The Detroit Film Theater kicks off another season of fab films at the Detroit Institute of Arts on January 15.
Seeing the eclectic films offered in the beautiful 1920s Art Deco-style movie house, designed by architects Paul Philippe Cert and Detroiter C. Howard Crane (who also designed Detroit's beautifully restored 1920s-vintage Fox Theater) always brings back the magic I felt as a kid when the lights went down and the images rolled onto the large screen. I just don't get the same satisfaction out of seeing the film-of-the-week in a tiny auditorium at the megaplex theaters or on my television at home.
As usual, I see plenty of films I find intriguing when I get my first look at the new DFT season schedule. Here are a few that sound especially interesting to me this time around:
"Mine" (February 6), a documentary about people and their pets, sounds like it could be either uplifting or depressing, but this sounds like a must-see film for those who care about animals and the bond between people and their pets (February 6). Folks who lived through Hurricane Katrina often lost everything they had, including beloved pets that sometimes found new lives with families adopting them in other areas of the country. What happens when the animals' original owners find them and want to reunite with their pets?
"No Impact Man" (February 13) chronicles the adventures of writer Colin Beavan as he attempts to live his environmental beliefs by making as little environmental impact as possible throughout a year. Buying local, foreswearing automobiles, and living off of the electrical grid might have sounded like a good idea to Beavan, but it sounds like his wife and two-year-old daughter had some reservations about the lifestyle changes those things meant for their family. How did Beavan's grand experiment go in the end?
Detroit-area filmgoers can see all of this year's live-action and animated "2009 Academy Award ® Nominated Short Films" (February 19-21 and February 26-28). There aren't many opportunities to catch these short masterpieces, especially on the big screen, so film fans should make sure to keep these weekends open to check out the best in short film fare.
I'm a real true-crime fan, so "The Red Riding Trilogy" (March 19-21 and March 26-28) sounds interesting. This trio of films from a British television adaption of author David Peace's novels about a serial killer operating in 1970s and 1980s England tell the story of the hunt for the "Yorkshire Ripper" from several different years and viewpoints.
I love silent films, and watching a lovingly restored silent classic with live musical accompaniment at the DFT is a special pleasure. "The Last Laugh" (March 20) is a German film from 1924, directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Emil Jannings. This story of a proud doorman at one of Berlin's great hotels and his attempts to hide a serious job demotion from family and friends is a theme that might speak to some of today's displaced workers, while this film also serves as a showcase for director Murnau's timeless filmmaking skill.
I was too young to grasp a lot of the issues and developments as Daniel Ellsberg obtained, and leaked top-secret government documents to set in motion the chain of events that led to Richard Nixon's eventual resignation as president. "The Most Dangerous Man in American: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" (April 9-10) is a 2009 documentary that revisits those days, with tales of cover-ups, lies, and moral dilemmas that may sound all too familiar to present-day audiences.
If escapist fun is what you seek, check out "Horse Feathers" (May 1). This rollicking 1932 comedy stars the zany Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo) looks to be full of slyly erudite puns and song as Huxley and Darwin battle for gridiron supremacy.
Check out the full DFT schedule online.
Films generally cost $7.50 ($6.50 for Detroit Institute of Arts members, full-time students), or you can purchase discount pass cards for $30, which are good for five admissions.
Note: "Where
I live" posts are part of a series of periodic stories about special
events and people in, and around, metro Detroit. "Where I live" posts
are stories I'll post in addition to my regular schedule of stories about
attractions around the larger Midwestern region. I hope you enjoy reading them
as much as I enjoy writing them.
© Dominique King 2010 All rights reserved
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