Hazel Motes

the first 3 movies that really made me think of film as art.

Stand By Me
Halloween
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

whoopdido

I would definitely NOT go too old and definitely not black and white. We can pretend all we want that teenagers are just like adults but they're not. I love movies, but even as a college freshman when I took a short, 2 credit film class, I was bored senseless by the "old stuff". As a 16 year old in high school it would have been even worse.

Of course you'll have a certain number of kids that will enjoy the pants off Citizen Kane or Casablanca, but who knows about the majority. It's quite possible that 95% of your group will not come back the second week and then you'll be left with the 2 or 3 diehards.

Start with a movie most, if not all of them have seen and probably enjoy and then talk about interesting movie stuff to keep them engaged and actually make them think about movies Go through the film making process and how "old stuff" influenced the new stuff of today. Then maybe show a new remake and the next week show the original and compare and contrast the two. Take King Kong for example...maybe show the Peter Jackson version and then next week show the original and talk about which one they liked better and how they're similar and different and stuff like that.

I just think if you start out too "snobby" you'll lose most of your group very quickly. Get them hooked first and then bring out the big guns, so to speak.

SubZeri

Cool poster, Scott!

I agree with JacobB, and recommend Donnie Darko...

It's a perfect time of the year for it. Plus it would be a great film to set the tone for your film club, as the talking points and debatable issues are pretty much endless. I'd recommend the original theatrical version as it spells out less of the plot for you and would lend itself to better discussion.

Whatever you choose, let us know how it works out. Good luck!

j

Nick Danger

I think that Dr Strangelove is a bad choice. It's a funny movie, but the underlying satire is about something that kids today have no connection to. Global thermonuclear war used to be on everybody's minds. Now it's Islamic terrorists. For people in high school, 9-11 was an important childhood event. A movie about something that scared people before 1989 isn't going to touch them.

I also disagree with the assertion that Black and White = boring. If they're curious enough to try out a movie club, they're open to watching a non-CGI movie.

dom56

Good idea. My suggestion.

High Noon
Shane
The Searchers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Meglos

A Serbian Film

OldBoy

yeah, i realized it was very male-centric after the fact.

Groucho

This sounds like something I would say every weekend after coming back from a party during college.

OldBoy

it is going to be very student-centric. i will be there for support and guide them, but they will vote and pick the movies, not i. we will have a written plan (constitution) in place when the kids meet, pick vp, secretary, etc... (president is the student who is starting the club with me).

as for the poster, it was just something i whipped up to start promotion. nothing will be official and won't have official meeting until next week which is why i wanted to get ball rolling with poster and just give students an idea. it was a blast to put together and should just trigger interest.

Kory

Good Burger.

Wait... this isn't a Criterion thread.

Giles

yeah, that'd scare 'em away in droves.

Giles

I'd add The Innocents with those two.

OldBoy

great suggestions thus far. many, i never would have thought to show and the reasonings behind them are sound and most importantly use good judgment for high school students.

Mr. Cinema

Tree of Life

The Bus

I saw The Bicycle Thief with my brother when he was a pre-teen and he liked it.

My recommendation would be Apocalypse Now.

Mabuse

Do high school students really need to be encouraged to watch Donnie Darko, Apocalypse Now, The Good Bad Ugly, Halloween, etc? Teens gravitate to those films by themselves. Challange them with something they might not have watched without a little encouragment from a teacher.

OldBoy

I think they might need a little encouragement for those, yeah. Maybe not Donnie Darko, but I don't think they've come across or would have too much interest in GBU or AN. I think original Halloween might be a good choice given timing. I haven't seen in awhile, but is there nudity in it?

Fist of Doom

P.J. Soles has a brief nude scene. ("See anything you like?")

DonnachaOne

As does Michael's sister in the beginning.

DirkUSA

The first movie has to be "The Searchers"

The Bus

You think so? Or are you thinking of teens in the 80s. Because even fifteen years ago, people talked about these films (sans Darko, natch), but didn't necessarily watch them.

Mabuse

I'm starting to get the feeling my 4 year old has seen a more diverse spectrum of films than today's teens.

She's seen Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, Totoro, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Wizard of Oz.... Recently she dug Curse of the Cat People.

OldBoy

it is unfortunate. hopefully, this club will change that for a few.

Rypro 525

10 bucks says if the class starts with 20 students, 2 come back if that if you pick that one

The Bus

You could always pick two movies, and have the club pick the one they want to see from your choices.