Hi Folks!
I am starting/attempting to start up a Film Club here at McMaster for next year with a few friends. The club would simply be a series of regular film screenings for the enjoyment of all and an opportunity for people to discuss and talk about it. I should point out that the vision for the club is to screen alternative/non-mainstream films (counter example: movies like Spiderman, Avatar) but nevertheless stimulating and fun (sometimes) to watch .

Sorting through the bureaucracy of these club forms is painful but! I am probing around for the general interest for such a club. IF you are interested please drop a comment. If you'd like to be contacted for the club once it gets on its feet next year (crossing my fingers), feel free to shoot me your email so I can alert you guys.

*UPDATE* I need Names/Student#/Faculty/McMaster Email to write down for the Club Application... :3 If you feel like sharing, plz let me know.

Email: [email protected] om

Rawr.

I like good movies

I like good movies too! JOIN.

I like the idea, and am supportive (and would consider joining, if I were to be a returning student) however my experience in similar clubs leaves me with questions, primarily:

Have you considered copyright issues? Clubs that I've been a part of in the past have been told they cannot show films of any sort without permission from the publishers, which in many cases is virtually impossible to obtain.

Have you found a solution to that problem?

Originally Posted by Taunton

I like the idea, and am supportive (and would consider joining, if I were to be a returning student) however my experience in similar clubs leaves me with questions, primarily:

Have you considered copyright issues? Clubs that I've been a part of in the past have been told they cannot show films of any sort without permission from the publishers, which in many cases is virtually impossible to obtain.

Have you found a solution to that problem?

I have ran into this problem before, and it is an intimidating obstacle. I thought before that this might be why there is no Film Club at McMaster, but I will be discussing this issue with the MSU Club Administrator. I am not exactly sure about the details regarding the copyright issue, but from what I am aware, there are limitations to certain films being screened for say, the entire campus, because of the University's connection with Criterion Films and that other-company-I-can't-seem-to-remember.

I'm not sure if you have an answer to this but, would even renting a DVD from Blockbuster infringe on the copyright laws? Keeping in mind there are no plans to charge a fee for screening...

Nevertheless, thanks for bringing up that issue. I am hopeful that there is a way around it.

I'd be so down for this. I was strongly considering how to make this exact club myself. Just run it underground if there are infringement things. I'm sure Lars von trier et al. won't mind.

ive always thought all those screens and projectors and seats go to such a waste at night.
how will you pick films?
it would be cool if you could get a film prof or two in sometimes to talk about the showing.
also I don't know if i hope your screen name is a reference to the film Gerry or not :/ lol

good luck

Originally Posted by andrew22

I'd be so down for this. I was strongly considering how to make this exact club myself. Just run it underground if there are infringement things. I'm sure Lars von trier et al. won't mind.

ive always thought all those screens and projectors and seats go to such a waste at night.
how will you pick films?
it would be cool if you could get a film prof or two in sometimes to talk about the showing.
also I don't know if i hope your screen name is a reference to the film Gerry or not :/ lol

good luck

I was almost considering speaking to perhaps some of the faculty members for the theatre & film program. I know Dr. Sokalski used his lecture room for evening screenings for the 1B03 Intro to Film Analysis class... With respect to picking films, I have a huge list inside my head but I think it would be best to get an idea of what people have seen, not seen first, then try to widen the exposure a little bit. Also considering having members suggest a film for a night, and give the rest of the club a nice introduction to the film, the director, etc. It will be definitely open for discussion n_n.

Yeah actually, it's not as much as a reference as it was, "Hey, I need a username, and I just saw Gerry...let's give it a shot"

Sounds pretty cool, I'd be interested.
A good first movie would be Repo The Genetic Opera. xD

Taunton: there's seriously copyright issues? ...WHY. What's the difference between renting a movie from Blockbuster and watching it with my family and renting a movie from BB and watching it with "friends."

o_O

Also: unicef recently had a movie nighti n the club area with the new batman movie... o_O I'm sure if any movie had copyright shit around it, Batman would be it. xD

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Sounds pretty cool, I'd be interested.
A good first movie would be Repo The Genetic Opera. xD

Oh my god I saw that. Hilarity and weirded me out. Did you see the trailer for the Hollywood spin off? Blegh.

Originally Posted by Gerry

Oh my god I saw that. Hilarity and weirded me out. Did you see the trailer for the Hollywood spin off? Blegh.

For Repomen? Not only did I see the commercial, but I updated my FB status with it.

"
Repomen sure looks a hell lot like Repo the Genetic Opera, but with way less awesome music."

xD

when I was thinking thru it all I figured having speakers at least for a few minutes was important, since we can all torrent and download any movie we want and watch it instantly at home.

Also let me know if copyright makes it impossible, and you need a figurehead to clandestinely show films illegally and take the fall. : D
and if you don't end up making the club, let me know so I can make it!

Originally Posted by andrew22

when I was thinking thru it all I figured having speakers at least for a few minutes was important, since we can all torrent and download any movie we want and watch it instantly at home.

Also let me know if copyright makes it impossible, and you need a figurehead to clandestinely show films illegally and take the fall. : D

In terms of equipment, I am prepared to invest in some speakers/dvd player/media box (IT LINKS TO YOUR COMPUTER ) for the club.

Btw, what are torrents? DOWNLOADING????? *cough*

Edit: Andrew, you seem to be really invested in this idea :3 Exec positions are wide open and a multi-faculty club would be awesome. Could you possibly provide me with the following info: Name/Student#/Faculty/McMaster Email so I can write your down in the application and possibly exec position =o (though I don't think the club really need execs, MSU demands it).

Gerry was an awesome movie, and I would definitely be down for this. I'll shoot you an email now.


How often would this group be meeting?
Also, how "non-mainstream" would a film have to be to be played? ie:

Abre Los Ojos?
Let the Right One In?
Adaptation?
Trainspotting?

All of them are great movies, and ones that a lot of students probably haven't seen, but you'd be hard pressed to call them alternative.

Anyways, if there's anything else you need, be sure to let me know!

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

Gerry was an awesome movie, and I would definitely be down for this. I'll shoot you an email now.


How often would this group be meeting?
Also, how "non-mainstream" would a film have to be to be played? ie:

Abre Los Ojos?
Let the Right One In?
Adaptation?
Trainspotting?

All of them are great movies, and ones that a lot of students probably haven't seen, but you'd be hard pressed to call them alternative.

Anyways, if there's anything else you need, be sure to let me know!

The meeting times etc. will all be things I feel need to be worked out once the club is established that may be best for everyone as much as possible. And by alternative/non-mainstream I was just using them generally to exclude stuff like: Spiderman, AVATAR etc. Yeah, those movies were along the lines of what I was thinking, as well as some actual alternative stuff. Thanks for your interest.

Just to update:
I've gone and talked to the MSU club admin and talked through a couple of things with her. With respect to the copyright issue, she confirmed that the club flat-out cannot screen films that aren't licensed by one of McMaster's film liasons. Nevertheless, I did a scan of films that could be screened and it seems a fair number of them are covered...

I'm going talk to the admin in more detail next week, and if this "club" really needs to be part of the MSU if it doesn't need funds etc... Let's see what happens @[email protected]





Copyright sucks.