After a brief hiatus for Spring Break (which curiously took place before spring actually began), I am pleased to announce the return of film screenings presented by the University of Louisville Student Activities Committee showcased in the wonderfully intimate Floyd Theater – past and present, obscure and mainstream, the Floyd presents movies for everybody, and on the cheap.

Up first this week is “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” directed by the very talented Tomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”), which plays tonight (Thursday) at 5:00 and 8:00. Gary Oldman stars as George Smiley, a secret agent who returns from retirement to try to nab a Soviet agent who has infiltrated MI6. The film received three coveted Academy Awards nominations, for Best Actor (Gary Oldman), Best Adapted Screenplay (from the book by John le Carré), and Best Original Score. It, unfortunately, won none of these.

This weekend brings several screenings of another Oscar magnet: “The Descendants,” directed by Alexander Payne (“Sideways,” “About Schmidt”) and starring George Clooney. Set in an idyllic Hawaiian locale, “The Descendants” tells the story of a man trying to connect with his two daughters after his wife is injured in a boating accident. While the film was nominated for five Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Editing) it only managed to win one, wresting the Adapted Screenplay Oscar away from “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (the film is based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings).

As usual, tickets for all film screenings cost $1.50 for U of L students and $3.00 for the general public. The Floyd Theater is located on the third floor of the Student Activities Center on the University of Louisville campus (look for the clock tower… but don’t bother trying to climb up, it’s locked – I checked). More information can be found at the SAB Film Committee Facebook page.

Image: Internet Movie Database.