CNF Cineclub

Lobagirl, 11/09/03

A new project is underway at CNF, and all you loyal readers are invited to call up your cohorts and participate.

A bit of history: In the post-WWII era, specifically the 1940s and 1950s, the French basked in their collective obsession with movies. The most ardent among them, called cinéphiles, banded together and took their opinions to the masses with film festivals (to rebel against the commercialism of Cannes), with publications (like the celebrated Cahiers du cinéma), and, finally, by participating in the “ciné-club” phenomenon. Members of a ciné-club would get together and screen films, many of which could not be seen in a typical commercial movie theater, and engage in lively (sometimes even violent) discussion about them.

Well, we here at CNF are not French (though some of us might pretend), but this idea of an opinionated group of intellectual types fervently discussing movies on a regular basis definitely sparked some interest. So, to coincide with the first anniversary of Camp No Friends, November 2003 will be the inaugural month of the CNF Cineclub — anglo-americanized and online for your convenience.

Here’s how it will work: Each month, CNF readers/Cineclub members can submit ideas for a double feature falling under some unifying theme. For example, you could choose two Woody Allen films, two suspense films, two films starring Tim Robbins, or any two films sharing any common person, place, theme, genre, or idea. One pair will be selected each month from your submissions and posted on CNF. Get your friends together, or head to the nearest independent video rental enterprise for yourself, watch the films (preferably both at once, though both within one week would work), and then…discuss!

A new branch of the CNF Forums will be devoted to the Cineclub. Whether you’re part of a larger group or not, you can log on, check out what fellow cinéphiles have to say, and add your own opinions to the forum. Although there will be only one set of Official Selections each month, you and/or your cineclub group are heartily encouraged to put together supplementary screenings of any film(s) of your choice. Add them to the forum, too; just file under “Extracurricular.”

Some guidelines for submissions:

  • If you submit an idea for a double feature, include the theme you envision as the connection between the two. It doesn’t have to be an obvious connection, but try for something that could lead to a discussion or comparison of the two films.
  • Exception to the double-feature rule: If a really great movie is more than two hours long, it must be considered as a stand-alone Official Selection. But your submission should include at least two possibilities for a second, related film to be seen separately.
  • Official Selections must be films available on video and/or DVD. Films currently in the theater are not eligible for official selection—we’re all too poor for that.
  • Official Selections should be films that most people can obtain fairly easily.
  • Films that cannot be obtained easily—i.e. more obscure foreign films, that B-movie you bought at that vampire convention—are still welcome in the Cineclub Forum. Just start the discussion in the “Extracurricular” section.
  • Send your submissions to lobagirl@campnofriends.com before the first day of each month. Selection will take place within the week, and posting will (hopefully) occur by the 7th.

Without further ado…

Official CNF Cineclub Selections for November 2003:
Redemption in American Comedy: “This Is Spinal Tap” (R. Reiner, 1984) and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (W. Anderson, 2001).

That is your mission, and we hope you choose to accept it. Bring popcorn, and we’ll see you in the Forums!