lectures

Sneaks

Gladiator (R) 154 m Tuesday Sep 5, 7:00pm & 10:30pm in 26-100

When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

The Candidate (1972) (PG) 109 m Friday, Sep 8, 7:30pm in 10-250

Robert Redford. California lawyer Bill McKay (Redford) fights for the little man. His charisma and integrity get him noticed by the Democratic Party machine and he is persuaded to run for the Senate against an apparently unassailable incumbent. He campaigns on his own terms, but once his prospects improve, the deal starts to change.

Mission: Impossible 2 (PG-13) 123 m Friday Sep 8, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 10, 7:00pm in 26-100

Ethan Hunt leads his IMF team to re-capture and destroy a deadly German manufactured virus before it falls in the wrong hands.

The Virgin Suicides (R) 96 m Saturday Sep 9, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 10, 10:00pm in 26-100

Neighborhood boys discover their sexuality and delve into the mysteries of womanhood through their friendships with five sisters.

The Producers (1968), rated PG, run-time: 88 m Friday, Sep 15, 7:30pm in 10-250

Gene Wilder. In this Mel Brooks production, Max Bialystock, a washed up Broadway producer, and Leo Bloomm, a mousey CPA, hit upon a way to make a fortune by producing a surefire flop. They plan to oversell company stock and pocket funds when the company goes bankrupt. They find a surefire failure: the musical Springtime for Hitler.

Erin Brockovich (R) 130 m Friday Sep 15, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 17, 7:00pm in 26-100

A research assistant (Roberts) helps an attorney (Finney) in a lawsuit against a large utility company blamed for causing an outbreak of cancer and other illnesses in a small community.

Shanghai Noon (PG-13) 110 m Saturday Sep 16, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 17, 10:00pm in 26-100

Jackie Chan plays a Chinese man who travels to the Wild West to rescue a kidnapped princess. After teaming up with a train robber, the unlikely duo takes on a Chinese traitor and his corrupt boss.

The MIT/Ford Nobel Laureate Lecture Series Monday Sept 18, 7:00pm in Kresege

Economics Laureates Franco Modigliani, Paul Samuelson and Robert Solow will be speaking on the trends in the US Economy and where the economy is headed. Key issues may include predictions as to when there may be another recession, and how the younger generation should save for the future. All three speakers are MIT Institue Professors. The lecture will be a panel discussion, followed by a question and answer period. This event is free and open to the public.

Rob Malda - Slashdot.org Thursday Sept 21, 7:00pm in 26-100

Mr. Malda is a founder of Slashdot.org. He will speaking about open source software and about current technology issues such as the recent legal case against Napster. Following the talk, there will be a question and answer period. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Bronenosets Potyomkin aka: Battleship Potemkin, (1925), Not rated, run-time: 75 m Friday, Sep 22, 7:30pm in 10-250

After the ship's doctor declares rancid meat safe to eat, sailors buy provisions at the canteen in a show of protest. The Admiral orders all those who ate the borscht made with the contraband meat to step under the cannons in a show of loyalty. The sailors raised the red flag and tried to ignite the revolution in their home port of Odessa.

Romeo Must Die (R) 115 m Friday Sep 22, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 24, 7:00pm in 26-100

In this modern day Romeo and Juliet, kung fu action star Jet Li plays Romeo to hip-hop singer Aaliyah Haughton's Juliet. Li is an ex-cop investigating the murder of his brother, who had ties with the Chinese mafia in America. Aaliyah plays the daughter of the American mob boss. Neither side approves oftheir romance, so, obviously, kung fu action ensues, with a soundtrack by Aaliyah.

Frequency (PG-13) 118 m Saturday Sep 23, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Sep 24, 10:00pm in 26-100

An accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.

FREE MOVIE EVENT! Something About Mary, (1998), rated R, run-time: 119 m Monday Sep 25, 8:00pm in 26-100

Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller. Ted was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary. The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator to track her down. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), rated PG, run-time: 83 m Friday, Sep 29, 7:30pm in 10-250

Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, James Earl Jones. One of Stanley Kubrick's most influential films. US Air Force General Jack Ripper goes mad, and sends his bomber wing to destroy the USSR. He suspects that the Communists are conspring to pollute the "precious bodily fluids" ofthe American people. The US president meets with his advisors, where the Soviet ambassador tells him that if the USSR is hit by muclear weapons, it will trigger an unstoppable "Doomsday Device" which will detroy all plant and animal life on Earth. Will the bombers be stopped in time, or will General Jack Ripper succeed in destroying the world?

High Fidelity (R) 113 m Friday Sep 29, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 1, 7:00pm in 26-100

Based on the cult novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity follows the 'mid-life' crisis of Rob (Cusack), a thirty-something record-store owner who must face the undeniable facts - he's growing up. In a hilarious homage to the music scene, Rob and the wacky, offbeat clerks that inhabit his store expound on the intricacies of life and song all the while trying to succeed in their adult relationships. Are they listening to pop music because they are miserable? Or are they miserable because they listen to pop music? This romantic comedy provides a touching and whimsical glimpse into the male view of the affairs of the heart.

Gone in Sixty Seconds (PG-13) 117 m Saturday Sep 30, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 1, 10:00pm in 26-100

A retired master car thief must come back to the industry and steal 50 cars with his crew in one night to save his brother's life.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Not Rated, run-time: 111 m Friday, Oct 6, 7:30pm in 10-250

James Dean, Natalie Wood. Jim Stark (Dean) is the new kid in town. He has been in trouble elsewhere; that's why his family has had to move before. Here he hopes to find the love he doesn't get from his middle-class family. Though he finds some of this in his relationship with Judy, and a form of it in both Plato's adulation and Ray's real concern for him, Jim must still prove himself to his peers in switchblade knife fights and chicken games in which cars race toward a seaside cliff.

Rules of Engagement (R) 128 m Friday Oct 6, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 8, 7:00pm in 26-100

At attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a third world country.

The Ig Nobel Lectures Saturday Oct 7, 2:00pm in 26-100

Some of this year's winners would like to talk to MIT about their research. This event will feature a brilliant piano performance and a re-enactment of the mini-opera from the Ig Nobel Ceremony. The ceremony will be held on October 6th at Harvard's Sanders Theater. Only then will the winners be announced. This event will be free and open to the public.

The Green Mile (R) 188 m Saturday Oct 7, 7:00pm & 10:30pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 8, 10:00pm in 26-100

Drama about the lives of guards on death row leading up to the execution of a wrongly accused man.

The Contender (R) 126 m Wednesday Oct 11, 8:00pm in 26-100

Sexy secrets from a woman's past come to light as she runs for Vice President.

Cool Hand Luke (1967), Not Rated, run-time: 126 m Friday, Oct 13, 7:30pm in 10-250

Paul Newman. Luke (Newman) is sent to a prison camp, where he gets a reputation as a hard man. The head of the gang hates him, and tries to break him by beating him up. It doesn't work, and he gains respect. His mother dies, and he escapes, but is caught, escapes again, and is caught again. Will the camp bosses ever break him?

American Psycho (R) 101 m Friday Oct 13, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 15, 7:00pm in 26-100

A young, well-to-do man isn't quite as normal as he seems....once you notice all the body parts of women he keeps in his apartment.

U-571 (PG-13) 115 m Saturday Oct 14, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 15, 10:00pm in 26-100

A German submarine is boarded by disguised American submariners trying to capture their Enigma cipher machine.

Dirty Harry (1971), rated R, run-time: 102 m Friday, Oct 20, 10:00pm in 10-250

Clint Eastwood. You don't assign him to cases -- you just turn him loose. It's all in a day's work for Dirty Harry (Eastwood), a plainclothesman with the San Francisco police, and for his new partner, Chico. A bank robbery and an attempted suicide form the prelude to the main event: catching a skillful sniper who is murdering the innocent while holding a city to ransom. Catching him becomes a war between good and evil -- with the protagonists on both sides shown as ruthless, bitter and merciless products of a violent society.

Timecode (R) 97 m Friday Oct 20, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 22, 7:00pm in 26-100

Four frames of simultaneous action that alternately follow a smitten lesbian lover as she obsesses over her partner's dalliances and the tense goings-on of a Hollywood film production company.

Me, Myself & Irene (R) 116 m Saturday Oct 21, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 22, 10:00pm in 26-100

A man with multiple personalities falls in love with a woman, only to find out that his other personalitites have also. They end up fighting each other for her hand.

Shaft (1971), rated R, run-time: 98 m Friday, Oct 27, 7:30pm in 10-250

Richard Roundtree. John Shaft (Roundtree) is the ultimate in suave black detectives. He first finds himself up against Bumpy, the leader of the crime mob, and then against Black nationals, before finally working with both against the White Mafia, who are trying to blackmail Bumpy by kidnapping his daughter.

Titan A.E. (PG) 94 m Friday Oct 27, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 29, 7:00pm in 26-100

A young man learns that he has to find a hidden Earth ship before an enemy alien species does in order to secure the survival of humanity.

Final Destination (R) 97 m Saturday Oct 28, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Oct 29, 10:00pm in 26-100

After having a vision of his friends crashing in a plane, he tells them not to get on; only later, his friends start getting killed, one by one.

Douglas Adams - Parrots, The Universe, and Everything Thursday Nov 2, 7:00pm in 26-100

Douglas Adams is the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. He will be talking about his travel escapades for BBC radio, as detailed in his book "Last Chance to See." This program is Adams' favorite to present, and he does so with such humor as to send the audience home sore from laughter. The talk will be followed by a question and answer session. Copies of some of his books should be available for purchase outside 26-100. Admission for this event is $5.00 for MIT Students (G & UG), $8.00 for Alumni/Faculty/Staff of MIT and $10.00 for non-MIT.

Marusa no onna aka: A Taxing Woman, (1987), Not rated, run-time: 127 m Friday, Nov 3, 7:30pm in 10-250

Having lampooned cultural obsessions with his first two films, Juzo Itami created a phenomenal success in Japan by moving on to that equally essential topic: Money. In Japan, whose phenomenal affluence has brought phenomenal taxes, dedicated tax-evasion has become a fine art. No one plays the game more craftily than Gondo, a larger-than-life scoundrel and proprietor of a chain of lucrative "adult hotels". He meets his match in Ryoko, a cunning, zealous female tax agent who looks like a demure housewife, but hunts down her quarry with relentless and resourceful determination. Co-sponsored by MISTI Japan.

Shaft (2000) (R) 99 m Friday Nov 3, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 5, 7:00pm in 26-100

Still the man, any questions? Memorable quotes: John Shaft: You know me. It's my duty to please that booty.

Chicken Run (G) 84 m Saturday Nov 4, 4:00pm, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 5, 10:00pm in 26-100

Having been hopelessly repressed and facing eventual certain death at the chicken farm where they are held, Rocky the rooster (Mel Gibson) and Ginger the chicken (Julia Sawahla) decide to rebel against the evil Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, the farm's owners. Rocky and Ginger lead their fellow chickens in a great escape from the murderous farmers and their farm of doom.

Yao a yao yao dao waipo qiao aka: Shanghai Triad, (1995), rated R, run-time: 103 m Friday, Nov 10, 7:30pm in 10-250

Shanghai Triad is an atmospheric tour de force and another showcase for the extraordinary Gong Li. She plays Bijou, a second rate nightclub singer. We see Bijou through the eyes of her servant, Shuisheng, a native country boy. Zhang Yimou weaves a deceptive labyrinth of mirrors and serpentine corridors, its underlying brutality wrapped in luminous haze and muffled behind closed doors. Co-sponsored by MISTI China.

Boys Don't Cry (R) 118 m Friday Nov 10, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 12, 7:00pm in 26-100

A true story about finding the courage to be yourself. The story of the life of Teena Brandon, a transgender youth who preferred life in her male identity as Brandon Teena.

The Patriot (R) 164 m Saturday Nov 11, 7:00pm & 10:30pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 12, 10:00pm in 26-100

After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, America, against the British, Benjamin reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his son, now serving under his command, and his family from British tyranny.

Prof. Amar Bose - Stand and Deliver Monday Nov 13, 7:00pm in 10-250

Prof. Bose will speak about Jaime Escalante, the teacher portrayed in Stand and Deliver. The focus is to discuss what it means to be a good teacher and how difficult it is to do so. Prof. Bose will also share some of his own stories about his experiences teaching and what he has learned over the years. The talk will be followed by a screening of the film. This event is free and open to the public.

FREE MOVIE EVENT! The Filth and the Fury, (2000), rated R, 108 m Tuesday Nov 14, 8:00pm in 26-100

The Sex Pistols were the face of punk rock in 1977, and though they were short-lived, breaking up in 1978, their influence is still audible. This documentary combines archive footage with contemporary interviews with the group's survivors.

Une affaire de femmes aka: The Story of Women, (1988), Not rated, run-time: 108 m Friday, Nov 17, 7:30pm in 10-250

A chilling recreation of the real-life criminal case of Marie Latour, a housewife who became a back-street abortionist in Nazi-occupied France and was guillotined by the hypocritically moralistic Vichy government. Claude Chabrol's The Story of Women is a vision of war as bourgeois hypocrisy writ large, with Marie's personal misdeeds taking on a troubling ambivalence in the light of vaster crimes perpetrated in the name of the nation. Co-sponsored by MISTI France.

The Perfect Storm (PG-13) 129 m Friday Nov 17, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 19, 7:00pm in 26-100

In the Fall of 1991, the "Andrea Gail" left Gloucester, Massachusetts, and headed for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. Two weeks later, an event took place that had never occurred in recorded history.

Small Time Crooks (PG) 94 m Saturday Nov 18, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Nov 19, 10:00pm in 26-100

A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.

Free Admission, Free Junk Food, Prizes!!! Junk Yard Wars Monday, Nov 20, 7:00pm in 10-250

LSC and The Learning Channel present: Junk Yard Wars: An Evening of Blood, Sweat, and Gears A special sneak peek at the latest competition before it airs on TLC. Junkyard Wars pits teams against each other in a construction challenge that would make even MacGuyver cringe. Teams are turned loose in a junkyard and given instructions to build a particular item such as a windmill. The trick is, that windmill has to work, and has to work better than the opposing team's windmill. This is engineering at its finest! It's just what duct tape was made for! The NERDS, a local team featured in the most recent challenge, will be on hand to answer any questions MIT students may have about the competition and how to take part. Seating is limited.

"The Mentalist" Rory Raven Wednesday Nov 29, 7:00pm in 4-237

Rory Raven is a master of mental trickery. His Halloween show last year was tremendous fun, so we've invited him back. "The Mentalist" specializes in mind reading, clairvoyance and seance "magic" as well as some cunning optical surprises. He relies greatly on audience participation, so don't be shy. This performance is free and open to the public.

To Catch a Thief, (1955), Not rated, run-time: 106 m Friday, Dec 1, 7:30pm in 10-250

Cary Grant, Grace Kelly. In this Hitchcock mystery, a series of ingenious jewelry robberies takes place on the French Riviera. The police suspect John Robie (Grant), an expert thief who was known as "The Cat" before he retired from crime. Robie enlists the help of an insurance man to guess where the real thief will strike next. He befriends wealthy widow Jessie Stevens and her attractive daughter, Frances (Kelly).

X-Men (PG-13) 104 m Friday Dec 1, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Dec 3, 7:00pm in 26-100

Two mutants come to a private academy whose resident superhero team must oppose a powerful mutant terrorist organization.

Hamlet (R) 123 m Saturday Dec 2, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Dec 3, 10:00pm in 26-100

HAMLET is a contemporary adaptation of the classic play set in New York City, circa 2000 -- a world of laptops and limousines. The President of the Denmark Corporation is dead, and already his wife is remarried to the man suspected of the murder. Nobody is more troubled than her son Hamlet (Ethan Hawke). Now, after this hostile takeover, trust is impossible, passion is on the rise and revenge is in the air.

Bonnie and Clyde, (1967), rated R, run-time: 111 m Friday, Dec 8, 7:30pm in 10-250

Warren Beatty, Fay Dunaway, Gene Hackman. They're young ... they're in love ... they kill people. A bored small-town girl and a small-time bank robber leave in their wake a string of violent robberies and newspaper headlines that catch the imagination of the Depression-struck Midwest in this take on the legendary crime spree of these archetypal lovers on the run.

The Replacements (TBA 1) (PG-13) 118m Friday Dec 8, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Sunday Dec 10, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100

A comedy based on the 1987 professional football players' strike. Gene Hackman plays the coach of the team, Jack Warden is the owner, Brett Cullen is the All-Pro quarterback that goes on strike and Keanu Reeves is the "scab" who replaces the star QB.

Special Concert Event: Jim's Big Ego, with Quick Fix (TBA 2) Saturday Dec 9, 8:00pm in Sala de Puerto Rico MIT Students $5, other $8

Quick Fix will be opening for Jim's Big Ego. Both bands fall into the rock category. Jim's Big Ego is sort of alternative folk/rock and Quick Fix is more pure rock. Both are local groups. Advance tickets sales at The Source

Coyote Ugly (TBA 3) (PG-13) 100m Wednesday Dec 13, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Friday Dec 15, 7:00pm in 26-100

A sexy romantic comedy featuring a spectacular soundtrack, "Coyote Ugly" is the story of one girl's wild adventure in the big city. Graced with a velvet voice, 21-year-old Violet Sanford heads to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a songwriter, only to find her aspirations sidelined by the accolades and notoriety she receives at her "day" job as a bar maid at Coyote Ugly. A new nightclub with a twist, Coyote Ugly is the hottest spot in town, featuring a team of sexy, enterprising young women who tantalize customers and the media alike with their outrageous antics.

Godzilla 2000 (TBA 4) (PG) 98m Thursday Dec 14, 7:00pm & 10:00pm in 26-100 Friday Dec 15, 10:00pm in 26-100

Godzilla returns in a brand-new movie that ignores all preceding movies except for the original with a brand new look and a powered up atomic ray. This time he battles a mysterious UFO that later transforms into a mysterious kaiju dubbed Orga. They meet up for the final showdown in the city of Shinjuku.