Dying in Darkness

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Title

DYING IN DARKNESS

Subhead

Five classic films exploring the intersection of journalism, truth, and politics.

Intro

Join us for Dying in Darkness, a series of five classic films with plenty to say about our current political climate. Each movie explores the intersection of journalism, politics, and the truth and will feature an introduction by a local expert discussing the movie's themes and how they predicted our current political landscape.

Parallax Title

The Parallax View

Parallax Date

October 17th

Parallax Body

We start things off with Alan J. Pakula’s conspiracy thriller The Parallax View, which follows reporter Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) as he investigates the mysterious Parallax Corporation after the assassination of a presidential candidate.

Before the screening, Berkshire Community College’s Chris Laney will delve into the history of conspiracy theories, their evolution since Watergate, and their impact on today’s political discourse.

About Chris Laney

Chris Laney teaches history at Berkshire Community College. Alarmed by the growing conspiracism in the United States, in 2009 he began teaching a course called Conspiracy Theories in American History, in part with a goal of helping students develop tools for sorting out documented conspiracies from unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. He lives in the Hilltowns with his family and assorted goats and chickens.

Crowd Title

A Face in the Crowd

Crowd Date

October 20th

Crowd Body

Starring a pre-Mayberry Andy Griffith as Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, a charismatic drifter plucked from obscurity by a radio producer (Patricia Neal) who uses his populist persona to propel himself from a local radio personality to a national broadcaster with powerful political sway, A Face in the Crowd is a chilling critique of American media that’s as relevant today as it was in 1957.

Ahead of the movie, Reo Matsuzaki, a specialist on authoritarianism and an associate professor of political science at Trinity College, will discuss how governments utilize political performances to acquire and maintain their authority.

About Reo Matsuzaki

Reo Matsuzaki is a specialist on authoritarianism and an associate professor of political science at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. While his research focuses on the politics and history of East Asia, he teaches and writes broadly on how governments utilize political performances to acquire and maintain their authority. His current interests include the challenge that artificial intelligence poses to the functioning of democratic countries. He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012 and was previously a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.

Presidents Title

All the President's Men

Presidents Date

October 24th

Presidents Body

The true story of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman), two reporters who risked their safety to investigate the Watergate break-in and its ties to the Nixon administration, All the President's Men is a thrilling testament to the importance of investigative journalism.

Before the movie, Kevin Moran, Executive Editor of the Berkshire Eagle, will introduce the film and discuss the continuing importance of print journalism in our current political climate.

About Kevin Moran

The Executive Editor of the Berkshire Eagle, Kevin Moran has over thirty years of experience leading news organizations like The Brattleboro Reformer and the North Adams Transcript.

Medium Title

Medium Cool

Medium Date

October 27th

Medium Body

An innovative blend of fiction and documentary that filmed at the actual 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Medium Cool stars Robert Forster as a veteran TV cameraman who, after learning that his network has been supplying his footage to the FBI, can no longer remain a passive observer.

Barbara Zheutlin, co-author of Creative Differences: Profiles of Hollywood Dissidents, introduces our screening with a discussion of director Haskell Wexler’s real-life politics, how they influenced the film, and the way the politics of the New Hollywood movement impacted the film industry.

About Barbara Zheutlin

Barbara Zheutlin was executive director of Berkshire Grown, a nonprofit organization created to keep farmers farming, from 2007 to 2018. She co-authored "Creative Differences: Profiles of Hollywood Dissidents" (1979 South End Press), did research at the Austen Riggs Center, and has worked for global nuclear disarmament.

Wag Title

Wag the Dog

Wag Date

November 3rd

Wag Body

As a presidential sex scandal emerges weeks before an election, spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert DeNiro) enlists Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to produce a fictional war that will distract the media and the public. Released shortly before the real-life Clinton-Lewinsky scandal swept the nation, David Mamet and Hilary Henkin’s screenplay perfectly predicted the ways political narratives could be manipulated in the cable news era.

Before the movie, Bill Shein, founding editor of The Berkshire Argus and a recipient of the National Press Club’s Award for Humor for his column Reason Gone Mad, will discuss the way that Hollywood has influenced political narratives in the post-Clinton media era.

About Bill Shein

Bill Shein is founding editor of The Berkshire Argus, a digital newsmagazine focused on in-depth investigative and explanatory journalism. His former column for the Berkshire Eagle, “Reason Gone Mad,” was a three-time winner of the National Press Club Award for Humor. When not immersed in reporting projects for The Argus, Bill travels the world to train humor writers in emerging democracies in the fine art of poking fun at the powers-that-be. He also frequently embellishes his biography, often with the absurd claim that he “travels the world to train humor writers in emerging democracies in the fine art of poking fun at the powers-that-be.”

Showtimes

Showtimes Freakier Friday | 1:00PM, 3:30PM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM The Life of Chuck | 1:15PM, 4:15PM Highest 2 Lowest | 1:45PM, 4:45PM, 8:00PM The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg | 7:00PM

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