Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, takes place at 7:00 PM at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop). The group meets informally on the second floor in the open dining area, seated at round dining tables. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend.

Cinema Lounge is moderated by Daniel R. Vovak.

Movies that surprised: What was I supposed to think?

On March 9, 2009, we discussed the topic "Movies that surprised: What was I supposed to think?" Unfortunately, it was a topic that was difficult to pinpoint, though we tried.

In Bowfinger (1999), it was a surprise when the man imitating Eddie Murphy was a character in the movie playing Eddie Murphy's brother.

In Batman Begins (2005), one person thought she was turned off by the batman franchise, only to be surprised at the vibrant new spin on the characters, even within the first fifteen minutes of the movie.

Pay It Forward (2000) was a surprise because of its artistic message, with a different edge than the norm.

In Casino Royale (2006), the new Bond character, Daniel Craig, was a surprise for changing the image of Bond, reminiscent of how Timothy Dalton transformed the character.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) was a surprise in its cartoonish-like twist on the War of the Roses (1989) theme, using assassins.

Valkyrie (2008) was better than expected, which was a surprise.

After struggling with the topic, we evolved it into people in Hollywood who have found their own brand. The list includes: Tyler Perry (Black comedy with the same characters), Coen Brothers (Corny Movies), John Carpenter (Vampires), M. Night Shyamalan (Twists), Quentin Tarantino (Violence), Wes Craven (Horror), Jerry Bruckheimer (Explosions), and Judd Apatow (Crude humor), though Judd Apatow seems to be declining of late. In essence, "You know branded people in Hollywood, by their products."