American History X

Join us Friday at noon in 560 SRC to view this powerful film about vengeance, mercy, and redemption. I have seen few films in recent years that achieve the cathartic emotion of tragedy the way this one does. Directed by Tony Kaye, this film stars Edward Norton, just one year prior to his amazing performance in Fight Club. Of course, his work in American History X is masterful as well--at times so powerful that I have trouble maintaining my distance from the film.

But this film is one that we should not keep our distance from . . . it is too important, especially in our ongoing climate of ethnic prejudice (and resistance to that prejudice). American History X is about uncovering a disturbing truth about our culture--and that there is sometimes a high cost to pay for tribalism. Join us to watch the film and discuss its meaning for us. I will be cooking popcorn and serving sodas!

Join us this friday!

The film will be Open Your Eyes (1997), a Spanish film by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Penélope Cruz and Eduardo Noriega. This film has a reputation for being mind-blowing, and for good reason. It is the basis for the American remake known as Vanilla Sky (2001), which I hope you have NOT seen yet. The Spanish version is not necessarily more enjoyable (this comes down to individual taste), but it is the original version and at least one lens though which Vanilla Sky becomes a more interesting film to watch.

So whether you have seen Vanilla Sky already, or Vanilla Sky is a film that you plan on seeing, join us this Friday, September 3 at noon in 560 SRC to view the unique and, at times, terrifying Open Your Eyes. With the recent popularity of Inception, this film should be of interest to anyone fascinated by the life of the mind and the nature of dreams. I will be cooking popcorn and serving sodas!

Up in the Air

Thanks to all who attended, we had a great turnout for our kick-off film: Up in the Air. A great mix of comedy and seriousness, this film set us up beautifully for a poignant, but satisfying let-down. Most in the room agreed that the film would have been spoiled by a happier ending.

I liked this film better the second time through and now believe that it outshines both Thank You for Smoking and Juno, two of director Jason Reitman's earlier films that are also well worth watching.

Join us next Friday at noon in the SRC for our next film, to be announced early next week!

GSC Oconee Club Fair

The Oconee Film Club will be accepting sign-ups from interested GSC students on Wednesday, August 25. Look for the popcorn machine inside the SRC from 12:00 to 1:00. Stop by our table, give us your contact information, and talk to us about the films we might watch this semester. We look forward to seeing you soon!

If you have already visited our table and are reading this blog for the first time, feel free to leave a comment with any suggestions you might have for film club activities this fall. Are there particular films that you have always wanted to see but have never found the time? Are you interested in going to Athens CINÉ with a group of students to see a movie?

Suggest a Film

If you are interested in seeing a film with the Oconee Film Club, please post a comment indicating the title, year, country, and director. If possible, please also provide the IMDB link to the film title.

The Oconee Film Club is interested in the films you would like to see, but we do want to encourage selection of films that have artistic merit and will reward intelligent discussion. We would also encourage you to select films that you have not already seen so that your exposure is widened as well as ours.