Purple Valley Films

Friday Jan 15 – Paresky – Chocolate-lollipop Making and Cookie Baking
In this Williams After Dark event, there will be a variety of different cookies that people can bake: sugar cookies (we bought cow cookie cutters), chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate macademia nut, oatmeal cookies, and variations between any of those. Stay tuned!

Friday Jan 15 – Brooks Rogers – 8:00 pm
Screening of My American Girls: A Dominican Story (Williams Reads) – Introduction by María Elena Cepeda, Assistant Professor of Latina/o Studies. Talk by film director Aaron Mathews and Sandra Ortiz, the mom from the documentary.

Friday Jan 22 – Wege Auditorium – 8:00 pm
Screening of Raising Victor Vargas – Introduction by Mérida Rúa, Assistant Professor of Latina/o Studies and American Studies.

We meet every Friday night at 7:30 in Paresky Theatre.

12/4 – Thumbsucker

Teenager Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) has an embarrassing secret: He still sucks his thumb. Berated by his father (Vincent D’Onofrio) for the childish habit and unable to confide in anyone, Justin lets his loopy orthodontist (Keanu Reeves) try hypnosis. Trouble is, it works almost too well, and before long, Justin needs another crutch to keep his angst at bay. Vince Vaughn and Tilda Swinton co-star in director Mike Mills’s 2005 Sundance entry.

Thumbsucker Trailer!

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The Brothers Bloom – Friday, 11/06/09 at 7:30 PM

The Brothers Bloom made a name for themselves as the world’s best con men. Now, the younger (Adrien Brody) is ready to retire on the millions the pair has swindled. But when his brother (Mark Ruffalo) lures him into one last job, he reluctantly agrees. What he hasn’t counted on, though, is falling for their mark, an adventure-seeking heiress (Rachel Weisz). Robbie Coltrane and Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi co-star.  Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HPXfmqIy-4

The Sound of Music – Friday, 11/13/09 at 7:30 PM

Assassination of a High School President - Friday, 11/20/09 at 7:30 PM

While investigating the theft of his Catholic high school’s SAT exams, sophomore newspaper reporter Bobby Funke (Reece Thompson) uncovers an even bigger conspiracy. But will anyone believe him when he accuses the class president? Director Brett Simon’s comic noir co-stars Mischa Barton and Bruce Willis as the unbalanced Principal Kirkpatrick, a shell-shocked Desert Storm veteran.  Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NbXVgSpHK4

Here is the exciting new line-up of movies for October!

We meet every Friday night at 7:30 in Paresky Theatre.

10/2 – Saved!

When Mary (Jena Malone), a devout senior at a Christian high school, accidentally gets pregnant, she starts to see her peers and her faith in a whole new way. This dark comedy/coming-of-age story premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and was produced by R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker co-star.

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Start off the school year with two crazy comedies – Charlie Bartlett and the classic stoner flick Fast Times at Ridgemont High. 

Charlie Bartlett – September 18, at 7:30 PM in Paresky Theatre

Fast Times – September 25, at 7:30 PM in Paresky Theatre

Charlie Bartlett is the story of a boy who tries to fit in at school by pretending to be the school psychiatrist, distributing drugs and advice. He gains popularity with the students, but must face the unwelcome attention of the school principal.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is about Southern Californian high school students of the 1980s who enjoyed a life of sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and surfing. The all star cast includes Sean Penn as stoner Jeff Spicoli. New York Times’ Critics’ Picks.

April is our Month of Chinese Queer Films, in which we would like to highlight the lives of the homosexual in modern Chinese society, especially given that homosexuality is still widely considered a taboo topic in the culture.

Time
7:30 PM every Friday evening in April

Location
Paresky Theater (Basement of Paresky)

April 10: Farewell My Concubine / 霸王别姬 (1993)

This awarding winning film presents a love triangle between two male Beijing Opera singers and a woman through turbulent times: the Communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. Starring Li Gong. Directed by Kaige Chen.

April 17: Lan Yu / 蓝宇 (2001)

Lan Yu is a young college boy who falls in love with a wealthy businessman. It’s a gripping tale of sexual desires, money and true love during a tumultuous period in modern Chinese history. Starring Ye Liu. Directed by Stanley Kwan.

April 24: The Wedding Banquet / 喜筵(1993)

Directed by Ang Lee, this dark comedy explores the clashes between traditional Chinese family values, marriage and homosexuality.

The Sacrifice
By Andrei Tarkovsky
Time: 7:30 PM Friday March 13
Location: Wege Auditorium

Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky opens his final film with friends gathering to celebrate Alexander’s (Erland Josephson) birthday. Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher, tells his little son how worried he is about the lack of spirituality of modern mankind. In the night of his birthday, the third world war breaks out. In his despair Alexander turns himself in a prayer to God, offering him everything to have the war not happened at all.

The film won four awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Grand Prix.

Special Valentine’s Day Screening

Annie Hall (1977)

Time: 7:30pm Friday Feb 13
Place: Prospect Basement (NOT Paresky Theater)

Listen closely and you can actually hear the stress hormones pumping through the bodies of the characters in Annie Hall. Woody Allen’s real, funny ode to love among twitchy city dwellers scooped up Oscars for Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Actress (Diane Keaton) and Best Screenplay. And don’t miss cameos of not-yet-stars Jeff Goldblum, Shelley Duvall and Sigourney Weaver.

Lust, Caution

Starring Lee-hom Wang ‘98
Directed by Ang Lee (”Brokeback Mountain”)

7:30pm Friday Feb 6
Paresky Theater

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February: Month of Romance

Feb 6: Lust, Caution
Feb 13: Annie Hall
Feb 20: Water
Feb 27: Shall we dance?

7:30pm Fridays Paresky Theater

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Student film of the week http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX1i4Dl-TuM (10 minutes)

Directed by Elisa Chang ‘11 about her Winter Study experience as a martial art student in a rural part of China. In this simple yet touching documentary, she as an Asian Canadian relates a story of love, friendship and happiness during the three weeks in a foreign land.

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Purple Valley Films
Promoting independent filmmaking in Williams
http://www.PurpleValleyFilms.com