"Solaris" Discussion: Watch it at Home First

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.

Watch "Solaris" on your own and come ready to chat about it. It's on Kanopy, Criterion Channel, and HBO Max and it's rentable: Solaris streaming: where to watch movie online?. If you want to also watch the 2002 remake by Steven Soderbergh you can, but that's above and beyond.

We'll meet at Pryes Brewing, which has lots of space and isn't very noisy. It's near downtown Minneapolis but has plenty of parking. I'll get there around 6:30 p.m. and claim a table on the opposite side of the bar. Get a drink and then head to the other end of the building, to one of the long tables near the risers. It's quietest there and there will probably be a long table free. You'll be able to identify me by my black baseball cap that says "Weird Movie Club" on it.

And feel free to sitemail me to recommend another movie for a future meeting. You can go by the official list from the website 366 Weird Movies (366 Weird Movies + Apocrypha: streaming info last updated 5/24/21 - Google Sheets) or suggest something else.