1968. The Tet Offensive was raging in Vietnam, Star Trek aired TV’s first interracial kiss, and the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the moon.
McDonalds introduced the Big Mac, “Hey Jude” topped the pop charts, and our nation lost both RFK and MLK. And just across the Ohio River from where the Cincinnati Bengals took the field for their inaugural season, Northern Kentucky University opened its doors to their first students.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of NKU, the English Department and Cinema Studies, in cooperation with faculty from the Department of Communications, presents NKU GOLD ANNIVERSARY ON THE SILVER SCREEN: A Look Back at Films from 1968.
From August 30 to December 6, NKU will host screenings of eight films that its first students would have watched on the big screens of local movie palaces, such as the Hiland in Fort Thomas, the Marianne in Bellevue, and the Madison in Newport.
The eight films represent a wide range of genres—some serious, some funny, and some just plain creepy.
All of them have, in some way or another, made their mark on film history and influenced the movies NKU students are watching today. Each one has a unique story to tell, not only on the screen but behind it as well.
NKU faculty with expertise in film studies will guide the audience at the outset to understand how the films were culturally relevant in their own time and how we can view them in a new light today. Faculty will also highlight the interesting production histories of each film. Lively discussion after each screening should make each of the 8 films a memorable experience.
August 30 Planet of the Apes
September 13 2001: A Space Odyssey
September 27 Bullitt
October 18 Night of the Living Dead
October 25 Rosemary’s Baby
November 15 The Producers
November 29 Faces
December 6 Monterey Pop
All films will begin at 6:30 pm in NKU’s Digitorium in Griffin Hall. Screenings are free and open to the general public.
NKU’s Dr. Andrea Gazzaniga is the festival’s curator.