LSC Schedule

This week at LSC: Fight Club (FREE)

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:57:33 GMT

Fight Club

August 21, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100
August 22, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

All summer films are FREE ADMISSION, funded by the UA Finance Board and the ASA Large Event Fund.

Summer Movie Madness
Can't get enough free movies? Want free snacks at your free movies? Get your Summer Movie Card at any summer show!
Watch three FREE summer films and get a FREE refreshments combo of a medium soda or float, medium popcorn, and regular candy!
Watch all six FREE summer films and also get FREE admission to any Fall term film!

In this darkly comic drama, Edward Norton stars as a depressed young man (named in the credits only as "Narrator") who has become a small cog in the world of big business. He doesn't like his work and gets no sense of reward from it, attempting instead to drown his sorrows by putting together the "perfect" apartment. He can't sleep and feels alienated from the world at large; he's become so desperate to relate to others that he's taken to visiting support groups for patients with terminal diseases so that he'll have people to talk to. One day on a business flight, he discovers Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charming iconoclast who sells soap. Tyler doesn't put much stock in the materialistic world, and he believes that one can learn a great deal through pain, misfortune, and chaos. Tyler cheerfully challenges his new friend to a fight. Our Narrator finds that bare-knuckle brawling makes him feel more alive than he has in years, and soon the two become friends and roommates, meeting informally to fight once a week. As more men join in, the "fight club" becomes an underground sensation, even though it's a closely guarded secret among the participants. (First rule: Don't talk about fight club. Second rule: Don't talk about fight club.) But as our Narrator and Tyler bond through violence, a strange situation becomes more complicated when Tyler becomes involved with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), whom our Narrator became infatuated with when they were both crashing the support-group circuit. Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club was directed by David Fincher, who previously directed Pitt in the thriller Seven. [allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: The Shawshank Redemption (FREE)

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:57:33 GMT

The Shawshank Redemption

August 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100
August 8, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

All summer films are FREE ADMISSION, funded by the UA Finance Board and the ASA Large Event Fund.

In writer-director Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s. However, only Andy knows that he didn't commit the crimes. Sent to Shawshank Prison to do hard time, Andy--a taciturn banker in the outside world--has to learn to get by in the brutal, cutthroat confines of prison life. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates--most notably, Red (Morgan Freeman)--and even much of the prison staff. But Andy's seemingly stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. This beautifully crafted movie features touching and sincere performances from the entire cast, with an uplifting message about humanity's indomitable spirit and the redemptive value of hope. Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, Darabont's intriguing adaptation is easily one of the finest films of the 1990s. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

This week at LSC: Back to the Future (FREE)

Fri, 24 Jun 2009 21:57:33 GMT

Back to the Future

July 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100
July 25, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

All summer films are FREE ADMISSION, funded by the UA Finance Board and the ASA Large Event Fund.

A massive success upon its 1985 release, Back to the Future has since become a bona fide classic--Robert Zemeckis's time-travel adventure has spawned sequels, theme park rides, and even a mention in Ronald Reagan's 1986 State of the Union address. Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a restless '80s teen who takes a ride in Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) "flux capacitor"-rigged DeLorean and ends up in 1955. Once on the ground, Marty meets his teenage mother (Lea Thompson) and accidentally wins her affections, thereby threatening the relationship she's supposed to form with his father (the delightfully geeky Crispin Glover). Now it's a do-or-never-be-born situation: Marty must get his parents to fall in love before Doc Brown can send him back to the proper decade. Back to the Future remains one of the rare family films that enjoyed both critical and box office success, and garnered a permanent spot in the pop-culture lexicon thanks to highly-quotable dialogue. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

This week at LSC: Finding Nemo (FREE)

Fri, 10 Jun 2009 19:22:33 GMT

Finding Nemo

July 10, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100
July 11, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

All summer films are FREE ADMISSION, funded by the UA Finance Board and the ASA Large Event Fund.

Co-helmed by WALL-E director Andrew Stanton and Monsters, Inc. director Lee Unkrich, Finding Nemo follows Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), an overprotective clown fish father, as he desperately searches the farthest reaches of the sea for his missing son Nemo. Marlin's journey leads him beyond the Great Barrier Reef into deeper and darker waters, where he meets Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a forgetful yet optimistic blue tang, and a number of not-so-friendly--and often very hungry--aquatic creatures. Meanwhile, little Nemo finds himself in a dentist's fish tank in Syndey, Australia, along with other underwater captives, including Gill (Willem Dafoe), the group's scarred moorish idol leader. As Nemo works with his new friends on a plan to escape their tank, Marlin and Dory swim closer, but they'll need more than just fins to get into the dentist's office. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

This week at LSC: Pulp Fiction (FREE)

Thu, 11 May 2009 16:52:33 GMT

Pulp Fiction

June 12, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100
June 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

All summer films are FREE ADMISSION, funded by the UA Finance Board and the ASA Large Event Fund.

Outrageously violent, time-twisting, and in love with language, Pulp Fiction was widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino synthesized such seemingly disparate traditions as the syncopated language of David Mamet; the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs mixed up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, and Japanese animation; and the fragmented story-telling structures of such experimental classics as Citizen Kane, Rashomon, and La jetee. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, in the role that single-handedly reignited his career, as hit men who have philosophical interchanges on such topics as the French names for American fast food products; Bruce Willis as a boxer out of a 1940s B-movie; and such other stalwarts as Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, whose dance sequence with Travolta proved an instant classic. [allmovie.com]

This summer at LSC: FREE films and Summer Movie Madness!

Thu, 11 May 2009 16:18:00 GMT

At LSC this summer:
- Pulp Fiction -- June 12 and 13
- Gladiator -- June 26 and 27
- Finding Nemo -- July 10 and 11
- Back to the Future -- July 24 and 25
- The Shawshank Redemption -- August 7 and 8
- Fight Club -- August 21 and 22

All movies at 8:00 pm in 26-100, with FREE ADMISSION funded by the UA Finance Board and ASA Large Event Fund.

Summer Movie Madness
Can't get enough free movies? Want free snacks at your free movies? Get your Summer Movie Card at any summer show!

Watch three FREE summer films and get a FREE refreshments combo of a medium soda or float, medium popcorn, and regular candy!

Watch all six FREE summer films and also get FREE admission to any Fall term film!

This week at LSC: The Bourne Identity, The Wizard of Oz, The Dark Side of Oz

Wed, 13 May 2009 17:07:00 GMT

The Bourne Identity

May 14, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 16, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

The best-selling suspense novel by late author Robert Ludlum comes to the screen for a second time, following a 1988 made-for-TV movie. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a barely alive amnesiac with a pair of bullet wounds in his back, pulled from the Mediterranean by Italian fishermen. Bourne's only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. He quickly finds the Zurich bank where money, a gun, and a few identification documents await, but after he's pursued by security goons at the American consulate, Bourne realizes he can trust no one and offers a German gypsy named Marie (Franka Potente) ten thousand dollars for a ride to Paris. Encountering more professional killers bent on his destruction, Bourne discovers that he possesses a surprising degree of skill in combat, martial arts, and linguistics -- handy talents that clearly indicate that his past includes work as a spy and assassin...but for whom? With Marie's reluctant help, Bourne edges closer to the truth, something CIA officials want concealed at all costs. The Bourne Identity co-stars Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Julia Stiles. [allmovie.com]

The Wizard of Oz / The Dark Side of Oz

May 15, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 16, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

7pm Friday show: "The Wizard of Oz"
10pm Friday and Saturday shows: "The Dark Side of Oz" with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" soundtrack

The third and definitive film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy, this musical adventure is a genuine family classic that made Judy Garland a star for her heartfelt performance as Dorothy Gale, an orphaned young girl unhappy with her drab black-and-white existence on her aunt and uncle's dusty Kansas farm. Dorothy yearns to travel "over the rainbow" to a different world, and she gets her wish when a tornado whisks her and her little dog, Toto, to the Technicolorful land of Oz, killing the wicked witch who rules the Land of the Munchkins in the process. Having thus offended the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), Dorothy is protected from the old crone's wrath by the ruby slippers that she wears. At the suggestion of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke), Dorothy heads down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where dwells the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who might be able to help the girl return to Kansas. En route, she befriends a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr). The Scarecrow would like to have some brains, the Tin Man craves a heart, and the Lion wants to attain courage; hoping that the Wizard will help them too, they join Dorothy on her odyssey to the Emerald City. [allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: Coraline, Waltz with Bashir, Made in L.A.

Thu, 7 May 2009 15:02:00 GMT

Coraline

May 8, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows, yet deeply unsettling in a number of ways, in director Henry Selick's animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's international best-seller. Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is fearlessly courageous, and perhaps far too adventurous for her own good. Coraline and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have recently relocated to Oregon from Michigan. Bored in her new home since her parents are distracted by work and she has yet to make any new friends, Coraline passes the time by exploring her new neighborhood with an annoying local boy named Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.). But after paying a visit to her eccentric neighbors Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French), a pair of aging British actresses, and crossing paths with the outright weird Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), the precocious young girl becomes convinced that her new surroundings are just as dull as she'd initially suspected. Shortly thereafter, Coraline discovers a hidden door in her new house, and decides to investigate. Venturing into the eerie passageway inside, Coraline emerges into an alternate version of her own reality. At first glance, this strange new world seems even better than the real thing: her parents aren't distracted by work, and Coraline is always the center of attention. There's even a mysterious Cat (Keith David) that's fascinated by her every move. But when Coraline's button-eyed Other Mother (also Hatcher) attempts to make her stay permanent, the frightened young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her real family. [allmovie.com]

Waltz with Bashir

May 9, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Co-sponsored by Hillel, the Israeli student association and the MIT Students for Israel.

2008 Academy Award Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Director Ari Folman's animated, quasi-documentary Waltz With Bashir follows the filmmaker's emotional attempt to decipher the horrors that unfolded one night in September of 1982, when Christian militia members massacred more than 3,000 Palestinian refugees in the heart of Beirut as Israeli soldiers surrounded the area. Folman was one of those soldiers, but nearly 20 years after the fact, his memories of that night remain particularly hazy. After hearing an old friend recall a vivid nightmare in which he is pursued by 26 ferocious dogs, Folman and his friend conclude that the dream must somehow relate to that fateful mission during the first Lebanon War. When Folman realizes that his recollections regarding that period in his life seem to have somehow been wiped clean, he travels the world to interview old friends and fellow soldiers from the war. Later, as Folman's memory begins to emerge in a series of surreal images, he begins to uncover a truth about himself that will haunt him for the rest of his days. [www.allmovie.com]

In Hebrew with English subtitles.

Made in L.A.

May 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 4-270

This FREE show is sponsored by Amnesty International. Refreshments will be provided.

Made in L.A. is an Emmy award-winning feature documentary that follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they engage in a three-year battle to win basic labor protections from trendy clothing retailer "Forever 21." In intimate observational style, Made in L.A. reveals the impact of the struggle on each woman's life as they are gradually transformed by the experience. Compelling, humorous, deeply human, Made in L.A. is a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find your voice. [www.madeinla.com]

In Spanish with English subtitles.

This week at LSC: Rope, The Reader

Fri, 1 May 2009 02:08:00 GMT

Rope

May 1, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

LSC Classics presents an Alfred Hitchcock Film:

Rope, Alfred Hitchcock's first color film, was adapted from Patrick Hamilton's stage play "Rope's End" by no less than Hume Cronyn. Loosely inspired by the Leopold-Loeb case, the plot concerns two implicitly homosexual college chums, played by Farley Granger and John Dall. Their heads filled with Nietzchean philosophy by their kindly professor James Stewart, Granger and Dall kill a third friend just for the thrill of it. The boys hide the body in an antique chest in the middle of their posh apartment, then perversely arrange to hold a dinner party around the chest, inviting the victim's family, friends and fiancee (Joan Chandler), as well as their intellectual role-model Stewart. As the guests wander obliviously around the sealed chest, the killers make snippy, veiled comments about their deed--never going so far as to reveal the existence of the body nor their involvement in the murder. As all the guests file out, however, professor Stewart begins to suspect that something is amiss. In Rope, Hitchcock attempted the daunting technical challenge of filming the entire picture in one long, seemingly uninterrupted take. Actually, there are several edits in the movie: since a reel of film was divided into two ten-minute minireels back in 1948, the internal reel-breaks are "fudged" by having a dark object briefly obscure the camera lens, sustaining the illusion that no editing has taken place. [www.allmovie.com]

The Reader

May 2, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

2008 Academy Award Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Kate Winslet) (WIN!), Best Director (Stephen Daldry), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography

Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Hours director Stephen Daldry's haunting period romance tracing the complicated love affair between a German teen and a mysterious woman twice his age. Based on author Bernhard Schlink's best-selling novel of the same name, The Reader opens in post-World War II Germany, where ailing teenager Michael Berg has fallen ill with scarlet fever. Nursed back to health by Hanna, Michael eventually makes a full recovery and decides to thank his benevolent caretaker in person. Upon being reunited, Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and the pair quickly enters into a passionate yet clandestine affair. Later, after intense readings of The Odyssey and Huck Finn, among others, Hanna vanishes without a trace, leaving Michael heartbroken and despondent. Flash-forward nearly a decade, and Michael is a law student observing Nazi war crime trials. When Hanna wanders into the courtroom and takes a seat in the defendant's chair, her past comes into focus just as Michael uncovers the secret that will have a profound impact on both of their lives. [www.allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: The Wrestler, 8, Gran Torino, Apollo 13

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:54:33 GMT

The Wrestler

April 24, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 26, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

2008 Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor (Mickey Rourke), Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei)

His sense of identity fading into nothingness after the spotlights dim and he experiences a close brush with mortality, a retired wrestler begins to evaluate his life while considering the comeback that could very well kill him in director Darren Aronofsky's poignant portrait of an introspective former superstar in the twilight of his career. Back in his heyday, wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was an icon in the ring. His image immortalized in action figures and video games, he would headline arenas across the globe. Twenty years later, those glory days have passed, and Randy is forced to earn his keep by brawling before handfuls of fans in high-school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. In the wake of a heart attack, the former icon attempts to earn a little extra cash while working in a deli and making an effort to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Yet, despite Randy's continued attempts at convincing local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) to settle down with him in his humble trailer, the ring still calls to him. Later, when the prospect of a high-profile rematch with his longtime nemesis presents itself, Randy is forced to weigh his mortality against his desire to hear the crowd roar one last time. [www.allmovie.com]

April 25, 2009 at 4:00 pm in 26-100

This FREE screening will feature an appearance by director Abderrahmane Sissako.

8 is a full-length feature film made up of eight short films. These centre on eight different themes and are directed by eight famous film directors who through this medium express their opinion on the progress made and the setbacks and challenges faced by our planet today. [www.ldmproductions.fr]

Gran Torino

April 25, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 26, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Decades after the Korean War has ended, aging veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is still haunted by the horrors he witnessed on the battlefield. The two objects that matter most to Kowalski in life are the classic Gran Torino that represents his happier days working in a Ford assembly plant, and the M-1 rifle that saved his life countless times during combat. When Kowalski's teenage neighbor (Bee Vang) attempts to steal his Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation rite, the old man manages to catch the aspiring thief at the business end of his well-maintained semi-automatic rifle. Later, due to the pride of the Asian group, the boy is forced to return to Kowalski's house and perform an act of penance. Despite the fact that Kowalski wants nothing to do with the young troublemaker, he realizes that the quickest way out of the situation is to simply cooperate. In an effort to set the teen on the right path in life and toughen him up, the reluctant vet sets him up with an old crony who now works in construction. In the process, Kowalski discovers that the only way to lay his many painful memories to rest is to finally face his own blinding prejudice head-on. [allmovie.com]

Apollo 13

April 27, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Apollo Anniversary film series event

"Houston, we have a problem." Those words were immortalized during the tense days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis, and the suspense, fear, and excitement of those days are captured in Ron Howard's epic recreation of the 1970 crisis. When the commander of the original mission Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), bows out due to possible exposure to measles, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. As the courageous astronauts face the dilemma of either suffocating or freezing to death, Mattingly and Mission Control leader Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) struggle to find a way to bring the crew back home, all the while knowing that the spacemen face possible death once the battered ship reenters the Earth's atmosphere. Even though the outcome, in which all three astronauts miraculously survived, is historical fact, the film derives suspense from the situation itself and from the actions of the heroic astronauts and the men on the ground. Howard's taut direction, a solid ensemble of players, and eye-opening special effects all add to the overall impact of the film, which has been hailed as one of Hollywood's best historical dramas. [www.allmovie.com]

Apollo 13 will be preceded by a talk by MIT Professor and former astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman. This FREE event is part of the Giant Leaps: The 40th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing series, and is sponsored by the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

This week at LSC: Raging Bull, Duck Season, Were the World Mine, Top Gun

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:55:33 GMT

Raging Bull

April 17, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 19, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

CPW: All shows FREE for prefrosh!

With Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese's personal approach to filmmaking is taken to a whole new level. Shooting in a crisp black and white, Scorsese tells the story of middleweight boxer Jake La Motta, played with incredible intensity by Oscar winner Robert De Niro. As La Motta rises through the ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown, he falls in love with Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), a gorgeous girl from his Bronx neighborhood. Jake's inability to express his feelings pours out in the ring and eventually takes over his life in his dealings with his brother, Joey (a brilliant Joe Pesci). Irrational jealousy over Vickie, as well as an insatiable appetite, sends him into a downward spiral that costs him his title, his wife, and his relationship with Joey. As the out-of-control fighter, De Niro delivers one of the screen's most unforgettable performances. Pesci is just as intense as Joey, who finally realizes that he is unable to tame his animalistic brother. Cinematographer Michael Chapman shoots the film with a stylish flair that fills the boxing scenes with boundless energy and adds immediacy to the arguments that erupt whenever Jake is outside the ring. Simply put, Raging Bull is one of American cinema's masterworks. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Duck Season

April 18, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 19, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

CPW: All shows FREE for prefrosh!

A typical lazy Sunday gives way to an introspective look at what it means to grow up, for two 14-year-old boys left alone for the afternoon, in director Fernando Eimbcke's gentle coming-of-age comedy. With the parents away and the Xbox all to themselves, best friends Flama (Daniel Miranda) and Moko (Diego Catano) plant themselves in front of the television and prepare for a fun afternoon of junk food, soda pop, and video games. As the battle to the death rages on the television, Flama's 16-year-old neighbor Rita (Danny Perea) knocks on the door to ask if she can use Flama's oven to bake a cake. When disaster strikes in the form of a deathmatch-killing power outage, Flama and Moko hang up the video-game controllers and call the local pizza parlor in hopes that the delivery man won't make the 30-minute guarantee and they will get a free pie. With a stopwatch in hand and the clock ticking, hapless delivery driver Ulises (Enrique Arreola) arrives precisely 11 seconds late. As the power flickers back on and the stubborn boys insist that their pizza should be free, Ulises contests their claim before agreeing to battle Moko in a video soccer match that will determine once and for all if the boys will pay for their pizza. Their game foiled by yet another unexpected blackout, the bored teens begin contemplating the strange behavior of adults, and the role that a painting of ducks plays in the bitter divorce of Moko's parents. [www.allmovie.com]

Were the World Mine

April 21, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Showing from LSC and GLBT@MIT

Love is in the air thanks to a magic potion whipped up by an imaginative student in this playful independent comedy with music. Timothy (Tanner Cohen) is a bright young man who is attending an upscale private high school, Morgan Hill, thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of his mother (Judy McLane). Timothy is also gay and doesn't care who knows it, which doesn't make him popular with his classmates; his closest friends, a girl nicknamed Frankie (Zelda Williams) and her boyfriend, Max (Ricky Goldman), attend another school. Timothy has a serious crush on Jonathon (Nathaniel David Becker), but Jonathon isn't interested in boys, to Timothy's chagrin. Timothy is cast as Puck in the school's spring musical, a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and inspired by his character's machinations, Timothy tries to recreate the love potion used in the play. Miraculously, Timothy arrives at a formula that actually works, and after accidentally dousing Max and having to fend off his advances, Timothy sprays Jonathan with the concoction and soon has the boy of his dreams. However, before long Timothy's magic potion gets loose, and things get very lively on campus, among both the students and the teachers. Were the World Mine was the first feature film from director Tom Gustafson, and won the Audience Award at the 2008 Torino International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. [allmovie.com]

Top Gun

April 22, 2009 at 8:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Apollo Anniversary film series event

Maverick (Tom Cruise) is a reckless F-14 pilot who flies by instinct and breaks all of the rules. While attending the Navy's elite air combat training academy, affectionately known as "Top Gun," Maverick romances the civilian astrophysics instructor (Kelly McGillis) and competes with crackerjack pilot Ice (Val Kilmer) for top honors. He is the quintessential rebel, upsetting senior officers with his antics and risk-taking while simultaneously amazing them with his skill. Anthony Edwards stars as Maverick's best friend and co-pilot, Goose, and Meg Ryan first garnered attention as Goose's wife, Carole. Superb state-of-the-art aerial photography makes Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott, one of the most exciting and entertaining films of its genre. This top grossing movie of 1986 is based on a Navy fighter pilot program at the Miramar Naval Base in San Diego, California, and was filmed on location at the base. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Top Gun will be preceded by a talk by MIT Professor Missy Cummings. This FREE event is part of the Giant Leaps: The 40th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing series, and is sponsored by the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

This week at LSC: Rachel Getting Married, Frost/Nixon

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Rachel Getting Married

April 3, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Lingering tensions clash with new hopes in director Jonathan Demme's ensemble drama set during an idyllic wedding that threatens to descend into chaos with the appearance of the bride's estranged sister -- a volatile and unpredictable girl whose turbulent history of personal crisis and family conflict quickly threatens to take precedence over the happy ceremony. Rachel Buchman (Rosemarie DeWitt) is about to be married to the love of her life, but while the weather outside may be perfect, there's a storm blowing in. That storm goes by the name Kym (Anne Hathaway). Kym is the family black sheep, and wherever she goes, disaster is sure to follow. Now, as friends and family gather together for a memorable day of dining, dancing, and celebration, everyone braces themselves, knowing that at any given moment, old skeletons may be dragged out and dusted off for display by the bombshell who seems to have an acerbic one-liner for every situation, and a flare for drama that could set their family home ablaze. Bill Irwin and Debra Winger co-star. [www.allmovie.com]

Frost/Nixon

April 4, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 5, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Hollywood heavyweight Ron Howard adapts playwright Peter Morgan's West End hit for the silver screen with this feature focusing on the 1977 television interviews between journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen) and former president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella). At the time Nixon sat down with Frost to discuss the sordid details that ultimately derailed his presidency, it had been three years since the former commander in chief had been forced out of office. The Watergate scandal was still fresh in everyone's minds, and Nixon had remained notoriously tight-lipped until he agreed to sit down with Frost. Nixon was certain that he could hold his own opposite the up-and-coming British broadcaster, and even Frost's own people weren't quite sure their boss was ready for such a high-profile interview. When the interview ultimately got under way and each man eschewed the typical posturing in favor of the simple truth, fans and critics on both sides were stunned by what they witnessed. Instead of Nixon stonewalling the interviewer as expected, or Frost lobbing softballs as the truth-seekers feared, what emerged was an unguardedly honest exchange between a man who had lost everything and another with everything to gain. In this film, viewers are treated to not only a recreation of that landmark interview, but a behind-the-scenes look at the power struggles that led up to it as well. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Brian Grazer team to produce a film adapted for the screen by original play author Morgan (The Queen and ). [www.allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: Milk, Delhi-6, Hero

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:56:33 GMT

Milk

March 6, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Academy Award Winner: Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Original Screenplay!

Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in Gus Van Sant's biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people. When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens: a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful.

Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. [www.allmovie.com]

Milk will be preceded by the short feature "Clay Pride: Being Clay in America"

Delhi-6

March 7, 2009 at 4:00 pm in 26-100
March 8, 2009 at 4:00 pm in 26-100

This event is sponsored by MIT Sangam and SAAS, and supported in part by LSC. Tickets are $4 for MIT affiliates and $6 for the general public. All proceeds go to MIT Sangam and SAAS.

Roshan travels from the USA to India with his ailing grandmother. Little does he know that this quick trip will turn into the longest journey of his life...a journey within! The story is told against the backdrop of the ancient walled city of Delhi who is a character in herself. A city that represents the chaos of Indian people, their religion and their beliefs. The PIN code of this old city is 110006. With pride and love they call it Delhi-6. [www.delhi6.co.in]

Hero

March 7, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Presented by LSC, MISTI (MIT China) and the China Development Initiative.

During the peak of their Warring States period, China was divided into seven kingdoms all fighting for supremacy. Most determined to dominate China was the kingdom of Qin, whose king (Chen Daoming) was wholly obsessed with becoming the first emperor of China. Though he was an assassination target for many, none of his would-be killers inspired as much fear as the legendary assassins Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen). In hopes of thwarting his death, the king has promised endless wealth and power to anyone who defeats his would-be murderers. No results come until ten years later, when a man called Nameless (Jet Li) brings the weapons of the three assassins to the Qin king's palace. Nameless claims to be an expert swordsman who had defeated Sky and destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword by using their love for one another against them. Once Nameless comes face to face with the king, however, it looks as if the situation is more complicated than he had thought. Also featured is actress Zhang Ziyi (The Road Home, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) as Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon. [www.allmovie.com]

In Mandarin with English subtitles.

This week at LSC: Bolt, Role Models

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:41:33 GMT

Bolt

February 27, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 1, 2009 at 4:00 and 7:00 pm in 26-100

For super-dog Bolt (voice of John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue -- at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet -- a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions -- a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of Mark Walton) -- Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Bolt will be preceded by the short subject: Tokyo Mater.
Directed by Pixar co-founder and Disney Animation creative kingpin John Lasseter, "Tokyo Mater" is the fourth in a series of Cars shorts. It's a tall tale of how Tow Mater -- voiced again by Larry the Cable Guy -- gets challenged to a street race after towing a stranded automobile to Japan. The down-home tow truck eventually becomes the drifting king of Tokyo. [suite101.com]

Role Models

February 28, 2009 at 6:00 and 9:00 pm in 26-100
March 1, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

A pair of irresponsible energy drink salesmen realize that serving a month of hard time is nothing compared to spending 150 hours in a community mentorship program after they trash the company truck and find themselves at the mercy of the court in this comedy starring Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd. Wheeler (Scott) and Danny (Rudd) wouldn't necessarily be the first people a parent would turn to when seeking out a babysitter, in fact, they probably wouldn't even make the list in the first place. The two loose-living pals narrowly avert jail when the court decides to let them become mentors to a group of young misfits. But how is the recently dumped Danny supposed to help bashful, role-playing geek Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) become a man when all he can offer the boy is bitter sarcasm; is beer-chugging man-child Wheeler really the best choice to help foul-mouthed fifth-grader Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) develop more respect for his elders? Probably not, but they'll have to do their best anyway when the center's ex-con director (Jane Lynch) confronts them with a harsh ultimatum. Now, if Wheeler and Danny can just make it through the rest of their probation without getting tossed in jail, maybe there's hope for the boys -- and Danny's relationship with his fed-up girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) -- after all. [www.allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: Man on Wire, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:20:33 GMT

Man on Wire

February 20, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.

Following six and a half years of dreaming of the towers, Petit spent eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Aided by a team of friends and accomplices, Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC's security; smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers; pass the wire between the two rooftops; anchor the wire and tension it to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings. The rigging was done by night in complete secrecy. At 7:15 am, Philippe took his first step on the high wire 1350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan...

James Marsh's documentary brings Petit's extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique and magnigicent spectacle that became known as "the artistic crime of the century." [manonwire.com]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

February 21, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 22, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Two young American women, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) come to Barcelona for a summer holiday. Vicky is sensible and engaged to be married; Cristina is emotionally and sexually adventurous. In Barcelona, they're drawn into a series of unconventional romantic entanglements with Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a charismatic painter, who is still involved with his tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Set against the luscious Mediterranean sensuality of Barcelona, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is Woody Allen's funny and open-minded celebration of love in all its configurations. [www.moviefone.com]

This week at LSC: New Member Signup, Taxi to the Dark Side, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Twilight

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:40:33 GMT

New Member Signup

February 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm in W20-469 (the LSC office)

LSC has been bringing quality entertainment to the MIT community since 1944. We screen Hollywood blockbusters, classic cinema, and foreign and independent films. We also organize lectures featuring diverse speakers such as major science fiction authors, film directors, and web comic artists. Come to our New Member Signup to eat FREE PIZZA and see how you can join the fun!

Why Join? Because LSC is fun! We bring 30 movies to campus each term in addition to organizing lectures. And we need your help, because it's not easy to serve over 10,000 customers each term!

What do members get? As a member of LSC you get lots of stuff:
* FREE ADMISSION to any standard LSC movie event for you and a guest
* FIRST DIBS on reserving tickets for lectures and sneak previews of upcoming Hollywood releases
* DISCOUNTED REFRESHMENTS: save 25% on the already cheap food
* If you stay in LSC for long enough, you can become a permanent member which gives you free admission for life.

What can you do? Help us pick the movies we show, sell tickets, design and print posters, sell popcorn, project the movies, and organize lectures! For more information, talk with the committee directors at New Member Signup!

Taxi to the Dark Side (A FREE film and lecture)

February 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 6-120

The film will be preceded by a lecture by Nathaniel Raymond from Physicians for Human Rights. Mr. Raymond holds the title of Senior Communications Strategist with PHR and helped review PHR's landmark report on US torture policy, "Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of Torture by US Personnel and its Impact."

Alex Gibney's Taxi to the Dark Side is a perpetually shocking documentary about the Bush administration's use of torture when dealing with political prisoners, with a particular focus on those captured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title of Gibney's movie is derived from the treatment meted out to an Afghani taxi driver named Dilawar, who was mistakenly fingered as a terrorist, then killed during a torture session conducted by American troops. Despite the title, Dilawar's case is just a small part in Gibney's jigsaw, as the director uses excruciating and comprehensive details surrounding the taxi driver's death as a starting point in his search for the people who have permitted such incidents to occur. Gut-wrenching and fully uncensored pictures from Abu-Ghraib feature alongside interviews with military personnel (some of whom tortured Dilawar) as Gibney's search slowly heads into the upper echelons of the military and, ultimately, into the Bush regime itself. Taxi to the Dark Side is a powerful, well-executed piece of filmmaking. Gibney's skills as a director come to the fore as he manages to pull some surprisingly candid revelations from his subjects, while his choice of newsreel clips featuring the likes of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are extremely well chosen. Perhaps the most eye-opening scenes come from a press trip to the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay, where Gibney and others are given a tour of the facilities, including the site gift shop, where gallows humor is stretched to breaking point with the sale of souvenir t-shirts bearing the legend Behavior Modification Instructor. The film concludes with Gibney pulling the focus back to Dilawar once again, highlighting the futility of his death as a number of commentators show how torture isn't, and never has been, an effective method for extracting information from people. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

February 13, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

As its explicit title suggests, Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a foul-mouthed and filthy film that probably isn't fit for the very young, the very old, or the easily offended. But for those who enjoy Smith's brand of humor, this raunchy but romantic comedy could be the perfect date movie (though perhaps not for a first date). With mountains of past-due bills piling up, Zack (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up) and his roommate/childhood friend Miri (Elizabeth Banks, Scrubs) aren't sure how they're going to stay in their Pittsburgh apartment. But a chance encounter at their 10-year reunion gives them the idea to make a porn movie. When it comes time for the friends to do the deed, they realize that perhaps they're more than just friends. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Twilight

February 14, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 15, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

When Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) reluctantly moved to the perpetually overcast town of Forks, WA, and set out to carve a niche for herself, she assumed it would be one similar to the low-profile social position she held back in Phoenix. First on the list of surprises was the unfamiliar attention from the male population of her new high school; second, the attention from one male in particular: Edward Cullen, Vampire (Robert Pattinson). Before long, the unlikely soul mates find themselves in a passionate relationship with a variety of significant setbacks, including Edward's special-needs diet (he doesn't eat humans, but Bella's scent inspires a nearly impossible to harness bloodlust) and the human girl's mortality. Though things proceed relatively smoothly at first (Edward even introduces Bella to his adoptive vampire family), a visiting vampire clan consisting of James (Cam Gigandet), Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), and Laurent (Edi Gathegi) catches Bella's unique scent and threatens the young couple's budding, if dangerous, happiness. [www.allmovie.com]

This week at LSC: Pineapple Express, Quantum of Solace

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:35:33 GMT

Pineapple Express

Friday February 6, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
Sunday February 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Ride high on the Pineapple Express, the outrageously hysterical blockbuster from Judd Apatow, the director and screenwriter of Knocked Up. A lazy stoner (Seth Rogen) is the sole witness to a murder by an evil drug lord (Gary Cole) and the corrupt cop (Rosie Perez). Marked for death, he runs for his life, dragging his dazed dealer (James Franco) and his supplier (Danny McBride) with him on a hilarious smokin' adventure. Directed by David Gordon Green. Screenplay by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. [www.sonypictures.com]

Quantum of Solace

Saturday February 7, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
Sunday February 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

A devastating betrayal sends James Bond from Australia to Italy and South America on a mission of vengeance that pits the suave super-spy against a powerful businessman with diabolical intentions. Betrayed by Vesper, 007 (Daniel Craig) suppresses the urge to make his latest mission personal as he teams with M (Judi Dench) to interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). It soon becomes apparent that the organization behind the blackmailing of Vesper is more powerful than Bond and M had previously anticipated, and after discovering forensic evidence that links an MI6 traitor to a bank in Haiti, Bond immediately sets out to gather more intelligence.

Once in Haiti, a case of mistaken identity leads Bond into the company of the ravishing Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a dangerous beauty with her own vendetta. It's Camille who leads Bond to a ruthless businessman named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), who is soon revealed to be the mastermind of a powerful but clandestine organization. Greene is conspiring to corner the market on one of the world's most precious natural resources, and in order to make that happen he has forged a deal with an exiled general named Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). By enlisting the aid of his many associates and using his vast resources to force contacts within the CIA and the British government into bending to his will, Greene plans to overthrow the current regime of a Latin American country and hand control over to General Medrano in exchange for a parcel of land that appears barren on the surface, but actually houses a natural resource that will make Greene the most powerful man on the planet. But Bond's mission to uncover the culprit who blackmailed Vesper and prevent Dominic Greene from exerting his will on the entire world won't be easy, because now everyone from the CIA to the terrorists and even M are out to get him. [www.allmovie.com]

LSC Spring 2009 Schedule

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:14:10 GMT

Quantum of Solace (2008)
February 2, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 7, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Pineapple Express (2008)
February 6, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Film and Lecture
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
February 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 6-120

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
February 13, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Twilight (2008)
February 14, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 15, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Man on Wire (2008)
February 20, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 20, 2009 at 10:00 and 7:00 pm in 26-100

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
February 21, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
February 22, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Bolt (2008)
February 27, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 1, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Role Models (2008)
February 28, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 1, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Milk (2008)
March 6, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Let the Right One In (2008)
March 13, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
March 14, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
March 15, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Rachel Getting Married (2008)
April 3, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Frost/Nixon (2008)
April 4, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 5, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
April 10, 2009 at 6:30 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 12, 2009 at 6:30 pm in 26-100

The Wrestler (2008)
April 11, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 12, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Apollo Anniversary film series event
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
April 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

LSC Classics Presents:
Raging Bull (1980)
April 17, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 19, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

LSC and MISTI (MIT Mexico) present
Duck Season (2004)
April 18, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
April 19, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Apollo Anniversary film series event
Apollo 13 (1995)
April 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

A FREE Apollo Anniversary film series event
Top Gun (1986)
April 29, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

LSC Classics Presents:
Rope (1948)
May 1, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

LSC and MISTI (MIT Germany) present
The Reader (2008)
May 2, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 3, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

LSC and MISTI (MIT Israel) present
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
May 9, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
May 10, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Registration Day at LSC: Quantum of Solace - Win a FREE MOVIE NIGHT!

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:30:33 GMT

February 2 is Registration Day - get a FREE MOVIE NIGHT for your dorm or living group by participating in our Reg Day promotion! See below for details!

Quantum of Solace

Monday February 2, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
Saturday February 7, 2009 at 7:00 and 10:00 pm in 26-100
Sunday February 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Reg Day Dorm Night Promotion

This spring, get a FREE MOVIE NIGHT for your dorm or living group! If more than ten percent of your living group pays for admission at one of our Reg Day shows of Quantum of Solace then your entire group can get free admission to any show of your choice during term.

The details: When you purchase your ticket on Monday, February 2, tell us which dorm or living group you live in. If the number of tickets purchased by residents of your living group/dorm is greater than ten percent of the total number of residents, your living group/dorm can pick one show during term (see our schedule; your choice is subject to LSC's approval) for free admission and provide us with a list of residents. Each resident will get free admission to that show.

This week at LSC: The 31st Annual Science Fiction Marathon

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:48:33 GMT

Featuring special shorts, fun activities, special refreshments, and a variety of sci-fi films. Admission is $6 at 7:00 pm, and drops to $3 after Brazil.

Jurassic Park

Saturday January 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Steven Spielberg's phenomenally successful sci-fi adventure thriller is graced by state-of-the-art special effects from the team of Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and Michael Lantieri from George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic. The film follows two dinosaur experts -- Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler Laura Dern) -- as they are invited by eccentric millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to preview his new amusement park on an island off Costa Rica. By cloning DNA harvested from pre-historic insects, Hammond has been able to create living dinosaurs for his new Jurassic Park, an immense animal preserve housing real brachiosaurs, dilophosaurs, triceratops, velociraptors, and a Tyrannosaur Rex. Accompanied by cynical scientist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who is obsessed with chaos theory, and Hammond's two grandchildren (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello), they are sent on a tour through Hammond's new resort in computer controlled touring cars. But as a tropical storm hits the island, knocking out the power supply, and an unscrupulous employee (Wayne Knight) sabotages the system so that he can smuggle dinosaur embryos out of the park, the dinosaurs start to rage out of control. Grant then has to bring Hammond's grandchildren back to safety as the group is pursued by the gigantic man-eating beasts. [www.allmovie.com]

Brazil

Saturday January 24, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Brazil is Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. Cowritten by Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown, the cult-favorite film is set in a futuristic society laden with red tape and bureaucracy. When a bug (literally) gets in the system, an innocent man is killed, leading mild-mannered Sam Lowry (an excellent Jonathan Pryce) to reexamine what he wants out of life. He decides to fight the totalitarian system in his search for freedom--and the woman he loves. The terrific, offbeat cast features Robert De Niro as a renegade heating engineer; Katherine Helmond as Sam's ever-younger mother; Michael Palin as a government-sanctioned torturer with a distaste for upsetting the status quo; Bob Hoskins as a vengeful Central Services employee; Jim Broadbent as a wacko plastic surgeon; the wonderful Ian Holm as Sam's nerve-ridden, pitiful boss, afraid of his own signature; and Kim Greist as the rebel Sam falls for. The look of Brazil is relentless, overwhelming, and outrageously spectacular. Giant monoliths rise from the street; government offices are a network of computers, pneumatic tubes, and narrow hallways built with Nazi-like precision; and apartment complexes are a maze of washed-out grays and numbers, all frighteningly uniform. The terrorist explosions actually bring color into this dull, monochramatic world. Brazil is a nightmare vision of the future, yet also hysterically funny and incisive, one of the most inventive, influential, and important films of the 1980s. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Doctor Who: "Blink"

Sunday January 25, 2009 at 1:00 am in 26-100

In an old, abandoned house, the Weeping Angels wait. However, when people start disappearing, a young woman named Sally finds cryptic messages bleeding through from 1969 -- messages from a mysterious stranger called the Doctor. Can she decipher their meaning before the Angels claim their prize? Written by Steven Moffat. [www.scifi.com]

Southland Tales

Sunday January 25, 2009 at 2:00 am in 26-100

Director Richard Kelly's follow-up to 2001's surprisingly popular Donnie Darko is a sprawling dystopian satire featuring an all-star cast and a storyline that splinters off into strange and unexpected places. The film begins with a nuclear explosion in Texas, which sparks a full-scale war between the U.S., the Middle East, and North Korea. Kelly's central character is action-movie star Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who is suffering from a bout of amnesia upon returning from the desert. His reasons for being in the desert are hazy, but he's hooked up with porn star Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and together they have written a screenplay about the end of the world. Santaros tries to prepare for the film by taking a ride with a cop named Taverner (Sean William Scott). But the cop is actually Taverner's twin brother, who is working for a shadowy group of neo-Marxists who are trying to overthrow the government. Meanwhile, a brilliant scientist (Wallace Shawn) unveils an incredible new energy source, the end of the world as predicted by the Book of Revelations draws ever closer, and Justin Timberlake (who plays an Iraqi war veteran) provides a voiceover that fills in some of the gaps. As the film builds to its explosive climax, the reasons for Santaros's time in the desert become clear, and the various strands of the plot are brilliantly woven together. Southland Tales is packed with ideas, tangents, song-lyrics-as-dialogue (in particular, "Three Days" by Jane's Addiction), cameos from established stars, and plenty of references to the post-9/11 political landscape. Kelly's film is bursting with imagination, and it will undoubtedly need multiple viewings for everything to sink in. Comparisons to films as varied as Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly and David Lynch's Dune are valid, but Kelly's movie inhabits a wonderful world of its own, and is one of 2007's most unique and inspiring pieces of filmmaking. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Sunday January 25, 2009 at 4:45 am in 26-100

This is a new unfaded print with a digital soundtrack. Don't be fooled by LSC's ancient trailer!

Complex sociological themes run through this science-fiction classic, about three astronauts marooned on a futuristic planet where apes rule and humans are slaves. The stunned trio discovers that these highly intellectual simians can both walk upright and talk. They have even established a class system and a political structure. The astronauts suddenly find themselves part of a devalued species, trapped and imprisoned by the apes. But one, Taylor, manages to break out and, aided by a pair of compassionate chimps, makes his escape to an uninhabited section of land. However, during the trek Taylor makes a startling, unsettling discovery about the planet--and realizes he's come full circle. Planet of the Apes is based on the novel by Pierre Boulle with a screenplay co-written by Rod Serling. [www.rottentomatoes.com]

This week at LSC: Tokyo!

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:48:33 GMT

Tokyo! (A FREE Sneak Preview featuring director Michel Gondry!)

Thursday January 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

TOKYO! will be followed by a question and answer session with director Michel Gondry.

TOKYO! is a symphony interpreted in three dissonant parts, reflecting the image of the metropolis.

INTERIOR DESIGN by Michel Gondry: the surreal fable of a young couple who moves to Tokyo in search of a future. While the boy's ambition is clear - be a movie maker- the girl drifts gradually apart. Both of them will be drowned in the imensity until the girl, feeling alone, discovers something strange...

MERDE by Leos Carax: a mysterious man spreads confusion on the streets of Tokyo through a succession of irrational and provocative acts. "The Creature of the Sewers" as the media have dubbed him, arouse passion or repulsion. He will be captured, judged and then...

SHAKING TOKYO by Bong Joon-Ho: He is a hikikomori - like many others in Japan, he has withdrawn from all contact with the outside world. When the pizza delivery girl faints during an earthquake, the unthinkable happens - the man falls in love. Will he take the unimaginable step: leaving the dead security of his apartment for the streets of Tokyo? [www.moviexclusive.com]

In Japanese and French with English subtitles.

LSC IAP Schedule

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:48:33 GMT

Tokyo! (A FREE Sneak Preview!)
Thursday January 15, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

The 31st Annual Science Fiction Marathon, featuring:

Jurassic Park
Saturday January 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm in 26-100

Brazil
Saturday January 24, 2009 at 10:00 pm in 26-100

Doctor Who: "Blink"
Sunday January 25, 2009 at 1:00 am in 26-100

Southland Tales
Sunday January 25, 2009 at 2:00 am in 26-100

Planet of the Apes (1968)
Sunday January 25, 2009 at 4:45 am in 26-100