It's been a few days since the screening of Vertigo and the movie still has me thinking.
I'll admit before the screening on Saturday, I wasn't sure what all the hub-bub was about this movie. I saw it 30+ years ago. I watched it again a few weekends ago on TV and I got distracted by other things. Which is pretty much the norm for watching movies at home anymore. It becomes so easy to grab the phone, get up to have a snack, etc.
Sitting in the theater on Saturday, I got it. Dustin's pre-movie presentation on the movie and a few things to watch for really changed my perspective on the movie. He talked about the use of colors, switching between the objective and subjective camera perspective, and other things that made sense and helped me understand and enjoy the movie. His observations were not a distraction from me getting into the story.
After the movie, several of us stood in the lobby discussing the movie. It's not an easy movie to watch or enjoy. It has become such a part of our society and recent movie-making for us to root for the good guy and the good guy winning at the end. Hitchcock didn't make those movies and Vertigo is no different. Jimmy Stewart's character is not one you feel sorry for or root for. Hitchcock covered so many uncomfortable topics in this movie. The conversation after the movie wrapped up with the "was Hitchcock putting a lens to these issues to raise awareness or was he celebrating them?" unanswerable discussion.
It's hard in any age, and even more so in our current society, to retain a perspective on what was happening in the world and society at the time movies were made vs applying our current lens and attitudes onto movies, books, songs, etc that are 20, 30, 70, 100, 200 years old.
Thank you to the Mayflower Arts Center for partnering with us for showing movies and creating movie-going experiences like they were intended, Purebred Coffee for providing coffee for the movie, Poppin' Off popcorn for bringing in some wonderful flavored-popcorn for us to enjoy, Dustin for leading such a wonderful discussion about the movie, and the folks who came to the movie on the big screen and engage in the community experience.
We look forward to seeing you and your friends at Back to the Future on Saturday, June 9.
Here's the movie lineup for the next few months. Check out our website, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to stay informed of upcoming events.
Saturday, June 9 – BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
Doors 7PM, Movie 8PM
Sunday Matinee Creature Feature
Sunday, June 10 – THEM! (1954)
Doors 3PM, Movie 4PM
Saturday, June 23 - GREASE (1978)
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Iconic Musical
Doors 7PM, Movie 8PM
Saturday, July 7 – JAWS (1975)
Doors 7PM, Movie 8PM
Saturday, July 14 – The Florida Project (2017)
Doors 7PM, Movie 8PM
Sunday Matinee Creature Feature
Sunday, July 15 – Forbidden Planet (1956) Doors 3PM, Movie 4PM
https://www.prosceniafilm.com/coming-attractions