CineMeghan Theaters: Recent Episodes

CineMeghan Theaters

Miss Going to the Movies More Than Dorothy Misses Kansas? Me too.

That's why every Sunday, I (Meghan) am excited to screen movies in a communal space again (even if it must be socially-distant...for now!) via discord. At the end of each screening, a short interactive discussion follows. Topics are free-range and I am eager to share and learn from the different takeaways you guys have. I have a degree in this, so I ~kinda~ know what I’m doing.

For more, be sure to check out: www.meghanegill.com

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Watched The Florida Project (dir. Sean Baker, 2017)

Points of Discussion: 

  • How the movie uses film elements to showcase the children's POV 

  • The audience's headspace while watching 

  • Interpreting the ending  

References: 

  • The Florida Project Should've Been Nominated (Nerdwriter1 Youtube Channel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXbKeHAoA84&t=361s) 

  • ‘The Florida Project’: Director Sean Baker Explains How and Why He Shot That Ending (The Hollywood Reporter article by Ashley Lee/ 2017)

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Watched Don't Look Up (dir. Adam McKay, 2021)

Points of Discussion: 

  • An allegory for climate change 

  • Polarizing film reviews 

  • Similar comedic vibes in other films 

  • Can humor handle our reality? 

  • The evolution of Adam McKay  

References: 

  • Don’t Look Up Director Noticed Similarities Between Script & Pandemic (Screen Rant article by Alexander Harrison/ 2022) 

  • Don't Look Up Director Celebrates How Netflix Movie Is Dividing Audiences (Screen Rant article by James Osborne/ 2022) 

  • Why Are People So Mad About Don’t Look Up? (The Atlantic Article article by Kevin Townsend, Sophie Gilbert, David Sims, and Spencer Kornhaber/ 2022)

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Watched Chicago (dir. Rob Marshall, 2002)

Points of Discussion:

  • Is all of CHICAGO in Roxie's head?

  • The news as a form of spectacle

  • Significance of this movie musical in 2002

References:

  • The Musical that Saved a Genre - Lemme Review: Chicago (2002) (Wiseclay Youtube Channel/ https://youtu.be/bxYV2cVmG_g)

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Watched In the Mood for Love (dir. Wong Kar-wai, 2000)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • The hauntings done by lingering love 

  • The unique relationship between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow 

  • Cinematic techniques used to showcase main theme  

References: 

  • In the Mood For Love: Crash Course Film Criticism #5 (CrashCourse Youtube Channel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98QmnyyIXsY) 

  • Criticwire Classic of the Week: Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Indie Wire article by Vikram Murthi/ 2015)

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Watched Clerks (dir. Kevin Smith, 1994)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • How does CLERKS work? 

  • A more honest film as an independent film 

  • Any comments on capitalism?  

References: 

  • Film Histories Episode 37 - Clerks ( Film Histories Youtube Channel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbOjgeSuUJs) 

  • Clerks: A Leap Of Faith; video essay (Visual Stories Youtube Channel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE8GSv7OyWo)

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Watched Shrek (dir. Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson, 2001)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • Shrek: the anti-fairy tale against Disney 

  • A new take on the fairy tale structure 

  • This killer soundtrack 

  • An actor's effect on a character's voice  

References: 

  • Is ''Shrek'' the anti- Disney fairy tale? (Entertainment Weekly article by Lori Reese/ 2001) 

  • Why Shrek Has Aged So Much Better Than Other Movies (Nerdstalgic Youtube Channel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RobmhhAuOHM)

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Watched Napoleon Dynamite (dir. Jared Hess, 2004)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • How the film's setting is used a template for middle/rural America in other films 

  • Film's lasting significance and cult following 

  • Does the film have story structure or is it a collection of sketches? 

  • Nostalgia of the 1980's and early 2000s

References:

  • How 'Napoleon Dynamite' became Hollywood's template for Middle America (Deseret News Youtube Channel)

  • NAPOLEON DYNAMITE - story isn't king (MacCosham Films Youtube Channel)

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Watched Grey Gardens (dir. Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer, & David Maysles, 1976)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • Background on Big Edie and Little Edie Beale 

  • How documentaries were filmed throughout the Direct Cinema movement 

  • Exploitation vs. Empathy of the Beales

References:

  • Grey Gardens(Wikipedia article)

  • Direct cinema (Wikipedia article)

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Watched Twilight (dir. Catherine Hardwicke, 2008)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • Twilight having "independent-film-ness" qualities 

  • Messages of Twilight 

  • The rise and fall and rise again of the fandom 

  • Why do we hate everything teenage girls like?

References:

  • At Its Core, the 'Twilight' Saga Is a Story About ________ (The Atlantic article by Ashley Fetters/ 2012)

  • Twilight fandom (Wikipedia article)

  • Dear Stephenie Meyer (Lindsay Ellis Youtube Channel)

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Watched Shutter Island (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2010)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • Neo-noir: style or genre? 

  • The psychological thriller and its unreliable narrator 

  • Noteworthy score 

  • Foreshadowing hints 

  • That ending tho

References:

Shutter Island (film) (Wikipedia article)

Psychological thriller (Wikipedia article)

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Watched Daisies (dir. Věra Chytilová, 1966)   

Points of Discussion: 

  • Czechoslovak New Wave 

  • Film's stance against communism 

  • Film's impact on Věra Chytilová as a filmmaker 

  • Editing, plot structure, and aesthetic

References:

  • Czechoslovak New Wave (Wikipedia article)

  • Daisies (film) (Wikipedia article)

  • Věra Chytilová (Wikipedia article)

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Watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (dir. Jacques Demy/ 1964)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • French New Wave 

  • Interpretation of the melodrama 

  • Jacques Demy's world building with color schemes and musical choices

References:

  • 'Umbrellas of Cherbourg' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times (The New York Times Youtube Channel)

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Watched Queen (dir. Vikas Bahl/2014)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • Bollywood Cinema 

  • QUEEN pushing Bollywood's traditional conventions 

  • The importance of studying World Cinema

References: 

  • Film Review: ‘Queen’ (Variety article by David Chute/ 2014)

  • The Best Bollywood Movies That'll Sweep You Away (Oprah Daily article by Prakruti Patel and Elena Nicolaou/ 2020)

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Watched City Lights (dir. Charlie Chaplin/ 1931)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • City Lights: a new silent film in the talkie era 

  • Comedy: the fastest aging genre 

  • Charlie Chaplin: the perfectionist film director

References:

  • Charlie Chaplin's City Lights (Mental Floss article by Bill Demain/ 2012)

  • Watch Charlie Chaplin Demand 342 Takes of One Scene from City Lights (Open Culture article by Colin Marshall/ 2013)

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Watched To All the Boys: Always and Forever (dir. Michael Fimognari/ 2021)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • Is this movie more of a romance movie? Coming-of-age? Or both? 

  • Character developments across all three films 

  • Directorial choices of Michael Fimognari 

  • Compare/Contrast movies and books 

  • Why the change of directors from the first and last two movies?

References:

  • Michael Fimognari on ‘To All the Boys 3’ and Great High-School Cinema (Observer article by Max Gao/ 2021)

  • To All The Boys 3: Is The Ending The Same As The Book? (Capital FM article/ 2021)

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Watched My Neighbor Totoro (dir. Hayao Miyasaki/ 1988)

Points of Discussion: 

  • Totoro as a personified coping mechanism 

  • Totoro as a god 

  • Totoro conspiracy theories 

  • Miyasaki's bright animation and dark themes

References:

  • My Neighbor Totoro: Why We Need Totoro (The Take Youtube Channel)

  • MY CONSPIRACY THEORY NUT NEIGHBOR, TOTORO (Article by MAMI SUZUKI/ 2013)

  • My Neighbor Totoro (Review by Roger Ebert/ 2001)

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Watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma/ 2019)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • The Female Gaze 

  • Laura Mulvey's article, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" 

  • Lack of a musical score in the film

References:

  • “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” Is More Than a “Manifesto on the Female Gaze” (The New Yorker article by Rachel Syme/ 2020)

  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Daring to See (The Criterion Collection Essay by Ela Bittencourt/ 2020)

  • Céline Sciamma and Adèle Haenel on Portrait of a Lady on Fire (vpro cinema Youtube Channel)

  • "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" (article by Laura Mulvey/ 1975)

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Watched The Big Sick (dir. Michael Showalter/ 2017)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • The Sick Girl Trope 

  • How is this film a love story on many levels? 

  • Traditions

References:

  • The Sick Girl Trope, Explained (The Take Youtube Channel)

  • The Big Sick – the year’s most likably unlikely romcom (The Guardian article by Mark Kermode/ 2017)

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Watched Loving Vincent (dir. Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman/ 2017)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • The process to make the first fully-painted feature length films 

  • We are Armand Roulin 

  • Effect of casting famous actors/actresses 

  • Comparisons to CITIZEN KANE (1941)

References:

  • BBC piece about Loving Vincent, the world’s first fully painted feature film (Sarah Wimperis Youtube Channel)

  • Loving Vincent: The Sense Of Truth (Jesse Tribble Youtube Channel)

  • Film Review: ‘Loving Vincent’ (Variety article by Peter Debruge/ 2017)

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Watched The Disaster Artist (dir. James Franco/ 2017)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • Tommy Wiseau as a character 

  • Reflection on THE ROOM (2003) 

  • Can THE DISASTER ARTIST be seen as a "How-To" Video?

References:

  • Review: In ‘The Disaster Artist,’ How to Fail at Moviemaking (New York Times article by Manohla Dargis/ 2017)

  • The Disaster Artist review – James Franco's ode to bad film-making is a riot (The Guardian article by Benjamin Lee/ 2017)

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Watched Hunt for the Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi/ 2016)  

Points of Discussion: 

  • Taika Waititi as a film director 

  • What makes a tragicomedy?

References:

-'Hunt For The Wilderpeople' movie review by Kenneth Turan (Los Angeles Times Youtube Channel)

-Taika Waititi: Mastering Happy Sad Cinema (We Need to Talk About Film Youtube Channel)