Del Toro, Oswalt lead matinee series
Denver Public Library’s Saturday Matinee series is set to return online this spring with a fresh roster of celebrity guests and return appearances by directors such as Guillermo Del Toro and Rian Johnson.
Host Walter Chaw, a Denver-based film critic and author, said that the free, streaming series — which asks viewers to watch a movie on their own time, then tune in to a virtual discussion as Chaw and his guest dig in — has gathered enough momentum for another round starting in March.
“I’ve been a little slow in getting these scheduled, because at the end of last year there was some question about whether
this would continue,” Chaw said this week. “But I guess the library likes the two million impressions they got after Guillermo Del Toro tweeted about the series? It’s essentially free publicity for them, so it’s a good deal.”
Viewers can register for the sessions via denverlibrary.org. Films are typically selected from the library’s Kanopy streaming service, a free, Netflix-like site available to cardholders. Some titles must be streamed outside of Kanopy, owing to the guest’s choice of title.
Del Toro, the Oscar-winning director of “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” joined Chaw for his Jan. 9 session to discuss 1973’s “The Spirit of the Beehive.” The violent storming of the Capitol by rightwing extremists three days earlier weighed heavily on discussions of U.S. political division, and Mexican-born Del Toro — whose films have often dealt with the Spanish Civil War — was quick to put the events into global context.
“The real unintended consequence of this series is how therapeutic it is to hear other people talk through the things they love,” Chaw said. “Listening to Guillermo Del Toro talking about film in general is great, but he had a line during our discussion where he said, ‘These divisions never heal. You
never come back together. You find a way to live together, but you never come back.’ It was devastating, but strangely healing. I think I cried three or four times during the course of that.”
The latest round of guests has not yet been finalized, but Chaw said he’s made tentative plans for best-selling crime author and Denver resident James Ellroy (“L.A. Confidential,” “The Black Dahlia”) to join the series March 6, followed by soap-star and horror film legend Barbara Crampton (“Re-Animator,” “Body Double”) on March 27.
In the pipeline are comic and actor Patton Oswalt (“Ratatouille,” “Big Fan”); indie-rock singer-songwriter and author John
Darnielle (The Mountain Goats); and actor and director Illeana Douglas (“To Die For,” “Ghost World”). Chaw brought Douglas to Denver in 2015 when he managed the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Littleton.
In April and May, Chaw hopes to find dates for Israeli director Aharen Keshales (“Rabid,” “Big Bad Wolves”); director Macon Blair (currently shooting the “Toxic Avenger” reboot for Legendary Pictures); and writer Maggie Levin (currently writing “Labyrinth 2,” with “Doctor Strange” director and Chaw’s buddy Scott Derrickson attached).
In addition to return appearances from Del Toro, Denverbred director Johnson (“Knives Out,” “The Last Jedi”) and actordirector Alex Winter (“Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”), Chaw also plans to host director Leigh Whannell (2020’s “The Invisible Man,” and co-creator of the “Saw” franchise) and Em
my-winning director Reed Morano (“The Rhythm Section,” “The Handmaid’s Tale”).
All names and dates are subject to change, Chaw reminded, but he’s confident most will firm up in the coming weeks, given the program’s track record.
“The comments afterward from people have been extremely gratifying,” Chaw said. “Like, ‘Thank God for this.’ ‘How timely!’ ... . To have these really thoughtful creators contextualize film, their work and what’s happening in the world realtime has been a gift.”