Maybe you’ve found the time to catch up on all those movies you missed last year (and the year before and every year since middle school). Are you looking for additional recommendations? Do you feel like talking through what you’ve seen?
This Friday, April 10, Gateway Film Center launches Conversations from the Center, a book-club style event. Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday at 6 p.m., GFC President and Programmer Chris Hamel joins a co-host for a Vimeo broadcast to discuss a film or two around a theme.
He wants to hear what you think.
While Hamel and his guests will be on hand to share thoughts and stories about each film, their primary purpose is to facilitate a conversation among the moviegoers in attendance. His idea is to have that great GFC crowd drive the conversation.
“Gateway—like a lot of the great, hometown cinemas Columbus has—draws the kind of crowd that loves movies and loves to talk about movies,” says Hope Madden, Columbus Underground film critic and co-host for the first Conversation. “As much as I enjoy watching movies at home, I’ve really missed participating with an audience. I miss the reaction and interaction.”
Hamel’s long-term goal with Conversations is to bring it to the theater, but until that’s a possibility, the program is going virtual.
This Friday, April 10 at 6 p.m., Chris and Hope will lead a conversation on three Bong Joon-Ho films: Parasite (2019), Mother (2009) and The Host (2006). Madden is thrilled.
“Like everyone else on the planet, I loved Parasite,” she says. “I’ve long said that everyone should see everything Bong Joon-Ho has ever made. The Host is a magnificent, giddy creature feature that we’ve shown at GFC as part of our Fright Club film series, and Mother is, I think, probably his most under-seen film. It’s amazing.”
To join the conversation, register online HERE with your email address. You’ll receive an email password to join the Vimeo conversation. The event is free, but non-members are encouraged to make a donation to help the film center turn its lights back on once it’s safe for us to get back together and talk movies in person.
Read more from George at MADDWOLF and listen to his weekly movie review podcast, THE SCREENING ROOM.