SCI-FI AND FANTASY CINEMA CLUB

If you love Science Fiction and Fantasy films, then this summer session will be super fun! From “E.T.” to “Spider-Verse,” we will be exploring how different generations have looked at the Sci-Fi & Fantasy genres. This year, for the fifth time, we will also be opening up to films that stray into the Supernatural and Horror genres, yet are still considered Sci-Fi & Fantasy as well. This summer session will be in person only, and the days will be structured like a compare and contrast style screening series workshop. This means that we will watch 2 movies each day, which will be based around a particular theme (ex. time travel, alien invasion, magical realms, etc.), and then discuss, critique and analyze the pros and cons of each within the major categories of: Direction, Writing, Acting, Cinematography, Score, Sound Design, Editing, Production Design and VFX. How was each film distinctly similar and/or different from each other relative to the time in which it was conceived?

One movie per day will thus focus on how contemporary cinema is presenting Sci-Fi and Fantasy in film, and the other will instead look at how past generations have addressed those same genres. Since Sci-Fi and Fantasy were such dominant film genres in the 1980s, we will be primarily focusing on that era as our “past generation” (although we will open up to ’70s and ’90s films, too); where as our “contemporary cinema” will be anything after the year 2000, as it was a major turning point in both technological and cinematic advancements. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of films we may watch: “Total Recall,” “Dark Crystal,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Fall,” “Star Man,” “The Fountain,” and “Dune.” We’ll each give films our rating out of 5 Stars, and see which one comes out on top at the end of the week to be awarded the coveted, “Best Film of the Summer!” Oh, and did I forget to mention that I will be providing both popcorn and movie candy everyday for your moviegoing enjoyment (no cost)?! Let’s watch some great movies, and learn about the art of film criticism along the way!