ISSUE #54
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Hello and welcome back to an all-new installment of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH brought to you by GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
A reminder that we are partnering with the fine folks at CRESTON BREWERY for an evening of MOVIE TRIVIA NEXT TUESDAY (4/30)! Join us for this FREE social event and put your movie knowledge to the test against your fellow GRFS community members — just be sure to RSVP with the link down in our ‘Upcoming Events’ section.
Speaking of upcoming events, if you haven’t checked our website lately we have a BUNCH of excellent programming coming your way this summer! Here’s a special look at what is coming up next month...
MAY 2024 PREVIEW
MAY 6th: THX-1138
George Lucas’ feature debut!
In the future, mankind lives in vast underground cities and free will is outlawed by means of mandatory medication that controls human emotion. But when THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) and LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) stop taking their meds, they wake up to the bleak reality of their own existence and fall in love with each other in the process. But love is also illegal in this Orwellian dystopia, and the act of making love has made both of them outlaws on the run from an army of robotic police.
MAY 10th: THE PEOPLE’S JOKER (GRAND RAPIDS PREMIERE!)
A law-breaking comedian who is grappling with her gender identity forms a new anti-comedy troupe with a friend and finds herself battling a fascistic caped crusader.
This is a MUST SEE, folks! Look for Matt’s piece further down for all the reasons you simply have to join us for this one.
MAY 13th: DAWN OF THE DEAD (45th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING!)
The Grand Rapids Film Society Presents: Dawn of the Dead (45th Anniversary) screening.
As hordes of zombies swarm over the U.S., the terrified populace tries everything in their power to escape the attack of the undead, but neither cities nor the countryside prove safe. In Pennsylvania, radio-station employee Stephen (David Emge) and his girlfriend, Francine (Gaylen Ross), escape in the station helicopter, accompanied by two renegade SWAT members, Roger and Pete. The group retreats to the haven of an enclosed shopping center to make what could be humanity's last stand.
MAY 16th: FILM SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE
Our signature FREE social event returns! Join like-minded Grand Rapids film fans and filmmakers for an evening of discussion and mingling.
MAY 20th: BELLY
Ever since they were kids, Sincere (Nas) and Buns (DMX) have lived life close to the edge, doing whatever it takes to survive. As adults, they build up their kingdom of crime on drug dealing and robbery. But Sincere grows weary of the criminal lifestyle and joins a black Muslim religious group. Buns, on the other hand, sinks deeper into criminality and faces serious prison time. The cops offer him a deal, however -- assassinate the head of the Muslim group, and he will go free.
This screening will include a Hype Williams music video pre-show and a panel discussion following the film; more information coming soon.
Presented by the Grand Rapids Film Society & The Grand Rapids Hip Hop Coalition
MAY 21st: FILM SOCIETY PITCH NIGHT
Another FREE SOCIAL EVENT where local filmmakers have 15 minutes to present their upcoming projects to an audience of potential collaborators and/or supporters!
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As you can see, it is going to be a PACKED month, and we couldn’t be more excited about each and every one of these events! Tickets for all events— and more— are available now at GRFILM.ORG!
Tell your friends.
OPEN PROJECTOR NIGHT: SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN!
We wanted to take a moment to remind you all that SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for our next OPEN PROJECTOR NIGHT event. If you are a filmmaker connected to the state of Michigan (from here, currently live here, have a film about here, etc.) and want to see your short film on the big screen, we encourage you to submit your work on our FILM FREEWAY page.
The entry deadline is MAY 3rd, and the event is scheduled for JUNE 26th.
If your film is selected, it will be screened alongside other hand-picked shorts, you will have the opportunity to take part in a filmmaker Q&A, and you could even take home a cash prize if your short wins our ‘Audience Vote’ for the crowd’s favorite film of the night.
Have questions? Reach out to us at GrandRapidsFilmSociety@gmail.com!
5 REASONS TO SEE THE PEOPLE’S JOKER
[BY: MATT EVERITT]
Okay, here’s the deal: The People’s Joker is THE independent film of 2024. I will try and convince you of that with a few more words below, but for those people who just quickly browse these pieces let me say it up front:
IF YOU ONLY GO TO ONE FILM THIS YEAR THAT YOU’VE NEVER SEEN, PLEASE LET IT BE THE PEOPLE’S JOKER.
First things first: I, a cis man, am writing about a deeply trans film. I love what Sara Michelle Fetter wrote in her review of the film:
“The People’s Joker is a breath of fresh air. Drew entertains and educates, but never in a way in which one feeling mitigates or takes the place of the other. Repeatedly breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience, the protagonist’s honesty is refreshingly euphoric, and this allows the laughs her cartoonish antics generate to make a lasting impression that many viewers — Gay, straight, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, whatever — are going to treasure forever.”
If that alone isn’t enough to get you in the theater on May 10th, here are my 5 reasons:
Reason #1: Warner Brothers and DC tried VERY hard to bury this film.
Rather than rehash the remarkable hurdles this film faced to even be seen, I’ll point you to this delightfully comprehensive piece which features legal threats that nearly kept it from ever being seen, ‘Not-Cease-and-Desist’ letters, and a film festival putting its legal status on the line to stand by its accepted filmmakers.
Reason #2: Richard Brody, a leading scholar on Jean-Luc Godard and critic for the New Yorker, is calling The People’s Joker the best superhero film he’s ever seen.
I love Richard Brody because he is the most persnickety of critics. Picture the highest ivory tower you can imagine, and on the highest floor there’s a throne room where you have to crane your neck to see the throne...on that throne sits Richard Brody. And he loves this movie.
“It’s a freestanding, freewheeling work that relies on familiar characters to tell a story closer in substance and tone to the sexual fury, social outrage, wild humor, and outlaw freedom of John Waters’s films, and it has a vociferously didactic streak that’s playful yet focused.” Say less, Richard.
Reason #3: The trolls are pissed.
Personally, when I see a ratings spread like this I know I’m going to have a rip-roaring good time.
(On a related note, The Last Jedi is a top 3 Star Wars film.)
Reason #4: It didn’t just come out of nowhere.
Writer/director Vera Drew has cut her comedy chops as the editor for I Think You Should Leave, Who is America?, various Adult Swim projects, and so many other great comedy shows that it’s a little unfair. She has a deep knowledge for what’s funny and how to create a compelling pace. I turned off my preview screener after fifteen minutes because I was convinced that it’s brilliant, but also that it needs to be seen in a theater.
Reason #5: It’s a truly independent success story.
The film ran a crowdfunding campaign to get money. It needed festivals to get publicity. And now it’s screening at independent theaters across the country. We at the Grand Rapids Film Society are trying to create a healthy theatrical pathway for genuinely independent films. Films like The People’s Joker (and She is Conann and Hundreds of Beavers) rely on online word-of-mouth to build enough interest to get a few people out to see their films in cities like Grand Rapids. Every ticket sold at these events is a way of saying you value new and challenging voices in an industry convinced you can only make money by playing it safe.
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And with that — I’ll be seeing y’all on May 10th!
UPCOMING EVENTS
MOVIE TRIVIA @ CRESTON BREWERY
WHAT: What else needs to be said? Grab some friends and join us for our first-ever movie trivia social event! *See event page for full details.*
WHEN: Tuesday, April 30th, 6:00pm
WHERE: Creston Brewery
THX-1138 (Lucas, 1971)
WHAT: George Lucas’ feature debut! In the future, mankind lives in vast underground cities and free will is outlawed by means of mandatory medication that controls human emotion. But when two citizens stop taking their meds, they wake up to the bleak reality of their own existence and fall in love with each other in the process.
WHEN: Monday, May 6th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER (Drew, 2024)
WHAT: A law-breaking comedian who is grappling with her gender identity forms a new anti-comedy troupe with a friend and finds herself battling a fascistic caped crusader.
WHEN: Friday, May 10th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
DAWN OF THE DEAD (Romero, 1978)
WHAT: A special 45th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING of the horror classic from George A. Romero!
WHEN: Monday, May 13th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
BELLY (Williams, 1998)
WHAT: Ever since they were kids, Sincere (Nas) and Buns (DMX) have lived life close to the edge, doing whatever it takes to survive. Featuring a Hype Williams music video pre-show and panel discussion!
WHEN: Monday, May 20th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every MONDAY (usually), and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS.
Plus, join us on social media! We’d love to chat with everyone and hear YOUR OWN thoughts on everything above (you can also hop in the comments section below).
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Look for ISSUE #55 in your inbox NEXT WEEK!
Until then, friends...
