Sci-Fi Film series is back for another year of education, entertainment

Sci-Fi lms are some of the most innovative and impactful to ever be put on screen — just look at the way lms like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Star Wars, “ e Matrix” have inspired and directed popular culture. Few genres capture audiences’ imagination like sci- . is at least partly explains why Denver Film and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’sannual Sci-Fi Film Series has become one of the signature events of the year.

“After 13 years, this is Denver Film’s most popular series,” said said Vincent Piturro, Ph.D., professor of lm and media studies at MSU Denver, who co-presents at each screening. “We want audiences to come away with the idea that art and science can work together — they’re not at odds.” is year’s series kicks o on Wednesday, July 12 with the throwback classic,“THEM!,” then moves to “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” on July 19, followed by“Nope” on July 26, Brendan Fraser’s“ e Mummy” on Aug. 2, “Beyond the In nite Two Minutes” on Aug. 9 and“Little Shop of Horrors” on Aug. 16. Screenings will be held at the Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s new In nity eater, 2001 Colorado Blvd.

“For our series, science ction is very di erent than what many people might think,” Piturro said. “Many people hear sci- and think aliens and outer space, but we go beyond far beyond that.”

According to provided information, each screening begins at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by a discussion led by Piturro, featuring a range of experts in di erent elds, including zoology, paleobotany and anthropology.

“ e scientists come up with the list of lms and we work to get diverse movies from all over the world,” Piturro said. “ is year is an eclectic bunch, but what we’ve discovered is that sci- lms say more about the time period the lm was made than when the story is set. So, that always makes for interesting conversation.”

Regardless of how familiar an au-

Coming Attractions

dience member is with any particular lm, they’re going to come away from one of these presentations learning something new. And that was the goal when Piturro and the late Brit Withey, Denver Film artistic director, rst came up with the idea.

“ e essence of this goes back to the original conversation he and I had about presenting science and art together in a digestible package for the audience,” Piturro said. “People can learn science from a movie and a movie can inspire science.” For full series details and tickets, visit www.denver lm.org.

CJRO honors queens of soul ere are many things to love about soul music, but one of the best is the leading ladies of the genre are some of the best singers of all time. And the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra is honoring many of these legends with e Ladies of Soul: Celebrating the Music of Aretha Franklin.

e concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd.

e CJRO will be joined by powerhouse vocalist Tatiana “LadyMay” May eld for an evening that will feature covers of songs from Chaka Kahn and Sade and an extended tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Tickets for what will be a night of classic after classic can be purchased at www.coloradojazz.org/ concerts.

Gather ‘round the BCLP campfire

Take advantage of one of Lakewood’s best resources and get some natural education at the same time.

Bear Creek Lake Park, 15600 W. Morrison Road, is hosting a weekly series of camp re Programs on Saturdays through July, each with a di erent theme: on July 8, Habitats of BCLP, on July 15, Bats of Bear Creek, on July 22, Close Encounters and on July 29, Ranger Day.

Each program is free and features roasting marshmallows as part of the evening (as long as there are no re bans). Find all the details at www.lakewood.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Al Green at Red Rocks e legend is going to be per- forming at Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, with theColorado Symphonyat 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12. As if this pairing wasn’t enough, blues master Keb’ Mo’will be the opener.

Al Green is the singer of “Let’s Stay Together.” He did that. If I did that, you wouldn’t be able to tell me anything for the rest of my life. But Green is also the voice beyond relentless classics like “Tired of Being Alone” and “I’m Still in Love With You.” In other words, you can’t have modern soul or pop music without this man.

I’m pretty sure every week I say the concert I’m writing about is going to be special. And that’s true. But you don’t often get to see foundational gures in person and when those opportunities come around, they shouldn’t be missed. Get tickets at www.axs.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

November 16, 1922 - June 20, 2023

Jewell M. Ban eld, 100, passed away on June 20, 2023. Jewell was born to Flem and Nellie ornton on November 16, 1922.

MADER

Suzanne Scott Mader

February 2, 1928 - June 21, 2023

Suzanne Scott Mader died peacefully in her home in Arvada, Colorado on June 21, 2023 at the age of 95. Born February 4, 1928 in Tekamah, Nebraska, Suzanne was the daughter of Dr. David C. Scott and Dorothy ( ompson) Scott.

Suzanne was a 1945 graduate of Tekamah High School and after attending business school in Omaha, Nebraska, worked as a secretary for the Omaha National Bank. It was during this time, she met and, ultimately married Walter E. Mader, Jr. of Omaha on October 3, 1954.

Shortly after marrying, Suzanne and Walter moved to Washington, D.C., where Suzanne worked for the U.S. Independent Telephone Association. After 3 years in the nation’s capital, Suzanne and Walter made their way through St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri before making Arvada, Colorado their forever home in 1970. It was in Arvada that Suzanne worked as a Teacher’s Aide at Peck Elementary School for 24 years. Suzanne was an avid reader, loved the beach and her Florida vacations, shell collecting, and cruises. She is preceded in death by her sisters Maribelle (Scott) Severine of Ft. Wayne, Indiana and Priscilla (Scott) Holm of Blair, Nebraska. She is survived by her husband, Walter, son Walter E. Mader, III and his wife, Kristen (Bush) Mader, and daughter Amy S. Mader, along with 3 grandchildren, two nieces and a nephew.

A memorial service will take place at Horan & McConaty in Arvada on July 24th at 11:30 am. Burial service will be private for the immediate family at Ft. Logan National Cemetery.

CDOT maintains our highways regularly to the consternation of many commuters. But what the department does is essential for Colorado. e power grid is much like our highways and in some respects even more essen- tial than highways. I will focus on the power grid in a future opinion piece.

I hope that my two choices for the budget have made you, dear reader, think about what should be in a budget for our state. Let me pose a question: How would you spend money if you were the governor or a legislator?

Joe Webb is the former chairman of the Je co Republican party.

How to take up running, from starting out to marathons

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Roxane Geisler started running in high school as a new challenge — somebody told her she should run cross country.

“I didn’t even know how to run a mile,” said Geisler, who is now president of the Highlands Ranch Running Club.

Getting into running “just gradually happened for me,” said Geisler, who is 54. “Suddenly, I was like, ‘Oh, I really do enjoy it, and I love getting out and seeing the views.’”

For people who are inexperienced at running but want to improve, it’s key not to be intimidated, Geisler said.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I can’t join the running club because I’m not a real runner.’ And that’s totally silly,” Geisler said. “If you run, you’re a runner.”

Ryan Marker, an assistant professor who teaches exercise physiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, said it’s important for beginners to start slow. “Setting appropriate expectations, I think, is really important,” Geisler said. “So if someone’s never run before, you’re not going to get o the couch and do a marathon.”

But with the right plan, even beginners can work their way up to a marathon within months. (Here’s a tip: You don’t have to run the whole thing.)

Here’s some advice on how to start running or take your training to the next level.

Part of the group

One thing that can help you get into running: nding a group of runners to keep you moving.

When Geisler moved to Highlands Ranch in 2003, she noted how many people were out running by themselves.

She learned about the Highlands Ranch Race Series, and part of the idea behind starting her running club was to get some runners to train together.

“It makes running so much easier, training so much easier, when you have people to train with,” Geisler said.

And the people she’s met through her club “were a tremendous in uence on me — just people who really push themselves and try to get the best out of themselves,” said Geisler, who has run marathons.

e club provides a communal atmosphere: