Talk Cinema - the sneak-peek film series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts - returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. with (spoiler alert!) quirky Italian comedy The Salt of Life.
Started by renowned film critic Harlan Jacobson, the Talk Cinema series screens award-winning indie and foreign films before their theatrical release.
Expert guest speakers -- including Jacobson, who moderated this past January's screening of Declaration of War, and Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz, who moderated the November screening of Melancholia -- introduce each film and lead a discussion with audience members after the credits.
That means guests are treated not just to a sneak-preview of one of the year's great films, but also to a real-life Rotten Tomatoes forum mixed with the opinions of critics, scholars, and everyday film fans.
Past years' screenings have included such critical darlings as An Education, Casino Jack, and the documentary Page One: A Year in the Life of The New York Times.
The films are kept hush-hush until the screening, though for those of you who can't wait, the website posts a link to a preview of the upcoming film (behind a big warning) a couple weeks before the date.
Co-writer and director Gianni Di Gregorio stars in The Salt of Life as Gianni, a 60-year-old retiree with saggy under-eyes coming to terms with his revised status among women - and reviving the dream of living up to classic Italian masculinity (the swagger, the dames!). Stumbling through his aging journey with self-deprecating humor, Gianni is the sort of underdog you can't help but root for. Chrix Hazletine moderates this screening Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m.
The remaining screenings in the 2011-12 Talk Cinema series will take place on March 20, April 17, and May 8. Tickets are $19 each, $10 for students with a valid ID. Click here to learn about discount ticket packages.
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