Rebel Cinema

I've had good intentions of checking out Binghamton Classic Films for a long while. First, I always seemed to miss the screenings. Then, I was working Saturday nights. Then, I was working at Cornell Cinema and couldn't justify another night out at the movies. Then, well, time just slipped by.

This past Saturday, I made it out to see You Were Never Lovelier.

You already know what I think of the movie. What about the film club?

Admission is a $3 donation (or $2 for members).

Everyone was super friendly and happy to see us there.

The film is screened in a small lecture hall. The seats are comfortable. Honestly, the seats being comfortable may have been the biggest surprise.

Before the film, one of the members went up front below the screen and introduced the film, focusing on Adolphe Menjou's career and his role in You Were Never Lovelier. The focus on Menjou was admittedly because he couldn't find his old notes on Hayworth!

The film started. The print was clean and looked good, but I was initially disappointed with the sound. I don't have the best ears and thought this would be a problem, but I adjusted quickly and had no problem after the first five or so minutes.

Maybe half an hour into the screening, the screen went dark. The projector bulb blew out! Instead of being a pain, this was a fun communal experience. The problem was fixed within five minutes.

The best part of the screening was the crowd. It felt good to be a part of a crowd that was gathered together in common cause.

After the screening, I talked briefly to the man who had introduced the film. I didn't have much time, but I got an address to send money to.

I'm becoming a member. $20. I'm not even sure what being a member means. I think there's a newsletter. There was talk of a member's party coming up next week. If this is a cult, it's too late for me. I'm in.

The group was handing out complete schedules for 2011. I've made a simple site listing the dates and titles, mostly because I know how easy it is to lose a piece of paper. It's harder to lose a website. I want to make sure I remember all of these dates. I also wanted to share the films and dates with you guys. Check out the schedule here: https://sites.google.com/site/binghamtonclassicfilms/