January 24 & 25, 2015 |
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The 37th Annual Science Fiction Marathon
January 24, 2015 at 7:00 pm in 26-100
Admission is $8, and drops to $5 after Snowpiercer.The 2015 Marathon features four full-length films, one surprise feature, many short subjects, and a special selection of refreshments! Pizza pre-orders will be taken between WarGames and Snowpiercer for pickup before Forbidden Planet, and breakfast foods will be available before Jurassic Park III. |
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Rated PG
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WarGames (1983)January 24, 2015 at 7:00 pm in 26-100In WarGames, a young computer hacker (Matthew Broderick), thinking he's checking out a new video game, inadvertently breaks into the Pentagon's missile-defense system and challenges the computer in a game of Global Thermonuclear Warfare. Of course, Broderick hasn't begun a game, but has unwittingly made the first move in World War III, and if he doesn't beat the computer, the world will suffer untold nuclear destruction. [rottentomatoes.com] As tense and effective now as it was 25 years ago. The worry back then was more about Soviet missiles than about credit card identity theft, but good filmmaking techniques haven't changed. |
Rated R
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Snowpiercer (2013)January 24, 2015 at 9:15 pm in 26-100The Host and Mother director Bong Joon-ho makes his English-language debut with this dystopian sci-fi thriller set in the aftermath of a failed global-warming experiment that ushered in the dawn of a new ice age. As a perpetual-motion engine keeps a super-powered locomotive speeding around the planet, the impoverished lower classes occupy the rear cars while the privileged upper classes are pampered in the front. The fragile balance of power between the two begins to shift, however, when an enigmatic message sparks a revolt that cannot be quelled. Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, and Ed Harris star. [allmovie.com] Once Mr. Bong sets his monorail in motion the movie assumes an irresistible momentum, accelerated by nonstop mayhem, gallows humor and an immersive visual style that possesses a heady sense of the steam-punk Apocalypse. |
unrated
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Forbidden Planet (1956)January 24, 2015 at 11:45 pm in 26-100Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is transformed in this landmark science-fiction film with groundbreaking special effects. Space men travel to a planet ruled by previous expedition scientist Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) who has built a kingdom with his daughter and obedient robot Robby. Here, the good doctor is plagued by his mad quest for knowledge through his "brain booster" machine, and by Freudian "monsters from the id" as his daughter discovers other men and learns to kiss. [rottentomatoes.com] An ingenious script, excellent special effects and photography, and superior acting, make it an endearing winner. |
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unrated format: 16mm |
A Special Surprise!January 25, 2015 at 2:00 am in 26-100 |
Rated PG-13
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Jurassic Park III (2001)January 25, 2015 at 2:45 am in 26-100Director Joe Johnston takes over the creative reins from Steven Spielberg for this third installment in the thriller franchise. Sam Neill returns as Dr. Alan Grant, a scientist who's tricked by wealthy couple Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) into a fly-over of Isla Sorna. The object of their sightseeing tour is one of the Costa Rican islands populated by ferocious, genetically bred dinosaurs and the "site B" setting of Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World (1997). After their plane crash-lands, it's revealed that the Kirbys are actually seeking their teenage son, lost on the island after a paragliding accident. Trapped on Isla Sorna, Grant and his companions discover some painful truths the hard way. Among their discoveries: some of the scaly monsters possess more advanced communicative abilities than previously believed, the dreaded Tyrannosaurus Rex has a larger and more lethal competitor, and flying Pteranodons pose an even graver threat than some of their land-locked brethren. [allmovie.com] A popcorn-chomping thrill ride that's perfect as a summertime distraction. |
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