August Updates
Ticket links for screenings, guidelines, lists, and more!
Hi all!
Hope everyone has been having an amazing summer despite the heat dome, the smoke, and all that other madness I’m not not keen on writing about at 6:30AM. I was lucky enough to spend a month away in Michigan with my friends, working remotely, chomping on cherries and bloobs (blueberries), and looking at the Great Lakes (water was COLD!). Quick shoutout to Drew, Malavika, and Abby for holding down the fort and making sure everything ran smoothly and amazingly last month!
Since I’ve been back, I’ve been in planning mode for the rest of the year and the start of next (crazy, right?). There are lots of exciting things and changes ahead, but before we get there, I’m going to shift into serious mode real quick.
As we keep growing, I am committed to making sure everyone feels welcome, safe, and respected here.
In order to do that, I want to share some of the values of the our community so we can continue to grow in the right direction:
Treat others with kindness, dignity, and respect
Use inclusive and respectful language
Welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities
Listen to different perspectives and engage in constructive dialogue
Respect personal boundaries and accessibility needs
Help create a positive, safe, and collaborative environment
Behavior that will not be tolerated includes:
Harassment, bullying, intimidation, or discrimination
Threatening, abusive, or hateful language or actions
Unwanted physical contact or attention
Disruptive behavior that interferes with events or participation, including impacts to safety or well-being
Exclusion of others based on identity, background, beliefs, or abilities
Retaliation against anyone who reports a concern
Deliberate exclusion of others from participation
This will all live on the website (current WIP!), but if you have any questions, comments, problems, etc in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out at: hello@dcmovieclub.org.
Thank you for reading and for helping make this space the wonderful little nugget it is! Can’t wait to keep building this community with you all!
See ya at the movies,
Abbie
Editor’s Note
As the oldest child, you have an opportunity to inadvertently influence the interests and taste of your younger siblings. And while I was successful on some fronts, I am firmly locked into the #1 spot among my siblings when it comes to loving movies. My brother is my closest competitor, but our movie conversations at this point mainly revolve around what movie my 3-year old niece is currently obsessed with and whether they already have it on Blu-Ray for her.
My 24-year old sister, on the other hand, is comfortably at the other end of the spectrum from me. Her media diet mostly consists of rewatching “Grey’s Anatomy”, and she generally turns into the Keke Palmer “Sorry to this man” meme when I bring up the name of an actor (including people as famous as Meryl Streep). However, there is one exception that gets her even more excited to get out to theaters than me: Marvel movies. So it was no surprise when I got a text from her last Wednesday asking if I was going to see Spider-Man on opening night. And while my “must be there opening night” level of enthusiasm has waned a bit in recent years for Marvel movies, it was a great feeling to walk out of movie club on Tuesday and be excited to text her to share our thoughts about her favorite corner of the movie world.
Looking forward to a great month of screenings and DCMC events with everyone!
-Drew
Event Recaps
BYO Vinyl Listening Party
Last weekend we got to blend three of my favorite things - movies, music, and local businesses - at our first ever listening party at Kuro Listening Bar, working closely with LGA District Bridges. We got to hear some amazing (movie-adjacent) records, while sipping on delicious cocktails and Japanese whiskey with friends. What more could you ask for!
Film Takes on Tap
DC Movie Club brunch was back at last month’s Film Takes on Tap. We hope everyone enjoyed the fantastic presentations while sipping their mimosas or munching on piles of pancakes. Special thanks to Hook Hall for their lovely hospitality.
To recap:
“The Linguistics of Clueless” by Jamorra DuBose showed us that there is a lot more to Clueless than its fashionable fits. “Clueless” paved a linguistic path for the slang we use today, whether that’s following the lineage of “as if” to “and I do” or “sporadic” to “very demure.”
“Good for Her” by Jillian Lundmark drew the line between the “good for her” and “final girl” sub-genres. “Good for her” movies act as a cultural counter to the rise of the man-o-sphere, focusing primarily on female revenge and the reclamation of feminine power.
“Jean-Claude Van Damme’s American Dream” by Will Keane followed the Muscles from Brussels’ rise to fame, from bodybuilder and B-movie action star to household name. The presentation continued by chronicling Van Damme’s fall from grace as controversies compounded and action-star trends began to change.
We are still accepting submissions for October’s spooky edition of Film Takes on Tap. If you’re interested in presenting, please use the sign-up link below!
Volunteer to be an event host!
New month, new events! You know what that means… we’re looking for volunteers to be a warm welcoming presence to event attendees!
General responsibilities include arriving to events on time, handing out name tags, greeting new people, and making sure people are feeling included/in the right space.
Lots of exciting events ahead, appreciate your help in ensuring their successes!
Upcoming DC Movie Club Events
8/12: Movie Trivia at Penn Social
6 p.m. - Happy Hour
7-9 p.m. - Trivia
Trivia will start promptly at 7 p.m., so please come as early as 6 p.m. to find a team, take advantage of happy hour, and get settled. Solo players are welcome and encouraged -- if you need help finding a team, please find one of the hosts and they’ll be happy to help out.
8/18: Screening: TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA at Alamo Drafthouse DC
5:30 p.m. - Happy Hour
6:45 p.m. - Screening
8/20: Genre Circle: Female Agency, Desire, and Power in Scorsese’s Films (JOIN WAITLIST)
Martin Scorsese is often lauded as one of cinema’s great chroniclers of masculinity: a pioneer in the field of “boy movies.” Yet, throughout his filmography, his female characters frequently occupy pivotal narrative and thematic roles. This month we’re pairing “Casino” (1995) and “The Age of Innocence” (1993), two wildly different Scorsese settings, to dig into how he handles female agency, desire, and power. We’ll talk about what these women do in his films: how they expose the men around them, complicate their stories, sometimes bring the whole thing down.
Please watch (at home, before you arrive to the genre circle) “Casino” (1995) and “The Age of Innocence” (1993), and be ready to discuss the movies together.
8/24: Screening: BOWFINGER at AFI Silver Theatre
Take advantage of community vibes and get discounted movie tickets and specialty/themed cocktails!
Details:
Happy hour in theater cafe: 5:30PM
Screening: 6:45PM
Post film discussion following the film back in the cafe!Please RSVP and complete payment by August 20 at 5:00PM to confirm your spot with the group. Tickets are not secured until you Venmo me (Abbie, @abbieginis) since I will have to place one large order to secure the discounted pricing.
8/25: Screening: THE END OF OAK STREET or TONY at Alamo Drafthouse DC
Choose your own adventure!
We’ll all meet for the usual happy hour at 5:30 in the Alamo Drafthouse DC bar, and then split off into either THE END OF OAK STREET or TONY!
THE END OF OAK STREET: 6:45PM
TONY: 6:30PM
8/27: Happy Hour/Discussion at TBD
6 p.m.-???
We’ve technically got happy hour most every week, but this event is purely for drinking and schmoozing. There will be some discussion questions around movies we’ve seen so far this year in case you need an ice breaker (or just want to discuss movies)!
Still locking in a location, but registration and information will go out soon! Stay tuned!
Future Events
9/4: Screening | DOG STARS or COYOTE VS ACME
9/9: Screening | RAN
9/13: Paddington Craft-a-Long Palooza | Hook Hall
9/17: Genre Circle | Angelika Pop-Up DC
9/24: Happy Hour/Discussion | Location: TBD
10/16: DC Movie Club 3rd Anniversary Party
10/29: Film Takes on Tap - Spooky Edition
11/18: Movie Trivia
12/10: End of Year/Holiday Party
Want to get involved? Volunteer to:
Screenings/Events Around Town
AFI Silver - Series & Events Calendar
Alamo Drafthouse - August Throwback Screenings
Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market - Calendar
DC Outdoor Movies - Calendar
The Kennedy Center - Film Calendar
The Miracle Theater - Calendar
National Air and Space Museum - 50th Anniversary Film Series
National Gallery of Art - Film Calendar
National Museum of Asian Art - Film Calendar
Suns Cinema - Calendar
Have an event we should know about/you want to promote? Submit it here!
Letterboxd List of the Month
The two biggest blockbusters of July share many actors in common, along with a major plot device - the role of memory loss and how it isolates its main characters from their loved ones. This month’s list focuses on the role of memory in movies how its presence, absence, or conflicting versions can drive a story forward.
Did we miss one of your favorites? If so, comment below!
Want to submit a review for a group screening? Use this form to submit your post-movie thoughts.