ABC's Bill Blakemore Joins Geoff Cocks for Campus Screening of 'Room 237'

ABC News correspondent Bill Blakemore joins Albion College history professor Geoff Cocks for the Michigan premiere of "Room 237," the new documentary exploring Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic The Shining." Blakemore and Cocks will hold a panel discussion following the Michigan premiere of "Room 237" on Monday, November 19, at 7 p.m. in the Albion College Bobbitt Visual Arts Center.

"Room 237" is a fascinating exploration of the hidden meanings and symbols woven into "The Shining." Five commentators and scholars, with widely different points of views, draw viewers into a maze of meanings actually or allegedly inhabiting the Kubrick film. Their commentary provides narration for an ingenious presentation, including digital manipulation of scenes from "The Shining" and other films.

Blakemore and Cocks are each featured in "Room 237," explaining how aspects of "The Shining" address genocide of Native Americans and European Jews. Cocks, who has written books and taught courses on Kubrick' s films, notes that "a German typewriter, a shirt sporting the number 42, and certain selections of music, all refer to the Nazi Final Solution, the deadliest year of which was 1942. None of this is accidental," said Cocks. "Kubrick was a voracious reader, especially of modern European and German history, and this knowledge--as well as his own Jewish background--deeply influenced his usual meticulous work on this film. The scenes in all of Kubrick's films are filled with information and reference and you can watch them over and over and still find something new."

ABC News correspondent Blakemore has spent more than 35 years covering stories around the globe. His career included reporting on 12 wars, the entire tenure John Paul II's papacy and the fall of the World Trade towers on 9/11. Blakemore's current ABC work focuses on global warming-related issues.

"Rodney Ascher's 'Room 237' is a very clever and entertaining film," Cocks said. "It contains a great deal to delight and inform lovers of cinema in general and fans of Kubrick in particular."

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Cocks at 517/629-0390 or .

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