Remember when going to the movies cost less than buying property in the Florida Keys? Neither does anybody else. Students can be thankful that the EMU Cultural Forum is making a valiant effort to bring quality flicks to campus for minimal retirement fund damage.
Every Friday night (and a few extra nights) this fall, the Cultural Forum will be hosting Friday Night Films at 8 p.m. in 180 PLC. Admission will be $2 with a student identification card and $3 without.
Cultural Forum film coordinator Toussaint Perrault has an ulterior motive regarding the film series.
“My role is to bring films to campus that people normally wouldn’t get a chance to see on the big screen,” he said.
Toussaint added that the films are “unsettling. But I think that’s a good thing. They’re not sentimental. All of these films changed cinema upon their release.” Here’s a breakdown of the films in store:
Friday, Oct. 12 ­ “The Celebration”
Shot in 1998 using hand-held video, direct sound and no artificial light, “The Celebration” is a Danish comedy-drama that won the Jury Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The film uses the 60th birthday party of a patriarch as the backdrop for a story of sexual abuse, family betrayal and tragedy.
Friday, Oct. 19 ­ “American Movie”
Already a modern classic in some circles, “American Movie” is the I-can’t-believe-this-is-true story of Mark Borchardt, a regular Midwestern guy whose lifelong ambition is to film a horror movie. Directed by Chris Smith, and the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1999 Sundance Festival, “American Movie” is a must-see.
Friday, Oct. 26 ­ “Even Dwarfs Started Small”
Fans of strange film will enjoy “Even Dwarfs Started Small,” a German film originally released in 1970. The film centers around a group of midgets and dwarfs who are confined in a murky mental institution. Tired of subhuman treatment, the band stages a coup and takes over the asylum.

Saturday, Oct. 27 ­ “The Fall of the House of Usher”
This night’s special event takes place in Beall Hall. Portland accordionist and recording artist Miss Murgatroid has composed a new soundtrack to this horror masterpiece. Miss Murgatroid will play the soundtrack live as the film scares you out of your seats.
Wednesday, Oct. 31 ­ “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
This cult classic really needs no introduction. “Virgins” to this film should check it out. It will be screened at 9 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom on Halloween. Tickets are $5 with a student identification card and $7 for the general public. Costumes are encouraged, and group love sessions are presumably optional (if that doesn’t make sense, see the movie).
Friday, Nov. 2 ­ “PXL This! A Festival of Videos Made With the PXL 2000 Fisher-Price Video Camera”
In the late 1980s, home video recorders cost upwards of $1,000, a price that wasn’t too affordable for the average Joe. To remedy this, the Fisher-Price company tried to market a simple camera called the PXL 2000 that recorded directly onto audio cassette tapes. The camera recorded in grainy black-and-white and had primitive mono-sound reproduction.
The PXL 2000 failed upon its release and was soon discontinued. However, a cult has sprung up around its use, and shooting short films with it has become a popular pastime of late amongst young filmmakers. “PXL This!” contains the best films from last year’s PXL 2000 video collection, and it contains a film directed by Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo.
Friday, Nov. 9 ­ “Porn 101: Films By Annie Sprinkle”
Annie Sprinkle was a porn star before it was cool to be one. Now she’s a noted feminist. “Porn 101” has been described as “a film essay on porn,” and provides a fascinating look into one of America’s proudest industries. Fans of “Boogie Nights” should eat this one up.
Wednesday, Nov. 14 ­ “An Evening With Adult Film Goddess and Feminist Icon Annie Sprinkle”
The aforementioned Sprinkle will be gracing the University with a presentation at 8 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom. Expect an evening filled with porn industry anecdotes, knowing humor and smart feminism. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for the general public. Get this ­ if you went to see “Porn 101,” you get a discount.
Friday, Nov. 16 ­ “Breathless”
A classic and endlessly imitated film, “Breathless” was one of the first films in the French New Wave of the 1960s. The film, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is the story of a crook on the run who falls in love with an American woman in Paris.
Friday, Nov. 30 ­ “The Idiots”
Directed by Lars von Trier, of recent “Dancer in the Dark” fame, “The Idiots” uses the same bare-bones filming techniques as the aforementioned “Celebration.” The story revolves around a group of people that get off on “spazzing out” in public, and much drama unfolds as they go haywire in a restaurant.