With a new semester comes a new line of classic, foreign and independent movies available to watch through the Cinema Series, hosted by SRJC Professor of Film and Media Studies Michael Traina.
“I enjoyed the Cinema Series immensely last semester, I’m really looking forward to going again,” said SRJC student Adam McCullough. The first film begins 7 p.m. Sept. 4 and will continue every Wednesday until Dec. 11.
Along with the films playing every Wednesday, two of those will have special guest presenters.
SRJC Professor Brian Antonson will guest present the film “Rosemary’s Baby” Oct. 30.
“It’s really because Mike Traina knows I love horror films and I’ve worked in lots of paranormal TV shows. I’ve witnessed and filmed several full blown exorcisms, as well as been in a lot of strange and unexplainable situations on ‘Paranormal State’ and ‘Ghost Lab.’ Plus, obviously I teach production,” Antonson said. “So it makes sense I’d be comfortable talking about horror films. ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ is a classic. Really creepy in a sophisticated way. And I’m a huge John Cassavetes fan.”
Nick Hoffman will be guest presenting the other film “Some Like It Hot”, referred to as one of the greatest comedies in the movie industry, on Sept. 25.
Here are some of the plots of the other films playing throughout the fall semester.
“Living in Oblivion” will kick off the series. It’s a film in which an ambitious director tries to make an independent film on a low budget while everything that can go wrong does.
Next, there’s “American Beauty,” in which Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) tells the story of his midlife crisis and ensuing metamorphosis.
“Rushmore” is about Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15-year-old student at Rushmore Academy who befriends Herman Blume (Bill Murray), a rich industrialist running a big company. But when Herman begins dating Rosemary Cross, a teacher that Max has a crush on, their friendship becomes at risk due to their mutual love interest.
“Apocalypse Now” is a story of Captain Willard, a man sent on a dangerous mission to kill a traitorous colonel in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. This is the only film in the Cinema Series that will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The last film of the Cinema Series, “Edward Scissorhands,” is about a crazy inventor who creates Edward (Johnny Depp), but doesn’t exactly finish him. Left with scissors for hands, Edward is taken in by an average American family and tries to blend in with the community but problems soon begin to arise.
“Mike Traina is an unbelievable teacher and the program he runs through the Cinema Series and the Petaluma shorts festival in the spring are gems.” Antonson said.
The films will be playing at the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium located in the Petaluma Campus of the Santa Rosa Junior College.
Admission is free for students with an ASP membership for all the films throughout the semester. General admission is $5, $4 for students without ASP memberships and seniors and a series pass is $40. For more information, visit http://www.petalumafilmalliance.org