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Volume CXXXI, Number 20 |
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A few laughs courtesy of Film Society
JIM FLANAGAN
COLUMNIST
In these times of misery and crime, what do we need? No, not Superman. We need some laughter, and the Film Society has the means of giving you some. We are showing three great comedies that are sure to put a smile on your face. As always, they will be screened in Smith Auditorium, Sills Hall and are free and open to everyone.
Airplane!
Friday at 7:00 p.m.
This film is the ultimate send-up of 1970's disaster movies, brought to
you by the team responsible for the Naked Gun series. You may have
caught parts of this film on Comedy Central, and they offer a pretty good
presentation of the film, but to really enjoy it, you need to see this
film in all of its R rated glory. The plot is simple; a war veteran must
pilot a plane to safety after the entire crew gets food poisoning. His
only help are his ex-girlfriend who is a flight attendant, a doctor, and
the airport tower crew. There are great performances by Leslie Nielsen,
Lloyd Bridges, and Robert Stack in an unforgettable role. This is a classic
that needs to be seen by everyone.
Caddyshack
Friday at 9:00 p.m.
In the relatively small genre of movies about the game of golf, Caddyshack
reigns supreme, towering above all other films. Chevy Chase, Bill Murray,
Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight are at their best in this movie, which
is full of so many classic lines, it's scary. The plot is relatively unimportant;
all you need to know is that there is an up-scale country club where a
lot can go wrong. But really, the most important thing about this movie
is that it has a character named D'Annunzio. If that means anything to
you, then it is all the convincing you need to see this movie. For everyone
else, take my word for it and see this movie. You'll be glad you did.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Once upon a time in Red Bank, NJ, Kevin Smith made a great little comedy
about a group of people and a convenience store. Clerks began a series
of movies taking place in the View Askewniverse, a weird place populated
by stoners, slackers, angels, comic book fanatics and lots of other weirdos.
Well, Smith decided to close the book on his characters with this film,
which, in a way, wraps up the adventures Jay and Silent Bob have had in
his four previous films. While I personally don't think it is as good
as some of those earlier movies, it is still worth a viewing, especially
if you are a fan of Kevin Smith's movies. If you are not, let me tell
you what you can expect with this title: two losers set off on a cross-country
journey to stop a film being made such that they cannot be defamed on
the internet by movie dorks. Not your most intriguing plot, but this is
a film made for film dorks. But that doesn't mean everyone else won't
enjoy it too. Give this movie a chance, you may find you really enjoy
it.