Arizona is the Focus at ASU fall 2010 Film Forum

Who
The ASU School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts unveils the fall 2010 Film Forum screening series.

What
The ASU community and the general public is invited to attend the fall 2010 Film Forum screenings. This semester, the ASU School of Theatre and Film selected a new focus: films about Arizona. The fall events are held at a time, a new place and are free and open to all.

“Whether Arizona is a homecoming, a detour, an escape or a final destination, we see characters accommodating themselves to the physical as well as the cultural landscape in Film Forum this fall,” says Jason Davids Scott, lecturer in the ASU School of Theatre and Film, and Film Forum curator. “We invite everyone to come out and see our great state up on the big screen.”

Following are film details and descriptions written by Scott:

Oct. 6, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore 
Martin Scorsese’s study of a suddenly single mom (Ellen Burstyn, who suggested Scorsese as the director) who intends to relocate to California, but an ill-fated affair in Phoenix reroutes her and her son to Tucson. Finding what is supposed to be temporary work at Mel’s Diner, Alice begins to settle into her surroundings until another unexpected romance threatens her newfound security and independence. Co-starring Kris Kristofferson, Diane Ladd (as sassy “Flo”), and a very young Jodie Foster, the film won Burstyn an Oscar®, and demonstrates how we can often find serenity and satisfaction even in times of emotional turmoil and instability. Viewers should note that although the film inspired the long-running television comedy Alice (which reset Mel’s Diner in Phoenix), Scorsese’s Alice is best described as a character drama. (112 minutes)

Nov. 3, Smoke Signals 
Friendship, family, and reconciliation are the themes of this 1998 independent film from director Chris Eyre and writer Sherman Alexie. Films both by and about real Native Americans are rare, making this poignant effort about two young and very different men who journey from Idaho to Phoenix after the death of one of their fathers. A glorious document of the American West, the film revolves around the uneasy relationship of the two men who find a friendship born out of a deep-seeded need to connect with their troubled personal and cultural past. Smoke Signals won both the Filmmaker’s Trophy and the Audience Award for Best Film at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. (90 minutes)

Dec. 1, 3:10 to Yuma 
Arizona has long been the setting for classic westerns, and the latest effort by James Mangold is a star-studded version. Though much of the film was shot in New Mexico, the story, set along Arizona’s southern border, reconsiders a classic story of good and evil along the most demanding terrain of the western frontier. Though nature and native tribes are formidable forces, the most deadly foe is a notorious outlaw who may or may not make the train destined to cart him off to prison. Although some critics felt the film falls short of the sparse, noir-ish 1957 original, most agreed that the performances by Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Peter Fonda made this spirited remake a thrilling and entertaining delight. (122 minutes)

Where
Screenings are held in Murdock Hall Room #201, 450 E. Orange St. on the ASU Tempe campus. To view a map, visit:http://www.asu.edu/tour/tempe/mur.html 

When
Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, 8 p.m.

Cost
The fall 2010 Film Forum is free and open to all.

Public Contact
School of Theatre and Film, 480.965.5337 
http://mainstage.asu.edu

The School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University provides a comprehensive range of courses in performance and directing; design and production; new work development; theatre and performance studies; film; and theatre for youth. Its Theatre for Youth program is nationally ranked in the top three and the dramatic writing/playwriting program is ranked 15th among public institutions by U.S.News & World Report. To learn more about the School of Theatre and Film, visit theatrefilm.asu.edu.

Media Contact:
Laurie A. Trotta Valenti 
ASU School of Theatre and Film
480.965.3381
laurie.trotta@asu.edu