Please Mr. Postman

Valentine's Day may be a few weeks away, but it's never too early to play a naughty game of post office with Lana Turner and John Garfield. They're the stars of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946; 113 minutes), directed by Tay Garnett, chosen by Kevin McAlinden, which is next up on the CineVerse calendar for Feb. 1.

Plus, we'll start the evening with a trailer reel spotlighting the career of actor John Garfield.

Read more...

Move over Jonah--here comes the Squid and the Whale

Dad may have told you about the birds and the bees, but he probably never breathed a word about “The Squid and the Whale" (2005; 81 minutes), which is scheduled for January 25 at CineVerse, directed by Noah Baumbach, chosen by Dave Ries.

Plus, join our group promptly a 7 p.m. to play a "How well do you know your fellow film fan" game prior to the movie.

Read more...

I'm dreaming of a white baseball...

The Oak Lawn public library will present the following movie free of charge: Moneyball (2011, PG-13, 133 min) -- Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. A movie for anyone who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Learn more by clicking here.

Read more...

A closer look at Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train"

Yesterday, CineVerse screened and discussed Strangers on a Train, Alfred Hitchcock’s wonderfully twisted and disquieting rumination on man’s dual nature.

The film stars Farley Granger as Guy Haines, a tennis pro married to Miriam, a bespectacled floozy (portrayed by an underrated Kasey Rogers), and Robert Walker as the comically insidious Bruno Antony. Bruno meets Guy on a train trip and tries to convince the athlete into committing the perfect crime by swapping murders: Bruno will kill the adulterous Mrs. Haines (so that Guy can marry the senator’s beautiful daughter) in exchange for Guy offing Bruno’s much loathed father. It takes two to tango, however, and Guy doesn’t want to engage in this dastardly dance macabre.

What lingers about Strangers on a Train and sets it a cut above most Hitchcock pictures is its intricate, brooding and devilishly delightful doppelganger protagonist Bruno—played with a suave, nuanced charm that’s brilliantly contrasted with fierce criminal passion by Walker. As he enjoyed doing in many features, Hitchcock creates a fascinating Freudian relationship between the Oedipally conflicted son (Bruno) and his oddball mother. There’s also a hint of homoeroticism in Bruno’s manner and gaze toward Guy, which would have incited the ire of 1950s-era censors if the picture was in the hands of a less crafty filmmaker.

The movie’s disturbing and unforgettable centerpiece scene is, of course, Bruno stalking the ever-flirtatious Miriam during a carnival, particularly the tunnel of love sequence and what comes after, as reflected through one of the warped lens of the cheating spouse’s wayward eyeglasses. It’s an ingenious shot if there ever was one.

Read more...

Don't be a stranger--make friends with fellow Hitchcock fans on Jan. 18

Ever wondered what it feels like to ride a bullet train to hell? Join CineVerse on January 18 for "Strangers on a Train" (1951; 101 minutes), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, chosen by Rose Krc.

Plus, following the film, we'll watch a brief documentary that analyzes Hitchcock's unique filmmaking style.

Read more...

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

The Oak Lawn public library will present the following movie free of charge: Some Like It Hot (1959, Unrated, 120 min) -- Thursday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in. One of the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest Movies. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Learn more by clicking here.

Read more...

8 1/2 is a 10

On January 11, you are cordially invited to attend CineVerse for one of the strangest, most audacious, delicious, perplexing, original, and unforgettable movies you will ever see.

It's none other than “8½” (1963; 138 minutes, Italian language with English subtitles), directed by Federico Fellini, chosen by Len Gornik.

Read more...

Classic movie Mondays at Aurora theater

It's a bit of a drive for some CineVerse members, but the Paramount Theater in Aurora is now featuring "Classic movie Mondays" weekly at 6:45 for only 80 cents (!) For full details and to see their January schedule, click here.

Thanks to Brian for passing on this information.

Read more...

Gump happens Jan. 4

Life is like a box of DVDs--and one of them is "Forrest Gump" (1994; 142 minutes), next on the CineVerse schedule for Jan. 4. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and chosen by Tom Nesis, this film is about an unconventional person who...well, see for yourself on Wednesday.

Due to this movie's long runtime, we'll need to start promptly at 7 p.m.

Read more...