Compiled by Alyssa Long
Though the Pollock Theater is unable to hold in-person film screenings this quarter due to COVID-19, post-film discussions with media experts from previous screenings are available online. Catch up on these captivating conversations about film production as part of the Carsey-Wolf Center’s “Series Spotlight,” a weekly showcase of past events.
This week, the Center highlights “CWC Classics,” a series of classic films followed by commentary from filmmakers and academics. Conversations are focused on film production and historical impacts of the following films, among many others in the series.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland), her house, and her dog Toto are whisked to the magical land of Oz. At the advice of a chorus of locals, they follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City in search of the infamous Wizard. With its unforgettable twister sequence, technicolor Oz-reveal, and iconic costuming, special effects in The Wizard of Oz still dazzle audiences eighty years after its release. (available on Amazon Prime Video)
Watch our post-screening discussion with Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (English and Film Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) here.
The Birds (1963)
A flirtatious encounter involving a pair of lovebirds in a San Francisco pet shop leads socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) on a trip to Bodega Bay in pursuit of lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in Hitchcock’s 1963 adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s short story. Over the course of several days, Mitch’s small hometown is harried by increasingly violent attacks by wild birds, which Melanie and the townspeople are at a loss to explain or predict. (available on Amazon Prime Video)
Watch our post-screening discussion with actress/author Tippi Hedren here.
Meet John Doe (1941)
Raising prescient questions about the relationship between corporate moguls and the media, and the ethical dilemmas faced by those in their employ, Meet John Doe was the first and only independently produced film by director Frank Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin, whose earlier, celebrated collaborations at Columbia Pictures included It Happened One Night (1934) and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). (available on Amazon Prime Video)
Watch our post-screening discussion with author Victoria Riskin here.