Fall Arts Movies

Given its subject, this snazzy, mawkish, and practically Pavlovian rock-doc is not only poignant but topical. In the summer of 1971, counterculture deity John Lennon relocates to New York and within a year of political activism with Yoko Ono elicits a memo from Senator Strom Thurmond to Attorney General John Mitchell suggesting that he be deported; a month later, the Immigration and Naturalization Service refuses to renew his visa. Lennon eventually prevailed, but he was neutralized for the duration of Nixon's presidential campaign. The film establishes its protagonist as the most quick-witted of public figures. You needn't be half as sharp to grasp the parallels made to Bush's America. -J. Hoberman Opens September 29

Cinema Revolution continues its monthly series of films by major directors from around the world. All screenings begin at 7:00 p.m.

October 3 Cafe Lumière

November 7 The Seventh Continent

December 5Stalker

The latest film by artist Cameron Jamie screens to live musical accompaniment by Japanese noise artist Keiji Haino. The screening begins at 8:00 p.m. October 6

Winner of a major prize at Sundance, this acclaimed Angolan drama by director Zeze Gamboa follows the struggles of a civil war veteran to assimilate. The screening begins at 8:00 p.m. October 7

Films by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin are presented between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the Walker's U.S. Bank Orientation Lounge. October 7

A rebel with a cause (and an eye), Portuguese director Pedro Costa is redefining cinema, working with Lisbon slum dwellers to create a collaborative expression of social injustice. In this defiant, astonishing film, Costa's experimentation reaches an aesthetic peak. Colossal Youth follows a middle-aged man on encounters with his "children," a series of downtrodden yet vibrant individuals who recount their deeply personal, tragic stories. A luminous glow caused by natural light reflecting from mirrors held off-camera often coats the characters, revealing them as wandering souls unable to find rest. The film is a cryptic, heartbreaking masterpiece: Patience is demanded-and completely rewarded. The screening begins at 1:00 p.m. -Mark Peranson October 8

A program of short films about members of Minnesota's "greatest generation" is screened following a noon lecture by University of Maryland professor and author Kriste Lindenmeyer. October 8

Film historian and preservationist Bob DeFlores presents a series of old and rare reels on Monday nights. All screenings begin at 7:30 p.m.

October 9Jazz Masters II

October 16Dancing the Night Away

October 23SciFi-orama!

October 30Fright Night!

"Weird and wonderful movies" are screened on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 p.m.

October 10The Fearless Vampire Killers

November 14The Merchants of Cool

Written and narrated by Kevin Kling, and shot in high-definition video, this short takes a comedic approach to telling the story of our fair city-"how we harnessed a waterfall, survived grain explosions, built skyscrapers and skyways, danced to polkas, punk, and Prince, won the World Series, and, along the way, ate a lot of sauerkraut." The film screens at 7:00 p.m. as part of Mill City's "Minneapolis Homecoming Party," which also includes the music of Martin Zellar, a variety of food samples, and a cash bar. October 13

Quite possibly the most accomplished indie film our state has ever seen, this first feature by St. Paul-based Ali Selim follows a German mail-order bride (Elizabeth Reaser) and her intended, a Norwegian immigrant farmer (Tim Guinee); the two slowly fall for one another while working on the land and against their insular community's ample prejudices in the wake of World War I. But it's equally the story of a filmmaker in love with his actors and his material. Directing with a light comic touch and a palpable affection for the characters, Selim draws pitch-perfect acting from a large cast and achieves breathtaking levels of color and clarity from 35mm film shot on a spare budget. -Rob Nelson Opens October 13

Ultra-prolific schlockmeister Charles Band (Josh Kirby...Time Warrior: Chapter 4, Eggs From 70 Million B.C.) hosts another local installment of this traveling horror-film convention. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. October 15

The character of the Frankenstein monster is included in four films screened on consecutive Mondays at 7:00 p.m. The series-curated by Luke Erickson, who'll lead discussions after each of the films-is held in conjunction with the library's Frankenstein exhibition, on view in Cargill Hall through December 30. For more information, visit www.mpls.lib.mn.us. October 16-November 6