Film Thu Feb 28 2008

Bookslut, The Other Boleyn Girl, I Met the Walrus

Leap year only happens every four years. What are you going to do with your extra day? The following list of arts and culture activities should keep you busy, at least for the next three days...

Literary
Escape the chill and the impending 1-3 inches of snow tonight at Clever Alice where book lovers and other literary types gather for a Bookslut reading. Featured guests include writers Paul Verhaeghen, Deb Olin Unferth, and Dominique Fabre.

Film
The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, opens Friday. Based on the historical novel by British author Philippa Gregory, the film looks at the sibling rivalry of two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, who compete for the attention of King Henry VIII. The book is a sumptuous, delicious read, packed with details about court life and the equally shrewd personalities of Anne Boleyn and the King she set out to win. The film is directed by British director Justin Chadwick.

Chicago 10
Brett Morgen, who directed The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), a refreshingly honest documentary about the ups and downs of Hollywood, tackles another controversial and complicated topic in this story that looks back on the trial of the eight protesters who made history at the 1968 National Democratic Convention. The film opens at the Landmark Theatre on Friday.

The 2008 Academy Award Nominated Shorts
Here's your chance to see all 5 of the nominated films for the Best Animated Short category, including I Met the Walrus, the Canadian documentary about 14-year-old Jerry Levitan's interview with John Lennon, which he procured after sneaking into the music icon's hotel room in 1969. The films screen at the Landmark Theatre on Friday and Saturday.

The Counterfeiters
Oscar winner for Best Languague Film, this Austrian film documents the true life story of Salomon Sorowitsch. Arrested for counterfeiting in a concentration camp, he went on to work for the Nazis, churning out banknotes in the currency of the enemy countries as the war came to a halting close. Opens on Friday.

- Marla