So far in writing this column, I’ve kept one particular aspect of movie-watching constant through the chick flicks and horror films, the big-budget action adventures, the family feel-goods and the weird quasi-documentaries (looking at you, “I’m Still Here”). See, every week for the past year I’ve chosen a couple DVDs and watched them at home, either on my TV or my computer, sitting on my couch or at my desk. And for good reason: Movie theaters are freaking expensive.
For me to write a column recommending one of two new theatrical releases would be to completely ignore the student condition. Even putting aside the fact that there’s no theater showing new movies within walking distance of campus, I think it’s probably fair to say an average student doesn’t really have ten bucks and two hours to find out whether “Sorority Row” is any good on the big screen. If we had that kind of cash, Mr. Boston would have to hang up his hat and move back East. I mean, some students trade their plasma for cash on a weekly basis. You ever hear anyone say they’d trade their immune system for the chance to see “Marmaduke”?
But here’s the thing: There are a couple of theaters on campus cheaper than the Redbox, which is to say, free. True, you won’t always find the latest Adam Sandler flick at these theaters, but each offers a unique movie-going experience. Location matters – just ask any Vikings fan not currently living in Los Angeles – as does ambiance, atmosphere and film selection. The auditorium at 4070 Vilas Hall and the Memorial Union Play Circle aren’t the only theaters around (Sundance at Hilldale and the Orpheum also come to mind), but they’re the closest and, just as important, the freest you’ll find.
Cinematheque’s screenings is one of those things you’ve probably heard about but never gone and checked out yourself. The group, composed of university students and faculty, hosts weekly showings of obscure and independent films every Friday and Saturday night up in the auditorium on the fourth floor of Vilas Hall.
Their choice of movies is informed by pre-selected categories or themes. For instance, this past Saturday a friend and I went to see “Dragonwycke,” which was part of Cinematheque’s “Patterns of Shadow: Hollywood Film and the Art of Lighting” series.
Despite being titled like a fantasy book mass-produced for middle schoolers at the height of the Harry Potter craze, “Dragonwycke” is a 1940s black and white film about an innocent farm girl who leaves her Pennsylvania home to live at the manor of a wealthy Dutch descendant and his sickly, cloying wife on the banks of the Hudson River in New York. In theory, the movie was a thriller, though if it were remade today it would almost certainly be classified as a drama instead.
The atmosphere at the showing was decidedly academic and staid. The smallish auditorium was about a third full by the time the curtain (yes, there’s a curtain covering the movie screen) went up. The walls are wood paneled and the seats are comfortable and clean, probably because of the no food or drink policy in place. Most of the movie-goers were older couples. Besides my friend and me, I saw only two other student-aged people there.
You’ll probably want to know a bit about the movie you’re attending if you choose to go to a Cinematheque screening, or at least have a good deal of interest in the theme or series being shown (other series this spring include Portuguese, Nigerian and Taiwanese cinema, as well as a series on reconstructions and restorations and a selection of the filmmaker Anthony Mann’s 1950s westerns). It’s not the type of theater you’d go to with a group of friends just for something to do. But there is such a place on campus: the Play Circle at the Memorial Union.
The Play Circle’s selections are chosen by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee. They span a wide range of interest and time period, from pre-screenings of upcoming theatrical releases (recently, “The Adjustment Bureau”) to classics like Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket,” to cult films and indie documentaries, like the one I saw last Thursday, “American Movie: The Making of Northwestern.”
“American Movie” isn’t a low-budget spoof on the Revolutionary War dramatizations, as its name might suggest, but rather a 1999 documentary about a blundering Wisconsin man attempting to achieve his lifelong dream of creating a feature-length film.
The theater allows food and drink, and its location in the Union makes it a relaxed student environment. Unfortunately, though, the Play Circle is anything but comfortable. The auditorium chairs rival the lecture halls in Bascom and Psychology for some of the worst on campus, and the barely angled seating can create problems with lines of sight if the theater is crowded or full.
Still, the excellent job WUD Films does of choosing movies that match student interest make the Play Circle a top-notch place to go with friends and a pitcher on a random Thursday night. Even the 70s orange curtains hold a certain charm after a few visits. But you’ll have to hurry – there’s only about a month left to experience the rigid seatbacks, flat floor and garish decor of the Memorial Union Play Circle before the plush new Marquee opens up in Union South.
Lin Weeks is a junior majoring in finance and marketing. Know of a better theater around? Email him at [email protected].
