Eloise Taylor

Telluride at Dartmouth!

One thing about me is I love movies! Another thing is that I love Saturday Night Live! In other words, Saturday Night, the upcoming film that focuses on the first night of SNL, is my most anticipated film of the year. Its premiere date has been marked on my calendar for an entire year; however, I was able to watch an early screening of it last week as a Dartmouth student and Hanover resident!  

This past week, the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College (colloquially called "the Hop" by students) hosted "Telluride at Dartmouth," a spin-off of the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. Through this festival, the Hop offered advance screenings of seven films, one of which was Saturday Night.

Here's the sign for the event!

When I first found out about this in the summer, I was ecstatic. A chance to see my most anticipated movie a month early? Sign me up! So on September 6, 2024, at 12:00 pm, the exact time the tickets went on sale, I bought two tickets for me and my roommate and counted down the days until September 21, the day of the screening.

Another plus about the Hop, besides access to unreleased movies, is that tickets are discounted for Dartmouth students. Typically, Hop screenings are $5, but for Telluride at Dartmouth, individual tickets were $10. Either way, watching screenings at the Hop is a steal! 

My ticket from Saturday Night!

Some of my other friends bought tickets to the matinee showing, too, and on the day, we all ate brunch in the Class of 1953 Commons (FoCo) before walking over to the theater. 

The actual screening took place in the Loew Auditorium in the Black Family Visual Arts Center (BVAC) since the Hop is currently under construction. The screening was sold out, and the auditorium was packed with students, faculty, and community members.

The entrance to the Loew Auditorium!

For an hour and forty-eight minutes, I sat in the back row of the auditorium with my friends and watched my most anticipated movie, and it did not disappoint. The film was amazing and watching it at Dartmouth added a whole new dimension to it. 

Dartmouth has many connections to SNL, including multiple cast members and writers graduating from the college (like the iconic Rachel Dratch). The magic of SNL is a part of the magic of Dartmouth!

Having the opportunity to watch Saturday Night, as well as six other amazing films, through Telluride at Dartmouth was great and just another positive to attending Dartmouth College. The Hop provides ample opportunities for students to watch movies, musical performances, and even attend panels with star-studded speakers and experts.

I cannot wait to explore the Hop more and watch another movie soon. I already have my tickets to the next one!