Sing along with the Munchkins

The Oak Lawn Library, in its lower level meeting room, will be showing the following film, free of charge: The Wizard of Oz "Sing-Along" (1939) -- Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m. -- There’s no place like the library when we head “Over the Rainbow” with Dorothy on her adventures through Oz. Come sing along with all the songs in this interactive movie experience. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum. Rated: G. 101 min.

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Take an African safari

When is nowhere somewhere special? When it's "Nowhere in Africa," a CineVerse World Cinema Wednesday capper to the month of April, slated for April 28.

Plan your trip to the dark continent and learn more by clicking here.

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Don't forget your favorite movie decade

Don't forget to vote for your favorite movie decade by participating in our April CineVerse poll, which can be found on our home page on the top left sidebar. Voting will close on April 30.

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Get Blind-Sided

The Oak Lawn Library, in its lower level meeting room, will be showing the following film, free of charge: The Blind Side (2009) Monday, April 26 at 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. -- NOTE EARLIER EVENING START -- The heartwarming story of a homeless and traumatized boy who becomes an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family. Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron. Rated: PG-13. 128 min.

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CINEVERSE HOTLINE REMINDER

Hello CineVerse faithful. With Oak View Center being so busy lately, I recommend the following: Every Wednesday, no earlier than 3 p.m., please call our pre-recorded CineVerse hotline number at (708) 529-9028 to learn if there will be any changes (ie, new start time, movie change or meeting cancellation) for that particular date.

I'm going to suggest this tonight at our meeting, especially for those without email access. Rest assured that if I ever learn of a date/time change, I will email you ASAP as well as update the hotline message and our Web site (cineversegroup.blogspot.com).

Hopefully the summer won't be as hectic at Oak View Center, but it appears as though rooms will continue to be scarce over the coming weeks/months. So your best bet is to check your email and call the hotline a few hours prior to each Wednesday meeting just in case.

Remember, these matters are out of my control, and we should all be grateful that the park district continues to provide us with free weekly meeting space. Thanks for your patience and dedication to our group!

P.S.--It's also important that we be as clean and tidy in our meeting space as possible, which includes putting the room back the way it was before we dismiss. If you could help me in these efforts by offering to move chairs/desks, etc. before/after our meetings, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

Sincerely,

Erik J. Martin
CineVerse film discussion group moderator
Visit our new Web page at cineversegroup.blogspot.com

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Visit "Boys Town"

Father Flanigan cordially invites you to Mickey Rooney country, otherwise known as "Boys Town" (no, it's not a northside neighborhood that espouses alternative lifestyles), scheduled on the CineVerse calendar for April 21.

Want to learn more? Click here for all the dirt.

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Changing directions: Take 2

by Erik J. Martin

(Note: This is part 2 of a 2-part article that first published last week.)

When directors switch gears to direct a film in a genre they're not normally associated with, the results can be hit or miss.

Consider, for example, the master Alfred Hitchcock himself. Bet you didn’t know that the widely acknowledged “master of suspense” actually attempted one true comedy (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” 1941) and one musical (“Waltzes From Vienna,” 1933, that Hitch later admitted marked the “lowest ebb” of his career).

Were you also aware that the men Hitchcock greatly influenced, “Halloween” director John Carpenter, and “Body Double” director Brian DePalma, tried their hands at a made-for-TV biopic (Carpenter’s lame “Elvis: the Movie,” 1979) and a comedy (DePalma’s Joe Piscopo stinker “Wise Guys,” 1986)?

Other film failure precedents include the 1978 funkified musical “The Wiz,” directed for some strange reason by “Dog Day Afternoon’s” Sidney Lumet, and the ultra-contrived “Annie,” the 1982 stage-to-film musical bafflingly helmed by “Maltese Falcon” director John Huston.

Not every genre hopper trips over his bullhorn, however. Woody Allen, the king of intellectual comedies, had better luck with his 1996 song-and-dance experiment “Everyone Says I Love You,” as did Martin Scorsese, the monopolist of gritty street-smart dramas like “Goodfellas,” and “Silence of the Lambs” skipper Jonathan Demme, who directed two surprisingly masterful rock concert films, 1978’s “The Last Waltz,” and 1984’s “Stop Making Sense,” respectively.

Of course, it’s probably only a matter of time before ultraviolent visionary Quentin Tarantino decides to direct a Disney cartoon.

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"Gone with the Wind" coming to Beverly Arts Center

The Beverly Arts Center is hosting "Gone With The Wind" (1939) on Bigscreen Sunday, April 18, at 2 p.m. All tickets are $5.

All tickets $5

Not Rated. RT: 3:58 ---- Intermission provided.

Hot-tempered, self-centered, part-Irish Southern beauty Scarlett O'Hara, played to the teeth by Vivien Leigh, loves the gentlemanly Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). Smug, rebellious, honest, blockade-running profiteer Rhett Butler, portrayed gracefully and naturally by Clark Gable, loves Scarlett. Ashley, who is also in love with Scarlett, marries his genteel cousin Melanie (Olivia de Havilland) because he believes that their quiet similarities will create a better marriage than Scarlett's passion. Meanwhile, sparks fly between Rhett and Scarlett at their first encounter and continue throughout Scarlett's first two marriages. Scarlett and Rhett finally wed, but Scarlett continues to pine for her beloved Ashley. Set against the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction, this tragic love quadrangle offers the burning of Atlanta and fields of wounded Confederates as part of its lush scenery. Meticulous backdrops, glorious sunsets, numerous silhouettes, and the ultrasaturated Technicolor film create a hyperreal vision. The romantic score is every bit as lush and dramatic as the photography, borrowing folk melodies from the Old South to make the tragic war concrete. Heavy nostalgic tones pervade the often witty dialogue and larger-than-life charms and faults of the leads. GONE WITH THE WIND stands among the greatest epic dramas ever filmed.

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Make a date with "Lars and the Real Girl"

Lars' girlfriend is a real doll. Seriously. A real doll. You've simply got to meet her to appreciate her statuesque, classic beauty. Join CineVerse on April 14 for "Lars and the Real Girl," which promises to be a hoot.

Click here for the 411 on this flick.

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