THE NICK MAG ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2014
a
LETTER
from the
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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As you’ve probably noticed, things here at the Nick continue to change at a pretty rapid pace. The move to our new home two years ago sparked a period of growth dramatically exceeding our hopes. We’ve seen our attendance numbers increase by 50%. Our membership and operating budget have doubled. New media education programs, like Come Around my Way, have deepened the Nick’s impact on our community while special projects like Indie Grits have contributed to the increasing vibrant and creative atmosphere in Columbia. The good news, as far as I’m concerned, is that we’re just getting started. Very soon, we will begin construction upstairs - adding a second screen, new staff offices and dedicated classroom space within the building. As a result, you’ll soon see even more dynamic programming here at the Nick. We’ll be able to offer so many more films, special series and classes. We’re hoping that means we’ll also be seeing a lot more of you. In preparation for this exciting addition, we’ve made the tough decision to phase out the monthly calendar. Over the years I’ve taken so much pleasure in digging back through the Nick calendar archives, learning more about the history of our organization, our community and the art house world. As we’ve shifted to more open-ended runs of films, however, the monthly calendar has become less and less
useful. In order to bring you films like Boyhood, Belle or The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel we have to agree to run the films as long as our ticket sales remain above a certain level. As a result, we have to make programming decisions with very little advance notice making it nearly impossible to put firm dates in the print calendar. At the same time, our old calendar format didn’t afford us enough space to go into much depth concerning the special screenings and series that we are able to plan in advance. Our solution to this problem is threefold. Our website (www.nickelodeon.org) remains the most up-to-date resource when it comes to screening times. We update the site as soon as we confirm our films. At the theater, you’ll be able to pick up a simple one page summary of screening times for the week as well as information on what’s coming up next (to the best of our knowledge). This one-pager will also be emailed to you weekly. Finally, this magazine, which we are so excited to launch, will feature more in-depth written pieces on our programming, special events and other Nick-related news. We will be printing three issues each year, so look for the next one in March. It’s been exciting to watch our family grow over the last few years. On behalf of the staff and board of the organization, I want to thank you all for helping us accomplish so much. Just be sure to stay tuned...there’s a lot more to come.
Staff Andy Smith, Executive Director
Tug Baker, Theater Staff
Seth Gadsden, Managing Director
Laura Godenick, Theater Staff
Sherard Duvall, Director of Media Education
Adam Hoffbauer, Theater Staff
Carrie Grebenc, Development Manager
Joseph Niati, Theater Staff
Kristin Morris, Marketing Manager
Torres Perkins, Theater Staff
Max Clyburn, Theater Operations Manager
Ony Ratsimbaharison, Theater Staff
Pedro LopezDeVictoria, Programming Coordinator
Anna Weller, Theater Staff
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Burn to Shine
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Docs Now!
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Indie Grits
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A Look Ahead
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Special Screenings + Events
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First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion
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A Message from Carrie Grebenc
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Max on the DCP
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Holiday Programming
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Civil Rights Sundays
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Come Around My Way
Stephanie Campbell, Asst. Theater Operations Manager
Board of Directors Robert Mason, President
Amos Disasa
Anne Postic
Lynn Stokes-Murray, Vice-President
Sam Johnson
Elizabeth Reardon
Chris Controne, Treasurer
Tracy Jones
Walton Selig
Wendi Nance, Secretary
April Kelly
James E. Smith Jr.
John P. Boyd
Duncan McIntosh
Scottie Smith
Rick Cutter
Scott Middleton
Lemuel Watson
Interns Marian Dobbs
Tyree Harvey
Charlotte Johnston
Willis Thomas
Kevin Duvall
Luke Hodges
Torres Perkins
Amada Torruella
Volunteers Carlos Anrrich
Gayle Hazzard
Duncan Lovejoy
Bart Walrath
Barb Burton
Edwin Hearon
Beth Lowery
Maria Walrath
Maris Burton
Joe Kyle
Dan Mastrogiovanni
Debbie Yerkes
Dianne Davis
Tim Liszewski
Linda Schoen-Giddings
Eddie Donovan
Marge Loewer
Kara Shavo
Daryl Giddings
Ben Lovejoy
Aidan Toumey
The Nickelodeon Theatre 1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 www.nickelodeon.org Office: (803) 254-8234 Movieline: (803) 254-3433
The Nick serves Columbia, SC, as a focal point for critical dialogue anchored by films that showcase the diversity, challenges, joy and aspirations of its community. A center for enjoyment, enrichment, and education, the Nick provides its community the tools to make, interpret, appreciate, and teach the moving image in all its variety.
Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Burning of Columbia and the Beginning of Reconstruction
The Nickelodeon’s Burn to Shine series will generate dialogue on a range of topics stemming from the 150th anniversary of the burning of Columbia and the beginning of Reconstruction. Through six different film screenings – each featuring conversations with scholars – audiences will have the opportunity to discuss the utopian drives and political realities that communities in the South continue to address. The series will include a visit from DJ Spooky who will introduce his film Rebirth of a Nation, a Skype conversation with Ross McElwee following a screening of his film Sherman’s March, and an event in which local filmmakers and artists will present their own remixes of Gone with the Wind.
ne hundred fifty years after General William T. Sherman came to town, Columbia is a fitting place to revisit the ways in which landmark films have interpreted the end of the Civil War. We live in a cityscape defined by traces of the sectional conflict, the peak period of local prominence in American history. The fires that destroyed one-third of the buildings here on February 17, 1865 turned a spotlight on Columbia that continued as residents replaced infrastructure and adjusted to emancipation. When the General
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Assembly met for the first time in the state house that Union cannonballs had scarred, African Americans comprised a majority of the legislators. Soon an innovative state agency provided mortgages to help freedpeople buy farms, some of which remain in the same families today. Stone-cutters working on a federal courthouse and post office (now our city hall) were instrumental in the presidential establishment of an eight-hour day for government contractors. The University of South Carolina integrated. Local schools educated the first and third African Amer-
icans to attend West Point and the second African American to attend Annapolis. Columbia’s representative in Congress delivered an acclaimed speech in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations and transportation. This revolution drew aggressive resistance. Randolph Cemetery, named for the assassinated state chair of the Republican Party, offered stark witness to political violence. The federal government responded with historic enforcement measures. The Columbia trials of Ku Klux Klan members in 1871 and 1872 presented an important test of the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Red Shirt campaign of force and fraud that installed hometown hero Wade Hampton as governor in 1877 stalled the advance of biracial democracy for decades. Northerners repudiated the Reconstruction that Columbia had led. Adopting the logic of “Tax-Payers’ Conventions” that met here, affluent classes in the Gilded Age worried about the authority of governments to redistribute wealth through taxes to support public services. The Army shifted its priority from suppressing racial violence in the South to dispossessing Native Americans in the West. The U. S. Supreme Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
In partnership with the Institute for Southern Studies
The South Carolina experience continued to linger in American memory. The state and its capital served as setting for both Thomas Dixon’s racist epic The Clansman (1905) and Howard Fast’s progressive novel Freedom Road (1944). Local contributions to the national dialogue included the Hampton statue at the state house and the survey of the post-eman-
cipation era by former slave and former University of South Carolina student William Sinclair. Well-publicized controversies over the display of the Confederate battle flag at the state house indicate that reckoning with the Civil War remains a hallmark of Columbia. The Nickelodeon series “Burn to Shine,” which will re-examine some of the most influential
films in American history and open conversations with some of the leading artists in the country, promises to be a stimulating showcase of our premier civic tradition. - Thomas J. Brown, Associate Professor of History, University of South Carolina
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Rebirth of a Nation
DJ Spooky. USA. DVD. 2007. 100 min. NR. A “DJ mix applied to cinema,” Rebirth of a Nation reinterprets D.W. Griffith’s infamous 1915 film Birth of a Nation. DJ Spooky created the video remix as a live show and performed it around the world. The inventive use of video and audio recontextualizes the film’s historical significance in a distinctly modern fashion. Screening will include a special intro and post-film discussion led by DJ Spooky in person. Mon Jan 19, 7pm
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America Kevin Willmott. USA. DVD. 2004. 89 min. UR. This biting mockumentary explores what would happen if the Confederate army had won the Civil War and gained control of the United States. There will be a post film discussion led by Todd Shaw, associate professor of African American Studies and Political Science at USC. Mon Jan 26, 5:30pm
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The Battle of Bull Run Francis Ford. USA. DCP. 1913. UR. Moving Image Research Collections at USC, in collaboration with the School of Music, proudly present the first ever local screening of The Battle of Bull Run. This civil war costume drama directed by and starring Francis Ford (elder brother of John Ford, director of The Searchers) is a story of spies and romance and will be screened with musical accompaniment provided
by students from the School of Music. Come early for a special pre show to see and hear actual Civil War veterans as filmed by the crews of Fox Movietone News. Sun Feb 1, 3pm
The Searchers John Ford. USA. DCP. 1956. 119 min. G. John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate soldier returning from the war to live with his brother in Texas. When his niece (Natalie Woods) is abducted by a Native-American tribe, Ethan embarks on a quest to find her. The film will be introduced by Bob Brinkmeyer, director at the Institute for Southern studies at USC. Mon Feb 2, 5:30pm
Sherman’s March Ross McElwee. USA. DVD. 1985. 157 min. NR. Ross McElwee initially planned to make a documentary detailing the lingering effects of Sherman’s march on the American South. When his girlfriend breaks up with him shortly before he begins filming, his plans abruptly change. Featuring a key scene in Columbia, McElwee ends up creating a picaresque film about tracing Sherman’s footsteps while looking for love. This screening will be followed by a Skype conversation with the iconic documentarian Ross McElwee. Mon Feb 9, 5:30pm
Gone with the Wind Victor Fleming. USA. DCP. 1939. 238 min. PG. A scheming and manipulative Scarlett O’Hara embraces her inner southern belle and carries on a turbulent affair with Rhett Butler, a blockade runner, against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the burning of Atlanta. Sun Feb 15, 1pm
Gone with the Wind Redux The beloved, historical and epic film is sure to be laid bare with in-depth discussion and creative criticism in this unique event. Local scholars, filmmakers, and artists will host a panel discussion and present their own short remixes of Gone with the Wind. The panelists will include Susan Courtney, professor of Film and Media Studies at USC, and Tom Brown, associate professor of History at USC. Filmmakers and artists to be announced. Mon Feb 16, 5:30pm THE NICKELODEON . 7
The statistics are staggering. Since 1978, the average cost of college tuition in the U.S. has increased by 1,100%. The average graduate now faces over $29,000 in student debt. In 2012, only 21.6% of the University of South Carolina’s revenue came from the State House down from 52.2% in 1987, making it unlikely that this trend will change anytime soon. This trend extends across the country. Filmmaker Andrew Rossi exposes this precarious situation and asks some tough questions in his new documentary Ivory Tower. Though study after study continues to show how college graduates tend to earn $1 million more than non-graduates over their lifetimes, Rossi’s film ex-
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plores the fragile situation our institutions of higher education find themselves in as the value of a diploma appears to slip. Is a dependence upon out-ofstate tuition and a student amenity arms race making our higher education system as precarious as the housing bubble? With the fate of our city so closely tied to that of USC and the other colleges and universities in the area, Ivory Tower will, no doubt, be a potent conversation starter for the Nick community and a great kick-off for our new Docs Now! series. Following Ivory Tower, the Sundance Audience Award winning Alive Inside will come to the Nick in November. The film follows social worker Dan Co-
hen as he uses music to enrich the health and lives of patients with severe memory loss. In December, we’ll present the new Mike Myers (Wayne’s World) documentary on legendary rock ‘n’ roll promoter Shep Gordon, Supermensch. A Will for the Woods, featuring South Carolina’s Ramsey Creek Preserve, comes to the Nick in January. The film provides a fascinating look into the growing world of green burial through the very personal tale of a terminal lymphoma patient. Finally, in February, Alex Gibney’s Finding Fela will showcase the life of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti as he emerged as a cultural and political leader in Nigeria in the ‘70s and ‘80s. — Andy Smith
Ivory Tower Andrew Rossi. USA. DCP. 2014. 90 min. PG-13. Ivory Tower challenges the value of higher education in the United States, where national student loan debt totals over $1 trillion. Director Andrew Rossi (Page One: Inside the New York Times) examines multiple institutions across the country to illustrate how colleges have adopted a business plan of constant expansion at the expense of students’ educations. The film also looks at the changing social attitudes towards a college as it explores the true value of a degree. Mon Oct 20, 5:30pm
Alive Inside Michael Rossato-Bennett. USA. DCP. 2014. 78 min. NR. Alive Inside explores music’s incredible ability to improve the quality of life for those suffering from memory loss. The documentary follows Dan Cohen, founder of the non-profit Music & Memory, as the organization provides dementia patients with personalized music in hopes of revitalizing each person and restoring their sense of self. Alive Inside combines profiles of these patients with interviews of experts, including Oliver Sacks, in order to provide what Indiewire calls a “moving look at the therapeutic power of music.” Mon Nov 10, 5:30pm
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon Beth Aala and Mike Myers. UK. DCP. 2013. 85 min. R. Mensch is Yiddish for “a person of integrity and honor” and according to filmmaker Mike Myers, synonymous with longtime Hollywood insider, Shep Gordon. He has become a beacon in the industry, beloved by the countless stars he has encountered throughout his storied career. Growing from his first client - the notorious Alice Cooper - to a legion of other celebrities including Blondie, Emeril Lagasse, Luther Vandross, and so many more. Gordon’s unlikely story will be told by those who know him best - his pals. Mon Dec 8, 5:30pm
A Will For The Woods Amy Browne, Tony Hale, Jeremy Kaplan, and Brian Wilson. USA. DCP. 2014. 93 min. NR. Musician. Psychiatrist. Folk dancer. Clark Wang defies easy categorization. That he should turn a fatal cancer diagnosis into an opportunity to preserve the natural environment in and around his North Carolina home is not altogether surprising. Determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, a man prepares for his own green burial. Mon Jan 12, 5:30pm
Finding Fela! Alex Gibney. USA. DCP. 2014. 119 min. NR. In the 1970s and 80s, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Afrobeat liberated the musical mind of a Nigeria under siege. Fela struck at the chords of oppression and released the strains of a people desperate for democracy. Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney’s (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) stirring chronicle of artistic revolution recalls the personal and political sacrifices of a man in tune with the needs of his country. Mon Feb 23, 5:30pm
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A LOOK
AHEAD Love Is Strange
Wild
Birdman
Mr. Turner
Theory of Everything
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Skeleton Twins
Whiplash
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SPECIAL SCREENINGS
+Events God Help the Girl
Stuart Murdoch. DCP. 2013. 111 min. NR. As Eve begins writing songs as a way to sort through some emotional problems, she meets James and Cassie, two musicians each at crossroads of their own. This is an original musical featuring songs from Indie Rock darlings Belle and Sebastian. Fri Oct 10, 11pm
Sundance Shorts: Fiction/Documentary Multiple Directors. DCP. 2014. 94 min. Showcasing a wide variety of story and style, the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is a 94-minute theatrical program of eight short films from the 2014 edition of the January Festival. Mon Oct 13, 8pm
Sundance Shorts: Animation Multiple Directors. DCP. 2014. 90 min. A rambunctious ride from some of the world’s most creative animators, the Sundance Film Festival Animated Short Film Tour is a 90-minute theatrical program of eight animated shorts from past editions of the January Festival. Tue Oct 14, 8pm
Harmontown Neil Berkeley. BD. 2014. 101 min. NR. A documentary that follows Dan Harmon on tour for his podcast series after he was fired from his television show Community in 2012. Fri Oct 17, 11pm
National Home Movie Day USC Libraries’ Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC) and the Nickelodeon Theatre are teaming up to host Columbia’s National Home Movie Day 2014 event. Everyone is invited to attend the free, family-friendly screening at the Nickelodeon. Sat Oct 18, 10am
Found Footage Fest
Memphis
The Found Footage Festival is a one-of-a-kind event showcasing videos found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout North America. Curators Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Letterman, Colbert) take audiences on a guided tour of their latest and greatest VHS finds, providing live commentary and where-are-they-now updates on the people in these videotaped obscurities. Sat Oct 25, 11pm
Tim Sutton. USA. 2013. 75 min. NR. A strange singer with God-given talent drifts through his adopted city of Memphis with its canopy of ancient oak trees, streets of shattered windows, and aura of burning spirituality. Mon Nov 17, 5:30pm
The Dance of Reality Alejandro Jodorowsky. Chile/France. 2013. 130 min. Spanish with English subtitles. NR. We are proud to show Jodorowsky’s first film in 23 years on HALLOWEEN night at the Nick! The Dance of Reality marks the triumphant return of Alejandro Jodorowsky, the visionary Chilean filmmaker behind cult classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain. Fri Oct 31, 11pm
Björk : Biophilia Live Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland. UK. 2013. 97 min. NR. Recorded live at Björk’s show at London’s Alexandra Palace in 2013, the film features Björk and her band performing every song on ‘Biophilia’ and more using a broad variety of instruments – some digital, some traditional and some completely unclassifiable. Fri Nov 14, 11pm
The Ballad of Shovels and Rope Jace Freeman and Sean Clark. USA. 2014. NR. The Ballad of Shovels and Rope captures the tours and detours of a husband and wife as they create and release the critically acclaimed album, O’ Be Joyful. Fri Nov 21, 11pm
Red Carpet Awards Party Sunday February 22 Party kicks off at 7:30 with the show commencing at 8:30. View the show on the big screen! And of course the commercial breaks will include hilarious and salty commentary from some very special guests.
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upstairs theater
COMING
SOON
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With the First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion I am committed to bringing the most mind-meltingly oddball films from the golden age of Exploitation and Splatter to the Nickelodeon screen. I’ve selected the films we’ve screened in this series for their authenticity of execution as well as their over-thetop content. The limitations of low budget film-making in the hands of creative and mon16 . THE NICKELODEON
ey-hungry directors often result in images simultaneously titillating, repellent, and unintentionally hilarious. The First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion replicates the full-on 42nd Street Grindhouse experience. As such, audiences can expect some offensive content not to mention some degree of socially lubricated audience participation. Enter at your own peril. -Chris Bickel, Curator + Host
Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 Shunya Itō. Japan. DVD. 1972. 90 min. NR. Those who have attended previous Lowbrow Explosion screenings may not know what to make of a film as ARTFULLY executed as Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41. This 1972 Japanese film follows a standard “Women In Prison” formula, but is set apart by its highly stylized art direction and photography. This is one film in the Lowbrow series that could and should be appreciated by a “highbrow” audience for the beauty of its imagery. But not to worry, degenerates: there’s still heaps of (majorly weird) “Women in Prison” violent shenanigans. Meiko Kaji stars as the unbreakable “Scorpion”. Fri Oct 3, 11pm
Cemetery Man Michele Soavi. USA. DVD. 1994. 105 min. R. This Italian-made Zombie film opened on only six US theater screens in 1996. One of those screens was incidentally in Columbia, where your humble host viewed it in a theater with all of three other people. It’s truly a shame that this brilliant film by Michele Soavi never received proper attention or credit. This existentialist masterpiece is easily one of the five best zombie movies ever made and delivers the goods in the gore department. Rupert Everett stars as Francesco Dellamorte, a cemetery caretaker who must protect his village from the dead who are constantly trying to escape the cemetery gates. The final scene is the best movie ending of all time. Fri Nov 7, 11pm
Silent Night, Deadly Night Charles E. Sellier Jr. USA. Blu-Ray. 1984. 79 min. R. December brings this gory 1984 shocker which was banned in many theaters after its yuletide TV ad campaign enraged parents across the country. In this film young Billy becomes damaged goods after witnessing his parents murdered at the hands of a man in a Santa Claus outfit. Orphaned and taught that punishment is “necessary and good” by the nuns who raise him, he goes berserk when his job requires him to play “Santa” on Christmas Eve. Violence ensues as Billy takes his role dead seriously and seeks to “punish” the “naughty”. Fri Dec 5, 11pm
Sleepaway Camp Robert Hiltzik. USA. DVD. 1983. 88 min. R. This twisted 1983 Friday the 13th rip-off slasher movie has a well-deserved reputation as one of the WEIRDEST horror films of the 1980s. If you’ve seen it YOU KNOW and if you haven’t seen it don’t let anyone who has seen it spoil the INSANE ending for you. This one deserves to be seen in a theater full of people ready to scream their guts out. Fri Jan 2, 11pm
My Bloody Valentine George Mihalka. USA. DVD. 1981. 90 min. R. My Bloody Valentine might have been the most notorious slasher film of the 80’s if it had not been severely censored upon release. The only good thing that came out of 2009’s big-budget remake of the film was Lionsgate restoring the nine minutes of MPAA-cut gore for a DVD re release of the superior original to coincide with the theatrical release of the remake. This is a highly entertaining horror film with a masked killer, high body count of horny teenagers, and most shockingly: interesting, memorable characters. Fri Feb 6, 11pm THE NICKELODEON . 17
Carrie Grebenc Development Manager
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For more info on membership benefits go to nickelodeon.org/membership
What’s Missing? A seat for the new theater could be yours.
Nickelodeon seat campaign...
COMING SOON
Come support the Nickelodeon Theatre
Wednesday October 15 for NICK NIGHT AT TERRA
A percentage of all proceeds from that evening will be donated to the Nick. Call (803) 791-3443 for reservations. (You’re going to need them.)
MAX ON THE
“How do you get the movies?” One of the questions I get asked the most here at the Nickelodeon is about formats; a seemingly straight-forward question with a not-so-simple answer. While the motion picture theater has been in practice for over 100 years, movie formats have been in a state of constant evolution.
“Are they downloaded, streamed, or on DVDs?” The answer is: Yes. While our relocation has temporarily sacrificed our ability to play “classic” 35mm film, we now have the capacity to play almost anything via digital format. This means we could even have your nephew’s latest viral cat video on the screen in less than an hour. The most common practice for movie delivery in the theater industry is the DCP, or Digital Cinema Package. A simple acronym for a deceptively
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complex system. Major movies and trailers are shipped to us weekly from our distributors via a big orange box that looks like a camera case. Inside there is a cartridge-style hard drive (think Super Nintendo game) that is inserted into the projector’s computer. From there, the 250+ gigabyte files (about the equivalent of about 400 DVDs) are then ingested and processed for playback. Lastly, we have to acquire the super-secret KDM, or Key Delivery Message, that unlocks the movie for a limited time. The DCP/KDM server we use was designed by the United States military for operational storage. It’s actually this very system that prevents piracy of any movie (which is, in fact, a federal offense).
While the majority of the industry primarily utilizes this system, very few companies or theaters have the capacity to create their own DCP files. The Nickelodeon proudly hosts one of the only festivals in the country to offer DCP creation, as seen in the 2014 Indie Grits Film Festival. Every movie was in the previously described format, sans the security, which allows filmmakers to present and share their work in a way that was formerly inaccessible. This is but a single aspect of our organization that has allowed us to become one of the premier artist venues in the Southeast. - Max Clyburn, Theater Operations Manager
H OLI DAY
P rogr ammin g
Die Hard
Miracle on 34th Street
John McTiernan. USA. DCP. 1988. 131 min. R. Yippee-ki-yay, Father Christmas! Bosnian distributors retitled this explosive Christmas caper Die Manly in the late 1980s. Sun Dec 7, 8pm + Thur Dec 18, 11pm
George Seaton. USA. DCP. 1947. 96 min. G. On its current website, Macy’s says: “The still classic holiday film Miracle on 34th Street opened in 1947 and is set in Macy’s Herald Square, proving that Macy’s has the one and only true Santa Claus.” Sat Dec 13, 12pm + Sun Dec 21, 3pm
Gremlins Joe Dante. USA. 1984. 106 min. PG. Rarely credited, the gremlins have some famous voice actors. Stripe is voiced by Frank Welker (who also voiced Fred from Scooby Doo, Where are You?) while Gizmo is voiced by comedian Howie Mandel. Sat Dec 6, 12pm + Fri Dec 12, 11pm
It’s a Wonderful Life Frank Capra. USA. DCP. 1946. 130 min. G. It’s a Wonderful Life received an official mark of disapproval from the FBI, which pegged the film as Communist propaganda thanks to its populist themes and, more
specifically, unflattering portrayal of big-city bankers. Sat Dec 20, 12pm + Mon Dec 22, 5:30pm
Home Alone Chris Columbus. USA. DCP. 1990. 103 min. PG. Rumor has it that Joe Pesci repeatedly forgot he was in a family comedy and dropped many improvised Goodfella’s-esque lines while on the set of Home Alone. Wed Dec 24, 5:30pm
SE R I E S BROUG HT TO YOU BY
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The Nickelodeon’s Civil Rights Sundays series began as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1960s African-American Civil Rights Movement in partnership with Columbia 63. Now, the Nick has broadened the scope beyond that specific time period to
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address global disenfranchised groups. Each screening is followed by a post-film discussion exploring social justice issues through a contemporary lens in an effort to expand the conversation and contribute to social change.
The (Pan) African Experience he indelible link between Africa and the Americas existed as early as the 16th century during the beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Contemporary African immigration did not start until the late 20th century when the proceedings of the cosmopolitan Civil Rights movement made it possible for blacks to access all spectrums of American opportunities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 encouraged the drafting of several population-diversifying laws such as the Immigration and Nationality Act passed by Congress in 1965 – which obtained most of its electoral support from the American South – and created a gateway for the legal immigration of groups from various parts of the world, including Africa. Today the 2 million African immigrants represent approximately 4% of the total U.S. immigrant population. The story of so many Africans, including my own, was shaped by these iconoclastic laws. My family immigrated to the U.S in 2001 via the Diversity Immigration Visa Program, the flagship program of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This was designed to diversify the U.S. immigration pool to be more inclusive of underrepresented nations such as my native Cameroon. Such initiatives have continuously articulated America’s support of Africa’s development and were reinforced with the signing of the African Growth and Opportunity Act in 2000. Today, the extant Africa-America connection is underscored in the biography of this nation’s 44th president, whose immediate ancestry finds roots in Kenya,
Here in South Carolina, African traditions run deep. The presence of the Gullah/ Geechee people in Charleston and the establishment of the Oyotunji African Village in Beaufort exemplifies direct living links between Africa and South Carolina. These ties have expanded throughout this great state and were materialized here in Columbia with the implementation of an African Studies program at the University of South Carolina Walker Institute. The initiatives emphasized the strengthening relationship between Columbia and Africa and manifested further in 2010 with the founding of the Pan-African Student Association (PANASA) at the University. Our collaboration with the Nickelodeon Theater for the showing of Half of a Yellow Sun is a celebration of this ascendant relationship and the growing success of African literature and cinema on the global stage. The film, featuring Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, is based on Chimamanda Adichie’s novel Half of a Yellow Sun and explores the volatile political situation in Nigeria during the 1960s. An outstanding literary work, the novel was placed on the New York Times’ top ten book list. Incidentally, in 2013 the film was banned in its home country of Nigeria, exposing the confines still shackling African expression. Its inclusion in Nickelodeon’s Civil Rights Sundays series is made more pertinent, as it provides a vital platform for the African voice to be heard. This film accentuates an exciting arm of the civil rights dialogue and marks the beginning of what is sure to be an engaging and stimulating conversation.
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Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert Shari Cookson and Nick Doob. USA. 2013. 75 min. NR. Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert is an HBO documentary following a 30 year old mother of three in Chattanooga, TN over the course of one year. Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine will join us for a post-film discussion. Sun Oct 19, 2pm
Half of a Yellow Sun Biyi Bandele. USA. 2013. 111 min. R. Set in the mid-to-late sixties, twin sisters return to Nigeria after their expensive English education and both make decisions that shock their family. All of this is surrounded by the Igbo people’s struggle to establish Biafra as an independent republic, and the sisters become caught up in the Nigerian Civil War. This is a partnership with PANASA at USC. Sun Nov. 16, 2pm
Evolution of a Criminal Darius Clark Monroe. USA. 2014. 81 min. NR. Filmmaker Darius Monroe tells his story of carrying out an armed bank robbery when he was 16 years old. Sun Jan 18, 2pm
Yvon L. Woappi, President, Pan-African Student
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In His Own Words
An Interview with Come Around My Way Student Hesakahi McCoy
“The program taught me stuff I never would have thought about. Film? I never would have gotten into that.”
“You don’t know how many doors this could open for you.
The experience to make your own film, the chance for people to hear your story.”
“I learned that I don’t have to change how I am for people to accept me.
I can be myself.” “I think this is for people who felt like they didn’t matter or their voice had no purpose.”
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Support for The Nick Mag made in part by:
“My family has been down for so long. To see the looks on their faces that somebody was doing something actually worthwhile… I think people are sticking in there to see me become something.
And that’s worth it all.”
Hesakahi McCoy is a 17 year old senior at C.A. Johnson High School. He is a football player, likes to draw, loves Instagram, and wants to be a lawyer when he grows up. In the Fall of 2013, in partnership with C.A. Johnson High School and The Richland Library
Teen Center, The Nick launched Come Around My Way. For one school year we taught students the basics of moving image literacy and video production to give them the tools to create documentary films about themselves and their neighborhoods.
This project is made possible by support from the Ford Foundation and the Nord Family Foundation See all of the films at nickelodeon.org/education.
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Touched by the Arts It can bring you joy or bring you to tears — whether it’s a timeless painting, a groovin’ guitar riff or a classic ballet. It goes beyond appreciating creativity. These things enrich our lives. That’s why BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is proud to support the arts. Because it matters how you’re treated.
the nickelodeon po box 7063 columbia, sc 29202 return service requested
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