‘Destroyer centers around detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman), who as a young cop went undercover to infiltrate a gang. This leads to something so tragic that it still haunts her many years later. When she finds out that the same gang leader has recently resurfaced, she goes on a personal mission to take him down and finally find peace.
FilmScene
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Groundbreaking silent films interpreted anew with music from the Awful Purdies
The Awful Purdies, the all-female Midwest folk scene staple ensemble, will be accompanying silent movies by female film pioneers on Wednesday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. as part of Film Scene’s Women’s March events. Tickets are $15.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Celebrating Women’s March with ‘Rafiki’ for FilmScene’s Pride Series
The second film in the Vanguard Series, ‘Rafiki,’ directed by Wanuri Kahiu, will play at FilmScene on Monday, March 11 at 6 p.m. as part of their monthly Pride series. ‘Rafiki’ is a Kenyan coming-of-age story that chronicles the budding romance between Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva).
Posted inArts & Entertainment
RaMell Ross and Bing Liu, two guests of FilmScene’s Vino Vérité series, will compete for an Oscar Sunday
Most of the 2019 Oscar-nominated films have screened at FilmScene in the past year, including four of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature. The filmmakers behind two of these acclaimed and ambitious docs joined FilmScene audiences months before the Academy Awards lauded their achievements. Bing Liu, director of Minding the Gap, and RaMell Ross, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
2019 Oscar Shorts — Live Action: Ranked and reviewed
Oscar season is upon us, and in previous years, I haven’t been really tuned in to movies that are nominated. But this year I’ve made a conscious effort to see as much as possible, including the live action short films. To my surprise, a majority of the shorts were highly suspenseful; some have become favorites of the films I’ve seen in quite some time.
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What the Living Do: Mike Gibisser’s ‘World of Facts’
Filmmaker Mike Gibisser’s ‘World of Facts’ (2018), filmed in Iowa City, is not a meditation on grief so much as a metabolizing of it. “I like that word,” Gibisser says. “Maybe because it suggests how the waiting becomes part of you, part of your routine.”
Posted inCommunity/News
Disease, Death and Darwin: Dr. Sharon DeWitte on her upcoming talks
Rarely would the average person, when stopped on the street and asked about their ideal Friday afternoon, think to mention attending a talk about analyzing the skeletal remains of medieval Black Plague victims. However, at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, the people of Iowa City will have the chance to do just that.
Posted inCommunity/News
Science meets community at Iowa City Darwin Day
The science minded Iowa City-zen will have an opportunity to explore the contributions of science and evolution to society Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, with the induction of the 2019 Iowa City Darwin Day (ICDD) festivities. Darwin Day, a local two-day celebration of science and community, takes place each year on or around Charles Darwin’s birthday (Feb. 12, 1809).
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Death, rescue, racism and menstrual pads: A rundown of the Oscar-nominated documentary shorts
Plenty of politics play into the Oscar nomination process (often leading to some dubious selections in the Best Picture, Director and acting categories), but there’s one aspect of the Academy Awards circus that consistently feels pure and even altruistic: the spotlighting of short films. FilmScene is screening the Oscar-nominated short films in the animation, live […]
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Not a one-handed read: Anticipating ‘Bat Pussy’ (1973) on Valentine’s Day
Not only will attendees be able to get a free Bijou condom or dental dam at the ‘Bat Pussy’ screening, but Bijou will also partner with the Emma Goldman Clinic to provide information about healthy, consensual sex.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Stan & Ollie’: The first home run of 2019
‘Stan & Ollie’ immediately interested me because of the perfect chemistry John C Reilly (‘Step Brothers’) and Steve Coogan (‘Tropic Thunder’) displayed in just the short trailer. After seeing the full feature film, I’m happy to say that it is my favorite movie so far in 2019.
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An overly in-depth and totally not bitter alternative Best Picture list
After dozens of forays to FilmScene and local multiplexes in 2018, crunching countless popcorn kernels in anticipation of celebrating the best of the best come February 2019, it was both anticlimactic and disappointing to see a line-up of Best Picture nominees that included the likes of Bohemian Rhapsody, Vice, Green Book and Black Panther.
