Screen scene: Local film news

GHOST IN THE HOUSE: Guillermo del Toro directs Mia Wasikowska on the set of their 2015 collaboration, Crimson Peak. The acclaimed Mexican director's work will be discussed by Paul Schattel in his Selected Foreign Films Seminar at Asheville School of Film. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

• The Fine Arts Theatre hosts a screening of Synchronicity on Thursday, July 7, at 7 p.m. Proceeds will benefit 103.3 Asheville FM. The sci-fi noir film’s original score was composed by Asheville-based musician Ben Lovett, who will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A session along with a special synthesizer display from Moog Music. Tickets are $5, available at the Fine Arts box office or online, and include a digital download of the soundtrack. Advance copies of the soundtrack’s special-edition vinyl will also be on sale at the theater all weekend. Additional screenings of the film take place Friday, July 8, and Saturday, July 9, at 9:40 p.m. avl.mx/2ql

• The Asheville Parks and Recreation Department’s 2016 Movies in the Park series continues Friday, July 8, at Pack Square Park with a screening of Back to the Future. Children’s craft activities begin at 6:30 p.m., and the movie starts at dusk on a giant screen on the park stage. Free and open to the public, but bring a chair or a blanket. avl.mx/g6

Asheville School of Film is offering a selected foreign films seminar with filmmaker/instructor Paul Schattel on Sunday, July 10, from 1 to 5 p.m. The first half of the seminar will be an in-depth look at the films of such auteurs as Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón and Fernando Meirelles and revered Latin American writers like Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges, examining how they have influenced a new generation of storytellers. The second half’s focus shifts to filmmakers of the British New Wave who helped inspire the modern age of cinema. The work of Richard Lester, John Boorman, Lindsay Anderson, Ken Russell and others will be discussed. The cost of the seminar is $50. avl.mx/2qm

Starting Monday, July 18, ASoF begins a production design course. Stephen Marsh, a professional production designer with more than 30 years of experience, will guest-instruct the class, which meets once a week for eight weeks from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Students will learn how to read and interpret a short script for the purpose of filming, scout locally for locations and decide which sets need to be built. Discussions will include colors and textures best suited for the settings, how films are photographed and the methods of producing visual effects. Students will also learn how to make a cost estimate for the film and create models of the sets and drawings of the locations. The class culminates with a short demonstration film showing the locations and models that will serve as a pitch for Marsh, playing the role of a director. The course costs $495. avl.mx/2qn

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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10 thoughts on “Screen scene: Local film news

  1. If anybody’s still keeping count, what I think is one of the best films of the year is now streaming on Netflix. Its called The Invitation and it’s definitely worth a look.

    • Edwin Arnaudin

      Who stopped keeping count? But yes, I saw that had been added.

      Other than Miles Ahead and De Palma, my favorite films of 2016 are pretty much all comedies.

    • Edwin Arnaudin

      Having seen it last night, I can also recommend The Invitation. It’s one of the better thrillers from the last few years and well-made for such a low budget. I might prefer it to Green Room, but I don’t think either is “best of the year” material. I like 10 Cloverfield Lane a good deal better than both of them.

      • Me

        I liked The Invitation a little more than Coherence, did you see that one? Both are similar, but Coherence is more of a mind bending scifi film simlar to Primer.

        • Edwin Arnaudin

          I did not see Coherence, but based on the title and you mentioning sci-fi and Primer, it made me think of Synchronicity, which is also on Netflix and mostly worth a look. Have you seen it?

  2. Me

    I’m in the middle of Miles Ahead and so far it’s really fun, did you see Green Room, it’s one that’s near the top of my list so far this year.

    I didn’t realize that Mustang and James White were already on Netflix. I was kind of let down by them, but they might be worth another look.

    • Edwin Arnaudin

      I think Green Room is only OK, but I like it a lot better than Blue Ruin. I respect what Saulnier is doing as a filmmaker, but his style only connects so much with me. Part of it is I think he should hire someone to write his dialogue.

      My other favorites are Everybody Wants Some!!, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Lobster and Swiss Army Man.

      I don’t think Mustang is worth another look. I’ve yet to see James White.

      • Me

        I liked Green Room better, and Everybody Wants Some and the Lobster are up there on my list as well. I’m still kind of mixed on Swiss Army Man.

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