Regardless of whether you consider yourself a movie buff or just a casual moviegoer, everyone has had that inspiring moment of leaving a theater with the feeling that they have experienced a variety of emotions they never knew existed. There is something undeniably different and awe-inspiring in sitting down with a crowd of people and watching a film on the big screen compared to a simple binge-watching session on a couch. This is one of the reasons why film organizations are important; they strive to create the same type of atmosphere without burning a hole into the wallet of the students.
There are two different types of film clubs that can easily be found. The most common one, and the type that typically gets a wider audience, is the general blockbuster club that airs mostly new movies that were released within the year, with the occasional well-known classic film thrown in there for good measure. Blockbusters usually act as a small cinema, with admissions being free, or at least a very low price consisting of a dollar or two. Concession stands, also run by the same group, can also usually be found nearby, with prices drastically lower than their main theater counterpart. Expect your big budget Marvel films and summer comedies to be shown by these clubs; don’t expect cult classic films, for you’ll probably only get “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which successfully managed to escape the deep void of obscurity.
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However, if you tend to fancy yourself as a diver of the void, then you’ll probably be more entranced by the other film group type, known as Cult Cinema. These groups are based on sharing art house, cult, and foreign films with the masses. The audience for these groups tend to be a lot smaller compared to blockbuster groups, but the community is usually more connected with one another, as most people return to cult cinema for every new showing. Cult cinema groups are my personal favorite, as it allows me to experience and find out about new movies around the world, and discover forgotten gems that were made decades before I was even born. It’s not uncommon for films aired here to kind of be difficult to sit through, however, for a lot of the films featured do contain a lot of dark and adult content, so these types of groups are definitely not for everyone. Expect John Waters films and Italian horror movies like “Suspiria” to be shown.
Regardless if you prefer one of these types of groups, or if you have a mutual love for both of them, anyone can acknowledge and agree on the importance of them. Any club that is based on the preservation and sharing of art, regardless of whether it may be considered mainstream or not, has relevance. Films are also a good way to get people talking, as they create an atmosphere for people to get together and share their opinions and theories on aspects of the film. Strong friendships, and even relationships, have been formed just from the watching and sharing of movies. So the next time you’re looking for something to do over the weekend and see a film club is airing something, go check it out, for there are worse ways to spend an evening.
