By Laura Wingfield
Film lovers, swap your Sunday brunch for popcorn. The Cinema Arts Film Club picks up this weekend with an Italian film new to the D.C. area.
Starting Sunday, May 31, the club will meet monthly to watch an independent or foreign film currently unreleased in the D.C. area. Theatre owner Mike O’Meara says that due to the finicky nature of limited releases, Cinema Arts may be the only place to show the films in D.C. “It’s a great way to find the hidden gems,” he says.
As part of Film Club tradition, titles will remain under wraps until the screenings. O’Meara says he began keeping the films a secret because “it builds the anticipation a little bit, builds the mystery.” Careful not to give away too many details, he describes the film for this Sunday as an “interesting Italian film.”
On what movies to expect from the Film Club as a whole, O’Meara explains that he often doesn’t know for sure what films will show until a week before the screenings because distributors tend to keep a tight rein on limited releases. Past screenings have included films from “Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film”to “Kenny,” a comedy about a port-a-potty connoisseur. Film Club host Gary Arnold says that foreign films and British comedies have been “extremely popular and gratifying” among club members.
Northern Virginia native and former critic for The Washington Times, The Washington Post, and Reston Connection, Arnold is known for his unconventional reviews (he called “Blazing Saddles” a “Western spoof” and “Forrest Gump” “as subtle as a blunt instrument”) and his sheer depth of knowledge on film. “He has the most movie information in his brain out of anyone I’ve ever met,” says O’Meara. “He knows who’s married to whom, who was born when … He’s a real thrill to have.”
This will be Arnold’s 12th year hosting the Film Club. “It’s fun to have a live public to share your body of knowledge,” he says. “And [hosting] obliges me to pay closer attention to new releases.”
After each screening, club members will discuss the film and vote on whether it should show at the Theatre. According to O’Meara, the Film Club has been an accurate predictor of a movie’s success at Cinema Arts.
The cost of the club for new members is $70, which covers the six shows. If you miss any of the screenings, you can cash in your ticket for any regularly scheduled show.
Cinema Arts Theatre
9650-14 Main St., Fairfax, 22031
May 31, June 28, July 26, Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 25
10 a.m.
$70 for new members, $60 for returning members, $15 for single screening
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