I picked up my press pass for the 20th Anniversary Philadelphia Film Festival tonight!
Just to get you in the festival mood, here's the films I plan to see
the first few days (Thursday, October 20th thru Sunday October 23rd). Of
course, the festival runs till November 3rd, and I plan to be present
throughout most of it; however, during the festival, I'll be posting on
facebook and twitter each day what film(s) I plan to see. In fact, if
time runs short and things get hectic, my commentary on a few films may
never make it to this blog or PFF blog, but may only be posted on facebook / twitter, so if you're interested, please follow me.
THURSDAY: Opening night! 8pm Like Crazy
A heartbreaking portrait of young love, embodied by Anton Yelchin as an American college student who falls in love with aEnglish exchange student (Felicity Jones). When Jones outstays her Visa, she is denied access to the U.S., putting a strain on their relationship.
Then on to the Opening Night Party! New venue: The Agora (202 S. 36th Street) University City.
FRIDAY: 7:55pm Shame
Powerful and provocative, explicit and controversial, Shame is the story of a man (Michael Fassbender) who is forced to confront his own sexual compulsions along with the self-destructive acts of his sister (Carey Mulligan).
10:15pm Jeff Who Lives at Home
Living in his mother’s basement without a job, Jeff (Jason Segel)
can’t even bring himself to leave the house to run some simple errands.
Instead, he sits around hoping that destiny will fall straight into his
lap. After interpreting a strange coincidence as a sign that he my have
finally discovered his fate, Jeff finds himself on a strange journey.
Co-director Mark Duplass will be present for Q & A.
SATURDAY: 2:20pm Melancholia
In this beautiful movie about the end of the world, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland).
Despite Claire's best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family
tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called
Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth.
7:40pm A Dangerous Method
Right at the cusp of hitting the most successful moment in both his marriage and his carrer, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), a protégé of Sigmond Freud (Viggo Mortensen), begins sessions with Sabine Spielrein (Keira Knightley),
a Russian Jewish aspiring doctor who is in need of treatment for her
history of physical abuse. As the two begin to explore innovative ways
to cure Sabine,an unexpected affair blossoms.
10:15pm A Lonely Place to Die
When
a group of old friends meet for a vacation of rock climbing in the
Scottish mountains, a disturbing discovery launches them into a deadly
chase in this action packed thrill ride full of surprises.
SUNDAY: 4pm Butter
Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell)
is the reigning champion of butter carving and a local celebrity of
great proportions. Known throughout the Midwest as “the Elvis of
butter,” Pickler’s legendary skill and reputation has brought great
acclaim to him and his family, with no one loving it more than his
outwardly supportive wife Laura (Jennifer Garner). Imagining
Bob’s talent with butter as a steppingstone to the presidency, Laura is
devastated when Bob is persuaded to retire. Unable to convince Bob to
make a comeback,Laura decides to enter herself in the competition...
7:30pm Amador
In order to support her husband's spending habits, a poor woman goes
through hilarious hijinks to protect her job security in this
crowd-pleasing dark comedy
And here's a link to the Top 8 PFF Film's to check out per Geekadelphia
Hope any readers in the area, plan to support and enjoy the 20th
Philadelphia Film Festival, produced by the Philadelphia Film Society.
And as always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!