Friday, October 11, 2024 - 6:00 pm
October 11 - Strangers on a Train (1951), 101 minutes, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, and Robert Walker.
The set-up is irresistible. Two strangers on a train have reasons to want someone in their lives dead. Why not swap murders and remove any motive for both of them? What could possibly go wrong? In the hands of no less than Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train becomes an exercise in nail-biting suspense, as cooperative crimes instead become a tense game of cat and mouse. There are fantastic Hitchcockian touches throughout, while Robert Walker as wealthy Bruno Antony turns in one seriously creepy performance.
October 2024 CinemaLit - Suspense!
October at CinemaLit explores the delicious, nerve wracking, spine tingling, singular experience of film suspense. Any story carries with it some level of suspense - what’s going to happen next? - but few play with suspense in the extreme. These four films are exceptional in taking our curiosity, dread, and hope to the highest levels. Come sit on the edge of your seat for Double Indemnity (1944), Strangers on a Train (1951), High Noon (1952), and Wait Until Dark (1967).
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
Cafe opens at 5:30 pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, and fresh-popped popcorn for sale.
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Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
