How do we know if a film is well-written, above and beyond snappy dialogue? What constitutes a great screen performance? What goes into praiseworthy cinematography, editing, and sound design? And what does a director really do? Come find out with The Lincoln Theater as we announce registration in our first ever Book Club. Gain a new appreciation and enjoyment of the movies while exploring film making through its various disciplines as we read “Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies” by author Ann Hornaday, chief film critic at the Washington Post and finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in criticism. Hornaday writes with a clarity and compassion that inspires both the serious and casual movie fans among us.  Ms. Hornaday will also be joining in by live video conference for the final session.

Full of engaging anecdotes and interviews with actors and filmmakers, “Talking Pictures” will help us see movies in a whole new light – not just as fans, but as film critics in our own right.Each chapter of the book is broken into a category of film production covering the essential elements of movie making from casting to sound editing. Horanday provides examples of movies that reflect the “best practices” of that category, basic questions to help readers make evaluations, and her personal selections for the best films in each discipline.

Along the way, Hornaday offers surprising opinions and lively insights – arguing that Judd Apatow’s coolly received Funny People might be his best film, explaining why Nicholas Cage is his generation’s answer to Bertholt Brecht, and revealing the unlikely connection between a wicker basket and the wind-blown palm trees in Cast Away. As described by Lisa Schwarzbaum in the New York Times book review, “Talking Pictures” is “a pleasantly calm, eminently sensible, down-the-middle primer for the movie lover — amateur, professional or Twitter-centric orator — who would like to acquire and sharpen basic viewing skills."

The “Talking Pictures” book club will meet each Thursday, March 7 to March 28 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., covering two chapters each week - beginning with Chapter 1 “The Screenplay” and Chapter 2 “Acting.” Ann Hornaday will join the group via video conference during the last meeting on March 28.

The cost to register is $25 and includes a copy of the book and admission to that afternoon’s matinee film screening where you can enjoy the film and apply the knowledge you acquired from that day’s meeting.  Registration for Lincoln Theater’s latest film adventure, “Talking Pictures” Book Club is by phone only and is limited to 20 people. Registration begins Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. -  call the theater at 563-3424 to register.