Over the weekend, I had the chance to curl up and watch The Intouchables, a French film about the friendship formed between a wealthy quadriplegic man, Philippe, and his Senegalese caretaker, Driss. I loved the film; it was fun, upbeat, and at times, poignant, and the characters were phenomenal.
Seeing this French film made me excited for a class I’m taking this fall, German Cinema. For one night a week for a whole semester, I’ll spend three hours discussing and watching German films, some in German, some in English. This course will be offered by the foreign languages department, though McDaniel offers many more film classes through the communication department. The communication department offers these film analysis classes as part of their cinema major, but students of any major are also welcome to take such classes as electives.
Of course, you don’t have to be enrolled in a film class to watch movies on the Hill; there’s plenty of other ways to get your movie fix. The Office of Student Engagement shows movies a couple of times a month, and various academic departments and student groups will also show films. For example, Astronomy Club played Star Wars episodes I through VI every Sunday night for the last six weeks of this past semester.
Most notably though, Film Club, a student organization started by first year students during my first year on the Hill, screens movies twice a week. The movies they show tend to be classics and other high-quality films, and the club president, Nick, likes to pick different themes of movies for each month. To learn more about Film Club, check out their Facebook page and this tumblr my friend Charles made for his New Media Writing class last fall.
Your movies options aren’t limited to what’s shown on McDaniel’s campus. You can also watch new releases at the Regal Cinema in Westminster or you can see some indie, foreign, and other films at the Carroll Arts Center–in walking distance from campus on Main Street. (My favorite is when they show Rocky Horror Picture Show every year in the fall.)
And last but not least, there’s nothing like gathering up some friends, popping some popcorn, and watching movies from the comfort of your own dorm. (McDaniel’s Hoover Library can help you find an awesome DVD at no cost to you.)
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