Movie Club of Downey celebrates 5 months of stellar films

DOWNEY - For the last few months, Movie Club of Downey has been featuring movie gems on the big screen at the Epic Lounge on 2nd Street. Movie Club was first conceived in 2009 by movie aficionado Pat Gil. In January of this year, Movie Club officially found its public domain at the Epic Lounge and has been only getting stronger.

Movie Club is all about masterpiece treasures like indie and foreign films that get the noggin turning Clockwork Orange-style and the heart pounding like a V8 engine. Previous showings include "The Secret in Their Eyes," "Dangerous Liaisons," "Once," and "The Hunter". Events incorporate awesome raffle prizes like movie theatre tickets, DVDs, and soundtracks.

For know-it-alls or playful spirits, the movie news and trivia segments are perfect! You can enjoy some delectable LA Buns on café-style tables while viewing the film. There's also an intermission so you can stretch your legs while grabbing a drink at the bar or while discussing the film with others.

Attendees are encouraged to bring appetizers or desserts for extra raffle tickets that increase their odds at winning more prizes. The lounge even got all decked out on Oscar day with a red carpet and a larger-than-life sized golden boy. Sponsors LA Buns, Moving Still Pictures, and Style and Beauty Salon make all of this financially possible.

A team of serious movie fans and creative talents from Downey Arts Coalition make these events fun and ultra-memorable. Décor, audio/video, and general line-up of cool happenings are brought to you by Pat Gil, Polaris Castillo, Julian Park, and Eloisa Ball.

Pat Gil is the connoisseur of all things film-related and serves as one of the Event Producer for the Downey Arts Coalition. Polaris Castillo is a film-maker who has created five well-received short films such as "BalloonHead" as well as several music videos. Julian Park is also a film-maker, having already made various documentaries under his company Handi, including "Bumblebee Loves You" and "Homeless in Downey", which documented the counting of the homeless in Downey. Eloisa Ball is a diligent event asst. coordinator who keeps Movie Club, as well as many other DAC events, afloat and neatly tied together.

"The Visitor" is the carefully-selected feature for the month of May. The lead role is played by Richard Dale Jenkins, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. "The Visitor" represents what the Movie Club stands for: appreciation of art, love of music, social consciousness, and political messages that motivate.

Rotten Tomatoes describes "The Visitor" as "a heartfelt, humanistic drama that deftly explores identity, immigration, and other major post-9/11 issues." The movie boasts an 89% on the Tomatometer, with critics and movie watchers enjoying it alike.

Because of the significance of drums in the storyline, Movie Club has decided to book live music by Bravo Trauma for this special day of celebration, marking its 5th month of existence, and DAC's "Make Music Downey", an up-coming music event on June 8. Attendees are encouraged to bring percussion instruments to play along too.

Movie fans are sure to leave feeling inspired and renewed, as they have done at previous Movie Club events.

Movie Club takes place every third Sunday of the month at the Epic Lounge from 1:30 to 5 PM. Movie Club is a celebration of well-crafted movies, and all of its events are absolutely free, but donations for DAC are welcomed. Epic Lounge is located at 8239 2nd St., Downey.