If you were to ask the average person to name an actress from old Hollywood, you’re likely to hear the same handful of names: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, maybe even Ginger Rogers. If you’re a classic film fan, you know that while these ladies are incredible representations of Hollywood’s Golden Age, there are many, many more women who also deserve to be recognized. One such woman is the irreplaceable Myrna Loy. (more…)
“I hope it will be less painful this time…”
— Ruben Östlund, joking about The Square’s selection as Sweden’s official nominee for Best Foreign Language Film for the 90th Academy Awards
Although the Nordic country is a mainstay of the award season in the United States, having been represented 15 times since 1956, Sweden has only taken the prize for Best Foreign Language Film on three occasions, and only for famed master Ingmar Bergman (The Virgin Spring in 1960, Through a Glass Darkly in 1961, and Fanny and Alexander in 1983). The 43-year-old writer/director Ruben Östlund, among sweeping Swedish classicist Jan Troell and the darkly comedic, stagy minimalist Roy Andersson, stand as the Scandinavian country’s greatest hopes for capturing the prize beyond Bergman’s shadow (each director has had multiple films submitted by their home country). This year, with Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner The Square, Sweden, and Östlund, hope to finally win the prize and come out from under the austere legacy of Bergman. (more…)
I have been the Co-President of the Indiana Student Cinema Guild since 2016. Our biggest event of the fall semester is the Crimson Film Festival. Crimson takes place on Monday, December 11th at 7:00 p.m at the Indiana University Cinema. It is the largest fall festival of student content at Indiana University. Then-president Jacob Gabbard created the Crimson Film Festival in 2013 to celebrate the vivid and diverse nature of IU’s filmmaker community. (more…)
Welcome to Score Keeping, a feature where I dive into overlooked and highly praised songs, scores and soundtracks that accompany great films. Today, however, I sit down and talk to a composer with an upcoming performance at the IU Cinema. (more…)
Every month, A Place for Film brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film that they saw this month that they couldn’t wait to share with others. Keep reading to find out what discoveries these cinephiles have made, as well as some of the old friends they’ve revisited.
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The Square is an unpredictable film. One of its most startling and beloved moments occurs when a monkey randomly shows up in the apartment of Anne, a character played by Elisabeth Moss. When asked about that scene, director Ruben Östlund said that he included it because “Anything can happen in a movie when suddenly a monkey appears in an apartment.” He went on to state that “everything should have a monkey in it.”
As a lifelong fan of monkeys and apes, I am inclined to agree. Monkeys — which have tails — and apes — which don’t — aren’t natural actors. But when the right circumstances arise, monkeys and apes can elevate a movie. (more…)