Overview: Made in the same year as the Three Mile Island incident, "The China Syndrome" posits a core meltdown in a Californian nuclear plant. What if contractors, driven by profit, omit to x-ray all the welded joints in a power station's water pumps? What if contaminated water leaches into the environment? What if faulty instruments indicate that reactor rods are being cooled, when in fact they are exposed, and generating uncontainable heat? The film is also a dissertation on the power of the media to shape our awareness. In the opening sequence we see images of Kimberly Wells, the Channel 3 news presenter, but we hear the disembodied voices of directors controlling the newscast. Powerful, unseen people decide what we can see. There are also mis-hearings and broken links - TV is an imperfect medium and the wrong information can easily be conveyed. "Hey! Hey! Is anybody listening to me?" asks Kimberly. It is a metaphor for the whole film. About our Movie Matinees: The CAST Senior Center is partnering with the New Ulm Public Library to bring you Movie Matinees. Held in the Meeting Room in the lower level of the New Ulm Public Library, we will present a different movie each Friday afternoon at 1pm. Our movies are free, and everyone is welcome to attend. No preregistration needed. Made possible by the Optimist Club of New Ulm. For 2025, we’re returning to our “Through the Decades” movie theme. We will be showing movies from the Top 100 Movies list of their decade. Beginning with the 1930s in January, through September, plus November. October is reserved for classic monster movies for Halloween and December for Holiday classics. You’re welcome to bring your own refreshments. Free hearing devices compatible with the sound system are available to use. And you don’t have to be a “senior” to attend! See some old favorites and discover some new ones. Join us for a fun afternoon of classic cinema!