By Doug Cummings
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Movie going is one of America's most popular pastimes. Each year, millions of entertainment-starved consumers flood the darkened cineplexes to scream and swoon over their celluloid heroes. But the swarming patrons usually only seek momentary escape, and the instant the end credits begin, they're off again on their bouncing, thrill-seeking journey, sweeping into nearby malls.
Eventually the chaos subsides and as janitors begin sweeping the theaters there are a few stragglers who slowly wander out of the cinemas, their heads brimming with provoked imaginations that are only beginning. The films they watch are the same ones everyone else watches, but their questions and observations are present long after the majority of people have left.
It is in this social milieu that film clubs are born. The film enthusiasts naturally gravitate toward one another, and the screening clubs they host specialize in various topics and genres, allowing their members to meet each other and promote film appreciation.
The first film society was founded in 1919 by Louis Delluc and Ricciotto Canudo. The oganization favored the creative eccentricities of French filmmakers like Georges MÇliäs ("A Trip to the Moon") rather than the tedious "Film d' Art" movement that tried to gain the cinema respectability by filming theatrical productions. They called cinema the world's "Seventh Art" and their enthusiasm for change helped usher in the Parisian avant garde cinema of the '20s that is still being appreciated today.
Recently, the UA has seen an outcropping of student-sponsored film clubs. From the long-standing German film series to the new KXCI MovieFriday series, students are offered the chance to enjoy an eclectic variety of motion pictures from across the world. There are two official film clubs on campus sponsored by ASUA and a third one, devoted to film discussion, is on the way.
The most recent club to arrive is "Cells and Celluloid," a screening club that offers students the chance to enjoy popular international films. "Cells and Celluloid" was founded by Michael Grifka, a linguistics student at the UA, who decided an ASUA screening club was in order after returning from an overseas trip last year.
"I was in Israel," Grifka explains, "and there were screenings there that showed the best films I've ever seen. They were smaller releases rather than the Western European or American releases everyone is familiar with, Middle Eastern films and releases from Egypt and India."
After returning to America in June, Grifka was depressed by the schlock Hollywood summer blockbusters and movies laden with "semantically empty dialogue," so he decided to develop a film club at the UA through the Department of Student Programs.
Several weeks later, Grifka has secured ASUA sponsorship as well as a faculty sponsor, Alfonso Moises of the Media Arts Department, and attracted the support of a local video store, Flicks On Campus (910 E. University Blvd).
Grifka plans to take advantage of the University's large collection of international films stored at the Media Center on the first floor of the Main Library.
"One of my main priorities," Grifka asserts, "is to maintain a balance between classic and modern films. I'd like to include newer stuff, so long as it's non-Hollywood."
Grifka also plans to distribute a "Cells and Celluloid" newsletter with reviews and information about the club's screenings that are tentatively scheduled for every other Thursday starting September 20. The screenings, Grifka maintains, as well as club membership, are open to "any student with a curiosity in film apart from American movies."
Another film club sponsored by ASUA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this semester: the Tucson Animation Screening Society (TASS). TASS is a club dedicated to exhibiting animation in various forms though it has met its greatest success with Japanese animation.
John Joganic, the club's president, says, "The club is for animation in general, but actually most of what we show is Japanese animation, although we can usually find something else if we need it. Most of the animation in this country is simply geared towards children or smaller audiences, so it's harder to get your money back.
"TASS has had a wide variety of audiences," Joganic notes. "What we try to avoid having is people who pretty much have nothing better to do on Saturday because 1) They're not much fun and 2) We can't get them to do anything."
Much of the work that TASS performs is centered around subtitling Japanese productions via computer assistance.
"We have arrangements with film companies with purchase rights to subtitle and produce films here," Joganic explains.
While the copying and subtitling restrictions can become tricky, TASS is careful to respect the films copyrights.
"If I make a copy of a film and give it to everyone in the club and they give it to all their friends, you destroy the market for that film. We make sure that we have the rights to show all of the American films we exhibit. But if we show it to 150 people and it's the first episode of 32, then everyone will go out and buy the other episodes so it can be very profitable for a company."
TASS holds monthly screenings at the Student Union, the first of which is planned for this Saturday, September 16. In the meantime, for people who are new to Japanese animation, TASS members recommend the film "Ranma 1/2" as a good starting place to appreciate the current genre. TASS also recommends videos stores like Casa Video (2905 E. Speedway Blvd.) and R Galaxy (2536 E. Broadway Blvd.) for people interested in renting Japanese animation.