Archive for the ‘The Screening Room’ Category

Cinema Salem serves a Mid-August Lunch (5/17/10)

Nothing can be so trying as unfamiliar guests, but in this week's screening room film, Mid-August Lunch, Gianni, a flat-broke fellow with a surprisingly even temper entertains three elderly ladies with the kind of patience and hospitality that has seemingly vanished from the world. ... more »

Co-audience award winner back at Cinema Salem (5/7/10)

In the screening room this week, we're bringing back the co-audience award winner of the Salem Film Fest Audience Award, No. 4 Street of our Lady. The film chronicles the story of a Polish-Catholic woman who sheltered 16 Jews during WWII. During the festival, I had a chance to speak with the ... more »

Serious Moonlight: Not quite romantic, nor comedy, but that’s OK (2/5/10)

After a couple of weeks of heavy in the screening room, I decided that we could use something a touch lighter. Although, as light films go, it's pretty heavy. Confused? Yeah, I was too. The trailer, indeed most of the marketing materials, for Serious Moonlight, starring Meg Ryan, Timothy ... more »

CinemaSalem features film version of David Foster Wallace’s short stories (1/29/10)

This week's screening room film is the directorial debut of The Office mainstay, John Krasinksy. When I think "John Krasinski" I think "gentle comedian," but his first film, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, is neither gentle, nor is its dominating quality humor.  And the title does ... more »

Surprising sweetness in Somers Town (1/23/10)

This is my least favorite part of winter. It's when all the snow has turned grey and icy sidewalks menace every step. And even though the sun is gradually increasing its presence every day, it isn't enough. January is bleak. Yet, despite the desolation of winter, we who live in the colder ... more »

Just Say Love returns to Salem (1/15/10)

This week at CinemaSalem, we're doing something a little different in the screening room -- we're bringing a film back for an encore presentation.  Back in November, we screened Just Say Love for one night only in one of our main theaters. The audience had such a positive reaction ... more »

Epic martial arts film takes you to ancient China (1/8/10)

Week two of 2010 features something a bit easier on the senses than last week's controversial Antichrist. But that shouldn't suggest that this week's film doesn't have teeth. John Woo's epic war history Red Cliff graces our screen starting January 8th, and will satisfy the cinematic ... more »

CinemaSalem screens the most extreme and polarizing film of 2009 (1/1/10)

Kicking off the New Year in the CinemaSalem Screening Room is Lars von Trier's latest installment, Antichrist, starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The film premiered at the 2009 Cannes film festival and won Gainsbourg the Best Actress prize. Anyone who follows foreign film ... more »

Documentary offers insight into autism, parenting and Mongolia (12/18/09)

As CinemaSalem gears up for Salem Film Fest 2010, we're instituting an embargo on documentary films in the screening room starting the first of the year. Which means that The Horse Boy, opening today, will the last documentary we show in the screening room until the end of February.  ... more »

The window (12/11/09)

One of the North Shore's best-kept secrets is the CinemaSalem screening room, a small venue dedicated to bringing independent and foreign features and documentaries to film-lovers. Each Friday, I'll be weighing in on the film opening that day.  I'll always keep it brief, and I won't ever ... more »