The MSSU Harrison and June Kash International Film Society
and Bookhouse Cinema, Joplin, present
On the Road
A series of internationally acclaimed films about epic journeys
February 5—March 12, 2019
Movies thrive on movement and changes of scene, so it’s not surprising that journey-focused films have always been popular with both filmmakers and audiences. These films – commonly known as “road” movies – track the experiences of one character, a pair of characters or several characters as they embark on their own unique odysseys, sometimes because they must, sometimes because they are driven by a desire to discover something new and better. In almost every case, their journeys become life-changing.
Please join us for this series of classic “road” movies, shown in MSSU’s Cornell Auditorium and Joplin’s Bookhouse Cinema (715 E. Broadway; 417-825-5161). All films except for one will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Admission is free.
Feb. 5
Plaster Hall’s Cornell Auditorium at Missouri Southern
La Strada: 1954, 108 min.; directed by Federico Fellini
Fellini had already made several innovative films in his distinctive personal style when he released La Strada, the film that brought him international fame. The story follows a circus strongman, Zampano (Anthony Quinn) and his young, silent assistant (Giulietta Masina) as they travel and perform along the roads of Italy. La Strada richly explores the director’s lifelong fascination with the circus and even more his deep feeling for humanity. Introduction by Dr. Bill Kumbier
Feb. 12
Bookhouse Cinema, 715 E. Broadway
Easy Rider: 1969, 95 min.; directed by Dennis Hopper
At the height of the turbulent Sixties, Easy Rider exploded across American screens with its story of two bikers, played by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, on a drug run that propels them across the country. Along the way they meet up with a charismatic character played by Jack Nicholson in one of his first sensational roles. The film captivated a wide audience with its mixture of sex, drugs, rock and roll – and motorcycles. Time magazine called it “one of the ten most important pictures of the decade.” Introduction by Dr. Steve Wagner
Feb. 19
Cornell Auditorium at MSSU
The Motorcycle Diaries: 2004, 127 min.; directed by Walter Salles
What was Ernesto Guevara doing before he became the revolutionary cultural hero, Che? Find out in this true life story of how Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado travel the length of South America on a beat-up motorcycle, with the goal of providing medical care to the poor. Starring Gael García Bernal as Che and Rodrigo de la Serna as Alberto, and directed by the acclaimed Argentinian director, Walter Salles. Introduction by Dr. Bill Fischer
Feb. 26
Bookhouse Cinema
Vagabond (Si Toit Ni Lio): 1985, 105 min.; directed by Agnès Varda
This powerful, compelling film by the Belgian-born French director opens with the discovery of a homeless woman found frozen in a ditch. Through flashbacks and interviews, the audience gradually learns about her rough encounters along the road that led to her death. Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival. Introduction by Michele Holt
March 5
Bookhouse Cinema
Two Robinson Crusoe Films:
Robinson Crusoe (1997, 105 min.) and Man Friday (1975, 115 min.).
Few fictional travelers are as legendary as Robinson Crusoe, a shipwrecked fugitive who must survive for years on an island, with the help of only his own ingenuity and his “man,” Friday. This double feature will begin with a recent adaptation of Defoe’s novel starring Pierce Brosnan, and continue with a more innovative spin on the Crusoe tale, Man Friday, starring Peter O’ Toole and Richard Roundtree. These films are being featured as part of the Missouri Southern “Robinson Crusoe Week,” sponsored by the Literature Lives program of MSSU’s Department of English and Philosophy.
NOTE: The films will be shown at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
March 12
Bookhouse Cinema
North by Northwest: 1959, 132 min.; directed by Alfred Hitchcock
A Madison Avenue executive, Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant), is mistaken for a diplomat and pursued by a sinister foreign agent (James Mason) from New York to the Black Hills in one of Hitchcock’s most iconic films. Along the way he meets a woman carrying dark secrets (Eva Marie Saint), and their ensuing romance becomes one of the most intense – and dangerous – on film. Way before Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this “road” movie takes us by car, taxi, train, pick-up truck, ambulance and – famously – crop-dusting plane to a breathtaking climax on the face of Mt. Rushmore. Introduction by Dr. Michael Howarth