Thoughts?

Hey guys, Updated the blog with what I think is the new showing order but let me know if it's wrong! I've got work travel this Monday - Wednesday night and things might still be a little crazy Thursday. I think B&A will also still be out of town, and Ben will be in Miami for work... so what do you guys think about postponing movie night until after the holidays settle down? Maybe the week after Christmas? Let me know what you think!

Caroline

Dancer, Texas - Pop. 81

This week, we'll be viewing Dancer, Texas - Pop. 81! I'm not going to give much away.  Let's just say that it's high school graduation weekend in Dancer, Texas and the population could soon plummet to 76.   It could be the first movie night selection that is rated PG.  I don't think there are any frosted tips in this movie, there's no sex with swimming reptiles, and you won't leave wondering how the director avoided getting arrested, but it's humorous and though provoking and it reminds me of the little place I lived most summers when I was growing up (Lenorah, Texas - Pop. 46).

When: 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Where: 1617 Fannin, Apt 2903
Who:  Trill Movie Night People
Why: Why not?

Pizza will be provided. Bring beer.

November 21, 2013 // The Holy Mountain // Bjorn

Hello all, this week I will be hosting at Springer's place and I will be showing Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain. It was made in 1973 and defies description. Each scene looks completely different from the scene that preceded it, and not unlike Santa Sangre, relies heavily on symbolism and shock value.
Join me at 7:30 at Casa de Springer for pizza, beer, and disturbing and sacreligious imagery!

-Bjorn

Houston House Apartments- 1617 Fannin Street #2903, Houston, Texas 77002.
se

November 14, 2013 // 12 Years A Slave // Rory

On Thursday, November 13, 2013 Rory showed the sobering "12 Years A Slave" based on the memoir by Solomon Northup

November 7th, 2013 // Paris is Burning // Ben

This Thursday, we'll be taking a look at one of the following three extremely specific subcultures; care to guess?

• Communist Bolivian hipsters from the 1920s 
• Gay minority drag queens from New York City in the 1980s
• Expatriate Phillipino drug runners in Canada in the 1800s

If you guessed gay minority drag queens from New York City in the 1980s you win our prize! which is pizza! which is the same as our consolation prize!

So please join me this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at House Garry for pizza, beer, and learning the origins of "working it"

Fabulously Yours,
bg

Push

Hey everyone!  My understanding is that it's my turn to pick the movie, but to be honest I don't have any great ideas and I do have a pretty jammed up schedule this week.  Therefore, my inclination is to push the return of Movie Night to next Thursday (the 7th).  Unless I hear howls of dissatisfaction, I'll assume that's the plan and proceed accordingly.

bg

September 26, 2013 // The Lives of Others // Caroline

Trillsters,

Please join me this Thursday for a viewing of The Lives of Others, a 2006-2007ish German film from writer-director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It's a bit dark and was underrated at the time, in my opinion. Some of you may have seen it, but I checked with others last time and I think at least 1/2 of the group hasn't. General lay of the land: it's set in East Berlin in the 1980s when government surveillance/Stasi were in every shadow -- and it specifically follows the lives of a few key characters who fall under investigation.

I don't think it's on Netflix Instant, but I'll figure out the logistics with Ben!

Thursday, House Garry, 7pm. We'll have pizza -- please bring beverages. Let me know if this works for you (and if like a million of you have already seen it!).

c

Another Ben Wheatley

Casa de Springer - 6:45 p.m., Thursday, September 12, 2013

I really enjoyed A Field In England and I'd like to see some other stuff by the same director. I've had Kill List (also directed by Ben Wheatley) on my watch list for a while, but I recall from a discussion at a previous movie night that a few folks in the group were not horror fans. I noticed that Wheatley also directed a movie that at least one critic described as "caustically funny." So, my pick is Down Terrace directed by Ben Wheatley. I haven't seen it before or done much research, so we'll either discover a new great movie or waste 89 minutes of our lives together. If some or all of you have already seen it, I have a backup movie that we can watch.

Pizza will be provided, bring some beer or other drink of choice (place in the lobby sells beer and soft drinks).

Springer

A Week Off?

I think it is my turn next, and work is a nightmare this week. Is it cool with everyone if we skip this week?  I'll host next week. Not sure what movie yet, but does Thursday of next week (September 12th) work for everyone? I know Bjorn will be on vacation but how about everyone else?

Please comment on your availability next week below.

Springer

70

So...

... hey, y'all.

I've let you down.

I haven't been here to enjoy and discuss your suggestions. 

I also made promises about an amazing series; a program I wouldn't stop talking about. A program that is just about finished but for whatever reason still isn't... a delayed wish.

I told you about this incredible show that I thought was worth rearranging the calendar for, and then I left on a jet plane, not knowing when I would be back again.

And for fuck's sake it still isn't done, so here's what we're doing next week:

Meshes of the Afternoon, the wonderful and surreal short from 1943 - to 70 years later - A Field in England.

Tuesday the 27th?

Don't watch MotA, but if you want, here's some AFiE: 

Possible Pizza Proposal???

Hey, Gang.  As you know, it was Rory's turn last week, but Netflix fumbled the movie so we ended up doing movie night freestyle and laughing at random stuff on youtube. I heard from Rory last night that we are skipping this week (August 11-17) but he'll have his movie ready to show next week. Rory bought the pizza last week and my feeling is he shouldn't have to buy our dinner twice in a row. How about we order pizza next week when Rory is showing and we just each pitch in to pay for it? Maybe Austin and Brittany could place the order and then we could just each pay them $5 or $6 or whatever covers it when we get there? Comment below if you are cool with this. After next week, we'll be back on schedule of whoever is showing buys the pizza.

Late post for tonight's film

I was recently reading about the winner of the 2013 Palme d'Or (Blue is the Warmest Color) at the Cannes Film Festival and began looking back at past winners of the award. I've heard and read really positive things about the 2010 film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives but I haven't seen it yet so I thought I would pick it for tonight so we can all watch it together. It's from Thailand, 114 minutes long, and was directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. I think we watched Syndromes and a Century, his 2006 film, in a previous incarnation of Movie Night. Anyway, tonight we'll be meeting at Brittany & Austin's place at 7:00 in the PM. Pizza will be provided but you may wanna BYOB. Oh, here is a poster for the film by Chris Ware.

Friday, August 2 // Santa Sangre // Bjorn

My pick for this week is Santa Sangre by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Jodorowsky is the legendary director of such films as "The Holy Mountain" and "El Topo", much admired by John Lennon, and credited with being the father of the midnight movie. His 1989 production, Santa Sangre, which translates to "Holy Blood", is quite possibly the greatest horror film you've never seen.

Set in the circuses and cabarets of Mexico City, Santa Sangre features a knife-thrower, a dwarf, a sacred pool of blood, a tattooed lady, a deaf-mute mime, a dying elephant, and a condemned church about to be bulldozed. And that's just the first half.

Most critics have described this movie as surrealistic, but other terms that have been used are "Felliniesque", "Bunuelian", "perverse" and "sadomasochistic".

Santa Sangre is one of those movies that either makes you run from the room screaming, or instantly google the director and add every one of his movies to your queue. I know which one I did.

Friday August 2, Havican House, 6:30pm. BE THERE.

July 25, 2013 // District 13 // Ben

The French are known for many things: wine, stinky cheese, and stinkier women...but they are not often known for their trillness, nor their action movies. All that will change this Thursday, when we watch District 13 (French title Banlieue 13) the 2004 French parkour/action movie that combines running with shooting and jumping (a combination for the ages). Join me for pizza at 7:00pm at House Garry to feel sophisticated while you watch dudes kicking other dudes in the face because they are doing their kicking while speaking French.

"Je viens de vous un coup de pied dans le visage, vous grenouille puant!"

-bg

THURSDAY MOVIE - SPRING BREAKERS!

Y'all all gonna be leaving our house wanting to purchase hot pink ski masks, guns and upper and lower gold grills; while the whole time screaming, "Look at all my SHIIIIIIIIIIT."

The Havican House
6:30

Be there!

How I feel right now (x2)

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Bad news. This week is like a freaking crusty cluster-butt. And I know Austin's probably still waiting on his video for showing, so I'm taking full freakin' credit for pushing movie night (again).

But, I wanna get my (our) movie life back. I mean it this time. No, no. Don't click off the page. Hear me out.

How about next week on Wednesday?

That would put us here:
Wednesday, July 10. 7pm. House Garry.

As usual, there will be pizza, beer, group hugging and twerk trains.


So, please join me in watching Safety Not Guaranteed.
Some tidbits from the Wikipedia page:

Safety Not Guaranteed is a 2012 American comedy film inspired by a 1997 Backwoods Home Magazine classified ad — itself written as a joke filler by Backwoods employee John Silveira — by a person asking for someone to accompany him in time travel. It was screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

Plot basics: Darius Britt is a disillusioned college graduate who lives at home with her widower father and interns at Seattle Magazine. One of the magazine's writers, Jeff Schwensen, proposes to investigate a newspaper classified ad that reads:

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

Wednesday, July 10. 7pm. House Garry. Bring beer. 

-c

How I feel right now

Y'all.

It's Wednesday and Ben just dropped a reminder bomb that Caro is out of town and it's supposed to be my turn. Two problems:

1. What I want to show (pic related) isn't ready yet. There is one final piece they need to put out, and they're taking their sweet goddamn time with it.

2. B-hole and I have too much going on to make it work this week.

I also want everyone to check this out, because so far I'm really impressed by it, so I would want to wait for Mrs. G to be back in town anyway.

I propose we skip this Thursday, and if it looks like the final installment STILL isn't out, we'll shift gears back to Caroline.

So say we all?

Aww, hell.

Trillsters,

I found out I've gotta make a run to Austin this week for work to celebrate the Creative Director's 10th anniversary with the company, so my pick will have to wait. Maybe that means we'll go back to the normal order (Austin's next) and he can show next week since he's out of town this week as well?

I'll be outta town next week, too (I know, I know), but the fun shouldn't wait for me -- Ben'll still be in town, so it's only one Garry down.

Let me know what you think!

c

So Bad They're Good???

Where:  Casa de Springer
When:  6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 13, 2013
What:  Pizza and drinks (there's a convenience store in the lobby of my building that sells beer/wine/gatorade/soft drinks/etc if you'd rather not have to stop on the way and pick anything up).

Trillin Villains:  Springer, what will we be seeing?

The answer:  We'll be enjoying/making fun of a work from director Ed Wood.  That's right, the person who was posthumously awarded the "Golden Turkey Award" as the worst director ever. The director of the  notorious Plan 9 From Outer Space. We'll have several choices to vote on as a group - all are only about 1 hour long, so there will be time to heckle and clean up any tomatoes we've thrown at the TV before moving on to the part of the evening that I get most excited about.

Wednesday! Wednesday! Wednesday!

Hey Trillers.  I was so impressed with Shane Carruth's most recent film Upstream Color that I was curious to see his debut film.  AND WHO BETTER TO WATCH IT WITH THAN YOU?!  I'm not going to write a single solitary word about the plot - let's go into this naked.  6:30 Wednesday, June 5 at A&B's place.  Pizza and beer will be provided.

MACHETE MONDAY // MAY 20

Ok, I finally have my shit together enough to show you a dude's guts spilling out while you eat pizza.  It's happening this Monday (the 20th) at 6:30 @ House Garry.  Be there.

Trillfully Yours,
bg

May 16, 2013 // Nosferatu the Vampyre // Bjorn

Trill Ones,

My pick for May 16th is Nosferatu the Vampyre, the 1979 film by Werner Herzog. Something of a cult favorite, the words "dark and atmospheric" don't even begin to describe the feel of the movie. Although it is an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, this is not your typical vampire love story. Here, Count Dracula is not a debonair aristocrat in a Grandpa Munster tuxedo. Instead, he looks more like what an actual vampire bat would look like if it took human form-- pointy ears, scrunched-up nose and sharp fangs.
Come for the famous opening credit featuring a cave full of real-life mummified human remains-- Stay for the overwrought silent-film acting style only Klaus Kinski can pull off!

Thursday, May 16 at 6:30pm, Chez Havican

-Bjorn

May 9, 2013 // Machete // Ben

NOTE THE DAY CHANGE

Have you ever wanted to see Robert De Niero do a bad Texas accent while he hunts undocumented immigrants for sport? What about Lindsay Lohan dressed up as a heavily armed nun? Did you ever what it would be like to watch a fat Steven Segal work it in a dual wielding sword fight? Do you lay awake at night thinking about what would happen if Hollywood turned a joke movie trailer in to a full-length feature film?

Well friends, then you are in luck.  This Thursday at House Garry at 7:00 pm we'll be seeing all those things and more as we watch another of my favorite Triple B (boobs, blood, and bullets) masterpieces,  Machete. Danny Trejo plays the same character he always plays in every movie, but this time with more knives and a chain gun mounted on a motorcycle.  

Please to enjoy,

bg

Movie Night this Thursday!

OK Hustlers,

We are picking up movie night again this Thursday, 4/25 at 6:30pm. Black Mirror will be shown!

See you all there!

-Brittany

Black Mirror - This Thursday

Brittany's Pick!

This Thursday, 4/11 at the Havican Hizzle @ 6:30 we will be watching two episodes of the British TV mini series "Black Mirror." As you all know, I like to keep the details to a minimum for maximum viewing surprise, so don't go researching the series! (I'm talking to you Bjorn!) Besides, I'll know if there has been any dabbling because I have put trackers on all of your electronic devices and have bugged your houses. I have learned all of this simply by watching BM. Violators to my rules will be punished. Though some of you are sick (Bjorn) and might like this.

Per Wikipedia, basically, because I can't write:

"Each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy." It is comparable to the Twilight Zone. You will leave disturbed (you guys know how I love disturbing things!) and feeling hatred towards your electronic devices, society and the internet as a whole. Enjoy!

Come at 6:30 so we can gab and eat pizza before hand.

Oh! And maybe a little bit of DC afterwards.

March 28, 2013 // Sleepwalk with Me // Caroline

Trillsters,

Please join me at House Garry this Thursday (I know, blowing minds here) for a screening of the pseudo-documentary, pseudo-comedy, pseudo-one-man-show, pseudo-medical-filmstrip entitled Sleepwalk with Me.

Together we will explore themes of love, maturation and REM Sleep Disorder. After the movie, we'll explore two of these things with a Dawson's Creek episode (but I won't tell you which two). We'll probably hug a little.

7:00, Caroline and Ben's, pizza, etc.

Trilzzzzz,
c

Movie Night Day Change

Ok, I know that we have just sort of settled on Wednesday nights, but in looking back over my work schedule, I usually am off on Fridays and work super early on Thursdays. Can I make this all about me (AND make Thursdays my idea and not Bjorn's) and propose a last and final request to see if Thursday nights would work instead?

If you all hate me and don't want me to have fun at movie night, then I understand and we can stick to Wednesdays. 

Please post your thoughts.

BRITTANY

Movie Night // Rescheduled for Wednesday, March 27

Hey all,

I know there was a text message going around yesterday about possibly moving Trill Movie Night to Wednesdays so that Brittany and I can participate in a running group. I think several folks already responded that Wednesdays would work, but let us know if anyone has a conflict with that.

Ok, so down to it: my work schedule this week is keeping me in Austin Monday-Tuesday, and it's looking like there's a good chance I'll need to be there Wednesday as well. So, I'm proposing moving it to next Wednesday, the 27th, instead.

Holla back if that won't work!

Caroline

Double Feature: "The Battle" // "Robot and Frank"

You know what Frank sees through those binoculars? The future. Our future, specifically, in which we enjoy pizza and TWO fucking movies.

We'll start things off right with a screening of the short film we just finished up that stars Brittany, Bjorn and Rory: The Battle. Then, after we've effectively taken Dogfish to the head, we'll move on to this cute-looking movie about a curmudgeon who's gifted a robot assistant. 

Austin and Brittany's house, 6:30.

February 19, 2013 - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Where:  Houston House Apartments - 1617 Fannin Street #2903, Houston, Texas 77002 (the southeast corner of Fannin and Leeland). Ample parking is available directly across the street in the lot bounded by Main, Leeland, Fannin and Pease. I heard mention on the elevator this morning that it may have gone up to $4 at certain times. So, parking is $3 or $4 bucks (the machine accepts cash or credit card). The entrance to my building is directly across from the parking lot.

When: 6:30 pm, Tuesday, February 19, 2013

What: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

In this horrifying documentary about what you find when you look in other people's medicine cabinets.....just kidding.

This silent movie is the story of the evil hypnotist, Dr. Caligari, and his dastardly sideshow sidekick, Cesare. This movie is one of the earliest horror films, and is renowned for its impressionist sets and soundtrack. Also, it's one of the first films to use a frame story to set up the main story. You'll also get to see what is widely considered to be the first "twist ending" in film history and the first representation of altered mental states in film. Don't research the film too much beforehand or you'll ruin your own surprise!

Pizza will be provided, belching and snooping in my medicine cabinet (at your own risk) is encouraged.

Springer

Next Tuesday - need your input

Hey, Trillsters. I think next Tuesday is my turn. Please comment below to let me know if you have already seen any of the following :

1.  Lone Star (1996)
2.  Reefer Madness (1936)
3.  The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
4.  Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998)

I am happy to host at my apartment this time. I live at 1617 Fannin (downtown). There is plenty of parking right across the street, but it will cost you $3 per car. I completely understand that it sort of sucks to have to pay for parking to come to Trill Movie Night. If someone else would rather host so parking will be free, just say the word. Of course, wherever the next TMN goes down, I'll provide the pizza.

Springer

February 5, 2013 // Searching for Sugar Man // Rory

Hey, y'all. I am picking the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man for tomorrow's edition of Trill Movie Night. I keep hearing and reading positive things about it and it has been the most honored documentary so far during awards season. Here is a brief blurb from metacritic.com:

"Searching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was. Discovered in a Detroit bar in the late '60s by two celebrated producers struck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics, they recorded an album which they believed would secure his reputation as the greatest recording artist of his generation. In fact, the album bombed and the singer disappeared into obscurity amid rumors of a gruesome on-stage suicide. But a bootleg recording found its way into apartheid South Africa and, over the next two decades, he became a phenomenon. The film follows the story of two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero. Their investigation leads them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez."

Directed by Malik Bendjelloul
85 min

Ben and Caroline have graciously offered to host as I just moved into a new place and am still unpacking. We'll get started at the usual time - 6:30. Bring your appetite as pizza will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to follow a Movie Night tradition and get your burp on throughout the evening.

-rory

January 22, 2013 // Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers // Bjorn

The delightfully creepy short films made by the delightfully creepy Quay Brothers are my pick for this upcoming installment of Trill Movie Night.

This might be my first time picking a movie without subtitles-- and that's only because there's no real dialogue! Instead, you have a largely "non-narrative experience, riveting the attention through hypnotic control of décor, music and movement".

These experimental animators have been making stop animation films since 1979 and are credited with helping to establish the puppet film as a serious adult art form. They were recently honored with a retrospective of their entire career as artists at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and I was lucky enough to see it when I was there (as Trill Movie Night's foremost expert on The Quay Brothers, I will be taking questions at the end of the night).

There are about 13 short films in this series-- DON'T WORRY, we won't be watching them all!. I am still in the process of picking which shorts to show to fit into our usual time frame and to showcase a range of their work. But rest assured, each film is guaranteed to be "fraught with unresolved dreamlike narratives and psychosexual tensions".

Excited yet??!! The meet me and the Quay Brothers' disturbing visions at Brittany and Austin's place this Tuesday, Jan 22 at 6:30

-bjorn

January 8, 2013 // Crank 2 // Ben

This movie starts with a guy falling out of a helicopter, dying and coming back to life. That's like the first 25 seconds, and it only gets more intense from there.

We're talking guns up butts, Godzilla puppet fights, porn-star protests and horse dicks. I consider it one of the best action movies made recently, and while you may not agree with my assessment of quality, you will not be able to contest my assessment of insanity. At the very least, we can all enjoy Jason Statham's rock-hard charm together.

We'll be showing this movie at House Garry (1741 Hawthorne) in the standard 6:30 time slot. Unfortunately, while House Garry will be full of pizza and friendship and kick-ass action, it is not full of good wi-fi waves, and consequently we're going to be watching this one in standard definition instead of HD. To complete the throwback atmosphere however, we'll also be showing at least one episode of the best drama of the early Millennium, Dawson's Creek, after the movie (you know you love it).

Leave a post in the comments to let me know if you'll be able to make it. I need to know how much pizza to order (and how much vomit I'll have to clean off the floor because of the pure, raw intensity of this film). See you suckers there, and keep those guns out of those butts until then.

bg

Snoop Bloggy Blogg // Showing Order

Hey everyone, come here and check out our new blog! Brittany (hey girl!) had the idea to start a blog so that we can coordinate who is showing what, where and when. I'll give you guys the login and password info so you can post straight to the blog and tell everybody what they're going to see (and maybe tell them a little bit about it too, or write some abstract poetry about your feelings, whatever...). Leave a comment on the showing/movie post to let everyone know if you can make it.

I'm not sure of the "real" order of movie night and I think it might even be lost and known only to our ancient ancestors when they had cave-painting night. Bravely, I've taken the liberty to make up a new order instead that I think roughly matches what we've done so far and where we left off. If you feel like you are to far back on the list (or too far forward), have yourselves a good cry and then let me know and we'll figure something out. The Order is:

• Ben
• Bjorn
• Rory
• Springer
• Austin
• Caroline
• Brittany

Urban Dictionary defines "trill" as "[a]n adjective used in hip-hop culture to describe someone who is considered to be well respected, coming from a combination of the words 'true' and 'real'." Movie Night is the truest and realest thing any of us will ever experience in our whole lives. As such, I felt the title was appropriate.

Keep it real,
c