With course registration coming up for the Spring 2011 semester, have you considered taking any film studies courses? In addition to the vast film collection available at the Coates Library, Trinity University also offers a few unique and engaging film studies courses that can bring out the cinephile in you. Hey, what better than to get college credit talking about something you are passionate about? In this article, I will give a brief overview of the film courses offered at Trinity and my personal recommendations for the ones you need to take.
First and foremost is a foundational film course. This semester, the Trinity University Film Studies department is offering International Cinema which covers a broad range of foreign language films and their influence. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of foreign films as many are discovering them as a refreshing alternative to American films. There is one problem with this course. International Cinema counts as credit not only for the Film Studies minor but it is also part of the English department, Communication and the Art department and there is only one class time with limited space so if you are very interested in taking this course you need to inform the professor ahead of registration.
Another great film course offered next semester is the German Cinema course offered under the Modern Languages and Literature department. In the last couple of years, numerous critically acclaimed films have come from Germany and films such as The Lives of Others, Downfall and The White Ribbon have been strong contenders for The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In fact, in the past decade, six German films have been nominated for the honor. The course also covers influential directors for the early years of German cinema such as Fritz Lang.
Below are some trailers for films that you will learn about and watch in German Cinema:
Last but not least, if you are interested in trying your hand at making your own movies, then you also may want to look into taking a Communication course titled Visual Communication: Narrative video production which will introduce you to the exciting world of video editing, shooting and even screen writing.
All of these courses will provide you with the movie fix you need. Not only do you discuss films but you watch them. What could be better than that?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Cinephile Treasure: Coates Library DVD Collection
It has often been said that the greatest treasures can be found right under our noses. If you are a cinephile or just enjoy great films, than you will find heaven in the form of Coates Library's DVD collection. Found on the 3rd floor of the Library, the film collection has literally thousands of titles. If you were to watch one film from the collection a day, it would take you over a decade to get through all of them. Coates has all genres covered, from hard-hitting Hollywood action films to thought-provoking dramas. The Library also has one of the most impressive foreign film collections in the area. There are hundreds of foreign films in the collection. Will you find a stellar collection of chick-flicks or every action movie every made? No, in fact I would not be surprised if you have never heard of a significant portion of the films but that is the point. The Coates collection allows you to explore the vibrant world of cinema in a way that Blockbuster never could. I would suggest that you simply scan the stacks and pick out new titles that look interesting to you. Trust me, they have something for everyone. The DVD collection is literally a gold mine for those interested in film history. You can find films from the silent picture era all the way up to releases from this past summer.
The films are free to check out for all Trinity students. I have never checked out more than five films at a time but if you ask me, 5 films for 5 days free of charge is the best deal around. It is shocking how few people take advantage of the collection. The best part is the fact that the collection continues to grow each month. The University acquires around 5 to 10 DVD's per month and they are new copies, not beat up donation DVD's. They are also open to suggestions if you feel that there is a film that must be added to the collection. A few days ago, I went in to suggest that the Library pick up a copy of the recent award winning German film, The White Ribbon, only to find out that they already had it! The film experts at the Library are on top of it. If you are a lover off all things cinema or are just looking to broaden your movie tastes and sample foreign films, that the Coates Library DVD collection is a must see.
Picture by Andrew Rieger
The films are free to check out for all Trinity students. I have never checked out more than five films at a time but if you ask me, 5 films for 5 days free of charge is the best deal around. It is shocking how few people take advantage of the collection. The best part is the fact that the collection continues to grow each month. The University acquires around 5 to 10 DVD's per month and they are new copies, not beat up donation DVD's. They are also open to suggestions if you feel that there is a film that must be added to the collection. A few days ago, I went in to suggest that the Library pick up a copy of the recent award winning German film, The White Ribbon, only to find out that they already had it! The film experts at the Library are on top of it. If you are a lover off all things cinema or are just looking to broaden your movie tastes and sample foreign films, that the Coates Library DVD collection is a must see.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Trinity University Coates Library Cinema Series - Fall 2010
This evening, Trinity University and Coates Library opened another excellent run of international films showcasing a range of interesting topics from talented directors from across the globe. Held at Northrup Hall in room 40, the cinema series will play an additional three films over the next three weeks at 7:00 pm each Wednesday night.
The cinema series opens with a French film titled Welcome, directed by Philippe Lioret. The film tells the story of Bilal, a 17 year old refugee from Kurdistan attempting to reach his girlfriend in England. Prevented from crossing the English Channel by French authorities, Bilal decides his only option is to swim across, a feat attempted by many but completed by few. Bilal decides to train at a local community pool where he meets Simon, a swim instructor who decides to help the boy as a means of mending his damaged relationship with his wife. The two develop a strong friendship and take many risks in order to accomplish the unthinkable. You can see the trailer for the film below.
On October 13th, you can see A Call Girl which chronicles the downfall of a Slovenian prostitute who finds herself on the wrong side of the law after one of her clients dies while with her. This film is followed by the Israeli film Jaffa, which tells the story of an Israeli girl in love with a Palestinian boy and her father who suspects their plans to marry. The Coates Library Cinema Series will conclude with the Brazilian documentary Only When I Dance, which depicts the rise of two ballet dancers trying to leave the slum of Rio.
For more information about the Cinema Series, you can visit the official Coates Library page here: Coates Library Cinema Series
The cinema series opens with a French film titled Welcome, directed by Philippe Lioret. The film tells the story of Bilal, a 17 year old refugee from Kurdistan attempting to reach his girlfriend in England. Prevented from crossing the English Channel by French authorities, Bilal decides his only option is to swim across, a feat attempted by many but completed by few. Bilal decides to train at a local community pool where he meets Simon, a swim instructor who decides to help the boy as a means of mending his damaged relationship with his wife. The two develop a strong friendship and take many risks in order to accomplish the unthinkable. You can see the trailer for the film below.
On October 13th, you can see A Call Girl which chronicles the downfall of a Slovenian prostitute who finds herself on the wrong side of the law after one of her clients dies while with her. This film is followed by the Israeli film Jaffa, which tells the story of an Israeli girl in love with a Palestinian boy and her father who suspects their plans to marry. The Coates Library Cinema Series will conclude with the Brazilian documentary Only When I Dance, which depicts the rise of two ballet dancers trying to leave the slum of Rio.
For more information about the Cinema Series, you can visit the official Coates Library page here: Coates Library Cinema Series
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Upcoming Tiger Critics Reviews
I often wonder why film critics feel compelled to share their opinions with others. I imagine most do it because they greatly enjoy writing about a subject that they are passionate about. Others may get satisfaction out of the public's appreciation for their opinions. A film reviewer is a film viewer first and foremost. I review films because I love them so much. I am not content to just watch. I like to discuss, debate and ultimately, make recommendations to others. There are of course other personal benefits to being a film reviewer. One of the perks that I love the most is the advanced screening. There is something very exciting about watching a film before the public has a chance to see it. I guess that excitement is a little selfish but it is certainly one of my favorite aspects of film reviewing.
Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to participate in an advanced screening of The Social Network, the highly anticipated film about the founding of Facebook from director David Fincher, a man who has brought us classics like Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Zodiac. While I cannot discuss the film as of yet, I will say that I was very impressed and the film certainly lives up to the hype. You can watch a trailer for the film here: The Social Network Trailer, Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
One of the reasons why I created this blog was to promote Tiger Critics and talk about future reviews which can be seen on Tiger TV's Newswave program. Our new season begins this upcoming Friday at 3:00 p.m. and for the premiere my co-host and I will be reviewing the Ben Affleck heist thriller The Town. The film has been receiving positive reviews from critics but to hear our opinion, you will need to tune in this upcoming Friday.
This guy reviews for YOU! I want to save you money because let's face it, movies are expensive and are often not worth it. I waste my own money so you don't have to. So sit back, relax, read up and enjoy the show.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tiger Critics TV Show
To kick things off, I want to talk about a project that is currently under consideration for future Tiger TV programming. Last year, the Newswave program added a five minute segment called Tiger Critics of which I was a co-host. Tiger Critics was basically a Ebert and Roeper style segment where my co-host and I would review films currently in theaters and give our honest opinions of them. Would usually rate the film on a scale of one to five which we called the Tiger Paw Scale (a typical rating would be three paws out of five). Anyways, the show was a great success and the Tiger TV board is currently considering turning Tiger critics into a 30 minute show. Due to the time increase it is also our intention to join forces with the two hosts of the film segment of The Not So Late Show, a variety show which also runs on Tiger TV. As of now, we do not have a dedicated time slot or a finalized list of content but we plan on filming a pilot show within the next month so I will be sure to keep readers of this blog informed. Here is a preliminary list of some of the content we would like to include in our show. We would start off the show with our original film review segment. Due to the fact that we now have four hosts, the roles would alternate. Following this segment we would move into what we call the Tiger Top Five where we list out top five films in a particular genre. The next segment is our DVD recommendation section where we review a film from our ever-growing collection.
Photo by Andrew Rieger
Finally, we will wrap up the show with a roundtable discussion. The topics we will discuss will be related to the film industry but we have yet to determine what these topics will be. In the next couple of weeks, we will have a better idea of our schedule and our content but at this point, our show is simply an idea in our head. Wish us luck.
Finally, we will wrap up the show with a roundtable discussion. The topics we will discuss will be related to the film industry but we have yet to determine what these topics will be. In the next couple of weeks, we will have a better idea of our schedule and our content but at this point, our show is simply an idea in our head. Wish us luck.
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