By Lea Killian
A&E Editor
In 1982, Cameron History Professor Mark Stegmaier and English/Foreign Language Professor Marilyn Beaney started the Magic Lantern Film Society.
In an effort to celebrate classic films, the organization began hosting regular movie nights for students, faculty and the general public.
While the form in which these movies are viewed has changed with the times, the essence of Magic Lantern Film Society has not.
Transitioning from projectors, to VHS tapes and now to DVDs, the organization continues to feature films that audiences may not otherwise seek out.
Now in his 30th year as advisor, Cameron English Professor Dr. John Morris expressed his enthusiasm for the organization and the ways in which it benefits the university.
“Increasingly,” he said, “people don’t watch movies in theaters. They don’t see movies with an audience. It’s important to have that communal experience … We would like to think Magic Lantern has entertainment, cultural and educational functions. We show cult classics, but also some great films, too. They are a form of literature, I think.”
Morris also recounted scenes and quotes from his favorite films, detailing their various awards, actors and the ways in which so many of them were products of their time periods.
He also expressed how these films ultimately influenced the audiences who viewed them.
Cameron University Senior English Major Briley Jones serves as the president of Magic Lantern, and much like Morris, shares a passion for the films they show.
“I’m a huge film fan,” he said. “I’m honored to share classic films in a public setting. As a young person, it’s important to keep viewing these films, as they have artistic and cultural importance. It’s cinema that has something to say.”
The Magic Lantern Film Society currently shows eight movies a year, catering to every kind of moviegoer with varying interests.
“We would like to think we have something for everyone,” Morris said.
The organization also offers a place on the Cameron website for students and faculty to suggest movies.
Ultimately, they hope to get back to showing ten films a year, including more foreign films.
Morris shared that often his favorite part of being Magic Lantern’s faculty advisor is witnessing an audience member’s surprise at enjoying a film they initially appeared uncertain about.
“There was a young man who was sitting in the front row, and he asked me if the movie was going to be in color,” he said. “We were showing ‘Some Like It Hot,’ the Billy Wilder film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. I said, ‘No, it’s in black and white.’ He wrinkled his nose in distaste, but you know what? He loved it. It’s a slapstick. It’s a riot. It still works. He never would have gone out of his way to see that.”
The Magic Lantern Film Society will host their next movie night at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the CETES Conference Center, Room A.
They will be screening “Marathon Man,” a 1976 thriller starring Dustin Hoffman, Sir Lawrence Olivier and Roy Schreider.
The film involves a rogue government agent, stolen diamonds and exiled Nazis.
All screenings are presented free; though, donations are welcome.