Weird Movie Club Twin Cities

A horror classic that you can feel comfortable watching at a library in the afternoon, "Carnival of Souls" is the rare independent low-budget movie from the early 1960s that has retained a non-ironic following. I wouldn't say it's shocking or scary as much as it creates a fascinatingly creepy atmosphere.

I'll get to the library at 1:30 p.m. and try to set everything up in time for a 2 p.m. start. Get there early so you don't miss a minute. The library closes at 5, so we'll have to wrap up discussion before then. Discussions tend to last no more than about half an hour, but maybe it will last longer this time if we break into smaller groups and make it feel less like a classroom.

It's all free. We'll be in the Andy Boss Community Room on the 4th floor of the George Latimer Public Library in downtown St. Paul.

Street parking is possible, but you might consider using the light rail. A great place to park and ride is the Western Avenue stop of the Green Line. There's always parking on Aurora Avenue, one street south of University.

Let's get back to something serious and arty. Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film "Solaris" set the standard for serious, arty sci-fi.

People tend to either love or hate Tarkovsky: Directors, critics, and diehard cinephiles rate his films among the greatest in history ("Sight and Sound" lists are full of them) while more casual movie lovers find them painfully dull. Even if you anticipate falling into the latter group, I'd say it's worth giving "Solaris" a try. At the very least, you'll come out of the experience with some strong opinions to discuss.

"Daisies" is one of the central movies from the Czech New Wave, which my favorite cinematic New Wave. The Czech New Wave is full of funny and politically strident small films. It arose during a brief window of artistic freedom in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s. "Daisies" is a feminist, wacky, experimental, relatively plotless romp directed by the movement's most celebrated female director, Věra Chytilová.

I'll get to the library at 1:30 p.m. and try to set everything up in time for a 2 p.m. start. Get there early so you don't miss a minute. The library closes at 5, so we'll have to wrap up discussion before then. Discussions tend to last no more than about half an hour, but maybe it will last longer this time if we break into smaller groups and make it feel less like a classroom.

It's all free. We'll be in the Andy Boss Community Room on the 4th floor of the George Latimer Public Library in downtown St. Paul.

Street parking is possible, but you might consider using the light rail. A great place to park and ride is the Western Avenue stop of the Green Line. There's always parking on Aurora Avenue, one street south of University.