The Girl Who Played With Fire

Sweden 2009 / Action, Mystery, Suspense-Thriller / Directed by Daniel Alfredson

The second installment of Steig Larsson's phenomenal MILLENNIUM TRILOGY comes to the big screen!

In The Girl Who Played with Fire – the second installment in the late Swedish author Steig Larsson's best-selling “Millennium” trilogy, following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - two journalists on the verge of exposing their story in the political magazine Millennium about an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden are brutally murdered. The key suspect is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, whose finger prints are found on the murder weapon.
Mikael Blomkvist, Millennium’s publisher and former disgraced journalist who befriended Salander during a previous investigation, is alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence and swiftly plunges into an examination of the slayings which will implicate highly placed members of Swedish society, business and government. Fully aware that Salander is fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone but she is nowhere to be found.
Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander’s past life. Committed to psychiatric care at age 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, she is the product of an unjust and corrupt system.
Meanwhile, the elusive Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past.

"I found The Girl Who Played With Fire more gripping than "Dragon Tattoo," because this one doesn't just play with thriller conventions -- it puts them to work."

- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

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In Swedish with English subtitles

Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language

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Waking Sleeping Beauty

US 2010 / Documentary / Directed by Don Hahn

Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairytale. It is a story of clashing egos, out of control budgets, escalating tensions... and one of the most extraordinary creative periods in animation history. Director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider, key players at Walt Disney Studios Feature Animation department during the mid-1980s, offer a behind-the-magic glimpse of the turbulent times the Animation Studio was going through and the staggering output of hits that followed over the next ten years. Artists polarized between the hungry young innovators and the old guard who refused to relinquish control, mounting tensions due to a string of box office flops, and warring studio heads create the backdrop for this fascinating story told with a unique and candid perspective from those that were there. Through interviews, internal memos, home movies, and a cast of characters, Waking Sleeping Beauty shines a light on Disney Animation's darkest hours, greatest joys and its improbable renaissance.

"3-1/2 stars... The most fascinating scenes in Waking Sleeping Beauty involve the infamous Disney work ethic. Friends of mine at the studio said the unofficial motto was, "If you didn't come in on Saturday, don't even bother to come in on Sunday."

-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Time

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"B+...The joy of cartoons meets the agony of office politics in this fascinating, inside- Hollywood-baseball documentary." - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

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Rated PG - Parental Guidance Suggested

Rated for some thematic elements and brief mild language.

Monday, August 30 at 5:30 & 7:45

Mid-August Lunch

Italy 2008 / Comedy-drama / Directed by Gianni Di Gregorio

The charismatic Gianni Di Gregorio (co-writer of the smash hit Gomorrah), stars in his directorial debut—an utterly charming tale of good food, feisty ladies and unlikely friendships during a very Roman holiday. Broke, and armed with only a glass of wine and a wry sense of humor, middle-aged Gianni resides with his 93-year-old mother in their ancient apartment. The condo debts are mounting, but if Gianni looks after the building manager’s mother during the Pranzo di Ferragosto (Italy’s biggest summer holiday, and the Feast of the Assumption), all will be forgiven. Then the manager also shows up with an auntie, and then a doctor friend appears with his mother in tow... Can Gianni keep four such lively mamas well fed and happy in these cramped quarters?
Winner of numerous prizes at international festivals, including Best First Film at Venice and the Satyajit Ray Award at London, plus the Golden Snail at the Academy of Food and Film in Bologna, Mid-August Lunch is both a warmly vibrant family drama and a delicately balanced comedy of manners.

"CRITICS PICK! A slender Chekhovian vignette about the joys and regrets of old age and the pleasures of sociability ... the movie glows." - Stephen Holden, The New York Times

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This film has not been rated.

Contains some mild language, smoking and casual drinking

Monday, September 6 at 5:30

Looking for Eric

UK, France. Italy, Belgium, Spain 2010 / Fantasy comedy-drama / Directed by Ken Loach

From acclaimed British filmmaker Ken Loach (The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Bread and Roses) comes the hilarious and highly entertaining comedy/drama Looking for Eric , a decided change of pace for a filmmaker best known for his gripping, naturalistic dramas.
Eric the postman is slipping through his own fingers ... His wife has gone, his stepsons are out of control and the house was chaotic even before a cement mixer appeared in the front garden. Life is crazy enough, but it's Eric's own secret that is driving him to the brink. How can he face up to Lily, the woman of his dreams that he once loved and walked out on almost 30 years ago? Despite the outrageously comical efforts and misplaced goodwill of his soccer-loving mates, Eric continues to sink.
In desperate times it takes a spliff and a special friend to help a lost postman find his way, so Eric turns to his hero: soccer genius, philosopher and poster boy, Eric Cantona. But does our plucky hero's new mentor really exist, or is he just a figment of a poor bloke's feverishly overworked imagination? And either way, will he be able to help Eric become the man he's always wanted to be, by undertaking a much-needed journey into the most perilous territory of all - the past?
As the Chinese, and one Frenchman, say: "He who is afraid to throw the dice will never throw a six." .

"IRRESISTIBLE ... AN UNABASHEDLY FEEL-GOOD CHARMER! Capable of lifting even the stoniest heart." - Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

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" Very funny and a bit sentimental, it's naturalistic comedy of the highest order, with Evets and Henshaw standouts among a terrific cast." -Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter

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This film has not been rated.

Contains strong language throughout

Monday, September 6 at 7:30

Restrepo

US, Afghanistan 2010 / War Documentary/ Directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger

A feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soliders in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the US military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley: there are no interviews with the generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

"This movie will stir your heart and open your mind. It's a group portrait of practicing patriots. "

- Joe Morganstern, Wall Street Journal

" FOUR STARS! There is the sense they’re fighting for each other more than for ideology."

-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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Interview with the filmmakers

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Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for language throughout including some descriptions of violence

Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 (Time TBA)

Exit Through the Gift Shop

US, UK 2010 / WComedy Documentary / Directed by Banksy and Shepard Fairey

Returning to the Bear Tooth by Popular Demand!

"The world's first street art disaster movie."
Exit Through theGift Shop, the first film by renowned graffiti artist Banksy, became the hottest ticket at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it made its world debut.
Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the incredible true story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner – with spectacular results.
The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the world’s most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview.
As Banksy describes it, “It’s basically the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed.”

"EXHILARATING! Acidly funny. Explosively succinct." - David Edelstein, New York Magazine

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Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for some language

Friday & Saturday, September 10 & 11 (Time TBA)

I Am Love

Italy 2010 / Drama / Directed by Luca Guadagnino

I Am Love tells the story of the wealthy Recchi family, whose lives are undergoing sweeping changes. Eduardo Sr., the family patriarch, has decided to name a successor to the reigns of his massive industrial company, surprising everyone by splitting power between his son Tancredi, and grandson Edo. But Edo dreams of opening a restaurant with his friend Antonio, a handsome and talented chef. At the heart of the family is Tancredi’s wife Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian immigrant who has adopted the culture of Milan. An adoring and attentive mother, her existence is shocked to the core when she falls quickly and deeply in love with Edo’s friend and partner Antonio, and embarks on a passionate love affair that will change her family forever.
A sumptuous, ambitious and complex drama,I Am Love features a masterful performance by Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), who speaks Italian and Russian in the film. Compared by critics to Luchino Visconti's The Leopard in its skillful dissection of the cultivated lives of an aristocratic Italian family, I AM LOVE was born out of a longtime friendship between director Guadagnino and Swinton, who previously collaborated on 1999's The Protagonists and began discussing the project over seven years ago.

Also starring Flavio Parenti, Gabriele Ferzetti, Pippo Delbono and Edoardo Gabbriellini, the film features a powerful score from acclaimed minimalist composer John Adams, and elegant costume design from fashion icon Jil Sander.

" FOUR STARS! An amazing film. It is deep, rich, human. It is not about rich and poor, but about old and new. It is about the ancient war between tradition and feeling."

-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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Read an interview with star/producer TILDA SWINTON

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In Italian and Russian with English subtitles

Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for sexuality and nudity

Monday, September 20 - 5:30 & 8:15

Leaves of Grass

US 2010 / Crime, Suspense-Thriller, Comedy-Drama / Directed by Tim Blake Nelson

Bill, a classical philosophy professor at Brown University, returns home upon news of his brother Brady's murder in a drug deal gone awry. Bill quickly learns that Brady's death has been grossly exaggerated, as he’s swept up into one of his brother’s crazy schemes. Alongside his eccentric mother and a beautiful woman named Janet, Bill participates in his brother’s wild plan, leading him on a twisted path filled with unique characters and life’s most challenging questions.

Starring Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson , Susan Sarandon , Richard Dreyfuss, Keri Russell , Lucy DeVito , Steve Earle , and Josh Pais

"FOUR STARS...some kind of sweet, wacky masterpiece. It takes all sorts of risks.... plot involves as many dead and severely wounded bodies lying around as in Blood Simple, and Nelson weaves it expertly " - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for violence, pervasive language, and drug content

Premieres Friday, October 1st - (Times TBA)

Cairo Time

Canada, Ireland, Egypt 2010 / Romantic Drama / Directed by Ruba Nadda

An award-winning crowd-pleaser at the 2009 Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals, Ruba Nadda's CAIRO TIME is both a stunning cinematic love letter to a city and a sweeping romantic drama in the tradition of such films as Brief Encounter and Lost in Translation. In Cairo Time, Oscar-nominee Patricia Clarkson (Far From Heaven, The Station Agent) stars as a beautiful American abroad in Egypt, a woman who eventually finds herself enamored by more than just the sunswept vistas of Cairo.
Juliette (Clarkson), a fashion magazine editor in her 40s, travels to Cairo to meet her husband for a three week vacation. When he is unavoidably delayed, he sends his trusted friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig, Syriana) to keep her company until he can join her. As the handsome Tareq guides her through the sights, sounds and unique customs of the exotic Egyptian city, unexpected feelings emerge, leading to an emotional awakening that takes Juliette by surprise as the two fall into a tender, poignant and effortless friendship.
Clarkson and Siddig perform with quiet restraint yet powerful emotion in a cross-cultural love story that moves gracefully with small gestures and subtle glances, saying exactly what can't be said out loud. With a gentle hand, acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Ruba Nadda (Sabah) guides a tale of two worlds changed forever by a series of small yet profound moments.

"A HAUNTING AND HYPNOTIC FILM. Patricia Clarkson's sublimely nuanced performance is in every way transporting." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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Read an interview with director Ruba Nadda

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In English and Arabic with English subtitles

Rated PG

Rated for mild thematic elements and smoking

Monday, September 27th at 5:30 & 7:45

The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom

Austria | France | India | Netherlands | China | USA | UK | Germany 2009

Documentary / Directed by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam

In The Sun Behind the Clouds, Tibetan filmmaker, Tenzing Sonam, and his partner, Ritu Sarin, take a uniquely Tibetan perspective on the trials and tribulations of the Dalai Lama and his people as they continue their struggle for freedom in the face of determined suppression by one of the world’s biggest and most powerful nations. The filmmakers had intimate access to the Dalai Lama and followed him over the course of an eventful year, which included the 2008 protests in Tibet, the international response to it, the Beijing Olympics, and the breakdown in talks between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government.

China's leaders were incensed that the film was to be screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. They demanded that the film be banned from the festival. When festival directors refused to ban the film, the Chinese Govenment pulled two other Chinese films from the event.

"The film is essential viewing for anyone who cares about the fate of the mountain region and the legacy of the Dalai Lama." -Sherri Linden, Hollywood Reporter

[Read the full review]

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This film has not been rated

Contains rmature themes

In English, Tibetan and Mandarin, with English subtitles

Monday, October 4 at 5:30 PM

The Power of the Powerless: The Velvet Revolution

US, Czech Republic 2010 / Documentary / Directed by Cory Taylor

Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, "The Power of the Powerless" explores Czechoslovakia's legacy of communist rule and the struggle against it: From the iron-fisted Stalinist government of the 1950s; through the vibrant and politically active Prague Spring of the 1960s; the hard-line backlash of the 1970s; and finally the bloodless revolution of 1989. At the heart of the film is the story of blacklisted playwright Václav Havel and his fellow dissidents who, for two decades, spoke out against totalitarianism. The film culminates with the student-led movement in Prague, which sparked 1989’s Velvet Revolution and drew a half-million people into the streets, catapulting Václav Havel into the presidency. The documentary features rare and never-before-seen interviews with key figures of the Velvet Revolution including Václav Havel. The participation of young Czechs in the film, who reveal that much of their country’s recent history has already been forgotten, makes the film all the more pertinent for young viewers. Directed by Primetime Emmy Award winner Cory Taylor and completed in 2009, "The Power of the Powerless" has already been broadcast in 40 countries on 10 television networks, featured in 20 international film festivals, won multiple awards, and is currently being used by human rights organizations to encourage dissidents struggling in non-democratic countries including Burma.

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This film has not been rated

Contains archival footage of civil unrest.

Monday, October 4 at 7:45 PM

This presentation is co-hosted by Alaskans For Peace and Justice

Rec

Spain 2007 / Horror, Mystery-thriller / Directed by Cory Taylor

A team of local TV reporters are following a squad of firemen on night duty. The footage is completely live and their task is to make show about on the life of these professionals who work while we are sleeping. The first job of the night is to rescue an old lady who is trapped inside her apartment but the routine rescue soon takes a sinister turn. Something evil is spreading throughout the building, out of control. Trapped inside, the firemen and the TV crew have to confront an unknown and lethal horror. Now, the only thing that matters is hiding, surviving and trying desperately to escape. They must keep on recording. No matter what happens. Until the very last moment...

"FIVE STARS... Superbly acted, brilliantly directed and absolutely bloody terrifying, this is one of the best films of the year." -Mathew Turner, -ViewLondon

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Rated R - Restricted: Persons under 17 must be accompanied by a legal age adult.

Rated for for bloody horror violence and language.

In Spanish with English subtitles

Thursday, October 7 (Late Show, time TBA)