Travel the world at 5th Avenue Cinemas

Time and Tide (Seunlau Ngaklau)
Death in Venice (Morte a Venezie)
5th Avenue Cinemas
510 S.W. Hall
503-725-4470
May 31 & April 1 – 7 & 9:15 p.m.
$2 PSU students w/ID, $3 students/seniors, $4 general

When some people think of foreign films it is easy to picture elitist snobs sitting around in all black and drinking strong espresso. These people are generally embroiled in coolly blas퀌� conversations about the lack of taste present in the entertainment of the bourgeoisie. They lament about the fact that they cannot wait until they graduate so that they can get the hell out of the United States of McDonald’s and engage in real intellectual conversations with much smarter people in Amsterdam.

One theory about their need to escape to a place such as this is that they are really closet potheads and just want to go into a bar and “puff, puff, give” away.

Not so, the real reason that they so clearly despise people who do not share their upper crust taste is because deep down they are just like us. They know that if anyone finds out that they are planning to drive out to Beaverton and see “Men in Black II” on opening night they would be the laughing stock of the European Intellectual History Club.

Let’s try to put these people at ease. It is perfectly acceptable to like low brow humor as well as snob-fest foreign films. At the other end of the spectrum maybe the tasteless proletariat should give those subtitles a try, just to show everyone that this cultural openness can go both ways.

If you are down with making an effort to broaden your horizons, or you just love to read a movie, go on down to the 5th Avenue Cinema for a cheap lesson. True fans of foreign cinema who need a break from the rigors of studying for finals can take a break with “Time and Tide” (Seunlau Ngaklau) and “Death in Venice” (Morte a Venezie). Two films from very different genres that have won acclaim both in their home countries and here in the United States.

“Time and Tide” is a Hong Kong action flick that is filled with excessive violence for the Arnold fans and it is in Chinese to appease the foreign junkies. The basic premise of the film is that it centers around a guy named Tyler who takes a job as a security guard in order to provide for the lesbian mother of his baby who incidentally doesn’t really like him that much. Tyler meets another poor sucker named Jack who he soon discovers is in a similar situation. Tyler and Jack join forces and from there it is a whole lot of action and mayhem for everyone.

“Death in Venice” is Luchino Visconti’s adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel. The film is about an avant-garde composer who travels to a resort in Venice. On said trip the old man falls for an adolescent boy on vacation with his mommy and daddy. This one sounds like a winner for everyone.

Throw out your inhibitions and head on down to the 5th Ave. for a night of culture and shock. This could be the beginning of something great for the non-foreign film lovers or it could just send them all screaming to the nearest Act III Cinema for some mainstream rubbish. Either way it will be worth it.