Movie for January 2016: Bridge of Spies - and a special guest speaker

Hugh is hosting our next meeting on Wednesday, January 6th.

We're only seeing one movie this month:

Bridge of Spies

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda

During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

We will also have a special guest speaker: Gregory S. Lamb, a retired United States Air Force Colonel who studied Geography as an undergraduate, earned his Masters Degree in International Relations, and was awarded a fellowship in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He's a graduate of several formal professional military education institutions including the Joint Forces Staff College and the Defense Language Institute.

Greg piloted the U-2 High-Altitude Reconnaissance Aircraft for most of his operational military career and held senior staff assignments with Air Combat Command, NORAD-NORTHCOM, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Coupled with his life experiences, his passion for shedding light on the injustice experienced by refugees drove him to write his first novel, The People in Between: A Cyprus Odyssey.  His most recent novel, A Dangerous Element, was the result of recent events related to STUXNET and the temporary disruption of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

Greg lives with his wife, Cindy, in Portland, Oregon. The Lambs have three grown sons.

Movies for December 2015 meeting: Spotlight and Shattered Glass

This month's meeting will be at Steve C.'s house, at 7:30 on December 2.

Spotlight (2015)

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Director: Tom McCarthy
Writers: Tom McCarthy (screenplay), Josh Singer(screenplay)
Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams

Shattered Glass (2003)

The true story of a young journalist who fell from grace when it was found he had fabricated over half of his articles.

Director: Billy Ray
Writers: Buzz Bissinger (article) (as H.G. Bissinger) ,Billy Ray
Stars: Hayden Christensen, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Zahn

Films for November 2015 meeting: The Martian, Steve Jobs

The November meeting will be held at Carl C's house, 7:30 pm.

The Martian (2015)

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)
Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig

Steve Jobs (2015)

Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter.

Director: Danny Boyle
Writers: Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Walter Isaacson (book)
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen

Films for October 2015: Pawn Sacrifice and Bobby FIsher Against the World

The next meeting is on Wednesday, October 7th at Don's house.

Pawn Sacrifice (2014)

In theaters Sept. 16.

American chess champion Bobby Fischer prepares for a legendary match-up against Russian Boris Spassky.

Director: Edward Zwick
Writers: Steven Knight (screenplay), Stephen J. Rivele(story)
Stars: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard

Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)

Netflix DVD, Google and Vudu streaming.
'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary feature exploring the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable; this film explores one of the most infamous and mysterious characters of the 20th century.

Director: Liz Garbus
Stars: Bobby Fischer, David Edmonds, Anthony Saidy

Movies for September 2015: O'Horten, The Wolfpack

The next meeting is on Wednesday, September 2nd at Jon L's house.

O'Horten (2007)

Netflix DVD; streaming from Amazon, Google Play, Vudu etc.

A drama focused on a life-changing moment in 67-year-old train engineer Odd Horten's existence: the evening of his retirement.

Director: Bent Hamer
Writers: Tom Gulbrandsen (script consultant), Bent Hamer
Stars: Baard Owe, Espen Skjønberg, Ghita Nørby

The Wolfpack (2015)

Living Room Theater; streaming from

Locked away from the outside world in a Manhattan apartment, the Angulo siblings satisfy their curiosity, imagination and need to explore by re-enacting their favorite movies. (Documentary)

Director: Crystal Moselle
Stars: Bhagavan Angulo, Govinda Angulo, Jagadisa Angulo

Movies for August 2015: Leviathan and Red Army

The next meeting is on Wednesday, August 5 at Bob's house.

Leviathan (2014)

Netflix: DVD; likely also available elsewhere.

In a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Kolya and his family.

Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Writers: Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev
Stars: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov

Red Army (2014)

Netflix: DVD only; likely also available elsewhere.
The story of the Soviet Union's famed Red Army hockey team through the eyes of its players.

Director: Gabe Polsky
Writer: Gabe Polsky (story)
Stars: Viacheslav Fetisov, Scotty Bowman, Mark Deakins

Movies for July 2015: Wild Tales and Stand By Me

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 1, at Bill T's house.

Wild Tales (2014)

Six short stories involving distressed people.

Director: Damián Szifrón (as Damián Szifron)
Writer: Damián Szifrón (as Damián Szifron)
Stars: Darío Grandinetti, María Marull, Mónica Villa

Stand by Me (1986)

Available by Netflix streaming and DVD.

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Director: Rob Reiner
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon(screenplay), 1 more credit »
Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

NOTE: this film has not yet released in Portland, so Bill T. has substituted Wild Tales (see above) as his first pick.

High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Writers: Jesse Andrews (novel), Jesse Andrews (screenplay)
Stars: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke

Movies for June 2015: Land Ho! and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The next meeting is Wednesday June 3 and will be hosted by Nic.

Land Ho! (2014)

A pair of former brothers-in-law embark on a road trip through Iceland.

Directors: Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens
Writers: Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens
Stars: Earl Lynn Nelson, Paul Eenhoorn, Daníel Gylfason

Availability: Netflix (DVD), Amazon, Flixster, iTunes, M-Go, Redbox, Vudu

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.

Director: Julian Schnabel
Writers: Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Jean-Dominique Bauby (book)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze

Availability: Netflix (Online/DVD/Bluray), Amazon, Flixster, iTunes, M-Go, Redbox, Vudu

Movies for May 2015: Danny Collins and Locke

We will meet on Wednesday, May 6th at 7:30 at Joe's house. We will review these movies:

Danny Collins (2015)

An aging rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year old letter written to him by John Lennon.

Director: Dan Fogelman
Writer: Dan Fogelman (screenplay)
Stars: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner

Locke (2013)

Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.

Director: Steven Knight 

Writer: Steven Knight 

Stars: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson

Votes on last month's movies:

McFarland, USA:  7.0

Foxcatcher:  5.0

Movies for April 2015: McFarland, USA and Foxcatcher

We will meet on Wednesday April 1, 7:30 at Bill G's house. We will review these movies:

McFarland, USA (2015)

A cross country coach in a small California town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders.

Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Christopher Cleveland (story), Christopher Cleveland (as Chris Cleveland) , 4 more credits »
Stars: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez

Foxcatcher (2014)

The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.

Director: Bennett Miller
Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Stars: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo |

Movies for March 2015: Nightcrawler and Kingsman: The Secret Service

We will meet at 7:30, March 4 at Dean's home and review these films:

Nightcrawler (2014)

When Lou Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Jane Goldman (screenplay), Matthew Vaughn(screenplay), 2 more credits »
Stars: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson

Reserve the Date! 2015 Academy Awards Ceremony

Sunday February 22, 4pm

See event details, including new voting format, on our Special Events page.

Movies for February 2015: The Imitation Game, American Sniper

NOTE CHANGE OF PLAN
We will meet at Joe's house on February 4. We will review the following films:

The Imitation Game (2014)

During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

Director: Morten Tyldum
Writers: Andrew Hodges (book), Graham Moore (screenplay)
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode

American Sniper (2014)

Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Jason Hall, Chris Kyle (book), 2 more credits »
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner