Art Hounds: The Room, Melody Gilbert, Sounds of Cinema

Film still from "Urban Explorer," courtesy Melody Gilbert

This installment is geared toward the cinephile as the hounds lead us to a film that's become a cult hit, a you-pick showcase of documentarian Melody Gilbert's work and movie scores courtesy of Minn. Orch.

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Clarence Wethern is an actor in the Twin Cities. Clarence says "The Room," a black comedy about love, lies and betrayal that's become a cult classic, is deliciously bad. He says you can't go wrong taking in a midnight showing at the Uptown Theater on January15th and 16th, or on February 19 and 20th.

Randall Davidson is a Twin Cities composer and educator. Randall went looking for signs the local art scene is alive and well and found a potent example in "Movie Night." He says it's like a book club for films, only looser. It happens on a slightly irregular basis at Locus Architecture in the Northrup King building in Northeast Minneapolis. This Saturday, Jan. 16th, the group will pick one of St. Paul filmmaker Melody Gilbert's documentaries, watch it, then discuss it with Melody afterward. There's no "Movie Night" web site. People normally find out about it via e-mail only, so you'll have to show up Saturday to get on the list.

Laura Bidgood is a theater artist in the Twin Cities. Laura is a movie lover and thoroughly enjoyed the Minnesota Orchestra's Sounds of Cinema series. You can watch movie classics at Orchestra Hall while the orchestra plays the film's score, live. This Friday and Saturday, the orchestra tackles The Wizard of Oz. On Sunday, Jan.17th, the orchestra will accompany a montage of Oscar-winning films.

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