Bryn Mawr Film Institute: February 2012 at a Glance

This month at the  will include the continuation of a "Late Night" film series and the fourth annual Oscar Party. February also brings a couple of filmmaker appearances and two complete film courses. The Kids Matinee series this month features the Three Stooges in all their antics.

BMFI's Public Relations Manager Devin Wachs tells us what to expect: 

Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (11:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3)

In a continuation of BMFI’s Late Show Series, which started last month, Moroder’s retake on a forgotten masterpiece adds a soundtrack including the likes of Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar and Bonnie Tyler. The film is silent with subtitles.

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4) 

This month’s Kids Matinee series focuses on the Three Stooges. In this film, Larry, Moe and Curly Joe befriend a scientist who makes a time machine and wind up in ancient Greece.

Abbado Conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker (1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5)

This concert, broadcast from the Berlin Philharmonie, is conducted by Claudio Abbado. The performance features tenor Jonas Kaufmann and mezzo-soprano Anne Sophie von Otter.

Open Screen Monday (9:15 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6)

Held the first Monday of each month, Open Screen Monday is a monthly free event during which any aspiring filmmakers can submit films, up to 10 minutes long, in DVD or VHS format. Others in the community can attend for free.  

Cracking Wise and Falling in Love (Again): The Screwball Comedy (Four Tuesdays: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28)

This film course focuses on the screwball comedy, a genre most popular in the 1930s and featuring actors such as Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Claudette Colbert. Though the films are generally lighter and romantic, they also address a number of important issues including class, gender and social issues. The class will be taught by BMFI’s Director of Education Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., and will focus on such screwball classics as It Happened One Night and Bringing Up Baby. Register online at brynmawrfilm.org or by calling 610-527-4008 ext. 106.

Nicholas Ray: Cinema With a Cause (Four Tuesdays: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28)

This course looks at Nicholas Ray’s films—such as In a Lonely Place, Rebel Without a Cause and Bigger Than Life—and is taught by Marc Lapadula, who teaches at Yale University. Ray was considered a rebel in his social criticism in an era (the 1950s) during which people weren’t encouraged to take risks.  His films, in the decade following the House Committee on Un-American Activities, were socially conscious and sophisticated. To register, visit brynmawrfilm.org or call 610-527-4008 ext. 106.

Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8)

From local filmmaker Jon Foy, who won Best Documentary Director last year at Sundance, this film follows three people who have dedicated their lives to finding meaning behind the Toynbee Tiles, which include cryptic messages and can be found in Philadelphia and on a number of streets elsewhere in North and South America. Foy screened the film in an early version at one of BMFI’s Open Screen Mondays and will be back to lead a Q-and-A session after this screening.

The Red Machine (11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11)

This independent thriller, set in 1935, is about a young, charismatic thief who teams up with a U.S. Navy spy on a mission to steal something from the Japanese. The film will be followed by a Q-and-A with filmmakers Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm. 

The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11)

In this film, Larry, Moe and Curly Joe help Phileas Fogg III recreate his great grandfather’s 80-day trip around the world. This is the second movie in February’s Kids Matinee series.

Il Trittico (1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21)

Broadcast from London’s Royal Opera House, this performance is in Italian with English subtitles. This is the first complete performance of Puccini’s Il Trittico at the Royal Opera since 1965. The Sunday show will be introduced by Michael Bolton of the Opera Company of Philadelphia.

In a Lonely Place (7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14)

This Valentine’s Day screening is for people who want to go a different way of celebrating the holiday of hearts and flowers. In conjunction with the Nicholas Ray: Cinema Without a Cause film course, this classic film noir, about a screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart) and his girlfriend (Gloria Grahame), who thinks he might be a murderer. The film will be introduced by instructor Marc Lapadula.

House (11:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17)

A surreal horror film from 1977, this Japanese movie is about a group of schoolgirls who go to visit one of their aunts’ house for vacation and wind up getting terrorized. The special effects were designed to look like they were created by a kid, which results in a very trippy feel. The cult film, in Japanese with subtitles, is part of the Late Show series.

The Outlaws Is Coming (11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18)

In their final feature-length film (with the cringe-inducing title), the Three Stooges find themselves in some trouble in the Old West. This is also a part of BMFI’s Kids Matinee series.

Have Rocket, Will Travel (11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25)

In the final Kids Matinee series screening of the month, the Three Stooges find themselves­—accidentally, of course—on a rocket ship to Venus. 

Annual Oscar Party (7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26)

Bryn Mawr Film Institute is hosting its fourth annual , a chance for patrons to watch the Academy Awards on the big screen.  Patrons are encouraged to come in red carpet-inspired fashions or costumes inspired by one of the nominated films, of which BMFI has shown several. The party will also feature a buffet from JPM Catering, a cash bar and a silent auction. This year’s presenting sponsor is Audi. Tickets cost $70 for general admission and $60 for BMFI members, and all proceeds benefit BMFI.

2012 Summer Filmmaking Workshop Open House (6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27; 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 12)

The open houses are free for prospective participants in the summer filmmaking workshop to meet the instructor and get a sense of the program. The summer filmmaking workshop is open to students entering the ninth through 12th grades, who, over six weeks in the summer, collaborate to make a short film. Last summer’s group, , is still working together to make movies. 

Travelling Light (7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29; 1 p.m. Sunday, March 4) 

This show, performed at the National Theatre in London, is about the beginning of cinema and is directed by Nicholas Hytner. The performance is a tribute to Eastern European immigrants who became players in Hollywood’s golden age.