Limited to eight arthouse screens for the longest time, the Denver metropolitan area gets a tremendous shot in the arm with the opening of the Starz Filmcenter at the old Tivoli brewery and current Student Union for the Auraria campus. The project offers twelve screens (eight of which are being used for the inauguration of the filmcenter), each devoted to independent, foreign, or classic films that would not otherwise find space in a Denver market long on "mainstream" arthouse fare like Amélie and Gosford Park. Fine in and of themselves, the financial viability of these films becomes a problem when the lack of screens prevents pictures like The American Astronaut and Donnie Darko from getting significant (or any) runs in this area.
Such a project can only be beneficial to the fostering of cinema in a steadily maturing cultural hub. Starz Filmcenter has already shown a dedication to providing more "value" for the movie-going public by asking critics to introduce films and conduct discussions immediately following. The future promises director retrospectives, critic's choice presentations, and workshops and panels with visiting artists. Additionally, the University of Colorado is taking advantage of the filmcenter to provide opportunities for high school students to be exposed to new and world cinema.
The progressiveness and optimism of this venue is not only invaluable to the visibility and credibility of film as a viable academic medium, but also has inspired Landmark Theaters to step up their attempts to offer increased "value" in the form of a "Direct This!" six-week series with local critics presenting a film from their favorite directors in special Saturday and Sunday matinees. (If you're in the area, Film Freak Central's own Walter Chaw will present Dario Argento's Suspiria on the mornings of May 4th and 5th; contact Landmark Films for more information.) An extremely exciting time for movie lovers and film students in Colorado, Film Freak Central is proud to provide reviews of the Starz Filmcenter's programming through this page--updated weekly.
APRIL 5, 2002
-Bob La Flambeur
-The Independent
-Cure (Kyua)
-Little Otik (Otesánek)
-Perfume de Violetas, Nadie te Oye (Violet Perfume: No One is Listening)
plus: Wendigo -Iris
-No Man's Land
-Piňero
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