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NJ Film Fest Presents "DEFORCE"

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- On February 5, the New Jersey Film Festival presents "DEFORCE" -- a documentary that has been described as "...an unflinching look at the politics of the American inner-city." The film was an official selection of the 20th Annual Message to Man Documentary Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia; 12th Annual Waterfront Film Festival, Saugatuck, MI; 5th Annual Hells Half Mile Film Festival, Bay City, MI -- Voted Best Documentary; and 10th Annual New Hampshire Film Festival, Portsmouth, NH. "DEFORCE" will be shown at Voorhees Hall on Saturday, Februrayr 5th at 7pm.

DEFORCE is a study of the political conflict that has suppressed one of the most diverse and dynamic cities in America. From New Deal housing policy to the modern Drug War the film focuses on the tools that divided the city economically and socially. Themes that are common in most cities, but the extremes shown make it uniquely Detroit.

The film feature's candid interviews from Detroit's foremost authors, historians and journalists including ML Elrick- a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Elrick's investigative reporting helped lead to the felony conviction of former Mayor Kilpatrick's and his recent indictment on charges of extortion and corruption. And with its 86 minute running time, the documentary is able to go beyond the headlines and reveal the history that fostered such corruption.

From Pastor's to Drug-Dealers the films interviewees pose diverse opinions about the causes and effects of Detroit's troubles. Combined with extensive archival materials and beautiful original footage, DEFORCE presents a captivating lesson on the historical divisions of American cities.

A Selection of the New Jersey Film Festival, DEFORCE screens one-time only- Saturday, February 5th at 7pm, Vorhees Hall (71 Hamilton St. in New Brunswick). This is the Film's only showing in New Jersey. The Director is scheduled to be in attendance to take questions from the audience.

You can view the trailer(s) and read more about the film by visiting www.deforcemovie.com. To find out about ticket availability, prices and other films showing at the festival visit www.njfilmfest.com.

About the Director
Born in Detroit and raised in Oakland County's working class, Daniel Falconer studied at NYU's Tisch School of Arts. Started in 2008, Falconer co-wrote, directed and produced DEFORCE- his first feature-film. He will be in attendance at Sunday's showing to take questions.

Rahway Presents Pop-Up Screening of "Best of Rahway Reel Shorts"
(RAHWAY, NJ) -- In 2019, the Rahway Arts and Business Partnership will continue to expand the Culture Crawl Concept to include the Culture Crawl Film Series, with the first pop-up screening, “Best of Rahway Reel Shorts,” scheduled for Saturday, January 19th from 8:00pm-10:30pm at Atelier Rosal (74 E. Cherry St.) in downtown Rahway.

State Theatre Presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert with NJSO
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra present Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in concert with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra featuring Conductor Constantine Kitsopolous on Saturday January 6, 2019 at 3:00pm. Tickets range from $35-$125.

A Look At New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2019
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, presents the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2019 which marks the festival's 37th Anniversary. The Festival will take place between January 25 and March 1, 2019. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2019 will feature over 35 film screenings.

NJPAC Presents Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Live in Concert With The NJSO
(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Harry Potter Film Concert Series returns to New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Live in Concert, on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm. See the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra perform the magical score live while the entire film plays in high-definition on a 40-foot screen.

REVIEW: "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald"
For better or worse (worse in this writer’s eyes), the success of the Harry Potter franchise is largely responsible for the current Hollywood landscape of endless sequels, prequels and that awful phrase “universe building.” The Potter films showed Hollywood that it was a far safer financial model to hook audiences into returning for instalments of an ongoing series rather than taking a punt on the unknown quantity of original properties.

REVIEW: "Shoplifters"
Earlier this year, writer/director extraordinaire Hirokazu Kore-eda surprised us with The Third Murder, a legal thriller that made for a stark departure from the sentimental family dramas he’s become known for. With his Palme d’Or winning Shoplifters, Kore-eda is back on familiar ground, but this particular family drama shares much in common with The Third Murder. With his thriller, Kore-eda deconstructed the genre, forcing us to question how willingly we place our trust in a storyteller. Similarly, Shoplifters sees Kore-eda lull his audience into a false sense of security, making us develop a warmth and affection towards people who may not warrant such empathy.

REVIEW: "First Man"
The image that most defines the 20th century is that of a man standing on the surface of the moon. The man is astronaut Neil Armstrong, but we can’t see his face as he’s wearing a helmet, the glass of which reflects our collective achievement back at us. When he took a small step, we all took a giant leap with him, and Armstrong instantly became more than a mere man, a symbol. With First Man, director Damien Chazelle takes us inside the famous helmet, stripping away the symbol to tell the story of Armstrong the man.

REVIEW: "Halloween"
In 2013, John Carpenter’s Halloween received a 35th anniversary blu-ray release. The accompanying booklet credited the following line of dialogue to Jamie Lee Curtis’s babysitting heroine Laurie Strode: “Was it the boogeyman?” Of course, that’s a misquote. In the scene in question, Laurie admits to herself that “It WAS the boogeyman,” to which Donald Pleasence’s Doctor Loomis solemnly replies, “As a matter of fact, it was.”

REVIEW: "Cold War"
Back in 2006, German cinema scored something of a breakout global hit with Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others, which followed the travails of a group of disgruntled, pro-western artists in communist era East Germany. At the time I couldn’t help viewing the protagonists of Von Donnersmarck’s drama as the sort of people who would be just as discontented with their lot if they found themselves living in the capitalist west. The grass is always greener on the other side.

Event calendar
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2018

MUSIC

THE NEPTUNES @ Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City, Atlantic City - 7:00pm

Funk Tuesdays @ Crossroads (Garwood), Garwood - 8:00pm

Holiday Express Benefit Concert @ Count Basie Center For The Arts, Red Bank - 7:30pm

COMEDY

H.A.G.S. COMEDY SHOW @ The Saint, Asbury Park - 7:30pm

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