Edinboro Film Series Gets Bad-Ass Movies

The current Edinboro Film Series is in full swing as spring approaches, its ongoing program nearing the halfway point between its kick-off screenings in January and its ending showings in April.

But there's still plenty of way-cool flicks - hand-picked by series founder and local filmmaker/maven John C. Lyons along with an Edinboro University student board - to take in between now and then, including many (really, many) that defy labeling beyond one (hyphenated) word: Bad-Ass.

"We've got something for everyone and I couldn't be more excited," Lyons said when the series' spring installment was first announced in January. "I'm very proud of this program, which showcases our board's diverse tastes and includes gems like Dear White People and its timely themes; the unbelievably true story of Mark Landis in Art and Craft; beautiful and sexy art-house favorite The Duke of Burgundy; and the brutal, action-packed The Raid 2, which serves as the perfect lead-in to an amazing 24-hour Bad-Ass Film Festival event."

That event, the Bad-Ass Film Festival's 2015 Bad-Ass Gauntlet, is an invitational, one-day-long (like, all-day-long) film fest presented in cooperation with the Film Society of Northwestern PA. "Films are chosen not on whether they have met any traditional standard film festival criteria for 'good' or 'bad," according to organizers, "but, are they BAD-ASS? ... [It's] an endurance test for any film lover."

For more information on the 2015 Bad-Ass Gauntlet, which runs from April 11 to 12 at Edinboro University, as well as Edinboro Film Series' current lineup, showtimes, and more details, call the box office at 732-1048, or visit edinboro.edu/filmseries.

Writer/photographer Ryan Smith can be contacted at rSmith@ErieReader.com, and you can follow him on Twitter @RyanSmithPlens.