THE 10TH VICTIM
[LA DECIMA VITTIMA] It is the 21st century, and society’s lust for violence is satisfied by “The Big Hunt,” an international game of legalized murder. Players are selected at random by a computer, and it is up to the “Hunter” to get his “Victim” and kill him — no matter what. The divine Caroline Meredith (Ursula Andress) — doing in her last victim at a New York nightclub with a cleverly concealed pair of pistols in her bra — and the dashing Marcello Polletti (Marcello Mastroianni) — doing in his last victim, a rider in a horse show, by attaching... read more
[LA DECIMA VITTIMA] It is the 21st century, and society’s lust for violence is satisfied by “The Big Hunt,” an... read more
3 WOMEN (1977)
Reputedly, one of Altman’s most enigmatic movies came to him in a dream. When shy teenager Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek) takes a job in a California desert-town nursing home, she falls under the influence of her coworker Millie (Shelley Duvall), a self-styled, would-be sophisticate. Seemingly a blank slate, Pinky adopts Millie as a role model, then appropriates her personality — and possessions. Janice Rule plays the third woman, pregnant with the child of her womanizing bartender husband; her childbirth induces another round of personality swapping. DIR/SCR/PROD Robert Altman. U.S., 1977, color, 124 min. RATED PG read more
Reputedly, one of Altman’s most enigmatic movies came to him in a dream. When shy teenager Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek)... read more
8½ in 35mm
[OTTO E MEZZO] One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini’s 8½ turns one man’s artistic crisis into a grand epic of the cinema. Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life. An early working title for 8½ was THE BEAUTIFUL CONFUSION, and Fellini’s masterpiece is exactly that: a shimmering dream, a circus and a magic act. The film also stars Bruno Agostini, Sandra Milo, Anouk Aimée, Barbara Steele, Caterina Boratto and Claudia Cardinale. DIR/SCR Federico Fellini; SCR Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi; PROD Angelo Rizzoli.... read more
[OTTO E MEZZO] One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini’s 8½ turns one man’s artistic crisis... read more
APOCALYPSE NOW: THE FINAL CUT
“This isn't a film about Vietnam. This film is Vietnam,” said director Francis Ford Coppola of his epic 1979 war drama, now considered one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. Battle-weary U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) accepts a mission to travel by river from south Vietnam into Cambodia to “terminate with extreme prejudice” the command of Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), an AWOL Special Forces officer who has apparently gone insane. The U.S. Army’s helicopter attack on a Vietnamese village, set to Wagner's “Ride of the Valkyries,” is perhaps cinema’s most famous interpolation of classical... read more
“This isn't a film about Vietnam. This film is Vietnam,” said director Francis Ford Coppola of his epic 1979 war... read more
THE ASSASSIN (1961)
[L’ASSASSINO] Best known for THE 10TH VICTIM and the Oscar®-winning INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION, Elio Petri was one of the finest yet most underrated postwar Italian directors. Unjustly neglected since its acclaimed original release, THE ASSASSIN is a remarkably assured debut, starring Marcello Mastroianni as Alfredo Martelli, a dandyish antiques dealer arrested on suspicion of murdering his older, far wealthier lover. As a Kafka-esque investigation proceeds, it becomes less and less important whether Alfredo actually committed the crime, as his entire lifestyle is effectively put on trial. (Note adapted from American Genre Film Archive.) DIR/SCR Elio Petri; SCR... read more
[L’ASSASSINO] Best known for THE 10TH VICTIM and the Oscar®-winning INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION, Elio Petri was one... read more
BARTON FINK
With its Cannes win, this “writer’s nightmare” from the not-so-Golden Age of Hollywood launched the Coen brothers’ international reputation. New York playwright and “champion of the common man” Barton Fink (John Turturro) tries his luck writing for Hollywood and soon finds himself toiling hopelessly on a “wrestling picture” for Wallace Beery. Stricken with writer’s block, he begs his novelist hero W.P. “Bill” Mahew (John Mahoney) for help. But if Turturro weren not so self-involved, he might listen more closely to real common man Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), his neighbor at the seedy Hotel Earle, who “could tell you stories that... read more
With its Cannes win, this “writer’s nightmare” from the not-so-Golden Age of Hollywood launched the Coen brothers’ international reputation. New... read more
THE BIRDCAGE
Drag club owner Armand (Robin Williams) and his partner and star performer Albert (Nathan Lane) have a good life in Miami, and Armand’s son is set to bring home his fiancée to meet the folks. The only problem? His future father-in-law (Gene Hackman) is a conservative senator and staunch “family values” advocate. The film features brilliant turns by Williams and Lane, and Hackman is no slouch either, turning in a memorable performance that proved his virtuosity as a comic actor. A hilarious remake of the 1978 film LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, THE BIRDCAGE found director Mike Nichols working with a... read more
Drag club owner Armand (Robin Williams) and his partner and star performer Albert (Nathan Lane) have a good life in... read more
BLOOD SIMPLE
The Coen brothers’ uncommonly assured debut film was a bona fide indie hit — in fact, it helped define what an “indie hit” was. A Texas-set neo-noir full of grisly humor and with a page or two stolen from the horror film playbook, the film features the Coens’ first great screen villain in M. Emmet Walsh’s Visser, a sleazy private eye hired by roadhouse proprietor Julian (Dan Hedaya) to catch his cheating wife, Abby (Frances McDormand). Greedy double-crossing and inventive plot-twisting lead to a memorably thrilling climax. DIR/SCR Joel Coen; SCR/PROD Ethan Coen. U.S., 1984, color, 95 min. RATED R read more
The Coen brothers’ uncommonly assured debut film was a bona fide indie hit — in fact, it helped define what... read more
BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS
BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, OR SITTING BULL’S HISTORY LESSON Paul Newman chews the scenery as Buffalo Bill Cody, a drunk and a skirt chaser who, thanks to the mythmaking reportage of Ned Buntline (Burt Lancaster), has become a national hero and hugely successful entertainer. Plied with liquor and flattery by his press agent/handler (Joel Grey), he just about keeps it together long enough to perform in his Wild West Show. But the introduction of Chief Sitting Bull gets under Bill’s skin...right before President Cleveland is due to attend. DIR/SCR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR Alan Rudolph, from the play “Indians” by... read more
BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, OR SITTING BULL’S HISTORY LESSON Paul Newman chews the scenery as Buffalo Bill Cody, a... read more
CALIFORNIA SPLIT
For many, Robert Altman’s film is the quintessential movie about the gambling life. Two men (Elliott Gould and George Segal) who share a passion for gambling become fast friends after meeting at a low-stakes California poker parlor. They go on a spree that takes them to Vegas and gives them a shot at a big-money game. By turns funny and poignant, CALIFORNIA SPLIT captures the highs of risk and reward, and the attendant manias, with Gould and Segal at the top of their games as the gambling buddies. DIR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR/PROD Joseph Walsh. U.S., 1974, color, 108 min. RATED... read more
For many, Robert Altman’s film is the quintessential movie about the gambling life. Two men (Elliott Gould and George Segal)... read more
CAROL
This adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel “The Price of Salt” follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change. A young woman in her 20s, Therese (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection... read more
This adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel “The Price of Salt” follows two women from very different backgrounds who find... read more
CatVideoFest 2025
Feline fanatics, join us for the paw-some 2025 edition of CatVideoFest! Curated and edited by award-winning Seattle-based filmmaker Will Braden (HENRI, LE CHAT NOIR), CatVideoFest is a compilation of the latest and greatest cat videos, culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos and classic internet powerhouses. CatVideoFest is a joyous communal experience, only available in theaters. Enjoy 70 minutes of nonstop cuteness and bond with your fellow feline fanatics. DIR various; PROD Will Braden. U.S., 2025, color, 73 min. In English and Feline. NOT RATED (treat as RATED G) Co-presented with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. read more
Feline fanatics, join us for the paw-some 2025 edition of CatVideoFest! Curated and edited by award-winning Seattle-based filmmaker Will Braden... read more
CITY OF WOMEN
[LA CITTÀ DELLE DONNE] Federico Fellini’s epic 1980 fantasia is a sexy, surreal tour de force akin to a Hollywood musical in its arch artifice. In a semi-reprise of his character from 8½, Marcello Mastroianni plays Federico Fellini’s alter ego Snàporaz. As if passing into a dream, the charismatic avatar finds himself initiated into a phantasmagoric world, structured as an array of psychosexual set pieces, where women — or an idea of women — have taken power, culminating in a bravura hot air balloon sequence that decisively puts the “anti” into “climax.” DIR/SCR Federico Fellini; SCR Bernardino Zapponi; PROD Franco... read more
[LA CITTÀ DELLE DONNE] Federico Fellini’s epic 1980 fantasia is a sexy, surreal tour de force akin to a Hollywood... read more
CLOUD (2024)
[クラウド] This stylish, subversive thriller from suspense maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, PULSE) centers on Yoshii (Masaki Suda), an ambitious, yet directionless, young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky realm of black-market reselling, cheating buyers and sellers alike. After swindling his way into loads of cash, he becomes slowly disconnected from humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend and hiring a devoted assistant. But after a series of mysterious, sinister incidents occur, he begins to suspect his former victims could be plotting the ultimate revenge. A master of bringing carefully simmering tension to a bloody... read more
[クラウド] This stylish, subversive thriller from suspense maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, PULSE) centers on Yoshii (Masaki Suda), an ambitious, yet... read more
THE COURT JESTER
“The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.” Or is it the flagon with the dragon? One of Danny Kaye's best-loved films, THE COURT JESTER was, at the time of its release, the most expensive screen comedy to date — and a box-office flop. But over the years, it became a television matinee staple, delighting multiple generations with its witty wordplay, as well as Kaye and company’s spoofy tomfoolery with the swashbuckler’s well-worn genre conventions. The film also stars Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury, Glynis Johns, Cecil... read more
“The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that... read more
DARK EYES
[I COMPAGNI] Aboard a Mediterranean steamship around the turn of the century, Romano (Marcello Mastroianni), an aging, once-wealthy Italian gentleman, relates his tale of lost love to a Russian traveler. Via nostalgia-tinged flashbacks, he tells of a brief, bittersweet affair with a fragile young Russian woman: how they met at a spa, how he pursued her to Russia and how a knife twist of fate altered the course of his life. Weaving together multiple short stories by Chekhov (most notably “The Lady with the Dog”), this opulent, ironic romance is graced with a quintessential, Oscar®-nominated Mastroianni performance — by turns... read more
[I COMPAGNI] Aboard a Mediterranean steamship around the turn of the century, Romano (Marcello Mastroianni), an aging, once-wealthy Italian gentleman,... read more
David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome
The forthcoming film of David Gilmour’s 2024 return to Rome’s historic Circus Maximus as part of the Luck and Strange tour, his first in nearly a decade, was directed by long-time Gilmour collaborator Gavin Elder. The sublime spectacle, filmed against the backdrop of the ancient ruins of Rome, blends solo tracks from David’s most recent album “Luck and Strange,” including a stirring rendition of “Between Two Points” with Romany Gilmour, with classic Pink Floyd anthems such as “Sorrow,” “High Hopes,” “Breathe,” “Time,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb.” The Luck and Strange tour spanned 23 dates in five cities... read more
The forthcoming film of David Gilmour’s 2024 return to Rome’s historic Circus Maximus as part of the Luck and Strange... read more
EEPHUS + Q&A
The EEPHUS Barnstorming Tour comes to AFI Silver! Join in a special screening series bringing the spirit of old-school baseball on the road. Arrive at 6:45 p.m. to enjoy some pre-screening fun and games, photo ops, exclusive merch and the chance to meet members of the cast and crew. Two recreational baseball teams, the Riverdogs and Adler’s Paint, have been meeting on their New England field on Sunday afternoons for longer than anyone can remember. These middle-aged sportsmen cannot run as fast as they used to or connect as reliably with a pitch, but their vigorous appetite for socializing, squabbling... read more
The EEPHUS Barnstorming Tour comes to AFI Silver! Join in a special screening series bringing the spirit of old-school baseball... read more
FAR FROM HEAVEN
Todd Haynes’ homage to Douglas Sirk’s style of social critique by way of melodrama masterfully tells the story of a well-to-do suburban Connecticut couple in the 1950s, straitjacketed by convention but desperate to live the lives they really want. Frank Whitaker (Dennis Quaid, in one of the best performances of his career) is a closeted, alcoholic business exec, reduced to furtive couplings on the down low; his wife, Cathy (Julianne Moore), is strongly attracted to their enterprising and erudite Black gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert), but is unsure how to relate to him as a person, let alone as a woman... read more
Todd Haynes’ homage to Douglas Sirk’s style of social critique by way of melodrama masterfully tells the story of a... read more
FOLKTALES
In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s life-affirming film, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. In Norse mythology, the three “Norns” are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans’ futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. FOLKTALES tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional “gap year” learning to... read more
In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s life-affirming film, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic... read more
FUNNY FACE (1957)
Greenwich Village bookworm Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) is whisked off to Paris and turned into a top model by fashion magazine editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) and photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). Director Stanley Donen inventively mounts the musical numbers, including Thompson’s brassy credo “Think Pink!”; Astaire's title song, sung to his model's developing image in his darkroom; and Hepburn’s touching “How Long Has This Been Going On?” The famous photo-shoot montage, with a Givenchy-adorned Hepburn posing against Paris landmarks, sparkles with color and wit. DIR Stanley Donen; SCR Leonard Gershe; PROD Roger Edens. U.S., 1957, color, 103 min. NOT... read more
Greenwich Village bookworm Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) is whisked off to Paris and turned into a top model by fashion... read more
THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME
[TOKI O KAKERU SHÔJO] [時をかける少女] Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience– from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can't be reversed. THE GIRL... read more
[TOKI O KAKERU SHÔJO] [時をかける少女] Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with... read more
THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now in his 60s, seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire. That successor could be his fiery nephew, Vincent Mancini (Andy García), but Vincent may also be the spark that turns Michael’s hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. Facing dire financial straits in the ‘80s that began with the dismal failure of ONE FROM THE HEART, Francis Ford Coppola accepted Paramount’s request to direct a third film in the sprawling gangster saga that began with 1972’s THE GODFATHER, turning in an equally expansive exploration... read more
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now in his 60s, seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor... read more
THE GODFATHER PART II
One of the all-time greatest movie sequels continues the saga of the Corleone clan, moving not only forward but back — as new don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) weathers crushing setbacks and familial disintegration. The film explores the Corleone family's voyage to America and struggle to survive in the rough-and-tumble immigrant ghetto of old New York, with Robert De Niro giving a brilliant performance as the younger version of Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone. In a changing world, the increasingly corporate-minded and workaholic Michael must take extreme action to protect the family business, even at the expense of his actual family,... read more
One of the all-time greatest movie sequels continues the saga of the Corleone clan, moving not only forward but back... read more
GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM
[GOJIRA NISEN: MIRENIAMU] [ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム] The terrifying Godzilla has become a force of nature that repeatedly threatens Japan, and an independent group dubbed the “Godzilla Prediction Network” works tirelessly to track the dreadful kaiju’s landfalls. Meanwhile, a gargantuan rock is discovered beneath the ocean depths that turns out to be a 60-million-year-old UFO determined to acquire Godzilla’s regenerative abilities for its own nefarious gain. When the UFO crosses paths with Godzilla, an explosive and deadly battle ensues. Godzilla emerges victorious…until the UFO reveals the ace up its ancient sleeve: the massive creature Orga. This first entry in the Godzilla franchise’s... read more
[GOJIRA NISEN: MIRENIAMU] [ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム] The terrifying Godzilla has become a force of nature that repeatedly threatens Japan, and an... read more
GODZILLA MINUS ONE
[GOJIRA MAINASU WAN] [ゴジラ-1.0] In the waning days of World War II, kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and his Pacific island–based unit are decimated by a dinosaur-like creature that emerges from the water. Though he survives, Shikishima returns to Japan only to find a country utterly ravaged by war where he faces hostility from his neighbors for not dying in glorious battle. Wracked with survivor’s guilt, Shikishima befriends a young woman, Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), and the orphan baby she rescued during the bombing of Tokyo. Together, they attempt to eke out a life in post-war Japan — until... read more
[GOJIRA MAINASU WAN] [ゴジラ-1.0] In the waning days of World War II, kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and his... read more
GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH
[GOJIRA TAI DESUTOROIA] [ゴジラＶＳデストロイア] In the final film of the GODZILLA franchise's Heisei era, the titular kaiju is on the verge of a meltdown after its nuclear-reactor heart is irradiated by uranium, turning it into a glowing, steam-emitting menace whose explosive death will ignite the Earth's atmosphere. But that's not the only threat to the world: a colony of Precambrian crustaceans, mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer from the 1954 film, emerge from the depths and merge into the demonic flying behemoth Destoroyah. Naturally, the two come to blows, though it seems whichever creature wins, humanity loses. Featuring two of the... read more
[GOJIRA TAI DESUTOROIA] [ゴジラＶＳデストロイア] In the final film of the GODZILLA franchise's Heisei era, the titular kaiju is on the... read more
GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS
[GOJIRA TAI MEGAGIRASU: JĪ SHŌMETSU SAKUSEN] [ゴジラ × メガギラス G消滅作戦] The Japanese government’s anti-Godzilla unit develops a weapon capable of producing miniature black holes with the hope of sealing the reptilian menace in another dimension and saving Japan once and for all. Unfortunately, their plans go awry, and the weapon instead opens a wormhole from which emerges a gargantuan insect-like creature that lays eggs that birth a swarm of dragonfly monsters. The creatures then feed off of Godzilla’s energy and transfer it to their dreadful queen — the gigantic Megaguirus! The last Godzilla film made and released in the 20th... read more
[GOJIRA TAI MEGAGIRASU: JĪ SHŌMETSU SAKUSEN] [ゴジラ × メガギラス G消滅作戦] The Japanese government’s anti-Godzilla unit develops a weapon capable of... read more
GODZILLA VS. MEGALON
[GOJIRA TAI MEGARO] [ゴジラ対メガロ] Nuclear testing unleashes mayhem on the undersea kingdom of Seatopia, causing a series of environmental disasters. To exact revenge, Seatopia unleashes Megalon, a gigantic beetle with the ability to fire ray beams and napalm bombs. On the surface, the film’s schoolboy protagonist Rokuro and his friends are targeted by Seatopian agents after Rokuro’s brother creates Jet Jaguar, a flying robot with a built-in moral compass. The inevitable matchup of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar versus Megalon and Gigan decides the world’s fate. (Note adapted from Janus Films.) DIR/SCR Jun Fukuda; PROD Tomoyuki Tanaka. Japan, 1973, color, 82... read more
[GOJIRA TAI MEGARO] [ゴジラ対メガロ] Nuclear testing unleashes mayhem on the undersea kingdom of Seatopia, causing a series of environmental disasters.... read more
GOSFORD PARK
A classic English murder mystery, complete with country house and upstairs-downstairs intrigue, proves a great fit for Altman’s sprawling-cast-with-overlapping-dialogue dynamic. Some of Britain’s best actors light up the screen, including Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Emily Watson, Alan Bates and Clive Owen. The film received seven Oscar® nominations, including Altman’s fifth as director, with Julian Fellowes winning for Best Original Screenplay. A late-career trip to the UK did wonders for Robert Altman’s creativity, and the success of the film inspired Fellows to create the smash hit DOWNTON ABBEY with Maggie Smith in tow. DIR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR Julian Fellowes,... read more
A classic English murder mystery, complete with country house and upstairs-downstairs intrigue, proves a great fit for Altman’s sprawling-cast-with-overlapping-dialogue dynamic.... read more
THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE 2025 Meet-Up
Grateful Dead celebrate their 60th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to big screens for the annual theatrical event “Meet-up At The Movies.” For a limited time only, this special cinematic event allows fans to come together and celebrate the enduring legacy of the Grateful Dead. This fan-favorite cult-classic film follows the legendary band on what were at the time believed to be their final performances: a five-night run at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in October of 1974, with the final night billed as “The Last One.” Featuring stellar live performances, mind-bending animation and interviews with band members and crew,... read more
Grateful Dead celebrate their 60th anniversary with a highly anticipated return to big screens for the annual theatrical event “Meet-up... read more
GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL
Following a years-long feud and the murder of his brother, lawman Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) shoots it out with the cattle-rustling Clanton/McLowery gang in Tombstone, Arizona, backed by a posse of his surviving brothers and gambler Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas). John Sturges’ iconic western was a box-office smash, launching the greatly embellished telling of the real-life tale into the pop cultural firmament. The film features a score by prolific westerns composer Dimitri Tiomkin and an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Hopper, Lee Van Cleef, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ireland, Jack Elam and STAR TREK's DeForest Kelley. DIR John... read more
Following a years-long feud and the murder of his brother, lawman Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) shoots it out with the... read more
HAPPINESS
As disturbingly funny as it is audaciously empathetic, auteur of unease Todd Solondz’s portrait of damaged souls reaching out for connection reveals the existential void underneath middle-class suburban “normalcy.” An extraordinary ensemble cast — including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara and Dylan Baker — embodies an array of loosely connected New Jersey deviants, depressives and misfits, among them a frustrated phone-sex pest, an all-American dad concealing his pedophilic urges and a lonely woman with a grisly secret, all of whom want just one thing: to be loved. One of the most controversial films of the... read more
As disturbingly funny as it is audaciously empathetic, auteur of unease Todd Solondz’s portrait of damaged souls reaching out for... read more
HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE
In March of 1976, Francis Ford Coppola flew to the Philippines to begin production on a Vietnam war epic. What was supposed to be a relatively simple four-month shoot descended into a hellish nightmare in which a monstrous typhoon destroyed numerous sets; the cast and crew engaged in rampant drug use; 36-year-old leading man Martin Sheen suffered a near-fatal heart attack; Marlon Brando arrived late into production overweight and unprepared for his key role; and other insane incidents tormented the film’s ambitious director, threatening not only his project but his very life. Amidst the chaos, like a fly on the... read more
In March of 1976, Francis Ford Coppola flew to the Philippines to begin production on a Vietnam war epic. What... read more
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Following its successful run off-Broadway, multi-hyphenate John Cameron Mitchell brought his daring, gender-bending punk musical to the big screen, where the film won the Directing and Audience Awards at Sundance along its way to becoming a bona fide cult classic. Mitchell stars as Hedwig, an East Berlin émigré who emerges from a traumatic transformation as an “internationally ignored song stylist.” But after her rocker boyfriend Tommy Gnosis runs off with her songs and becomes a star, Hedwig is left with an ax to grind and a story to tell. Mitchell and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask’s memorable punk anthems bring life to... read more
Following its successful run off-Broadway, multi-hyphenate John Cameron Mitchell brought his daring, gender-bending punk musical to the big screen, where... read more
HELL DRIVERS
Produced by the Rank Organization (who licensed the VistaVision format from Paramount), this film was a turning point for director Cy Endfield. Endfield (and Joseph Losey) regular Stanley Baker plays an ex-convict who takes a job as a truck driver at a gravel haulage company but quickly grows outraged by the dangerous conditions and corruption he encounters. Filmed with brutal realism, the film combines suspense with social analysis and features a strong supporting cast including a young Sean Connery. DIR/SCR Cy Endfield; SCR John Kruse, from the short story by John Kruse; PROD Benjamin Fisz. UK, 1957, b&w, 108 min.... read more
Produced by the Rank Organization (who licensed the VistaVision format from Paramount), this film was a turning point for director... read more
HENRY IV (1984)
[ENRICO IV] Luigi Pirandello’s masterful hall-of-mirrors tragicomedy receives a shrewd screen adaptation, featuring Marcello Mastroianni at his dynamic best. He relishes the role of an aristocratic 20th-century madman who has lived under the decades-long delusion that he is the titular Holy Roman Emperor. When he receives a visit from a group of old acquaintances, including his former paramour (Claudia Cardinale), it disrupts his carefully cultivated fantasy. Of course, this being Pirandello, all is not as it seems…Probing themes of madness versus sanity, truth versus illusion, HENRY IV toys brilliantly with the slippery nature of reality. The rhapsodic, tango-inflected score is courtesy of... read more
[ENRICO IV] Luigi Pirandello’s masterful hall-of-mirrors tragicomedy receives a shrewd screen adaptation, featuring Marcello Mastroianni at his dynamic best. He... read more
HIGHEST 2 LOWEST
When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business,” is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Longtime collaborators Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for their fifth film together with this reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s iconic 1963 crime thriller HIGH AND LOW — coming soon to the AFI Silver in a new 4K restoration — now played out on the mean streets of modern-day New York City. DIR Spike Lee; SCR Alan Fox, from the 1963 film HIGH AND LOW, screenplay by Akira Kurosawa,... read more
When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business,” is targeted with... read more
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE w/ A Rarely Seen Short Film
25th Anniversary IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) [花樣年華] Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite — until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them. At once delicately mannered and visually extravagant, Wong Kar-wai’s IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments. With its aching musical soundtrack and exquisitely abstract cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bing, this film has been a major stylistic influence on the... read more
25th Anniversary IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) [花樣年華] Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Su Li-zhen... read more
IT'S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY
The theatrical release of IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY includes 26 minutes of exclusive remastered footage from a rare Jeff Buckley solo performance at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA, filmed on February 19, 1994. This previously unreleased set will screen immediately following the film, offering both longtime fans and newcomers a rare opportunity to experience Jeff Buckley's raw, unfiltered brilliance. Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997 at the age of just 30. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the... read more
The theatrical release of IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY includes 26 minutes of exclusive remastered footage from a rare Jeff... read more
JAWS: 50th Anniversary
“You're gonna need a bigger boat.” Steven Spielberg’s monster hit, adapted from the Peter Benchley bestseller, did not merely set box office records; it reshaped the fundamentals of the movie world, setting the template for how future summer blockbusters would be made, marketed and released. Though it spawned several sequels and countless rip-offs, Spielberg’s original remains as deliciously unsettling today as it was in the summer of 1975. The film stars Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. DIR Steven Spielberg; SCR Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, from Benchley’s novel; PROD David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck. U.S., 1975, color, 124 min.... read more
“You're gonna need a bigger boat.” Steven Spielberg’s monster hit, adapted from the Peter Benchley bestseller, did not merely set... read more
LA GRANDE BOUFFE
[THE BIG FEAST] Italian provocateur Marco Ferreri’s (DILLINGER IS DEAD) ribald masterpiece is a surreal farce, uproariously comedic and surprisingly meditative on the way a man’s appetites — for food, sex, status — are ultimately self-consuming, with life, death and sex making up a never-ending cycle. Four middle-aged friends — international superstars Marcello Mastroianni (LA DOLCE VITA), Michel Piccoli (BELLE DE JOUR), Ugo Tognazzi (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES) and Philippe Noiret (CINEMA PARADISO) — meet at a suburban villa with the express intention to eat themselves to death in an orgy of consumption. Amid nonstop feasting and frolicking with prostitutes,... read more
[THE BIG FEAST] Italian provocateur Marco Ferreri’s (DILLINGER IS DEAD) ribald masterpiece is a surreal farce, uproariously comedic and surprisingly... read more
THE LONG GOODBYE
Resetting Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles detective classic from the 1940s to the 1970s, Robert Altman and company created a one-of-a-kind film that gleefully breaks all the rules. Elliott Gould plays private eye Philip Marlowe as a mumbling oddball who is nonetheless the lone voice for moral order in a corrupt world. The groundbreaking camerawork — constantly gliding, never still — is by Vilmos Zsigmond. John Williams’ eponymous theme song recurs organically throughout the film, arranged variously as supermarket Muzak, a hippie chant and a song on the radio. DIR Robert Altman; SCR Leigh Brackett, from the novel by Raymond Chandler;... read more
Resetting Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles detective classic from the 1940s to the 1970s, Robert Altman and company created a one-of-a-kind... read more
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956)
Hitchcock’s remake of his 1934 classic thriller swaps Brits in Switzerland for Americans in North Africa, with James Stewart and Doris Day as the innocents abroad who become embroiled in international intrigue, then have their only child kidnapped to keep them quiet. Day, playing a former singer who gave up the stage for her family, gets to show off her pipes in a major plot point. (She disliked “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)” but could not shake it after it won the Academy Award® for Best Original Song.) Clever trick photography was used in the 1934 version’s... read more
Hitchcock’s remake of his 1934 classic thriller swaps Brits in Switzerland for Americans in North Africa, with James Stewart and... read more
MCCABE & MRS. MILLER
Boastful but sensitive gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) and business-minded madam Constance Miller (Julie Christie) enjoy an overnight success setting up a bordello together in the frontier town of Presbyterian Church. But their prosperity draws the interest of the local mining company, which, when rebuffed in their effort to buy them out, resorts to strong-arm tactics. Vilmos Zsigmond’s gorgeous widescreen photography, Leonard Cohen’s moody balladry and director Robert Altman’s eye and ear for detail make this revisionist western classic a must-see on the big screen. DIR/SCR Robert Altman; SCR Brian McKay, from the novel “McCabe” by Edmund Naughton; PROD Mitchell... read more
Boastful but sensitive gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) and business-minded madam Constance Miller (Julie Christie) enjoy an overnight success setting... read more
MEGALOPOLIS
For over 40 years, Francis Ford Coppola dreamed of making a film inspired by Roman statesman Catiline’s conspiracy to overthrow a pair of consuls and seize control of the Roman Republic in 63 BC. Though Coppola amassed hundreds of pages of notes and even shot footage over the decades, the film ultimately languished in development hell until the massive success of Coppola’s winemaking business allowed him the means to produce the film as he envisioned. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is a genius artist eager to bring the City of New Rome into an idealistic utopian future but is opposed by... read more
For over 40 years, Francis Ford Coppola dreamed of making a film inspired by Roman statesman Catiline’s conspiracy to overthrow... read more
MILLER'S CROSSING
The Coens’ ripping yarn of 1930s gang warfare boasts some of the most pyrotechnic gunplay to riddle the screen — and verbal fireworks to match. Italian mob boss Giovanni Gasparo (Jon Polito) wants to rub out Jewish gambler Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro), but Bernie is protected by his Irish godfather Liam “Leo” O’Bannon (Albert Finney), who is sweet on Bernbaum’s sister, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden). O’Bannon’s right-hand man, Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), advises his boss against letting his heart interfere with business, but he is hardly one to talk… This one-of-a-kind crime saga was initially overlooked (it had the misfortune... read more
The Coens’ ripping yarn of 1930s gang warfare boasts some of the most pyrotechnic gunplay to riddle the screen —... read more
MISSISSIPPI BURNING
Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe co-star in this emotionally charged film that vividly captures a crucial chapter in American history. In 1964 in Jessup County, Mississipppi, as three civil rights activists drive down a desolate stretch of highway, headlights ominously draw near. Although they tell each other to stay calm, the activists have no way of knowing that in minutes they will disappear into the night, sparking one of the most explosive murder investigations in history. Enter the strait-laced Ward (Dafoe) and the deceptively easy-going Anderson (Hackman). Can these two philosophically opposed FBI agents overcome their differences to uncover the... read more
Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe co-star in this emotionally charged film that vividly captures a crucial chapter in American history.... read more
NARROW MARGIN (1990)
Gene Hackman stars as an LA district attorney attempting to take an unwilling murder witness (Anne Archer) back to the United States to testify against a top-level mob boss. Frantically attempting to escape two deadly hitmen hired to silence her, they board a Vancouver-bound train only to find the killers are onboard with them. For the next 20 hours, as the train hurtles through the beautiful but isolated Canadian wilderness, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues in which their ability to tell friend from foe is a matter of life and death. Peter Hyams wrote, shot and directed... read more
Gene Hackman stars as an LA district attorney attempting to take an unwilling murder witness (Anne Archer) back to the... read more
NASHVILLE
Robert Altman’s masterpiece follows 24 characters and storylines surrounding a Nashville political rally and music festival, with the actors developing much of their own dialogue in rehearsal and co-authoring songs with music supervisor Richard Baskin. Standout performances include Lily Tomlin, luminous in her feature film debut; Ronee Blakley as Barbara Jean, the first lady of country music and a crackup waiting to happen; and Henry Gibson as sanctimonious crooner Haven Hamilton. The film received five Oscar® nominations, with a win for Best Song for “I’m Easy” — also included on AFI’s 100 Years...100 Songs. DIR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR Joan Tewkesbury.... read more
Robert Altman’s masterpiece follows 24 characters and storylines surrounding a Nashville political rally and music festival, with the actors developing... read more
THE NAVIGATOR: A MEDIEVAL ODYSSEY
England’s Lake District, 1348. Fearing the Black Dlague may be imminent, a young psychic named Griffin believes he can rescue his fellow villagers from impending doom. After he leads them into an abandoned mine, they begin digging toward the center of the earth, only to emerge upon a bustling New Zealand city street in 1988. This time-traveling cult classic from maverick fantasy director Vincent Ward (WHAT DREAMS MAY COME), which competed at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, is an underappreciated gem from Down Under that is strange, stunning and utterly original. DIR/SCR Vincent Ward; SCR Geoff Chapple, Kely Lyons; PROD... read more
England’s Lake District, 1348. Fearing the Black Dlague may be imminent, a young psychic named Griffin believes he can rescue... read more
NO WAY OUT (1987)
Charged with high-voltage tension and suspense, this electrifying thriller is a tightly wound tale of intrigue set in the political whirl of Washington and the inner corridors of the Pentagon. Naval hero Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is the new CIA liaison for Defense Secretary David Brice (Gene Hackman), a high-ranking master of political maneuvers. Farrell begins an affair with Susan Atwell (Sean Young), who turns out to be Brice’s mistress. When the young woman winds up dead, Brice’s ruthless aide Scott Pritchard (Will Patton) engineers a cover-up scheme that protects his boss but entraps Farrell, putting his life... read more
Charged with high-voltage tension and suspense, this electrifying thriller is a tightly wound tale of intrigue set in the political... read more
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Crackling dialogue and one memorable set piece after another — including a murder at the United Nations, the crop-duster attempt on the life of Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) and the climactic duel on Mount Rushmore — make Alfred Hitchcock's mistaken-identity thriller a classic that shows no signs of age. The film co-stars James Mason as the unctuous villain, Martin Landau as his creepy henchman and the luminous Eva Marie Saint as a double (maybe triple) agent. DIR Alfred Hitchcock; SCR Ernest Lehman. U.S., 1959, color, 136 min. NOT RATED read more
Crackling dialogue and one memorable set piece after another — including a murder at the United Nations, the crop-duster attempt... read more
ONE FROM THE HEART: REPRISE
Reeling from the dangers and frustrations he faced shooting APOCALYPSE NOW on location, Francis Ford Coppola chose to shoot his next feature wholly inside the studio — a decision that would give him total command of his set. The result was an old-fashioned movie musical set in an intentionally artificial soundstage version of Las Vegas. Teri Garr and Frederic Forrest star as a working-class couple who argue while celebrating their fifth anniversary; each embarks on their own nocturnal excursion with exotic suitors (Raul Julia and Nastassja Kinski) before reuniting. A critical and commercial failure upon release (although Tom Waits and... read more
Reeling from the dangers and frustrations he faced shooting APOCALYPSE NOW on location, Francis Ford Coppola chose to shoot his... read more
ONE-EYED JACKS
The only film directed by Marlon Brando combines classic midcentury Hollywood western tropes with moody Method-style acting, resulting in a brawny, baroque, one-of-a-kind entertainment. A gang of bank robbers splits up after a heist gone wrong in Sonora, Mexico. Years later, one of the former outlaws, Dad Longworth (Karl Malden), is now a sheriff in Monterey, California. One day, a man rides into town who knows about Dad’s criminal past: Rio (Brando), recently escaped from prison in Mexico and intent on revenge. The colorful cast includes Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, Elisha Cook Jr. and Timothy Carey. DIR Marlon... read more
The only film directed by Marlon Brando combines classic midcentury Hollywood western tropes with moody Method-style acting, resulting in a... read more
THE ORGANIZER (1963)
[I COMPAGNI] In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Turin, an accident in a textile factory incites workers to stage a walkout. But it is not until they receive unexpected aid from a traveling professor (Marcello Mastroianni) that they find their voice, unite and stand up for themselves. This historical drama by Mario Monicelli, brimming with humor and honesty, is a beautiful and moving ode to the power of the people, and features engaging, naturalistic performances; cinematography by the great Giuseppe Rotunno; and a multilayered, Oscar®-nominated screenplay by Monicelli, Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli. (Note courtesy of Janus Films.) DIR/SCR Mario Monicelli; SCR Agenore Incrocci,... read more
[I COMPAGNI] In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Turin, an accident in a textile factory incites workers to stage a walkout. But it is... read more
THE OUTSIDERS: THE COMPLETE NOVEL
“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the beloved S.E. Hinton novel, centered on a gang of troubled teens in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma, launched its young cast of relative unknowns to '80s stardom: Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane and Tom Cruise. The rough-edged Greasers are perpetually at odds with the wealthy Socs, a rival crew keen on keeping their underprivileged rivals in their place. When a brawl between a pair of Greasers and Socs ends in murder, all bets are off as the teens contend with the... read more
“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the beloved S.E. Hinton novel, centered on a gang of... read more
PAST LIVES
Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love and the choices that make a life in this heartrending modern romance from first-time filmmaker Celine Song. A critical darling that wowed not just critics and audiences but also filmmakers — including blockbuster auteur Christopher Nolan, who described the film as “subtle in a beautiful sort of way”— PAST LIVES went on to receive an Academy Award®... read more
Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates... read more
THE PLAYER
Studio exec Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) fights boardroom threats from his hotshot rival (Peter Gallagher), but his fight in a parking lot with an embittered screenwriter (Vincent D'Onofrio) results in the latter’s accidental death. It turns out that getting away with murder is a useful skill for the rising Hollywood exec. Director Robert Altman packs in a wealth of celebrity cameos and hits all the late ‘80s/early ‘90s LA hotspots and iconic locations as well, including the Art Deco St. James Club (now Sunset Tower), Geoffrey’s in Malibu, LACMA and the now-closed Rialto Theater. In true Hollywood fashion, Altman got... read more
Studio exec Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) fights boardroom threats from his hotshot rival (Peter Gallagher), but his fight in a... read more
POPEYE
Although successful at the box office and in the hearts of younger viewers, Robert Altman’s POPEYE was traduced by critics and has somehow been misremembered as an expensive flop. (Perhaps tales about its notoriously drug-fueled production in Malta tainted the opinion of some reviewers?) But the film holds up quite well for those in the know, thanks to a game cast led by Robin Williams as the spinach-powered sailorman and Shelley Duvall as his main squeeze, Olive Oyl; colorful, comic strip–inspired set design and costumes; and excellent songs by Harry Nilsson. DIR Robert Altman; SCR Jules Feiffer, based on comic... read more
Although successful at the box office and in the hearts of younger viewers, Robert Altman’s POPEYE was traduced by critics... read more
RAISING ARIZONA
Big-hearted policewoman Edwina “Ed” McDunnough (Holly Hunter) and reformed criminal H.I. “Hi” McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) make the perfect misfit couple, but no baby blesses their union. (“Her insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.”) The solution: redistribute one of the local celebrity quintuplets into their family. Quirkily comedic in the Preston Sturges mold and a left-field hit, the film helped launch the careers of future Oscar® winners Cage and Hunter. John Goodman steals his scenes as Cage’s ne’er-do-well brother with family issues of his own. DIR/SCR Joel Coen; SCR/PROD Ethan Coen. U.S., 1987, color, 94... read more
Big-hearted policewoman Edwina “Ed” McDunnough (Holly Hunter) and reformed criminal H.I. “Hi” McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) make the perfect misfit couple,... read more
RAN - 40th Anniversary
[乱] Akira Kurosawa’s Academy Award®-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” RAN considers the disastrous consequences of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji’s (Tatsuya Nakadai) decision to split his kingdom among his three sons. DIR/SCR Akira Kurosawa; SCR Hideo Oguni, Masato Ide, from the play “King Lear” by William Shakespeare; PROD Masatao Hara, Serge Silberman. Japan/France, 1985, color, 162 min. In Japanese with English subtitles. RATED R read more
[乱] Akira Kurosawa’s Academy Award®-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” RAN considers the disastrous consequences of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji’s... read more
THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
“Family isn't a word...it's a sentence.” Gene Hackman gave one of his best-loved performances as the ne’er-do-well absentee patriarch of the eccentric Tenenbaum family. Possibly ill — possibly faking — he seeks to reconnect with his three offspring, child prodigies in their youth, highly disillusioned adults in the present: stock whiz Chas (Ben Stiller), a hyper-protective father since the death of his wife; playwright Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), formerly prolific, now merely promiscuous; and tennis pro Richie (Luke Wilson), a one-time phenom undone by a broken heart. Wes Anderson's storybook sensibility is in full bloom — from the Tenenbaum family history... read more
“Family isn't a word...it's a sentence.” Gene Hackman gave one of his best-loved performances as the ne’er-do-well absentee patriarch of... read more
RUMBLE FISH
An “art film for teenagers” is how Francis Ford Coppola described his second S.E. Hinton adaptation, after THE OUTSIDERS. Teenage hoodlum Rusty James (Matt Dillon), leader of a motley crew of troubled youths (Laurence Fishburn, Nicolas Cage and Chris Penn), idolizes his older brother, a former gang leader known as the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), who yearns for a peaceful life. Rusty watches his wayward father (Dennis Hopper) idly waste away, unable to shake the bottle, and wrestles with his feelings for his girlfriend (Diane Lane). Daringly shot in black and white, with splashes of color, and featuring a memorable... read more
An “art film for teenagers” is how Francis Ford Coppola described his second S.E. Hinton adaptation, after THE OUTSIDERS. Teenage... read more
SALVATION!
a.k.a. SALVATION! HAVE YOU SAID YOUR PRAYERS TODAY? Laid-off factory worker Jerome Stample (Viggo Mortensen) enlists the aid of his sister-in-law (Dominique Davalos) to abduct and blackmail a sex-obsessed TV minister (Stephen McHattie). But when Rev. Randall meets Jerome’s true-believer wife, Rhonda (Exene Cervenka of the punk band X), he realizes she is an evangelical rock star in the making. A prophetic satire by Beth B (TWO SMALL BODIES), SALVATION! was produced just before the foundations of American religion were shaken by the scandals of real-life televangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. Released during the MTV explosion, the film is... read more
a.k.a. SALVATION! HAVE YOU SAID YOUR PRAYERS TODAY? Laid-off factory worker Jerome Stample (Viggo Mortensen) enlists the aid of his... read more
THE SEARCHERS in 70mm
John Wayne’s performance in THE SEARCHERS ranks as one of his greatest and most challenging, combining commanding authority with darkest obsessions. Wayne’s antihero Ethan Edwards is implacable in his efforts to track down the Comanches who massacred his family and took his young niece Debbie hostage. Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), his adopted nephew and fellow searcher, is concerned that, if they find Debbie, Ethan’s intentions may be more murderous than merciful. John Ford’s greatest film is also his most psychologically complex; Ethan's thwarted desires, simmering resentments and possibly criminal past are only briefly hinted at, but they fully inform his outsider... read more
John Wayne’s performance in THE SEARCHERS ranks as one of his greatest and most challenging, combining commanding authority with darkest... read more
SHALL WE DANCE? (1996)
[SHALL WE ダンス?] Shohei Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) seems to have it all — a high-paying job as an accountant, a beautiful home, a caring wife and a doting daughter he loves dearly. However, he feels something is missing in his life. One day while commuting on the train he spots a beautiful woman staring wistfully out a window, and he eventually decides to find her. His search leads him headfirst into the world of competitive ballroom dancing. A box-office sensation in North America upon its initial release (which led to a Hollywood remake with Richard Gere), this “infinitely touching” (Washington... read more
[SHALL WE ダンス?] Shohei Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) seems to have it all — a high-paying job as an accountant, a... read more
SHORT CUTS
Altman’s kaleidoscopic adaptation of several Raymond Carver short stories merges the visions of two great American artists. Twenty-two characters struggle to find solace and meaning in contemporary Los Angeles. The extraordinary cast includes Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Lemmon and Jennifer Jason Leigh, all giving fearless performances in one of Altman’s most compassionate creations. (Note courtesy of the Criterion Collection) DIR/SCR Robert Altman; SCR Frank Barhydt, from short stories by Raymond Carver; PROD Cary Brokaw. U.S., 1993, color, 188 min. RATED R read more
Altman’s kaleidoscopic adaptation of several Raymond Carver short stories merges the visions of two great American artists. Twenty-two characters struggle... read more
A SLIGHTLY PREGNANT MAN
[L’ÉVÉNEMENT LE PLUS IMPORTANT DEPUIS QUE L’HOMME A MARCHÉ SUR LA LUNE] Jacques Demy (THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG) never shied away from dipping his toes in the fanciful, but A SLIGHTLY PREGNANT MAN takes a full dive into the delightfully absurd. A comic confection with a provocative aftertaste, Demy’s film concerns a mustachioed driving instructor (Marcello Mastroianni) and his hairdresser fiancée (Catherine Deneuve) faced with an unexpected pregnancy. As one can glean from the title, she is not the one with the expanding belly. In Demy’s film, a serious examination of shifting gender roles sits happily alongside the goofball scenario.... read more
[L’ÉVÉNEMENT LE PLUS IMPORTANT DEPUIS QUE L’HOMME A MARCHÉ SUR LA LUNE] Jacques Demy (THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG) never shied... read more
A SPECIAL DAY
[UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE] Italian cinema dream team Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni are cast against glamorous type, delivering two of the finest performances of their careers in this moving, quietly subversive drama from Ettore Scola. Though it is set in Rome on the historic day in 1938 when Benito Mussolini and the city first rolled out the red carpet for Adolf Hitler, the film takes place entirely in a working-class apartment building, where an unexpected friendship blossoms between a pair of people who have not joined the festivities: a conservative housewife and mother tending to her domestic duties and a... read more
[UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE] Italian cinema dream team Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni are cast against glamorous type, delivering two of... read more
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)
Billed upon release as “The Greatest Event in Motion Picture History!” Charlton Heston’s iconic, star-making role as Moses in Cecil B. DeMille’s Technicolor remake of his 1923 silent-era hit remains a cultural touchstone, as does the then-cutting edge, still ingenious special effect where he parts the Red Sea (which won an Oscar® for effects whiz John P. Fulton, the only win of the film’s seven nominations). See it on the big screen, the way it was meant to be seen! DIR/PROD Cecil B. DeMille; SCR Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank, from the novels “The Pillar... read more
Billed upon release as “The Greatest Event in Motion Picture History!” Charlton Heston’s iconic, star-making role as Moses in Cecil... read more
TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA
[MEKAGOJIRA NO GYAKUSHŪ] [メカゴジラの逆襲] In Godzilla’s last gasp of the Showa era, aliens retrieve Mechagodzilla’s remains and rebuild it with the aid of an unhinged biologist (a scenery-chewing Akihiko Hirata, who played Dr. Serizawa in the original GODZILLA), in hopes of defeating Godzilla for possession of planet Earth. This film marked the return of director Ishirō Honda, who had retired years earlier, disheartened by the increasingly kid-friendly approach of the series. For this final entry, Honda steers the King of the Monsters back into grim territory, interweaving an alien-invasion plot with a tale of tragic romance. (Note courtesy of Janus... read more
[MEKAGOJIRA NO GYAKUSHŪ] [メカゴジラの逆襲] In Godzilla’s last gasp of the Showa era, aliens retrieve Mechagodzilla’s remains and rebuild it with... read more
THIEVES LIKE US
In Depression-era Mississippi, three men — Bowie (Keith Carradine), Chicamaw (John Schuck) and T-Dub (Burt Remsen) — break out of prison before embarking on a bank robbery spree across the southern United States. Along the way, Bowie falls in love with Keechie (Shelley Duvall) and plans for a future life without violence, if it does not do him in first. Based on the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson and adapted for the screen by Joan Tewkesbury, Calder Willingham and Robert Altman (who also directed), THIEVES LIKE US is a bullet-riddled romance that is as concerned with the... read more
In Depression-era Mississippi, three men — Bowie (Keith Carradine), Chicamaw (John Schuck) and T-Dub (Burt Remsen) — break out of... read more
THE TOXIC AVENGER (1984)
A notorious 1980s horror classic, uncut and restored! Along with PINK FLAMINGOS and THE EVIL DEAD, THE TOXIC AVENGER stands as one of the most gleefully offensive “midnight movies” of the 20th century. Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy janitor at the local health club. When a gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong, Melvin is cast through a third-story window into a vat of toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer of good and brutal mauler... read more
A notorious 1980s horror classic, uncut and restored! Along with PINK FLAMINGOS and THE EVIL DEAD, THE TOXIC AVENGER stands... read more
UNFORGIVEN (1992)
A group of prostitutes seeks revenge for their mutilated friend by offering a bounty for her attacker in this landmark revisionist Western, starring, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood plays William Munny, an aging gunslinger who has put his violent past behind him and lives quietly as a farmer with his two small children. His past comes calling in the form of the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett), who makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Munny enlists the aid of old friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and crosses paths with sadistic sheriff “Little” Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman). The film... read more
A group of prostitutes seeks revenge for their mutilated friend by offering a bounty for her attacker in this landmark... read more
VELVET GOLDMINE
It is 1984 and rock journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) has been assigned to investigate the fate of the enigmatic, chameleonic star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who faked his death onstage and may have assumed a new identity. Interviewing Slade’s wives, lovers, managers and hangers-on, Stuart assembles pieces of the puzzle, revisiting Slade’s colorful past and his relationship with charismatic punk rocker Curt Wild (Ewan MacGregor). Director Todd Haynes takes his musical cues from T. Rex, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and, provocatively, the then-recently deceased Kurt Cobain. The film won the award for Best Artistic... read more
It is 1984 and rock journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) has been assigned to investigate the fate of the enigmatic,... read more
VERTIGO in 70mm
Perennially on Top 10 lists as one of the greatest films ever made, VERTIGO is Alfred Hitchcock’s supreme achievement, the fullest expression of his cinematic obsessions and the one that goes the furthest in pursuit of them. On a leave of absence after his spell of acrophobia led to the death of a beat cop, San Francisco detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) accepts an unusual assignment from old college classmate Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore): follow Elster’s wife (Kim Novak), not because she is cheating, but because she is possessed! The truth is much more mundane, duplicitous and deadly, with Scottie... read more
Perennially on Top 10 lists as one of the greatest films ever made, VERTIGO is Alfred Hitchcock’s supreme achievement, the... read more
VINCENT & THEO
Robert Altman emerged from his long slump of the 1980s with this fascinating examination of the relationship between painter Vincent van Gogh and his art dealer brother, Theo. The ups and downs of Altman’s career made him uniquely qualified to craft a movie that examines the compromises that art and commerce must make for each other. Tim Roth shines as the troubled painter. DIR Robert Altman; SCR Julian Mitchell; PROD Ludi Boeken, Emma Hayter. Netherlands/UK/France/Italy/Germany/U.S., 1990, color, 138 min. RATED PG-13 read more
Robert Altman emerged from his long slump of the 1980s with this fascinating examination of the relationship between painter Vincent... read more
VOX LUX
Brady Corbet’s follow-up to his 2015 breakout debut THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER is the deliciously dark flipside to A STAR IS BORN — a gloriously matter-of-fact examination of the cult of celebrity and the media machine in all its guts, grit and glory. In 1999, teenage Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) survives a violent tragedy. After singing at a memorial service, Celeste transforms into a burgeoning pop star with the help of her songwriter sister (Stacy Martin) and a talent manager (Jude Law). Celeste’s meteoric rise to fame and concurrent loss of innocence dovetails with a shattering terrorist attack on the... read more
Brady Corbet’s follow-up to his 2015 breakout debut THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER is the deliciously dark flipside to A... read more
WAR AND PEACE (1956)
Set against the sweeping backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century, King Vidor’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s literary masterpiece comes to life in this classic, featuring the talents of some of the greatest names from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Audrey Hepburn as Natasha, Henry Fonda as Pierre and Mel Ferrer as Prince Andrei. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, with cinematography by Jack Cardiff (THE RED SHOES) and a score by Nino Rota (THE GODFATHER), this compelling drama of international conflict, spectacular adventure, gripping intrigue and tragic romance becomes an unforgettable historical document and a big-budgeted, Academy... read more
Set against the sweeping backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century, King Vidor’s adaptation of Leo... read more
A WEDDING
The bride’s nouveaux riche Southern family is united with the groom’s old money Midwest gentry at their big wedding in suburban Chicago. Robert Altman doubled his record NASHVILLE cast, stuffing 48 roles into this sprawling farce. Standouts include Carol Burnett as the mother of the bride and Mia Farrow as the sister; plus Lillian Gish, Vittorio Gassman and Altman regulars Geraldine Chaplin, Bert Remsen and Nina Van Pallandt. DIR/SCR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR John Considine, Allan F. Nicholls, Patricia Resnick. U.S., 1978, color, 125 min. RATED PG read more
The bride’s nouveaux riche Southern family is united with the groom’s old money Midwest gentry at their big wedding in... read more
ZOLA
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” Thus begins the odyssey of one A’Ziah King, a.k.a. Zola. Directing from a script she co-wrote with acclaimed playwright Jeremy O. Harris, filmmaker Janicza Bravo brought Zola’s stranger-than-fiction saga, which she first told in a now-iconic series of uproarious viral tweets, to dazzling cinematic life. Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join in on a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at... read more
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full... read more
