Five Things to Watch for in Vertigo

On December 4, Facets is screening Vertigo in 35mm, which will be followed by a Film Dialogue with detective novelist Sara Paretsky and psychologist James W. Anderson. I will leave the post-screening discussion topic up to our notable guests, but I thought I would offer a viewing guide for Vertigo. Below is a list of shots, scenes, and ideas to consider while watching the film.

Happy Birthday, Marty

This week marked Martin Scorsese’s 69^th birthday; next week, his 22^nd feature film and first 3-D movie, Hugo, will open for the holiday movie season. If 22 doesn’t seem like a lot of films for someone who is generally considered Hollywood’s most accomplished director, it’s because this tally does not include his documentaries, shorts, or other projects as a hands-on producer. Fortunately for Scorsese fans, there are no signs that he plans to retire. According to the IMDB, he has three films in production as either producer or director, including the much-anticipated Sinatra, plus nine projects in development.

Facets Favorite Michael Smith on His New Film, 'The Catastrophe'

Michael Glover Smith, Chicago-based independent writer-director, film studies instructor, and regular contributor to Facets Night School, is premiering his latest short film The Catastrophe this month at the Illinois International Film Festival at Chicago’s Viaduct Theatre.  Smith took a few minutes from his busy schedule to answer my questions about the film’s production.