Wish you were here! Sorry I haven't posted for a while. A death in the family, followed by the Conference on World Affairs (where I'm going through "Chinatown" with the audience, as well as serving on other panels) has kept me from my laptop. (See article in the Boulder Daily Camera.)
Roger Ebert (who is greatly missed this year -- but promises to be back for the 60th CWA next year) has been maestro of the Cinema Interruptus program for about the last 30 years. Maura Clare, the CWA's incomparable Conference Coordinator and Director of Public Affairs, sent me a list of all the amazing films Roger has shown over the decades, which I thought I'd share with you:
1970 – 1974 – No films were shown. Most panels were about an hour long, and were series titled. Roger participated in panel discussions about Unisex, The Future of X-Rated Films, Meditation, The Devil’s Advocate: Moving Pictures, TV: The Man With the Power Saw, and Prurience.
75 – Using the series title Persona, CITIZEN KANE was shown and discussed by Roger every day at the Fox Theater on The Hill. In Addition, Roger participated with others on series titled What the Declaration of Independence Does Not Mention: A Right to Property, The Mythology of the American Experience, The Changing Understanding of What is Human and What is Natural in Human Nature, Created Equal but Everywhere Unequal.
76 – NOTORIOUS (the first Uninterruptus/Interruptus) every day at 4 pm at the Fox Theater on the Hill, using the series title How to Read A Movie.
77 – THE THIRD MAN every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, using the series title Decoding a Movie
78 – 8 1/2, every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, using the series title Analyzing a Film.
79 – LA DOLCE VITA (first of plan to study LA DOLCE VITA at least once every decade) every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, using the series title Analyzing a Film.
80 – AMARCORD every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, using the series title Analyzing a Film.
81 – CRIES AND WHISPERS every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, and the series title changed to Films.
82 – TAXI DRIVER every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, series title Analyzing a Film.
83 – LA DOLCE VITA every day at noon in the Memorial Forum, series title Analyzing a Film (second of every decade study).
84 – Roger did not arrive until Tuesday, and using the Fiske Planetarium Tuesday through Friday he discussed two Werner Herzog films, GOD’S ANGRY MAN and HUIE’S SERMON, one Ranier Werner Fassbinder Film BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VAN KANT, one Louis Malle film MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, Errol Morris’s GATES OF HEAVEN and Les Blank’s WERNER HERZOG EATS HIS SHOE. All these were at noon.
85 – CASABLANCA every day at noon in the Memorial Forum series title Film.
86 – THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE every day at noon in the Memorial Forum series title Film.
87 – THREE WOMEN every day at noon at Macky Auditorium (first Macky use), series title Analyzing a Film.
88 – THE THIRD MAN every day at noon at Macky Auditorium series title Analyzing a Film,
89 – OUT OF THE PAST every day at noon at Macky Auditorium series title Film.
90 – RAGING BULL every day at noon Macky Auditorium series title Film.
91 – CITIZEN KANE every day at noon Macky Auditorium series title Analyzing a Film.
92 – SILENCE OF THE LAMBS every day at 4 pm (first 4 pm showing) Macky Auditorium series title Film.
93 – JFK every day at 4 pm Macky Auditorium series title Analyzing a Film.
94 – LA DOLCE VITA (third of every decade study) every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium series title Analyzing a Film.
95 – There was no CWA in 1995.
96 – PULP FICTION at Muenzinger Auditorium every day at 7 pm (designated 19:00 in the program) series titles no longer used.
97 – FARGO every day at 7 pm (19:00 in program) at Macky Auditorium.
98 – DARK CITY (film selection changed after program went to press, program says VERTIGO) 7 pm at Macky Auditorium.
99 – VERTIGO every day at 7 pm at Macky Auditorium.
2000 – CASABLANCA every day at 4 pm (first 4 pm scheduling) Macky Auditorium.
01 – FIGHT CLUB every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium.
02 – MULHOLLAND DRIVE every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium.
03 – FLOATING WEEDS Sunday then Tuesday through Friday, 4 pm at Macky Auditorium; TOYKO-GA Monday only 4 pm at Macky.
04 – THE RULES OF THE GAME every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium.
05 – LA DOLCE VITA (fourth of every decade study) every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium.
06 – THE LONG GOODBYE every day at 4 pm at Macky Auditorium.
I'm sorry for your loss and I'm sure the fortunate people in attendance appreciate your resolve to be in Boulder at all.
As I noted in your first post on the whole Chinatown/(Un)interruptus thing, it's my favorite movie. So all I can ask is to please post on the interrupti (?) ! This is a great list, too, this list of films shown by Roger. La Dolce Vita is certainly one of my top five favorites as well. And he did this only two years ago?! What the hell have I been doing?
Keep us in touch! Please. Thanks.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Jim. It sounds like you're in a good place to do some healing, however.
Naturally, I am very jealous of your Colorado assignment.
Didn't Roger hate Fight Club? If he changed his mind on the film since his original review... I'd love to hear about it. I distinctly remember him condemning the film for its violence, particularly when the film went away from its early "insomnia\support group" phase which he praised... to the actual fight club.
I've never had the pleasure of attending the CWA (maybe one day...), but may I nominate Children of Men for a future session of Cinema Interruptus? The level of atmospheric detail Cuarón was able to pack in is staggering -- even on my third viewing in as many months, I still observed new and interesting elements.
Jim: So sorry to hear of your family's loss. And I wish I was in Colorado too. Sounds like a wonderful time. We've all missed you on the blog and look forward to your return, hopefully with some good stories to tell.
Will your analysis of the film be recorded/preserved in any way?
Wow ... what a list. So sorry I didn't become a fan of Mulholland Dr. until well after it was featured -- I would have loved to hear the comments (or read any that were preserved). Do you remember much about it at CWA?
I saw it at a repertory cinema last week and loved hearing the puzzled epithets from the audience when it was over.
Man, what a list ... I would love if someone would publish some of Roger's shot-by-shot analysis in some form or another, because it's not likely I'm going to get to CWA anytime soon. Or has he already done that, and I've missed it?
Richard, Ebert said that he liked the first two acts of Fight Club, but felt that the film went off the rails about the time "Project Mayhem" started in act 3. He also noted that at the Boulder conference, the students voted for the film, against his wishes, but that they also did Vertigo that week as a compromise.
I think Roger still hates Fight Club; I remember reading him talking about watching "Fight Club" in a shot-by-shot analysis and still disliking it. I think he said something like, "I admired its method even more, and admired the final product even less." I think that Roger is amazingly, deadly wrong about "Fight Club" but you gotta admire the guy's integity and conviction about movies (and this particular movie). I miss Roger.
And I'm sorry to hear about your family, Jim. Warm regards.