There are many new films and series that are premiering at the IU Cinema this semester. Jon Vickers, the director of the IU Cinema, spoke highly of several films that will be included in this semester's programming. A few notable films he spoke of that will be screened included, “The Films of Brinton," “Paa Joe and the Lion,” “The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen” and “78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene.”
”The Films of Brinton” is a collection of films from William Franklin Brinton, including some of the earliest film available around the 1890s. These will be shown at 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at the cinema and is free for all attendees. Student DJs will provide live music during the showing of these short films. In addition, before the film begins, there will be an interactive experience with the IU Libraries Moving Image Archive and the IU Cinema projectionists and archivists in the Arts Plaza for the First Thursdays event that day. There, people can receive a hands-on experience on how to thread, frame and focus a film projector, according to IU Cinema's website.
“Paa Joe and the Lion” is focused on an artist, Paa Joe, in Ghana that carves coffins into fantastic shapes and sculptures. He is known as the “Grandfather of the Ghanaian fantasy coffin movement.” The documentary focuses on Joe and his journey to the UK to reestablish his workshop. It will be shown at 5 p.m. Sept. 16 at the cinema and is free for all attendees. The artist himself, Paa Joe, is scheduled to be at the cinema during the showing and will give a talk, according to IU Cinema's website.
“The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen” is one of the oldest Japanese horror films, and it will make its U.S. debut at the IU Cinema on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and is free for all attendees. Since it hasn’t been shown in the U.S. before, the IU Cinema is making the English subtitles for the film themselves. Suzuki Sumiko, Japan’s original horror star, murders her romantic rival, and her lover’s cat. "But her bloody past comes back to haunt her … literally,” according to IU Cinema's website.
“78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene” is a documentary focused on the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's “Psycho.” It will be shown at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at the cinema. The documentary breaks down the dense scene frame by frame, and points out Hitchcock’s allusions and metaphors. The documentary is directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, who has written and directed many award-winning films. The film is a part of the “Alexandre O. Philippe: A Filmmaker’s Filmmaker” series at the cinema, which includes “The Exorcist,” which will be shown at 7 p.m. Dec. 4, and “Doc of the Dead," which will be shown at 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec 7. Philippe is scheduled to be present during all of the screenings in the series, and each film is $4 for all attendees according to the IU Cinema's website.
“We would like to set an internal goal of engaging more students," said Vickers. "Last year we had an average of 25 percent, which is high for art cinemas across the country, but we want to try to hit over 30 percent this year."
