At least, that's what the Dartmouth Film Society wants us to believe. If you aren't already convinced that the whole world is secretly out to get you, chances are you will be by summer's end.
This term, DFS presents a cinematic extravaganza of evil plots and secret schemes sure to inspire a touch of paranoia in us all. The Society's "C is For Conspiracy" series, playing in Spaulding Auditorium, will showcase a wide range of famous big-screen conspiracies through August 20. From deadly to otherworldly to just plain silly, however you like your conspiracies, the Society has got just the flick for you.
Here's a sneak peek at some of the standout films you can look forward to this summer.
"Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" takes an unflinching look at the downfall of an anti-Nazi student group in Munich during World War II. Scholl, the only female member, was arrested and convicted of treason in 1943; her courage in the face of her interrogation and trial, notable even to her captors, continues to inspire activists around the world. You can see "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" July 5 at 7 and 9:15 p.m.
Next, the series yanks us back to the present with promising new filmmaker Rian Johnson's "Brick," a bizarre film noir set in a southern California high school. When a teenage loner embarks on an investigation of his ex-girlfriend's mysterious disappearance, he uncovers a complex crime ring operated by his elitist classmates. If you thought you had it rough in high school, check out this 2005 Sundance winner. It plays July 9 at 7 and 9:15 p.m.
Whether or not you have seen "Casablanca," you have almost certainly never experienced it on the big screen. As movies go, this Humphrey Bogart -- Ingrid Bergman World War II love story defines "classic." Critics almost universally hail it as one of the greatest pictures of all time. Romance, suspense, comedy, more classic lines than you can shake a stick at -- "Casablanca" has it all. It's playing July 12 at 7 p.m. By the way, if you have never seen it, you ought to be ashamed.
In 2003, prolific filmmaker and self-professed skeptic Werner Herzog began work on a documentary chronicling "the origin and necessity" of Scotland's legendary Loch Ness Monster. Thanks to a boating accident that effectively shut down production, Herzog never completed the project. But cinematographer John Bailey, who had been at work on a documentary about Herzog at the time, combined Herzog's unfinished film with his own footage. The combination resulted in the "Incident at Loch Ness," a mockumentary that finds the director poking uncharacteristic fun at himself while raising valid questions about truth and its manipulation. Herzog fans will particularly enjoy this funny commentary on filmmaking, playing July 23 at 7 p.m.
It's back to wartime Europe for a dual dose of romance and anti-communism in "Ashes and Diamonds," which has been hailed by critics as one of the most important Polish films of all time. A soldier receives orders on the last day of World War II to kill a new regime leader opposed by the Resistance; he grapples with his assignment in the arms of a woman who gives him an unexpected new outlook on life. Notable as much for its breathtaking cinematography as for its intense performances, "Ashes and Diamonds" definitely deserves a big screen viewing. You can see it Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.
Returning to modern times, Jim Carrey turns semi-serious in "The Truman Show," the pre-reality TV dark comedy about a man who discovers that his whole life has been a TV show. Viewed in the context of current cultural trends, this innovative, well-acted film seems weirdly prescient and it's much more satisfying than another night in front of the tube. It is showing August 20 at 7 p.m.
Also well worth your time: "The Manchurian Candidate," the classic 1962 Frank Sinatra thriller about Communist brainwashing (July 16, 7 p.m.); "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," a creepy sci-fi flick that pits a small town doctor against, well, an invasion of body-snatching aliens (July 16, 9:20 p.m.); "The President's Last Bang," a satirical look at the 1979 assassination of Korean president Park Chunghee (July 17, 7 p.m.); "The Conversation," Francis Ford Coppola's classic thriller about a neurotic surveillance expert played by Gene Hackman (July 26, 7 p.m.); "Spies," director Fritz Lang's look at the criminal underworld in Germany (July 30, 7 p.m.); "Chicken Run," the claymation action-adventure that finds a group of plucky chickens plotting their escape from eventual slaughter on an egg farm (Aug. 6, 2 and 7 p.m.); "Rififi," an acclaimed 1955 French caper film (Aug. 16, 7 p.m.); and "Les Diaboliques," an intricate murder-mystery in which a man's wife and mistress collaborate to kill him -- or so they think (Aug. 16, 9:10 p.m.). p.m.).
