Film Critics

This month's selection is "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History"! If you're new, welcome! Don't worry if you can't finish or don't like the book, we're here for good casual conversation...

\*\* Tickets are $71.50 ($65 + tax) and can be purchased [here.](https://www.exploretock.com/barcelona-wine-bar-14th-street/event/594770/terroir-uncorked) \*\* UNCORKED is a walk-around tasting where we open 30 different bottles from our list—a chance to try the cellar of our award-winning wine program. The wines are paired with seasonal paella and passed tapas. Each time we host, we dive into a different theme. This time, we’re uncorking terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to the natural environment in which a wine is made. This includes everything– but most often focuses on soil, topography and climate, ultimately producing a bottled sense of place. Our 400+ bottle program deeply focuses on terroir, becoming a collection of places that can be experienced through a pour. For this UNCORKED, we’re opening 30 wines that we think are some of the clearest expressions of place out there. We can’t wait to share these truly transportive bottles with you.

Join Lisa and your DTs friends for a special Amazon Prime early screening of *Project Hail Mary*! Be among the first to see this highly anticipated sci-fi adventure on the big screen. We will meet in the Food Court outside of the theater starting at **5:30 PM**. Feel free to grab a meal and sit with us — it’s a great chance to chat and connect before the show. At **6:30 PM**, we’ll head toward the theater to grab snacks and get settled before the **7:00 PM showtime**. **Important:** Seating is assigned for this screening. Lisa has already purchased seats **Q14 through Q17**, and those seats are taken. When purchasing your ticket, please choose seats near that row so we can sit together as a group. **Tickets:** Purchase through Fandango using this Amazon Prime early screening link: [https://www.activaterewards.com/PrimeEarlyScreeningProjectHailMary?ref=prime_US_GTM__PRM_LandingPage_UP_P_PHM_PES](https://www.activaterewards.com/PrimeEarlyScreeningProjectHailMary?ref=prime_US_GTM__PRM_LandingPage_UP_P_PHM_PES) You must log in with your Amazon Prime account to access tickets. No Amazon Prime? No problem. Contact Lisa directly and she will help secure a ticket for you. Grab some popcorn, settle in, and enjoy a night of sci-fi adventure and community. Finding your tribe sometimes means saving the universe together.

Join us for a writing workshop! Please submit your pieces to our Google Drive folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Fs6SX-XO5kRk6uPAJzvgDY3PpmvHPtyE?usp=drive_link When entering submissions, please consider the following guidelines: 1\. Keep submissions to approximately 2\,000 words\, maximum 2\. Consider adding a brief Author's Note to introduce your work and let us know what kind of feedback you are looking for 3\. Please ensure that your submission is appropriate for a general audience and include trigger warnings as necessary 4\. Try to post your submission by Saturday or Sunday at the latest so that people have time to read it before the event\. If you are coming to participate in Workshop, please read the submissions in the folder by Monday evening and prepare your feedback! We will aim to discuss each piece in the submission folder, although some pieces may be pushed to the following workshop if time runs short. Feel free to add your notes as comments on the document itself, write them up in a separate file, or jot them down so that you can provide them to the writer.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Terrors of Irish Fairylore,”** an introduction to Ireland’s strange and unsettling folkloric “Good People,” with Brittany Warman, former instructor at Ohio State University, co-founder of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, and co-author of the new book *Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at[ https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-irish-fairlylore]( https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-irish-fairlylore) .] Today it is common to think of fairies as small, childlike, sparkly creatures with glittering wings and dresses made from flower petals. But the fae of traditional Irish folklore were no such things. Amoral, capricious, even malicious when they chose to be, the too-frequently forgotten fairies of times long past would, more often than not, haunt nightmares. Join Brittany Warman, a folklorist who has earned a devoted following among Profs and Pints fans, as she explores the darker side of Irish fairylore. The figures she'll discuss include: The Leanan-Sidhe, a vampiric fairy who gives artistic inspiration in exchange for your mortal spirit. The Dullahan, a fairy with a human spine for a whip and a habit of hurtling across fields in a death coach made from human skin. The Banshee, a mournful fairy whose cry signals a death in the family to which she's attached herself. Dr. Warman also will examine the surprising impact of fairy folklore on two classics of Irish Gothic literature, Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray* and Bram Stoker's *Dracula.* It’s a talk that will remind you that the relationship between the Irish and the spooky stretches well beyond Halloween. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “The Banshee Appears,” an 1862 illustration by Robert Prowse (Wicklow Heritage / Public domain).

Join us at the monthly gathering of the DC Creative Collective for Film, TV, and Theater — a welcoming space for filmmakers, writers, actors, and creative enthusiasts across the DMV to connect and create together. For this month's meetup we will be hosting a discussion of the Oscar nominated film One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Please watch the movie, and come prepared to discuss it while enjoying food, drinks, and the company of fellow artists. Of course you're welcome to join us if you didn't watch the movie but be warned that there will be spoilers. Looking forward to our collective discussion.

This four-day film festival presents a curated selection of newest Polish films: 9 feature films, 6 shorts, filmmaker Q&As & special guests! **🇵🇱 The 3rd Annual Kosciuszko Foundation Washington DC Polish Film Festival.** Ticket available via Eventbrite **[HERE](https://bit.ly/46CaNIV)** Join the Kosciuszko Foundation for the **third edition** of the Washington DC Polish Film Festival, taking place **March 19–22, 2026 at Bethesda Row Cinema**, showcasing the very best of contemporary Polish cinema. This three-day international film festival presents: * 🎬 **9 feature films** (one not in competition) * 🎞 **6 short films** * 🎤 Filmmaker Q&As * 🌟 Special guest appearances * 🏆 Closing awards ceremony **The Festival opens with the Gala on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 PM** (by invitations only. Festival Pass holders are invited). All public screenings take place at **Landmark's Bethesda Row** 7235 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814 Tickets and Festival Passes are available now! KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION MEMBERS ENJOY 25% DISCOUNT ON ALL FESTIVAL TICKETS AND FESTIVAL PASS - use promo code that has been sent to KF Members via email or contact KFDC@thekf.org. Opening Gala – Thursday, March 19, 2026 The Festival opens with an exclusive **Opening Gala at RIAA** (by invitation only). We are honored to welcome special guest **Dagmara Domińczyk**, known for her role in the HBO series **Succession**. During the Gala, she will receive **The KF 2026 Pioneer Award** in recognition of her achievements in international cinema. Festival Pass holders are invited to attend the Opening Gala. Additional VIP guests will include acclaimed actors, directors, and cinematographers from Poland and abroad. ## 🎬 Celebrating the Best of New Polish Cinema Polish cinema is internationally recognized for its visionary directors and award-winning cinematographers — many of whom continue to shape the global film industry, including Hollywood. This carefully curated program highlights: * Award-winning premieres * International festival selections * Powerful contemporary storytelling * Emerging voices in Polish filmmaking Whether you are a foreign film enthusiast, a lover of European cinema, or simply looking for a unique cultural event in the DC area — this festival is not to be missed. 🇵🇱 **The only Polish film festival in the U.S. capital.** Closing Night – Sunday, March 22, 2026 with announcement of the winners. ## Ticket Options - available via Eventbrite [HERE](https://bit.ly/46CaNIV) * 🎫 Full Festival Pass (includes Opening Gala invitation) * 🎟 Individual Screening Tickets Seating is limited. Early purchase is strongly recommended

Let's see Project Hail Mary, the new scifi Ryan Gosling. I heard the trailer majorly spoils the book which I'm frantically trying to finish it off before the movie in a week. Same directors as the Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum 21/22 Jump Street movies, so it could be fun. I'll be in seat H8. We'll get food afterwards.

This production earns high Oddball marks for both style and content. Structured as if it’s a series of short films, each with its own title, it nonetheless tells the bizarre but coherent story of a scientist who invents a device that can “sterilize” or “cancel” atomic bombs. Apparently this means it renders them inert, although the specifics are never revealed. Daniel Emilfork, who was born to play mad scientists (he was Dr. Krank in The City of Lost Children), is the inventor, and after announcing his achievement, he retreats to his fortified villa and disdains any further contact with the outside world. Spies from various countries attempt to steal the plans with chaotic and often humorous results. ■ Title — *The Unknown Man of Shandigor* ■ A.K.A. — *L'inconnu de Shandigor* ■ Director — Jean-Louis Roy ■ Cast — Marie-France Boyer, Ben Carruthers, Jacques Dufilho ■ Unrated, suitable for general audiences ■ ©1967 \| 1h 36m \| Action\, Drama\, Sci\-Fi ■ Watch it free with ads on Fawesome: https://fawesome.tv/movies/10530132/the-unknown-man-of-shandigor ■ Watch it free with ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100008681/the-unknown-man-of-shandigor ■ Available free without ads to Kanopy subscribers (details below): https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13193753 ■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/16368348 ■ Kanopy streaming service is available free to holders of DC library cards. DC libraries will issue cards to residents of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and other nearby areas. Visit any branch to obtain your card. Kanopy is also provided free to Loudoun County library card holders who live, work, or study in Loudoun County. ■ 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

I love seeing all of the Oscar Nominated Shorts especially the Animated ones. Unfortunately this year I wasn’t able to organize a series this year but don’t want to miss seeing them on the big screen! Let’s meet 15 mins before at 6:30 pm. The screening is at 6:45pm. Tuesdays tickets are discounted at $8.75! You may need to sign up for a free membership for the price. Tickets: https://www.landmarktheatres.com/movies/1000037913-2026-animated-oscar-nominated-shorts/?date=2026-03-17

Details Location: Crimson Whiskey Bar (Either the downstairs whiskey bar, or main floor bar, TBD) The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults. Here's the updated version: *** **Topic: Reasons to Be Excited (A Technology Optimism Round)** It's easy to doom-scroll your way into thinking the world is falling apart. And honestly, some of our recent meetings haven't helped. So this time, we're flipping the script: what technology are you actually *excited* about? This isn't a request for blind techno-utopianism. Skepticism is welcome. But the goal is to spend some time on the genuine wins and promising horizons, because there are more of them than the headlines suggest. Here's a quick tour of some things worth being optimistic about: * **AI in everyday life** — Love it or hate it, AI tools are genuinely saving people hours of tedious work. From coding assistants to writing tools to writing this very event descriptin you're reading now to AI that sits inside your spreadsheets and email, the practical applications are moving faster than most people expected even two years ago. The question is less "will this be useful?" and more "who actually benefits, and when?" * **Clean energy's quiet boom** — Solar and battery storage have had a decade of jaw-dropping cost reductions. The U.S. added more renewable capacity last year than any year on record. It's not fast enough for some, but the trajectory is real. * **CRISPR and gene editing** — In late 2023, the FDA approved the first CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease — a condition that has caused lifelong suffering for millions of people with very few good options. It's the first of what could be a long list of genetic diseases that are now, for the first time, actually curable rather than just manageable. * **Lab-grown meat** — Chicken and beef grown directly from animal cells, no slaughter required. It's real, it's been approved for sale in the US, and while it's still expensive and not yet on your grocery shelf, the cost curves are dropping fast. Whether you care about animal welfare, climate, or just think it's cool, this one is quietly wild. * **SpaceX and the new space economy** — Reusable rockets went from fantasy to routine. Launch costs have dropped by an order of magnitude in 15 years, opening the door to satellite internet in remote areas, new science missions, and yes, eventually humans on Mars (whether or not that excites you). * **Brain-computer interfaces** — Still early, still expensive, but Neuralink and others are giving paralyzed patients the ability to control devices with their thoughts. The sci-fi shelf life on this one is getting shorter. **Questions to Consider:** * Is there a technology you were skeptical about that has actually won you over? What changed your mind? * Which of these feels most overhyped — and which feels *under*hyped? * Are the benefits of new technology reaching people broadly, or mostly concentrating among the already-fortunate? * Is optimism about technology a luxury? Does it depend on where you live, how much money you have, or what you do for work? * What's something small and unglamorous — not AI, not space — that has genuinely made your life better recently?

This 1967 film is widely regarded as one of the best American movies ever made. Now remembered almost as much for its Simon and Garfunkel music as its deadpan comedy and being the role that established Dustin Hoffman as the hottest actor in Hollywood. It became a cultural icon for capturing the spirit of 60s angst of a young man on the make, while garnering a batch of Oscar nominations. After watching the movie on your own, join us to relive (or experience!) those feelings at our discussion.

Join us as we get together for a Discount Tuesday / Choose Your Movie event to see your choice of the top-reviewed indie drama TOW or the action-comedy-horror THEY WILL KILL YOU! A winner either way! Here are details, trailer and plan for this event: TOW: This drama follows a homeless Seattle woman who fights her way out of tow-company hell to reclaim her life and the car that held it all together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. The film is directed by Stephanie Laing and stars Rose Byrne, Dominic Sessa, Demi Lovato, Ariana DeBose, Octavia Spencer, Simon Rex, Elsie Fisher and Corbin Bernsen. Tow premiered to rave reviews at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival where critics declared, “Tow is a winner” and called the film “a story of perseverance, heart, and real fight, the kind of small human story we see less frequently these days, but need now more than ever!” TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiUtqgeDVI8 THEY WILL KILL YOU: A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building's history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery. The film is directed by Kirill Sokolov and Zadie Beetz, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. The film is being released immediately following its premiere at this year’s SXSW Festival earlier this month. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYqQPiXpi4w PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing of both films and will meet in the upstairs lobby area about 30 minutes before showtime! Once showtimes are announced, advance ticket purchase via the GFC website is advised! Once you have yours, please list your movie of choice and seat number in the Comments section of this event. Complete details will be confirmed/announced as the date gets closer. PARKING: Close, convenient parking is available in the nearby garage (located between 9th and 11th, just off High St). Bring your ticket with you and have it validated at the theater and for $2, you’re covered for the night! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

Join us as we get together to see Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller in the highly anticipated sci-fi adventure, PROJECT HAIL MARY! The film is based on the best-selling novel of The Martian and follows a man who awakens on a spacecraft before realizing his mission to save Earth. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: A science teacher wakes up on a spaceship, light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission to save the Earth. The film is directed by the filmmaking due Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 and 22 Jump Street, Into and Across the Spider-Verse) and is based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir (The Martian). The film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest), Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYsnngkS_U BUZZ AND REVIEWS: The buzz and reviews for PROJECT HAIL MARY are off-the-charts good! The film is earning a 95% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics call it an “old school blockbuster crowd-pleaser” and “a new sci-fi classic!” It’s “deeply hopeful,” well-acted,” funny,” “dramatic,” and “exceptionally rousing throughout!” Others call it “something truly magical” and one that “we’ll be talking about this one for decades to come!” And I believe Slashfilm says it best: “It will lift up and squeeze your heart, crack you up with laughter, and give you a sense of hope and wonder in a way that few movies have been able to inspire.” MOVIE PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 2:30pm SuperScreen DLX showing and meet in the lobby area between 2:05 and 2:15pm! Tickets already on sale and will likely move fast for this hot ticket / opening weekend showing so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. As a head’s up, this is a longer movie at 2hrs 36mins. DINNER PLAN: Dinner immediately following the movie at 5:30pm at group favorite, FUGU SUSHI, located just next door! Separate RSVP required for the Dinner / Movie portions of this event. An RSVP here means you're signed up for the MOVIE! This portion will be open as long as seats remain. If you also plan to join for dinner, please also RSVP in the separate event listing for the dinner portion of this event. Should be a good one, Dan

A great movie deserves a great dinner! Join us after PROJECT HAIL MARY for another fun and tasty dinner at a CMG-favorite restaurant, FUGU SUSHI! RSVPs are limited for the dinner portion of this event! Here are complete details: FUGU SUSHI: Fugu Sushi offers a truly authentic experience that keeps customers (and the Movie Group) coming back for more. They offer an extensive menu with a delightful array of options and something for everyone! From their top-rated sushi, to tasty appetizers, soups, salads, bento boxes, tempura, delicious teriyaki dishes (including chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, vegetable and more), and vegetarian and vegan options, you’ll be certain to find something you love! MENU: https://www.fugusushicolumbus.com/menus RSVP: An RSVP here means you're signed up for the DINNER portion of this event. Seating is limited. If you also plan to join for the movie, please also RSVP in the separate event listing for the movie portion of this event. For the movie, we'll meet in the theater lobby at 2:10pm for the 2:30pm SuperScreen DLX showing. Advance ticket purchase for the movie is advised. Please RSVP in both events, if you plan to attend the movie and dinner. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

Let’s try some Filipino food at a well known Grandview area restaurant, This is the menu: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHByDNxwDA/TO8oxEmjQrBp_PP_mLPUag/view?utm_content=DAHByDNxwDA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h435abfbbb3#1

**Tickets are on sale now**