Bad Movies Night!!! So Bad They're Good!!!

Now I don't know about you... but sometimes I get to the point where I have seen to many movies that claim to be innovative and revolutionary for whatever reason it may be. There are sometimes when it's good to acknowledge a movie for JUST HOW BAD IT REALLY IS.

I mean think of it. The producer actually thought this movie would be appealing to a certain demographic. The director must of been intrigued by the story at one point. The actors signed on believing this would catapult their career to another level or at least sustain it.

Now with all of this said...The movie gets rave revues but not for the expected accolades but for being known as the WORST MOVIE EVER MADE.

Man, what a blow. Or maybe its not so bad. Maybe it did exactly what it set out to do. The producer was talked about (maybe for being an idiot), the director was regarded as great at achieving the worst with such grace and excellence and the actors... well yeah....

So come and check these 2 movies out this Friday. We'll be showing "The Room" and "Forbidden Zone" two strange and problematic independent films with huge cult followings.

Snacks will be provided! Bring a friend and a sense of humor! Prepare to make this face: o_ORead More

Who knows... while watching this movie you might just get inspired to come up with any even better idea to become the worst. LOL.

Bad Movies Night

So bad they're good!

Time:6:30PM Friday, November 20th

Location:214 West End Building, Brooklyn College

"Wings of Desire" Screening

Thursday, November 12th

6:30 PM

214 WEB

This week we're showing a film that has been requested by a dedicated member of the film society since last year.  So you see, if you're vigilant in pestering us, eventually we will show that movie you really want us to screen.  :)

"Wings of Desire" or "Der Himmel uber Berlin" is a great German film from 1987 that won Wim Wenders the Best Director award at Cannes.  It's the story of an angel who, after watching people in Berlin, falls in love and wishes to become human.  If that sounds at all familiar, it's because it was remade in America as "City of Angels."  I promise this is better, though.

We'll have snacks, but, as we decided at last week's meeting, we will no longer be ordering pizza for every screening.  We're making that a once-a-month treat, so we don't blow through our budget on pizza or waste money when only ten people show up and we have four pies.

This week's events

Some items of business:

• We're having a general meeting this week and encourage as many of you as possible to come.  It's important that you guys are active and audible, otherwise there isn't a film society.  Bring ideas and opinions and voice them.  Some things we plan to discuss: future screenings, equipment and other purchases you want, non-screening events and trips.  That's happening this Thursday at 1PM in room 214.
• Another double screening this Friday at 6:30PM in room 214, we're showing Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" Volumes 1 & 2 back to back.  It'll be a lot of fun and there'll be food as always so bring your friends.  Daphne bought some more ass cushions so come early to grab one if you don't feel like sitting close to the screen on the comfy couches.
• Does anyone still want to see "Paranormal Activity" as part of a group trip?  "The Fourth Kind" is another scary mockumentary that's coming out soon and that could be fun, too.  Would anyone want to watch something non-frightening?  If there's something that everyone is really itching to see and we get a substantial list of sign-ups (no maybes), we can throw down some green and organize a mass screening (although we can't book an entire auditorium unless there's at least 100 people).

So remember...

Friday, November 6th

6:30 PM

214 WEB

Halloween Extravaganza

Join us tomorrow for this year's Halloween event!  We'll be screening The Shining on blu-ray, so you know it's going to be awesome.  In addition to that, we're having a costume contest-- but you can only dress up as a movie (or TV) character.  The winner will receive a gift certificate to Film Forum.

Food and beverages will be provided as always, so bring a friend and an awesome costume. :)

Thursday, October 29th

6:30 PM

214 West End Building

"City of God" Screening tomorrow night

Hey everyone!  Come tomorrow night for our screening of "City of God," a great Brazilian film about violence and the growth of organized crime in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, and the diverging lives of two boys from the area.  We'll have snacks as usual so it should be a fun night.  Come early for better seats (and to help us set up).  Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, October 21st

6:30 PM

214 WEB

"NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" "GRUMPY OLD MEN" Double Screening

So another double screening huh? Why I tell you those cotton picking Brooklyn College kids want to show our movie so they can laugh at us. I don't find that funny at all John. LOL. That might be one of the conversations that you hear spurring up from the classic Grumpy Old Men

But we would have to remind them that our reason for watching them on the big screen this week is because they fit the bill to lighten up the mood after we watch the chilling horror flick "No Country For Old Men".

I don't know about you all but this year hear working with the BC Film Society has been a memorable one already. I mean we had great turnouts for two screenings so far and I know it can only get better. The best part about this whole process is that the fans requested it and we are bringing it to them. Every top pick on the survey you all generated is being shown. So you owe it all to yourselves to show up this Friday Oct. 16th in RM 214 at 6:30pm to see these two dynamic movies.

Oh yeah and give us some feedback on this blog or the forum or FB page. We are open to suggestions and are still eager to hear from you.

"Fight Club" screening

Last week we held our first (double) screening of the semester and it was pretty packed!  It looks like everyone had fun whether they came for the first movie or the second (or stayed for both), so let's mark that down as a success. :)

This week we're screening "Fight Club," one of the most popular suggestions on the movie survey Darin made.  The film is about an office employee and a soap salesman who build a global organization to help vent male aggression as a response to the American culture of consumerism.  A David Fincher adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk novel, it has attained cult status and marked a cinematic turning point in the transition from the 90s to the 2000s.

So come on down- it'll be a lot of fun!  As always food and drinks will be provided. :)

Thursday October 8th

6:30 PM

Room 214 WEB

And speaking of David Fincher, apparently he's directing a movie about Facebook?  Whaaaaat?  Will there be a sequel about Twitter?  A prequel about Myspace?

Meeting Review and Movie Screening Update

So today we held a general meeting to discuss movie screenings (among other pertinent topics that you guys brought up) and we've come to the consensus that Friday Double Screenings are a good thing and you will come to them.  We will put this to the test this Friday when we present our first screening of the semester and the first double screening, as well.

Based on some responses from the survey we passed out and careful deliberation after the meeting, we've decided to screen Being John Malkovich and Alice, two surreal movies about traveling into a different world or state of consciousness.  Should be weird enough to be awesome.

Friday, October 2nd

6:30 PM

214 WEB

As in the past we'll be providing the vittles as long as you all provide the bodies.  Your own, that is.  Also your friends' bodies.  Alive.

But I digress!  Other movie ideas we heard were French New Wave films, some so-bad-they're-good movies like The Room (although we'll have to pay to screen it...  Really, guys?  This?) and Troll 2, some kickass recent stuff like Children of Men, and some double screenings that are diametrically opposed (Classic Hollywood vs. Dogme 95).  There was also talk of getting a booth at the NYC International Film Festival, although it might be cutting it close for us to get in on that since the festival is in late October.

There were, of course, other great movie suggestions that I either can't list off the top of my head or that were written down and not discussed aloud.  Darin has the surveys and he'll put up a more comprehensive list online soon, so you guys can check that out and pick your favorites.

On another note, while we the officers were having a chat about movie screenings after the meeting, we came up with the concept of going to see Paranormal Activity as a group.  It looks scary and fun and has been getting a lot of buzz and it's finally going to screen in NYC soon.  If you guys want to go en masse, we can try to book a theater and arrange a film society trip.  How about it?

A more general sort of general meeting

Tuesday the 29th

1:30 PM

Room 214 WEB

Come on by this Tuesday to talk about movie screenings, the Halloween event, and other topics worth discussing!  Since Tuesday is a conversion day following a Monday schedule, it's understandable if we don't have the same turnout as last week at elections, but we hope to see a healthy-sized portion of you guys there.  If you can't make it and still want to voice your opinion, feel free to do so here, on the forum, at the new Facebook group, or through an email.  

Look forward to an update regarding the selected movie for our first screening-- I'll be updating the blog and sending out an email blast once we make a decision.

Election Results

The results are in and the winners are:

President Beatrice Benders :)

Vice President Cal Robertson

Treasurer Daphne Brunet

Secretary Darin Kent

Congrats to the winners and a tip of the hat to everyone who ran.  There was a lot of competition and enthusiasm today and I hope to see this in spades the rest of the year.  We have some fun ideas in store and look forward to bringing them to fruition.

Some big things we want your opinions on:

• The first screening of the year- what movie do you want?  Or genre, if you can't think of a specific film that would mark such a momentous occasion.

• The Halloween Screening.  It's going to be one hell of an event based on our initial brainstorming session.  Let's hear your suggestions.  Make them good and scary!

Post away and make sure you come to the next meeting!

First meeting of the semester

Welcome back and hello!

If the cooler temperature and crunchy leaves serve to signify anything it's that the fall semester is going full speed ahead and that means it's time for the Brooklyn College Film Society's first meeting! And since it's a new school year we'll be holding elections so anyone can run for office as either president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer. The jobs are all very important so it's crucial that anyone that decides to run is serious about the endeavor and if elected will stick to his or her promises and fulfill the needs of the position.

Regardless of seats of power and such, everyone has a voice and should use it. We want to hear your opinions, concerns, and suggestions. If there's a movie you'd love to see at one of our screenings, let us know. If you think we should spend some of our $8000 budget on specific equipment, make a proposition. We'll look into it. (Heck, if it's a reasonable option and our faculty overlords approve, we might even buy it!) If you know about any awesome filmmakers that would make good guest speakers, we'll take them into consideration-- granted that they're actually awesome! And if you have any ideas for other events we haven't yet worked on, feel free to make a suggestion or five.

It's your film society, your money, and we want you to enjoy it for all its worth!

So make sure you come to the meeting and participate-- and that means adding your email to the contact list, following the blog, and signing up with the forum.

Tuesday, September 22nd, 1:oo PM
Room 214 in the West End Building

There Will Be Blood... and milkshakes

There Will Be Blood
Monday, April 27th, 6:30 PM
214 West End Building

I think the picture speaks for itself. No? Well, come by anyway for a great story about greed versus religion versus family. And of course free food. There'll be pizza and chocolate milkshakes. What's not to like?

Jurassic Park!

April 20th, 6:30 PM
Room 214 West End Building

Yes, guys and gals, it's true. It's time for early 90s nostalgia at next Monday's screening of "Jurassic Park." A movie many of us grew up with, this film presents the idea of an amusement park with genetically recreated dinosaurs gone horribly wrong. I tell you what can't possibly go wrong: this movie plus free pizza and dinosaur shaped cookies! No time for fliers so spread the word and tell your friends!

Hope you're all enjoying the break! We'll see you there!

Weekly Update

Yesterday we screened "Stranger Than Paradise" and that was a lot of fun, so thanks to everyone that came and devoured the pizza. Question: Yesterday we bought one more pie than we've been getting; should we get more or is three pies enough?



Today we were going to screen some more prints, but that fell through when no one showed up. On the bright side, Sal was doing a radio interview at the time, so hopefully he said some nice things about the film society.

Next Monday we'll be watching "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days," which should be really good. It's a critically acclaimed recent film about two students living in Communist Romania attempting to arrange an abortion. Intense!



Next week Spring Break starts on the 8th of April, so tough it out and then have fun!

Weekly Update

Next Monday (March 23rd), come on down to room 214 WEB at 6:30 PM to see "Some Like It Hot," the classic screwball comedy about two musicians cross-dressing to join an all female band after witnessing a mob hit. Free pizza and refreshments! Spread the word!



Also, in addition to our weekly Monday feature screening, Tuesdays we'll be showing celluloid prints of shorter, older films in room 220 at 12:30 PM, so check it out.

Upcoming events

Yesterday's screening of "Blue Velvet" was a lot of fun and we thank everyone that showed up. With a fully planned schedule, we'll be able to start really advertising and hopefully we can draw in even more people. I'm glad everyone liked the blue-sprinkled brownies; I'll try to bring some more fun desserts to future screenings.

Make sure to come to Thursday's B&H Tools of the Trade event. The mini trade show will be going on from 11 AM to 3 PM in Studio B in the TV/Radio Broadcast Center in Whitehead Hall. You'll want to see all the latest gear from Panasonic, Bogen, Lacie, Sennheiser, Sony, Steadicam, PortaBrace, Lowel, and more.

This coming Monday we'll be screening "The Battle of Algiers" at 6:30 PM in 214 WEB. The film is based on the true events during the 1954-1962 Algerian War against French rule and has been widely respected for its technical merits and honest portrayal of both sides of the war.

More updates

EDIT: Due to scheduling issues, we'll be moving the general meeting to Tuesday at 1:30 PM in room 214 and canceling the screening of "Stranger Than Paradise." We'll watch it another time, though. Make sure to come to the meeting to get caught up and express any opinions or ideas you have.

Be there or be square!

"Blue Velvet" first movie screening of the semester

We're ba-ack!

Yes, folks, it's true! We're finally starting up the movie screenings again! Next Monday (March 9th) we'll be watching David Lynch's "Blue Velvet," a highly acclaimed surreal, neo-noir cult classic. Refreshments will be provided and guests are encouraged to bring friends. The screening will take place in room 214 of the WEB building at 6:30 PM.

City University Film Festival

First CUNY-wide Film Festival.

There's not much time left, but if you have a finished film and still are a CUNY student, you should definitely submit your work to this festival.

Deadline is March 1st!!!!

Tuesday, February 17

12:30pm - 2:00pm

ROOM 220, WEST END BUILDING

Owner and operator of a “working it” nightclub in “Chalk-Off-The-Sidewalk” Bronx, Tim Cinnante obtained a wealth of knowledge on street 'types' he would eventually portray on screen. Gems of the silver screen Sidney Lumet, Sydney Pollack, Paul Haggis, Sam Raimi, Tony Kaye, William Lappe, worked alongside this polished pro. Tim also worked with notable Hip Hop Artist “Ice T” in the film TRACKS, and has had principal roles in three Indie films currently running the international film festival circuit.

Our first guest speaker, Joe Trigoboff

Here's hoping that everyone had a pleasant break and is looking forward to a fun-filled and productive spring semester. The film society definitely has much planned insofar as events. Film screenings will continue to occur, though we need to think of a movie to watch. As always, we're very open to suggestions. Maybe we can watch 2001, since we didn't get to last semester.

In exciting news, David has gotten in touch with numerous film industry professionals and it's looking like we'll have an interesting line up of guest speakers this semester! Our first guest will be Joe Trigoboff, a New York born and raised author of two crime novels who has also done some screenplay work. No doubt he'll have some valuable advice to the writers in the film program, but everyone is encouraged to come and ask questions.

As far as other upcoming events, we'll keep you posted both here and on the forum. :)

Tuesday, February 3

12:30pm - 2:00pm

ROOM 220, WEST END BUILDING