What we’re about
This Meetup has a special place in its heart for bizarre and exciting films. I'm talking indie films, cult films, foreign (yes, with subtitles), some arthouse; anything off the beaten path or fresh (for its time). We'll watch films, of course, but if anybody's game, I'm itching to put together a few aspiring writers, actors, directors, cinematographers to produce indie films right here in the DC area.
If you enjoy a close relationship with names like Tarkovsky, Linklater, Godard, Waters, Lynch, Cronenberg, Jodorowsky, or Haneke but can't find others who do, this Meetup is definitely for you. If you have a fondness for Scorsese, Fincher, Anderson (either one), Kubrick, or the Coen brothers and would like to dig deeper into the film world, you should absolutely join us. If you really only get into coherent movies with definable plots and happy endings, on the other hand, this might not be your cup of meat.
Most of our shows are curated as public events for libraries around Northern Virginia, but we also choose the films for the Keepin' It Weird Wednesdays series at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse several times a year. We also occasionally go to movies already playing at movie theaters around the region.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- · Linoleum · by Colin West ☼ online eventNowhere , Alexandria, VA
It’s a variation on a story that’s been filmed before, and just like each of its predecessors, it’s definitely an Oddball affair. Here the protagonist is the host of a children’s science TV show whose ratings are in decline. Family issues and a strange new neighbor add to his agitation and insecurity. When an old spacecraft falls out of orbit and crashes into his back yard, he tries to assemble the pieces into a working rocket. This may sound a bit farfetched – OK, very farfetched – but what this movie is really about isn’t revealed until late in the proceedings.
■ Title — Linoleum
■ Director — Colin West
■ Cast — Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn, Katelyn Nacon
■ Unrated, suitable for general audiences
■ ©2022 | 1h 41m | Drama, Sci-Fi■ Available free without ads to Kanopy subscribers (details below):
https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13586502■ Also provided to subscribers of Hulu and Disney+ TV services.
Kanopy streaming service provides free online movies to anyone with a library card from the District of Columbia or Loudoun County (residents of many nearby jurisdictions are eligible to receive these cards). Holders of Loudoun County library cards may only use them to stream movies through Kanopy if they reside, work, or study in the county; you may need to visit a branch in the county to confirm your eligibility. If you have an eligible card but haven’t signed up with Kanopy yet, or if you have a card from another library and want to check if it offers Kanopy service, click here: https://kanopy.com/signup
Temporary cards issued online by the District of Columbia library system no longer provide access to Kanopy. You need a permanent card issued directly by a library. For more information about eligibility to receive a card, visit: https://dclibrary.org/getacard
■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention.
■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com
- · Theeb · by Naji Abu Nowar ☼ online eventNowhere , Alexandria, VA
The title character, whose name means “Wolf” in Arabic, is a young Bedouin boy who lives in a remote desert village in the Ottoman Empire during WWI. A British officer arrives and hires his older brother to be his guide to a secret location. Theeb is told to stay home, but he follows them and eventually joins the expedition. In a land where almost everyone is an enemy of someone – and determining friend from foe is a challenge in itself – reaching their destination intact will be a formidable challenge. Filming in Jordan and Qatar, the director chose locals with no acting experience to play key roles, including Theeb, and trained them for months before beginning filming.
■ Title — Theeb
■ Director — Naji Abu Nowar
■ Cast — Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen, Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh
■ Unrated, suitable for teens and adults
■ ©2014 | 1h 40m | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
■ Arabic dialogue with English subtitles■ Available free without ads to Kanopy subscribers (details below):
https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/287198
■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11607958Kanopy streaming service provides free online movies to anyone with a library card from the District of Columbia or Loudoun County (residents of many nearby jurisdictions are eligible to receive these cards). Holders of Loudoun County library cards may only use them to stream movies through Kanopy if they reside, work, or study in the county; you may need to visit a branch in the county to confirm your eligibility. If you have an eligible card but haven’t signed up with Kanopy yet, or if you have a card from another library and want to check if it offers Kanopy service, click here: https://kanopy.com/signup
Temporary cards issued online by the District of Columbia library system no longer provide access to Kanopy. You need a permanent card issued directly by a library. For more information about eligibility to receive a card, visit: https://dclibrary.org/getacard
■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention.
■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com
- · Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story · by Daniel Raim ☼ online eventNowhere , Alexandria, VA
You know the movies they worked on, but you probably don’t know their names – yet. Working largely uncredited in the Hollywood system, storyboard artist Harold Michelson and film researcher Lillian Michelson left an indelible mark on classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Mel Brooks, Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski and many more. Through an engaging mix of love letters, film clips, and candid conversations with Harold and Lillian, Danny DeVito, Mel Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola and others, this documentary offers both a moving portrait of a marriage and a celebration of the unknown talents that helped shape some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films.
■ Title — Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
■ Director — Daniel Raim
■ Cast — Lillian Michelson, Harold Michelson, Bill Krohn
■ Unrated, suitable for general audiences
■ ©2015 | 1h 34m | Biography, Documentary■ Available free without ads to Kanopy subscribers (details below):
https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/3910491
■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/17616065Kanopy streaming service provides free online movies to anyone with a library card from the District of Columbia or Loudoun County (residents of many nearby jurisdictions are eligible to receive these cards). Holders of Loudoun County library cards may only use them to stream movies through Kanopy if they reside, work, or study in the county; you may need to visit a branch in the county to confirm your eligibility. If you have an eligible card but haven’t signed up with Kanopy yet, or if you have a card from another library and want to check if it offers Kanopy service, click here: https://kanopy.com/signup
Temporary cards issued online by the District of Columbia library system no longer provide access to Kanopy. You need a permanent card issued directly by a library. For more information about eligibility to receive a card, visit: https://dclibrary.org/getacard
■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention.
■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com
