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Movie Madness University has announced its fall slate of classes, with courses covering everything from ’80s horror to Star Wars parodies. One name looms particularly large in the lineup: Wong Kar-wai.
Starting Monday, Sept. 11, MMU will beginning offering The Wondrous World of Wong Kar-wai, a four-week crash course in the work of the legendary Hong Kong filmmaker, whose many romantic masterpieces include In the Mood for Love and The Grandmaster.
Taking an MMU class is a unique experience (full disclosure: I taught a course there about Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain in 2022). Students file into the video store’s shadowy welcoming miniplex, where screenings and discussions are held, usually in a friendly yet discerning manner that stands in stark contrast to the bombast that often consumes online film discourse.
While MMU can’t publicly reveal all of its screenings due to licensing restrictions, the Wong course will focus on his works from the ’80s and ’90s. So count out films from the early aughts (like 2046), but don’t be surprised if As Tears Go By (his rapturous, violent feature debut) and Chungking Express (easily his best film of the ’90s) make the cut.
Tuition is $75 for the four-week class and $60 for Hollywood Theatre and Movie Madness members (class size will be limited to 18). And if you need another reason to sign up, consider this: It’s a good chance to prepare for Wong’s long-awaited project Blossoms Shanghai.