Kane and able

Seventy years ago this fall, the world of cinema changed forever with the release of Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane.

Now, CineVerse is prepared to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this seminal film. Make plans to join us on Nov. 2 for a viewing and discussion of this movie.

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The best vampires come from Germany

It's Halloween season, a fitting time to delve into a delicious horror film. One of the best of them all is Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors, by F.W. Murnau. CineVerse performed an autopsy on this classic vampire picture four years ago, the recording of which has been captured as a podcast. To listen to it, click here.

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CineVerse Nov/Dec 2011 schedule has been updated

"Forrest Gump", originally slated on the CineVerse calendar for Dec. 28, has been rescheduled for Jan. 4, 2012, at the request of its chooser, Tom.

On Dec. 28, instead we will view “Three Days of the Condor” (1975; 117 minutes), directed by Sydney Pollack, chosen by Norm Omiecinski.

Hence, the November/December 2011 schedule has been updated. To view the revised lineup, click here.

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The only thing we have to fear is...The Thing itself

If you want to give your goosebumps a good workout, plan on joining CineVerse on October 26 for our Shocktober Theater conclusion: "The Thing" (1982; 109 minutes), directed by John Carpenter and chosen by Brian Hansen. And happy Halloween!

There are deals and savings available for "The Thing".

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A "Win Win" means you can't lose

The Oak Lawn public library will present the following feature free of charge: Win Win (2011, R, 106 min) -- Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach’s chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he’s double-crossed comes into his life. Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Jaffrey Tambor. Click here for the 411.

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New November/December 2011 CineVerse schedule

Eager to learn what we'll be viewing and spewing about in CineVerse over the next 2 months? The November/December CineVerse schedule is now ready for prime time. Click here to view it.

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Paranormal activity, Deborah Kerr-style

Halloween is fast approaching, and to celebrate, CineVerse brings back Schocktober Theater. Make plans to join us on October 19--if your nerves can stand it--for one of the great ghost story movies of all time: "The Innocents" (1961; 100 minutes), directed by Jack Clayton.

Plus, following our discussion, we'll preview the November/December 2011 CineVerse schedule.

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X does not mark the spot

by Erik J. Martin

Remember “The X-Files” TV show and what an exciting breath of fresh air it was to small screen viewers when it first aired on Fox in 1993?

Well, that air quickly grew stale by 1998, when series creator Chris Carter and company finally brought their cult hit TV series to the big screen with “The X-Files: Fight the Future” movie. Sigh. I remember how pumped up I was to buy a ticket to this flick in the late nineties.

Talk about disappointing. The “X-Files” first movie is a patchwork of bigger budget pyrotechnics and FX (which actually work quite well) and a convoluted screenplay that, while laced with enough action, doesn't deliver the goods in quite the way that X-Files fans would expect. Here’s a quick capsule review to save you the rental fee:

This time around, Mulder and Scully--upset that the X-Files are now closed--are closer than ever before to the truth behind the government conspiracy they've been investigating for five seasons, and the danger has never been greater: it seems that aliens, who first landed on earth back in neanderthal days, are planning to take over the planet with the help of the covert Syndicate (the one that the shadowy Cigarette Smoking Man belongs to, remember?). In exchange for their own freedom, The Syndicate and its forces are raising millions of bees that, when released, will sting people all over the world and infect them with alien goo that grows and turns bodies into human hosts for aliens that hatch out of people's stomachs (sound familiar, H.R. Geiger Alien fans?) Only our two favorite FBI agents, of course, can stop this madness. The problem is that Scully is stung and abducted by the Syndicate. Thanks to a tip from Deep Throat du jour Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), Mulder finds Scully in the Arctic aboard a colossal buried alien mothership, and rescues her. They get back to civilization and convince the FBI to reopen the X-Files. And now, the Syndicate is really shakin' in its shoes...

Problems? Plenty. How about showing us some skin, as in more extraterrestrials! Instead, we get quick glimpses of pissed-off, sharp-clawed grey skins who like to shed a lot of blood. What the heck did they cast stellar actor Armin Mueller Stahl (as the Syndicate leader) for if he appears in about 90 seconds worth of the movie? The same question goes for the loveably goofy Lone Gunmen--why show them at all if it's only for a minute or two? Why not more character development here? How are we supposed to believe the hokey bee conspiracy, anyway? The aliens seem to be tough enough to handle us wimpy humans themselves. How did Scully escape from the autopsy cooler when the military police were scouring every inch for her? And for that matter, how did a naked Scully, covered by Mulder's coat when he rescues her, suddenly grow pants in the climactic conclusion?

In short, this picture’s swiss cheese plot, though tangy in its complexity, leaves us with far too many enigmatic questions. And its cliffhanging ending leaves viewers with a lack of closure and resolution. Weak.

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Kurosawa goes contemporary

Next up in our once-a-month tribute to Akira Kurosawa is a departure of sorts: the director switched settings from the samurai age to modern times to create a riveting thriller.

Slot October 12 on your calendar to catch "High and Low" (1963; 143 minutes). Note: Because of the long runtime of this film, we'll need to start promptly at 7 p.m. and we may go over a few minutes beyond 10 p.m.

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Dial L for "Library"

At no cost to you, the Oak Lawn public library will present the following movie: Dial M for Murder (1954, Unrated, 105 min) -- Monday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife in this Alfred Hitchcock thriller. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B. Starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings. Learn more by clicking here.

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That's one helluva rifle

When he wasn't making populist everyman films for Frank Capra, tightening the knot of suspense for Hitchcock or playing the love interest opposite greats like Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart starred in his share of A-level westerns.

Join CineVerse on October 5 for one of them: "Winchester 73" (1950; 92 minutes), directed by Anthony Mann, chosen by Kevin McAlinden. Plus, prior to the film we'll screen a trailer reel saluting the works of Anthony Mann.

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