For the Record...

This Sunday is Philosophilm II.

New location: Holiday Inn Express (Badger Room), 515 W. Verona Ave, Verona, WI.

New time: Movie starts at 6 pm, discussion to follow.

New movie: Citizen Kane.  Scroll down for a head's up on the discussion questions.

Citizen Kane Discussion Questions

In five days, Philosophilm will be viewing and discussing what many call the greatest movie ever, Citizen Kane. I sat down and watched the movie for the first time last week. Here's some discussion questions we'll be working on, some from me, some from internet gleaning:

1. The reporter Jerry Thompson said, "I don't think any word can explain a man's life." Ignoring Thompson's comment, if you were assigned the task of writing Charles Foster Kane's epitaph, what would it be? ("Rosebud" is not allowed.)
2. After viewing the movie, how do you feel about Charles Kane? Pity? Anger? Admiration? How do you think Orson Welles and the filmmakers wanted you to feel about Kane?
3. How does Charles Kane's love of power result in the alienation of his friends, family, and close acquaintances? How does it lead to his demise?
4. Despite having completely different backgrounds, what is the unifying factor for Kane's two ex-wives?
5. What did Kane want out of life? 
6. How do the movie's opening and closing scenes differ from the story of his life?

Should be another fun discussion.  Remember to RSVP on the Meetup.com site.

"Rosebud"

It's arguably the greatest movie of all time. Interestingly, I've never heard anyone make that argument, but most of my friends think Dumb and Dumber was the greatest movie of all time. The critics, AFI powers, and Hollywood reviewers put Citizen Kane at the top. 

I personally have never seen the movie and admit that it's sometimes hard to pick a film from 1941 when you have three kids crying out for Kung Fu Panda.

So this month at Philosophilm, we'll take the opportunity to view and discuss a movie that everyone says you should have already watched. That's part of the greatness of Philosophilm.  We also check things off your life's To Do List. 

Check back here in a few weeks for a few preview questions.  On Nov. 23, we'll also find out what "Rosebud" means.