By: Winona Rajamohan
Walking into a theater completely unaware of what the movie is about or who’s going to be acting in it isn’t the usual scenario for most moviegoers.
However, Cinema Club Silicon Valley’s co-director Alejandro Adams said members of the club have a sense of adventure that keeps them excited about its “secret movie” element as it makes its way to 3Below Theaters in downtown San Jose.
“Our members’ feedback include phrases like ‘I would have never chosen to see that,’ ‘I was absolutely blown away’ or even ‘I’m so glad somebody made that decision for me,’” Adams said.
“If it’s not challenging in some way then it’s not measuring up to what our mission is,” Adams added, citing previous movies that touched on the refugee crisis in Europe, the challenges of growing up homosexual and questions surrounding red-state politics.
For 22 years, Cinema Club Silicon Valley has invited members each month to watch a movie that has been carefully selected by Adams and fellow co-director Sara Vizcarrondo. Afterward, audience members engage in a Q&A session with directors, producers, cinematographers or even all three at the same time.
“The fact that it is a surprise, I find it very enjoyable,” club member Eric Muller said. “You’re seeing something pretty
interesting and offbeat, that shows in festivals but not really in local cinemas.”
The movies are not made known to attending members until the lights start to dim and the film begins to roll. They then find themselves pulled into the club’s mission of enriching lives through films that spark social consciousness and emotions.
Adams, a filmmaker, and Vizcarrondo, a film writer, were the first choices to direct the club after its previous director had to step down suddenly due to personal obligations.
Though they were determined to finish the rest of the club’s remaining season as co-directors, it was the attachment with the members and their strong reactions to the movies that really pushed them on to stay.
“I get a better sense of [the members] when we’re having a Q&A session with the filmmakers than I do in the lobby shaking hands,” Adams responded. “You find out how philosophically inclined they are and where their love for
movies came from.”
Muller said he is a big fan of meeting with the people behind the movie, Adams jokingly said that he should be the club’s Q&A poster boy.
“When I was in college, there was no Netflix and we would all see movies on Friday and Saturday nights at the theaters for a couple bucks. It was a social experience,” Muller said. “If you have that through this club, you have the added benefit of talking to the people who created this film, knowing the challenges behind it, that’s the fun part.”
With 3Below only a couple blocks away from San Jose State University, Adams hopes to reach and open the minds of students with a variety of movie themes.
Photography junior Nanzi Muro’s first time visiting Cinema Club was during its last meeting on Nov. 18.
The club played a movie called “Styx” which revolved around refugees and modern political turmoil.
Muro said having something like Cinema Club is necessary for students, and all young people who are aware of the state of the world.
“Let’s have a conversation with the community, let’s be open and let’s have that dialogue between each other and let’s talk about these topics in our everyday life,” Muro said.
Cinema Club has introduced a student discount offer on a limited quantity of full memberships and movie punch cards as a way to boost its presence among students.
Students are able to contact Cinema Club Silicon Valley through its website and mention that they are a student to get access to the code.
“Let’s also bring this [to the attention of] majors like Mexican-American studies, from African-American studies, from political science because like these are topics that they read about and know so much about,” Muro said. “Together with that, we can all do something strong and positive.”
