MILOS FORMAN, SHAW BROTHERS KUNG FU AND MORE ALL WEEKEND (JUNE 29 - JULY 1)

ALL WEEKEND

MILOS FORMAN REMEMBERED
A Milos Forman Retrospective
Aero Theatre, Santa Monica CA

Hollywood’s spectacular Egyptian Theatre pays tribute to the recently departed Director Milos Forman, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia. His first American film was 1971’s TAKING OFF, retained a strong Czech sensibility and was not a commercial success, so the next few years were lean ones, with some theater, documentary and commercial work to keep him busy. Then he got offered another narrative film - actor Michael Douglas and producer Saul Zaentz wanted him to direct ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (Kirk Douglas had made a similar offer years earlier that never reached the filmmaker; presumably it had been intercepted by state police). CUCKOO’S NEST was a hit and swept the top five Oscar categories. Forman hit the Hollywood A List and would pick up a second Best Director Academy Award for the 1984 Mozart drama AMADEUS. This weekend, catch four films from Forman’s body of work, resplendent on the big screen. (Program notes by American Cinematheque)

Lineup:
Friday June 29th 7:30pm
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975 / DCP)

Sat June 30th 7:30pm
THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (1996 / 35mm Print)

Sun July 1st 7:30pm
HAIR (1979 / 35mm DCP) + TAKING OFF (1971 / 35mm Print)

SOUND OF MUSIC SING-ALONG (1965 / DCP)
Fri June 29th 7pm, Sat June 30th & Sun July 1st 1pm, 7pm
Castro Theatre, San Francisco CA

An annual Castro Theatre event, Sing-A-Long Sound of Music is a screening of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in glorious widescreen, complete with subtitles so that the whole audience can sing along! In addition to belting out the tunes, goody bags will be handed out to everyone and audience members can add to the fun by dressing up as a favorite character for the costume contest! The movie stars Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Eleanor Parker. Directed by Robert Wise. Includes intermission. (Program notes by The Castro)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)’
Fri June 29th through Sun July 1st various session times
Arclight, Hollywood CA

Widely considered among the greatest films of the 20th century, the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey returns in 70mm with a worldwide release that  akes it way to Hollywood's Arclight Cinema, home of the legendary Cinerama Dome. With 2001: A Space Odyssey, director Stanley Kubrick redefined the limits of filmmaking and cemented his legacy as one of the most revolutionary and influential film directors of all time. Originally released on April 4, 1968, the film ignited the imaginations of critics and audiences alike and its impact continues to resonate to this day. ...

SCREENING FRIDAY

Only Known 35mm Print!
SEVEN GRANDMASTERS (1977 / 35mm Print)
Fri June 29th Midnight Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline MA

Film programmer at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon (the Indiana Jones of film archivists) Dan Halsted, presents the only known 35mm print of this martial arts masterpiece! A kung fu teacher sets out to prove he is the greatest fighter by finding and defeating the 7 Grandmasters. One by one, he fights their wide variety of animal styles (tiger, leopard, mantis, monkey,etc.) He also puts a young student through elaborate training, and is followed by a mysterious villain in a weird hat. Featuring multiple silver-haired villains with huge sideburns and maniacal laughter, plus the best monkey-style kung fu fight ever put on film. Directed by the great Joseph Kuo, this is one of the greatest kung fu movies of all time. (Program notes by Coolidge Corner)

New 4K Restoration
SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSS SONG (1971 / 4K DCP)
Fri June 29th 9pm
Texas Theatre, Dallas TX

BRAND-NEW 4K RESTORATION! Included in MoMA’s permanent collection and considered to be among the most significant features ever by an African-American filmmaker, SWEET SWEETBACK is a brutal and shocking story of survival and is credited as one of the first blaxploitation films. Director/writer/producer/editor/composer Melvin Van Peebles stars as a black orphan raised in a brothel and groomed to be a sex show performer. Set up by his boss and two corrupt cops for a murder he didn’t commit, Sweetback escapes custody and is thrust into an increasingly hallucinogenic world of violence and bigotry where no one can be trusted, and the possibility of death lurks at every corner…Featuring a rousing score from a nascent Earth, Wind, & Fire, as well as surrealist visuals from stalwart genre cinematographer Robert Maxwell, Van Peebles creates an unforgettable study of perseverance in the face of racism. (Program notes by Texas Theatre)

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991 / 35mm Print)
Fri June 29th 7pm & 11:55pm
Metrograph, New York City

Van Sant’s follow-up to Drugstore Cowboy is another road movie on the skids. This time the footloose bums are a narcoleptic queer hustler, Mike (River Phoenix), and the slumming scion of a wealthy family, Scott (Keanu Reeves), who looks after Mike, and takes him on a quest for his mother… until the time comes to put aside childish things. A Pacific Northwestern retelling of Shakespeare’s Falstaff-Hal bromance, Idaho was just accessible enough to launch Van Sant into the big leagues, and lushly romantic enough to launch many a young viewer into self-discovery. (Program notes by Metrograph)

20th Anniversary
DISNEY’S MULAN (1998 / DCP)
Fri June 29th 8:45pm
Prince Charles Cinema, London UK

Fearful that her ailing father will be drafted into the Chinese military, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) takes his spot -- though, as a girl living under a patriarchal regime, she is technically unqualified to serve. She cleverly impersonates a man and goes off to train with fellow recruits. Accompanied by her dragon, Mushu (Eddie Murphy), she uses her smarts to help ward off a Hun invasion, falling in love with a dashing captain along the way. (Program notes by Prince Charles Cinema)

THE RED SHOES (1948 / DCP)
Fri June 29th 7pm
Roxy Cinema, New York City

Michael Powell and Emmeric Pressburger’s The Red Shoes stands as one of the greatest ballet films of all time, as dazzling now as it was upon release in 1948. Built around the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the celebrated British filmmakers present the story in eye-popping Technicolor, deploying a full arsenal of old school in-camera techniques to the fantastical dance sequences, resulting in some of the most indelible images ever seen on film. In casting dancers who could act rather than what would have traditionally been the reverse, the film’s 15 minute centerpiece has the high standard of a legitimate ballet company, with lead Moira Shearer proving herself a top-tier prima ballerina. After being picked up by an American distributor the film went on to be the highest grossing British film, won well-deserved Academy Awards for Best Original Score (Brian Easdale) and Best Art Direction (Hein Heckroth and Arthur Lawson), and inspired a small wave of Hollywood ballet films. (Program notes by Roxy Cinema)


SCREENING SATURDAY

SCI-FI SLUMBER PARTY MARATHON
Sat June 30th 7pm
Loft Cinema, Tuscon AZ

Buckle up for 12 straight hours of intergalactic excitement at The Loft Cinema’s Sci-Fi Slumber Party!, a non-stop excursion into the outer limits of space age cinema, featuring more aliens, robots and apocalyptic insanity than you can shake a light saber at! With 6 sci-fi classics, vintage movie trailers, trivia games and out-of-this-world prizes, this is an overnight space odyssey of truly epic proportions!

Marathon Lineup: Planet of the Apes (1968), It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958), Edge Of Tomorrow (2014), The Terminator (1984), Flash Gordon (1982), Pitch Black (2000)

Shaw Brothers Triple Feature
BLACK MAGIC 2 (1976 / DCP) + HUMAN LANTERNS (1982 / DCP) + THE BOXER’S OMEN (1983 / DCP)
Sat June 30th 7:30pm
Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood CA

Shaw Brothers Triple Feature! In BLACK MAGIC 2, skeptical city doctors visit a small village as reports pour out of bizarre unexplainable maladies plaguing the townspeople. In HUMAN LANTERNS, a clawed, skull-masked village psycho is on the loose, swiping young women to peel off their skin in his grisly workshop of the damned. THE BOXER’S OMEN is easily the most notorious film in the entire Shaw Brothers catalogue, a Wizard Battle movie to end all Wizard Battle movies.

30th Anniversary
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988 / 35mm) + ROGER RABBIT SHORTS (35mm)
Sat June 30th  8:30pm
Roxie Theatre, San Francisco CA

Down-on-his-luck private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) gets hired by cartoon producer R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern) to investigate an adultery scandal involving Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner), the sultry wife of Maroon’s biggest star, Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer). But when Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye), Jessica’s alleged paramour and the owner of Toontown, is found murdered, the villainous Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) vows to catch and destroy Roger. A marvelous achievement of animation made all the better by the fact the film comes packaged with a compelling story. (Program notes Roxie Cinema)

THE BIG COUNTRY (1958 / 35mm Print)
Sat June 30th 7:30pm
Dryden Theatre, Rochester NY

Wyler’s epic western drama returns him full circle to the genre in which he began his career. Jim McKay (Gregory Peck) arrives in San Rafael to reunite with his fiancée, Patricia, whose family owns a large cattle ranch. His desire for a quiet life is thwarted by repeated challenges from the ranchers on two sides of a long-standing feud. Disappointed by his seeming cowardice, Patricia questions their relationship and McKay unwittingly becomes the fulcrum in a brewing range war. The only way out may just be the piece of land between the ranches—and its beautiful trustee Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons). (Program notes by Dryden Energy)

KILL BILL VOL 1 (2003) & KILL BILL VOL 2  (2004)
Sat Jun 30th 6:15pm & 8:50pm respectively
Syndicated, Brooklyn NY

Tarantino's one-two punch Kung Fu cinema homage with a former assassin known as The Bride awakening from a four-year coma. The child she carried in her womb is gone, and now she must wreak vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her - a team she was once part of. In Part 2, The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle. (Program notes by Syndicated)

A Celebration of Schwarzenegger - 7 Film Marathon!
ARNIE ALL-NIGHTER
Sat June 30th 9pm
Prince Charles Cinema, London UK

"GET TO DA CHOPPA!" The ARNIE ALL-NIGHTER finally returns and it's bigger than ever! We have 7 Arnie Classics, back-to-back, on the big screen!
Marathon Lineup: CONAN THE BARBARIAN, PREDATOR, TOTAL RECALL, THE RUNNING MAN, COMMANDO, THE TERMINATOR and TERMINATOR II : JUDGMENT DAY

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968 / 35mm Print)
Sat June 30th 11:45am
Nitehawk Cinema, Brooklyn NY

Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen), a playboy bank executive, has just pulled off the perfect heist without getting his hands dirty. Using five men to steal a multi-million dollar haul from a Boston bank, Crown deposits the money bit-by-bit into a Swiss bank account. As Crown counts cash, a wily insurance investigator begins looking into the affair, buddying up to Crown in a relationship that soon turns physical.

SCREENING SUNDAY

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956 / 35mm)
Sun July 1st 1:30pm, 4pm & 6:30pm
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge MA

An American couple (James Stewart and Doris Day) on vacation in Morocco have a chance encounter that leads to their involvement in an international assassination plot that they must keep secret lest their kidnapped son be harmed. A spectacularly enjoyable thriller from the masterful Alfred Hitchcock. (Program notes by Brattle Theatre)

Double Feature
BREAKFAST CLUB (1984 / DCP) + ANIMAL HOUSE (1975 / DCP)
Sun July 1st 3:35pm
Paramount Theatre, Austin TX

The young actors behind the brain, beauty, jock, rebel, and recluse so captured the nation’s imagination that they were granted their very own collective nickname: The Brat Pack. As they serve time in detention, they begin to see each other as more than simple clichés and, in doing so, take the final step toward adulthood. After intermission, catch Animal House, a low-budget ($3 million) comedy came out of nowhere to earn over $140 million at the box office, making it the highest grossing comedy ever at the time. It also gave John Belushi the opportunity to create another iconic role in what ultimately proved to be a tragically short career. (Program notes by Paramount Theatre)

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH (1970 / 35mm Print)
Sun July 1st 11am
Metrograph, New York City

Nothing to do in the doldrums? Perk yourself up with this live action/ animation hybrid courtesy legendary animator Chuck Jones, adapting Norman Juster’s beloved children’s book in what would be his only feature-length film. Bored and brooding Milo, strolling the San Francisco streets, pops into the titular tollbooth and emerges in a mind-bending animated alternate universe that operates by its own surreal set of rules. Directed by Loony Tunes legend Chuck Jones.

HARVEY (1950 / DCP)
Sun July 1st 11:30am, 2:30pm & 5:30pm
The Frida Cinema, Santa Ana CA

When Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) starts going around town introducing everyone to his mysterious imperceivable friend, his sister believe that maybe he’s gone from being the affable town drunk to going completely insane – especially when he explains that Harvey is a “pooka,” a mischievous Irish spirit which has taken the form of a man-sized bunny.  As the town catches wind, a mysterious phenomenon starts effect some of the locals – maybe Elwood knows something they don’t? For this smash-hit adaptation of Mary Chase’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, James Stewart received his 4th Oscar nomination for Best Actor, while Josephine Hull was awarded the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Academy Award for her portrayal of Elwood’s sister, Veta Louise Dowd Simmons.  An “Oh, so pleasant” and “Oh, so smart” classic that’s a great family film sure to warm the hearts of younger and older alike! (Program notes by Frida Cinema)
 

PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (1982 / 35mm Print)
Sun July 1st 8:05pm
BFI Southbank, London UK

In a Los Angeles hotel room, Pink, a burned-out rock star, remembers his past. After losing his father at a young age, school drives him to revolt. He marries in the 1960s, but his wife soon leaves him for another man. Finding fame only makes matters worse, with the line between reality and fantasy blurring – until he has to confront the wall he has built around himself. Enjoy this rare screening of the live-action and animated cult classic. (Program notes by BFI Southbank)

New 4K Restoration - Encore Screening
WINGS OF DESIRE (1987 / DCP)
Sunday July 1st 4pm
Astor Theatre, Melbourne Australia

30 years after the release of Wim Wenders’ signature film Wings of Desire returns with a newly restored version that world-premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Visible only to those like them and to human children, Damiel and Cassiel are two angels, who have existed even before humankind. Along with several other angels, they currently wander around West Berlin, generally on their own, observing and preserving life, sometimes trying to provide comfort to the troubled, although those efforts are not always successful. Among those they are currently observing are: the cast and crew of a movie - a detective story set in WWII Nazi Germany - which include a sensitive and perceptive Peter Falk; an elderly man named Homer looking for eternal peace; and the troupe of a financially failing circus, which has closed early for the season because of those financial problems. One day, Damiel tells Cassiel that he wants to become human, to feel not only the sensory aspects of physical beings, but also emotional aspects. He embarks on this thought with the full realization that there is no turning back if he decides to do so. His thoughts are largely because he has fallen in love with Marion, the trapeze artist with the circus. If he does decide to become a human, there is no guarantee that as a human that he will be able to locate Marion or that she will return his affection. His angels, however, may be looking out for him. (Program notes by Astor Theatre)
 

MILDRED PIERCE (1945 / 35mm Print)
Sun July 1st 11:30am
Music Box Theatre, Chicago IL

Joan Crawford provides the last word in motherly sacrifice in this perverse noir melodrama of spoiled teenagers, loutish husbands, and chain restaurants. Later re-made as a Todd Haynes miniseries with Kate Winslet, the Curtiz original is a concentrated powerhouse with an excellent grasp of the minute gradations of Southern California social hierarchy. (Program notes by Music Box Theatre)