Posts Tagged ‘donnie darko’

The 6th annual Science on the Screen series at the Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, Ma., will begin with The Man in the White Suit. Science on the Screen has been one of the theater’s most popular series and begins September6th at 7 p.m. Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research and Harvard chemist Daniel Rosenberg will also present.

The 1951 film chronicles the career of brilliant but under-appreciated chemist Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness), who invents an everlasting fiber. When they realize Stratton’s invention will be devastating to their industry, textile manufacturers and labor unions do everything in their power to make sure his product stays off the market and unheard of.

The speakers attending the opening will address questions raised by the film, most prominently, if it is scientifically possible to create a fabric that never gets soiled or worn out.

Science on Screen began in 2005 and features movies and documentaries about science, medicine or technology. Co-produced with Boston’s Museum of Science and New Scientist Magazine, the series brings in experts in the fields related to the films.

Previous films shown in the series include Fight Club, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and American Beauty. Order tickets online at www.coolidge.org/science.

The made-in-Massachusetts flick The Box hit the silver screen yesterday, almost two months after its premiere at the Lund International Fantastik Film Festival.

Directed by Richard Kelly–perhaps most famous for his directorial efforts with Donnie Darko–The Box offers a cinematic interpretation of Richard Matheson’s short story, “Button, Button.” Hollywood hotties Cameron Diaz and James Marsden play a financially-distressed couple living in Richmond, VA. Their prayers appear to be answered when a button-in-a-box appears on their doorstep, along with the message that one simple push will yield one million dollars. The catch: someone dies at the expense of hitting the jackpot.

Check out the trailer below for taste of the suspense:

Film production for The Box took place all over the Greater Boston area, showcasing some of the best that the Bay State has to offer. Keep an eye out for the recognizable venues onscreen: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Hough’s Neck in Quincy, Osgood Landing in North Andover, and the Boston Public Library.

And when you leave the theater, be on the lookout for Diaz. With The Box under her belt and Knight and Day in the works, the actress appears to be getting very comfortable in Hollywood East.

Part horror, part psychological thriller, part question about the depths of human morality, The Box is slated to be released in theaters in November. The made-in Mass movie will, however, be screened early in the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival, which will begin next week.

Written and directed by Richard Kelly, who made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller Donnie Darko, the movie is based on the short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson. The movie is set in Richmond, Virginia, filmed mostly in the Greater Boston area, and focuses on a young couple, played by Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, who have been presented with a button in a box.

The next day, a disfigured stranger, played by Frank Langella, tells them that if they decide to push the button, they will gain $1 million, but someone in the world that they do not know would die. In addition to Diaz, Marsden and Langella, the movie features a cast of relative newcomers including Gillian Jacobs, Ryan Woodle, James Rebhorn, and Holmes Osborne.

The film is scheduled to be released on November 6^th, but will be shown in the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival (FFF), one of the largest film festivals in Scandinavia, on September 17^th, the first day of the 10-day long event. Based in Lund, Sweden, the FFF has featured all but one of the top 20 box office hits of all time including the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter series. The FFF also featured The Box director’s movie debut Donnie Darko, and serves as the premier location for many Swedish films.