Movie club members relish Oscar preview
A show of hands during an early part of the Dann & Raymond's Movie Club on Thursday night in Schaumburg confirmed it: Nearly every patron in attendance had seen the movie "Gone Girl" and had formulated an opinion about actress Rosamond Pike and her breakout performance.
The hosts, Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire and film historian and novelist Raymond Benson, knew they had better be on top of their game: These were well-informed movie fans they were facing.
"Wouldn't you all agree that (Pike's) performance in this film is the 2015 equivalent to Kathleen Turner's debut role in the 1981 film 'Body Heat,'" Gire asked the crowd, drawing nodding approval.
Those kinds of details kept the nearly 100 people on the edge of their seats at the Schaumburg Township Library during the two-hour special edition devoted to the Oscars.
"These are all knowledgeable film fans," said Benson, who teaches film history at the College of DuPage. "They come out every month, but this is always our most popular evening."
Movie fans arrived early, some more than 30 minutes before its 7:30 p.m. start, and they came ready to enjoy the rapport between Gire and Benson, as much as take in their film expertise.
"They're excellent at their craft," said John Tomasiewicz of Elgin. "It's just a good show. They're very thorough in all of their information."
Tomasiewicz and a group of friends travel from Elgin and St. Charles every month for the club.
"I haven't seen enough of the Oscar films this year," conceded Val Varava of Elgin, "but I know they'll have all the insight into the front-runners."
Gire and Benson presented video clips of nearly every nominee in each of the main categories. The patrons soaked up all of the predictions and insider information about this year's telecast.
From the first clip of supporting actress nominee Meryl Streep in "Into the Woods" to debates on best song nominees, nearly every aspect of the leading films was discussed.
"The academy has succeeded with its original goal, of generating the greatest publicity engine ever created," Gire said. "When the Academy Awards airs on Feb. 22, there will be well over 1 billion viewers worldwide, meaning the marketing and financial implications of the Oscars, has grown exponentially."
Gire and Benson will host another edition of their Oscar predictions on at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, as well as at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Palatine Public Library. Gire will host a solo show at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Dundee Township Public Library in East Dundee.