Forbidden Planet' starts off sci-fi film fest
Middletown A film series dedicated to science fiction will be shown at Orange County Community College this fall. Screenings take place at 7:15 p.m. in Harriman Hall 111 Film Theatre, located at the corner of Wawayanda and East Conkling Avenues in Middletown. The series begins on Wednesday, Sept. 26, with “Forbidden Planet,” a 1956 film starring Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Edward Morbius and Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams. This groundbreaking film was directed by Fred M. Wilcox with production supervisor Dore Schary. The film features a number of Oscar-nominated special effects and the use of an all-electronic music score. The set design employs flats, props, matte paintings, and sound stage scenic paintings. The movie also includes the first screen appearance of the famous Robby the Robot. The film’s characters and setting were inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” although the plot is quite different. Before the screening, Paul Basinski, assistant professor of global studies at the college, will give some highlights and background of the film. Next in the series, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, is “Brazil,” a film that fits in the categories of comedy, drama, fantasy, and sci-fi. Its director, Terry Gilliam, is the only American-born member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. He wrote the script alongwith Charles McKeown and Tom Stoppard. Jonathan Pryce and Robert De Niro head the list of stars featured. Set “somewhere in the 20 century,” the retro-futuristic world of “Brazil” is a gritty urban hellhole that appears to be almost post-apocalyptic, incorporating a totalitarian governmental bureaucracy analogous to Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” The film includes terrorists, the pursuit of truth, and a fantasy world of romantic struggles centered around the character Sam Lowry, played by Pryce. In his introduction, Alex Jakubowski, associate professor of English and media, will give background and details that will help viewers through the intricacies of the film. Admission to the films is $2. Students will be admitted free of charge. This Lyceum Film Series is presented by Cultural Affairs at SUNY Orange County Community College. For more information call 341-4891 or e-mail cultural@sunyorange.edu.