Two things to know about your arts blogger. Thing the first: Hates how fall and winter make the days shorter, and will do anything for a distraction. Thing the second: Will use any excuse at hand to see a movie on the cheap.
Thankfully, fall is a cut-rate movie fan’s Xanadu in Charlottesville because Cinematheque and OFFScreen start up at UVA, and you can catch popular programming and a pretty reliably curated film series each week for less than the price of poppin’ corn. And, since these screenings should save you a few bucks, here’s a cinema-centric way to spend the extra Benjies: Catch a screening of Eat Me: A Zombie Musical by local director Brian Wimer on October 18 at Vinegar Hill Theatre for $10.
Director Brian Wimer at the 2009 Fright Night Film Fest, where he cleaned up with his horror films Eat Me and Mantra.
OFFScreen: My usual Sunday night while a student at UVA, and a place to catch things like that David Lynch flick with the super-rare aspect ratio (Wild at Heart) or that Fugazi documentary (Instrument). OFFScreen shows flicks in the Newcomb Hall Theater every Sunday night for $3 (or the occasional $5 double-feature). The current OFFScreen schedule is available here, and the Canadian zombie flick Pontypool looks particularly awesome.
Cinematheque: Apparently, I could’ve saved $6.50 or so if I waited to see The Hangover with a bunch of undergrads. Face it, people—that’s just the sort of ambience you want while you watch Bradley Coper and Zach Galifianakis bludgeon their livers with booze. In the next week, Cinematheque also screens Up and The Ugly Truth at Newcomb Hall Theater. Price? Again, $3.
Virginia Film Society: In terms of plots, the annual fall film series from VFS seems more bent towards thrills than most years in recent memory. With roughly a film screening per month at Vinegar Hill Theatre, the schedule ups the anticipation. Take a gander here.
For those of you who plan to splurge on the silver screen in one fell swoop, the 2009 Virginia Film Festival announces its lineup tomorrow night. Feedback will report back with details.
*Addendum: Forgot to add something for those of you who like talking about movies but don’t actually have time to watch them. How thoughtless! Here you go:
