Cinema Slapdown
Cinema Slapdown
Come for the film, stay for the fight! Fun. Fractious. Free.
Screenings are held in Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor
Each screening starts at 7 pm followed by a spirited debate.
The Fall season of Cinema Slapdown brought more surprises than any of us expected. Right from the beginning, it was clear we were going to have an exceptional run.
Beginning with a special Weeks of Welcome Slapdown of the cult classic Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, we saw a dramatic uptick in our audiences. Close to 320 peope showed up for this event, enough to open and fill both breakout rooms as well as the theater. And this was only the beginning. Our next Slapdown, Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, hit close to 400.
Since we decided that a good Slapdown requires the audience to be IN the theater instead of next door, we had to turn people away. The rule is now clear: "Get there Early!"
Equally over-the-top intellectual wrangles over the documentary (or is it?) Exit Through the Gift Shop and the sci fi head trip Inception followed. We then closed the season with a hit out of the park. We invited our six feistiest debaters ever - three from Columbia and three from outside - made them choose what side they would debate and then told them that they would have to fight over the Arnold Schwarzenegger holiday epic Jingle All the Way. Well, we got what we wanted: The loudest, smartest, and most cantankerous fight this side of Passion of the Christ.
So how do we follow this up? Our Spring 2012 theme is...
Eat on Wednesday, February 8Prey on Tuesday, March 13
Love on Thursday, April 12
What exactly is Cinema Slapdown?
Cinema Slapdown is a unique screening series already well on its way to cult status. A wildly entertaining crossbreed of film discussion and knockdown, drag out debate, Cinema Slapdown showcases the best and the brightest of Columbia College Chicago’s faculty as well as total audience engagement.
At each session of Cinema Slapdown we screen a well-known though controversial film. It can be anything from a documentary that polarized its audience to a big award winner that left many scratching their heads and asking “Why?” Following the screening, two debaters (at least one of whom is a faculty member) fight it out. One loves it, one hates it, and then they open themselves up to the feelings of the audience.
Each semester is built around a specific theme.
