Photo: Elizabeth Hess

The Arthouse Experience

Starting in October 2021, while the pandemic still kept people away from theaters, and continuing through December 2024, the Arthouse Experience was a monthly series of films with guests at the glorious Virginia Theater.

My role was to select the films, arrange for post-film guests, and host the showings.

Below is the list of films, trailers, and links to my Two Minute Intros where they are available. (At the beginning I only hand-wrote some notes... later I would script the whole thing.)

These Two Minute Intros were timed - literally, with a big countdown on the screen - that allowed me to put some context around the movie. Always there were two rules:

No cursing
No plot spoilers

The Two Minute Intro is something we did at the Art Theater that I carried forward. I liked the challenge of keeping it concise, and audiences will patiently sit through a short intro as long as it's limited and doesn't spoil the plot!

Here is when one of those Intros at the Art Theater was part of one of my top five movie-going experiences ever - see the last one discussed here: https://blog.tectonicspeed.com/2016/05/photo-credit-chris-anderson-inside-art.html

Season 1

Here was a blog I wrote to introduce the series - and discuss the process of film selection: https://blog.tectonicspeed.com/2021/09/the-arthouse-experience.html

Emma (2020 version)

October 2021

Guest: Gordon Brown

Moonlight

November 2021

Guest: Carlton Cummings

Guest Host: Matthew Gladney (the only show I missed)

I recorded this introduction since I wouldn't be there (link to a file hosted on Dropbox): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ysaqx8ugcj99xmpokl007/Moonlight_Intro.mp4?rlkey=n5lqdov6an5tv0d9bpx81gjpz&st=er38reuk&dl=0

Cold War

December 2021

Discussion: 2019 Ebertfest replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/loah11gMQMk?si=Zj2V6pyYYcKRno8y

Wild Tales

January 2022
Discussion: 2015 Ebertfest replay - discussion with director (via Skype): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ATECYzZ6_s

The Artist

February 2022
Guest: Chike Coleman

It was supposed to have been the first film, but A/C issues forced a rescheduling.

Adaptation

February 2022
Guest: Gordon Brown

The Royal Tenenbaums

March 2022
Guest: Angela Aguayo

Big Night

April 2022

Guests: Ramin Karimpour, Tony Pomonis

Eighth Grade

May 2022

Guests: Three Teenage Movie Reviewers

Intro notes (first one that wasn't handwritten!): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/iemnds34i684avwllbiyr/2022_05-Eighth-Grade-Intro.pdf?rlkey=5kcyzxyx0eatx4gksu398lrhp&st=wsj454lx&dl=0

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

June 2022
Guest: Chike Coleman

Intro notes: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/opwrhll8k2yrxniq3zpsc/2022_06-Three-Billboards-Intro.pdf?rlkey=grm1jyiy1e4etnti163wmersw&st=5fjur0k3&dl=0

White Tiger

July 2022
Guest: replay of Ebertfest Q&A with Writer/Director Ramin Bahrani - interviewed by Nick Allen and Brian Tallerico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frq84qAFZC4

Two Minute Intro was hand-written

Season 2

Here was my intro blog for Season 2, discussing the selections: https://blog.tectonicspeed.com/2022/08/arthouse-experience-year-2.html

The Hours

August 2022
Guest: Dr. Rachel Lauren Storm

Two Minute Intro was hand-written

Jo-Jo Rabbit

September 2022
Guest: Chike Coleman
Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qawcj1ykc8lwt0s2fmodp/2022_09-JoJo-Rabbit.pdf?rlkey=1moz6d9t2o80jzhv5nav6zi1n&st=hgbg4nih&dl=0

Queen & Slim

October 2022
Guest: Dr. Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua

Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i37rl0s84e6wd9euw6m3v/2022_10-Queen-Slim.pdf?rlkey=o4gctwtth7f4ayzdhn3rh4xj2&st=9aak44yk&dl=0

They Shall Not Grow Old

November 2022

Guest: Showed Blu-Ray making of short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQE4p6Q0N5Q

Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/muyejn35tpvmwc1qcq68u/2022_11-They-Shall-Not.pdf?rlkey=cz0opbioqrfj8aofnjvzdsy9y&st=0f9ytt3b&dl=0

The Band's Visit

December 2022

Guest: replay of 2008 Ebertfest Discussion. (Not available on YouTube!)

Two Minute Introduction: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2jyv1grf4wawewbi7feru/2022_12-Bands-Visit.pdf?rlkey=13jup8a3vda99fbvf6ce1bvkz&st=r3aptdw8&dl=0

The French Dispatch

January 2023
Guest: Matt Gladney and Ashley Rodman, hosts of the podcast Mashley at the Movies

Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8h6n6t2n9sfr4s3wrojb7/2023_01-French-Dispatch.pdf?rlkey=1odly21com0m2g5sovwlfze9g&st=jx017hmc&dl=0

My Octopus Teacher

February 2023
Guest: Dr. Rhanor Gillette, Professor Emeritus of Molecular & Integrative Physiology - the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/62q5k09uydrpcfu9sal8l/2023_02-Octopus.pdf?rlkey=f70kvamnlnybdy0gepc4mirao&st=j1jlktrv&dl=0

Everything Everywhere All at Once

March 2023 (two nights before it won the Oscar!)

Guest: Dr. Rachel Kuo, of the College of Media at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Two Minute Intro: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sgya2fbrj2xorn47y8su5/2023_03-EEAAO.pdf?rlkey=cp7neb46petfugjfmqfkeogg5&st=634s9jho&dl=0

This was a substitution! Check out the intro - and here's my documentation for my love of this film from the moment I saw the trailer: https://blog.tectonicspeed.com/2022/03/movie-poster-james-jean-and-a24.html