Cinematinee January Schedule
December 16, 2011
CineMatinee January 2012
CineMatinee is a unique blend of movies presented by the Mesilla Valley Film Society which showcases unique films, past and present, often with an emphasis on life in the west – which could mean the new west, the old west, or anything in between- and ‘movies that missed us’- films that are notable but never had a lot of publicity.
The series is designed to show area residents that film is a form of art and education as well as entertainment! At least one film a month for this series has a ‘New Mexico Connection’, drawing from the vast pool of movies made in the state (nearly 500) or perhaps featuring a star/story from New Mexico talent…film festival quality movies in an old adobe theatre!
Unless otherwise noted, screening time is 1.30 PM, and admission is $4 for everyone except film society members who are admitted for $1. The theatre is located one-half block south of the Mesilla Plaza. For more information, please call 524-8287, and leave a message.
Sunday, January 1- Popcorn Bowl II –begins at 11AM….featuring Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, 110 minutes, rated PG, partially shot in New Mexico!) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid might not have invented the modern buddy comedy, but it may as well have.
While Lethal Weapon screenwriter Shane Black was still toddling around playing cowboys and Indians, director George Roy Hill, cinematographer Conrad Hall, composer Burt Bacharach, stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and screenwriter William Goldman were meticulously crafting the gold standard for movies about rugged pals quipping and wisecracking their way through one perilous bonding situation after another.
Goldman has criticized his Oscar-winning screenplay for being overly clever, which is akin to job applicants who cite their biggest flaws as “I’m too hard-working” or “I’m too much of a perfectionist.”
In performances that cemented their iconic status, Newman and Redford star as two of the Old West’s best-looking and quickest-witted outlaws, genial gentlemen bandits who flee to South America rather than face a “super-posse” representing a railroad baron the duo repeatedly robbed. Newman and Redford try to outrun their past, but their enemies aren’t about to let them off easy.
Though the encroachment of the modern world in the form of super-posses, vengeful tycoons, and the taming of the once-wild West spell doom for the film’s loveable anti-heroes, that smartass, incorrigible modernity is precisely what ensures Butch Cassidy‘s timelessness. (avclub.com) Followed at 2.30 by Blackthorn (2011, 100 minutes, not rated—separate admission) Blackthorn’s plot posits the premise that Butch and Sundance did not die in a shootout, but rather lived and robbed their way through South America. See mesillavalleyfilm.org for more details.
Jan 7- Coyote County Loser–(2009, 90 minutes, rated PG, made in New Mexico, with special guest, director, Jacob Roebuck)
Coyote County Loser is an unexpected and oddly charming film independent film and a damned good one at that.
Jack is on his way to Los Angeles to assume the mantle of a syndicated talk radio host heard by millions of listeners. Unfortunately, his car breaks down in the middle of the desert town of Coyote County (actually Roswell, NM).
Rather than acting as though he is trapped in the middle of a virtual nowhere town, Jack employs his conversational skills and quickly makes friends, and one very feisty enemy.
Soon he enters into a playful battle of wills with a DJ who dishes out relationship advice and he caught an earful of Dr. Lauren Hartford (Nikki Boyer) on K-RAP radio. When the deal on Jack’s L.A. job proves DOA, he takes a temp job at the local station and he immediately clashes with the local love doctor. Nonplussed by Dr. Lauren’s eagerness to challenge his expert advice in a public forum, Jack cooks up a contest that has the local losers competing for a date with Coyote County’s most eligible bachelorette. Later, as the ongoing feud between Jack and Dr. Lauren plays out over the public airwaves, the locals remain riveted to their radios and the ratings shoot through the roof.
Based on Jack’s advice the entire town begins bathing for what seems like the first time in centuries. Flowers are sent to everyone’s crushes and the hearts of Coyote County are set afire. In order to prove a point and to rid the town of its newest and best host, Dr. Hartford agrees to challenge Jack Proctor the “Love Doctor” to a contest. They choose from a myriad of callers the “biggest loser in Coyote County” to compete in their game.
This is a date night treasure. If two people sequestered on a snow-filled winter’s eve with nowhere to go and nothing else to do cannot find the goodness in this limburger cheesy comedy, I will shovel their driveway. (screenspotlight.com and allrovi.com)
Jan 14 –Made in New Mexico- The Good, the Bad, and the Curious—Non-Westerns, Part 2. (2011, Approximately 100 minutes, not rated). Ready for the latest installment of film clips of movies that have been shot at least in part in New Mexico? This all new compilation, the first of 2012, of 20 or so clips from years past, starts with a recently rediscovered 6 minute short comedy by silent film icon, Mack Sennett that was filmed in Albuquerque in 1912. Continuing from there, we’ll be revisiting nearly all genres of films, complete with live narration by MVFS board member, Jeff Berg. See! Grass huts in Gallup, used as a location for an African based film! See! Gene Barry chasing bad guys in Bandelier National Park! See! Singer James Taylor in his one and only movie role. Special attention will be paid to some of the many ‘counter-culture’ films made in NM in the late 60’s and 70’s, with a nod to some of the rarely seen films shot in and around Las Cruces and smaller budget films shot around the state. Audience participation is encouraged, especially for some of the cheesy movie clips that we’ll be sharing.
Jan 21- Leon: The Professional (1994, 130 minutes, rated R for strong violence) As visually stylish as it is graphically violent, this thriller directed by Luc Besson concerns Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old girl living in New York City who has been exposed to the sordid side of life from an early age: her family lives in a slum and her abusive father works for drug dealers, cutting and storing dope. Mathilda doesn’t much care for her parents, but she has a close bond with her four-year-old brother. One day, she returns from running an errand to discover that most of her family, including her brother, has been killed in a raid by corrupt DEA agents, led by the psychotic Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Mathilda takes refuge in the apartment of her secretive neighbor, Leon (Jean Reno), who takes her in with certain reluctance. She discovers that Leon is a professional assassin, working for Tony (Danny Aiello), a mob kingpin based in Little Italy. Wanting to avenge the death of her brother, Mathilda makes a deal with Leon to become his protégée in exchange for work as a domestic servant, hoping to learn the hit man’s trade and take out the men who took her brother’s life. However, an affection develops between Leon and Mathilda that changes his outlook on his life and career. Besson‘s first American film boasted a strong performance from Jean Reno, a striking debut by Natalie Portman, and a love-it-or-hate-it, over-the-top turn by Gary Oldman. (allrovi.com)
Jan 28- Strangers in Good Company–(2000, 101 minutes, rated PG) -Seven long-lived Canadian women are on a sightseeing trip when their bus breaks down in an unpopulated rural area. They find shelter in an abandoned farmhouse. Scavenging for food, they come up with frogs, mushrooms, trout, and strawberries.
The women make the best of a bad situation by sharing the stories of their lives and talking about family, marriage, love, work, religion, and death. Although battered by time, toil, and hardship, these women all possess an inner and outer radiance, which director Cynthia Scott captures and conveys again and again in this remarkable and poignant film.
Michelle, the young black bus driver, twists her ankle but keeps the spirits of the group up with her contagious laughter and fine singing voice. Alice, a Mohawk Indian, is the earth mother whose understanding of nature benefits them all. Mary, an artist and a lesbian, is a treasure-trove of wisdom, and Winnie, a former belly dancer, is a natural comedian.
The take-charge person in their number is Catherine, a nun, who tries to fix the bus and, when that fails, hikes 20 miles on arthritic ankles for help. Her activism and buoyant faith are quite a contrast to Beth’s passivity — she’s unaccustomed to the wilderness — and Constance’s gloomy depression. The marvel of the group is Cissy, a survivor of a heart attack, who exudes a joie de vivre that is positively inspiring.
Years may have wrinkled the skin of these women but their souls sparkle with surprising inner beauty. Scott’s use of non-professional actresses gives Strangers in Good Company an appealing naturalness. As these women talk about their pasts, the director intersperses photos of their lives as daughters, wives, and mothers. Watching this film we are challenged to think about the stories of our own lives and our times in the country of the long-lived. (spiritualityandpractice.com)
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