Movies on the Big Screen - American Cinematheque

Viola Davis & Max von Sydow to Appear In Person at the Aero Theatre

2012-01-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, Oscar season is in full swing now and everyone knows what that means! No? Well, it means that Oscar nominees just can't stay away from the Aero and Egyptian Theatres. They are desperate to know what the public thinks of their nominated work, and what better discerning, film savvy audience is there to have that conversation with, than an American Cinematheque audience?

So far, Viola Davis and Max von Sydow are stopping in to visit us at the Aero Theatre, but stay tuned as we confirm more guests in February. And, take a look at our other award season events which include a live taping of an Oscar Preview Show with the film critics of KPCC FilmWeek hosted by Larry Mantle, Panel discussions with the Oscar nominees for Best Editing and Best Art Director/Set Decoration and showcases of the Oscar nominated short subjects (documentaries, live-action and animation!). As always, our tickets are available on www.fandango.com

Monday, January 30 - 7:30 PM - AERO
Special Event Just Added to our Oscar Season Lineup!
THE HELP, 2011, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 146 min. Dir. Tate Taylor. In the summer of 1963, recent college graduate and aspiring author Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns home to Jackson, Mississippi for the summer, only to discover that the friends she left behind (a fire-breathing Bryce Dallas Howard among them) have become malignantly conformist housewives-in-training, with nasty racist opinions suddenly in full swing. Stunned by how the same young girls who were so lovingly raised by black domestics could grow up to be such biggots, Skeeter suddenly realizes the book she wants to write: a collection of interviews with black maids in her community. Particularly hesitant is Abileen Clarke (an excellent Viola Davis), who doesn't want to stir up trouble, but when the racist atmosphere of Jackson reaches a dangerous fever pitch with the assassination of Medgar Evers, she knows her story must be shared at any cost. With an impressive supporting cast including Jessica Chastain as the good-hearted, bottle-blond outsider in town, Octavia Spencer as Abileen's smart-mouthed friend and fellow domestic and Allison Janney as Skeeter's cancer-stricken mother. Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Davis) and two for Best Supporting Actress (Spencer and Chastain). Discussion following with actress Viola Davis.

Monday, February 6 - 7:30 PM - AERO
Special Event Just Added to our Oscar Season Lineup!
Double Feature: THE SEVENTH SEAL, 1957, Janus Films, 92 min. Dir. Ingmar Bergman. Arguably Bergman's most iconic film and the movie that helped create the international arthouse cinema craze of the 1950's. While the Black Plague rages all around, medieval knight Max von Sydow plays a game of chess with Death . but who will win? Often imitated and parodied but never equaled, THE SEVENTH SEAL is an astonishing, protean masterpiece: a film to storm the gates of Heaven with. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes. "Bergman's spiritual quest is at the center of the films he made in the middle of his career. THE SEVENTH SEAL opens that period, in which he asked, again and again, why God seemed absent from the world." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, 2011, Warner Bros., 129 min. Dir. Stephen Daldry. Eleven-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile and pacifist Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) discovers a mysterious key among the belongings of his deceased father (Tom Hanks), who died a year earlier in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Determined to keep his vital connection to the man who playfully cajoled him into confronting his wildest fears, the young boy embarks on an urgent search for the lock the key will open. As Oskar crosses the five New York boroughs on foot - encountering a range of people (including an excellent Max von Sydow) who are each survivors in their own way - he begins to uncover unseen links to the father he misses, to the mother (Sandra Bullock) who has become so emotionally distant and to the whole noisy, dangerous and often wondrous world around him. Adapted from the acclaimed bestseller by Jonathan Safran Foer. Nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (von Sydow). Discussion between films with actor Max von Sydow.

The Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Canine Sensation Uggie, Star of THE ARTIST, Visits the Egyptian

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Uggie (almost 10), the Jack Russell Terrier actor from modern silent film sensation, THE ARTIST made his way to the Egyptian Theatre this morning to participate in announcing (with THE ARTIST co-star Penelope Ann Miller) the nominees for the Golden Collar Awards, a new Award Show produced by Dog News Daily to honor canine actors in five categories. The award show will benefit Los Angeles area dog rescue organizations and shelters.

Uggie's visit to the hallowed 1922 Egyptian Theatre was clearly a thrill for him, given his portrayal of a famous furry actor in the silent film era. "This is all where it really happened in the 20s," he woofed. The Egyptian, celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2012, was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere, ROBIN HOOD starring Douglas Fairbanks in 1922. Mary Pickford joined her husband Fairbanks, close pal Charlie Chaplin, Pola Negri and other luminaries of the film industry on opening night, October 18, 1922. The Egyptian went on to become the movie palace where some of the biggest films of the 1920s premiered, including Charlie Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (also starring Fairbanks) and Cecil B. DeMilles 1923 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, to name a few. It is unknown if east coast based Jean the Vitagraph do g ever had occasion to visit Sid Grauman's grand movie palace in his senior years. Uggie sniffed around to uncover the flavors of the theatre's glorious past.

Uggie, who is nominated for two Golden Collar Awards (for his roles in both THE ARTIST and WATER FOR ELEPHANTS), probably won't do another feature film on his own according to his companion Omar. "I wouldn't put him through it at this age," says Omar. Omar says he now has a double (2 1/2 year old Dash) who can work with Uggie on his next film.

Omar reports that Uggie is a natural. "In movies he just does all the things that we do at home like play ball." He also skateboards and water skis, but just for fun. While he auditioned with a massive amount of other Jack Russell Terriers, for WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, Uggie and Omar were told about THE ARTIST by a friend. They met with the filmmakers and went to the home of the lead actor to see how the pair would interact. It was magic, so from there he got the job! The two still seem to have a connection if you saw them together at the Golden Globes. Either that or, Jean DuJardin had a pocket full of treats.

Co-star Penelope Ann Miller (who wore a dark blue dress to the press conference and was constantly brushing Uggie's fur off her to avoid being targeted by PETA), admitted that Uggie is definitely a scene stealer, but she felt it worked well for her character since she was supposed to be jealous of her screen star husband's relationship with Uggie. Penelope is also glad that people are discovering silent film through this project. She loves the 1920s and was influenced by watching actresses from that era.

Uggie posed for numerous photos in sitting and standing positions and did several on camera interviews, one with NBC News (he did start licking the reporter's face, but Emmy winning news reporter Gordon Takumatsu later told the American Cinematheque that he liked a friendly interview subject and that he had last seen a Sergio Leone film at the Egyptian with his brother and will back in February for more Spaghetti Westerns Leone-style!) which will air at 5PM PDT today.

When asked by the American Cinematheque if he thought Uggie would be approached by Harry Winston or one of his competitors to wear a diamond collar to the Oscars, Omar responded that he had been thinking that might happen, but what he is really hoping, is that the Oscar producers will ask Uggie to present an envelope to Billy Crystal. "He's very good at things like that," says Omar.

Apparently when he reached the press room for the Golden Globes, everyone kept asking Omar, are you sure he will be okay with all the flashing cameras? Uggie took to it like a pro. "It didn't bother him at all," says Omar. When they put the Golden Globe Award down on the carpet he just went over and put his paw on it."

Omar also shared with the press that although he loves the whole movie, his favorite Uggie scene was at the end of THE ARTIST when Uggie rolls over and plays dead and breaks the tension. He revealed that Uggie is often an ice breaker. "He will do something funny and everyone laughs."

The American Cinematheque recently tributed 1960s feline actor Orangey (BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, RHUBARB) at the Aero Theatre.

Although not playing at our theatres (the Aero or Egyptian), the American Cinematheque HIGHLY recommends THE ARTIST, playing at a theatre near you! Watch a trailer. Genuine silent films can be seen on the big screen as they were meant to be seen, monthly at American Cinematheque theatres. Coming this month and in February are silent films from Charlie Chaplin, Georges Méliès (fans of HUGO will want to check this out!) and Buster Keaton!

-- Margot Gerber for the American Cinematheque News Corp.

Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh In Person at the Egyptian Theatre!

2012-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

Living in Los Angeles during Award Season offers an avalanche of opportunities for the public to hear from the stars of their favorite films of the year. Wednesday night (January 11) Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh stop by the Egyptian to tell tales about the making of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Find out first hand if their on-set relationship was as troubled as Monroe's and Olivier's was back in the 50s when they made THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (the film they are making in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN)!

The Cinematheque's audience was treated to a big screen look at THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL Sunday night with author Susan Bernard in person. Her father, Bruno Bernard was the first professional photographer to capture Marilyn's charm in the studio and went on to photograph her for some years, including creating the infamous THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH photos of Marilyn with her white dress billowing up over the subway grate. He helped her to get representation and a studio contract! Susan Bernard, who keeps the name Bernard of Hollywood in the spotlight in the 21st century, recalled her father's story about Marilyn pulling up in her jalopy for their first photo session. How did they meet? He saw her walking out of a drugstore wriggling all the way down the street. Susan has a new book out, entitled Marilyn: Intimate Portraits, which features her father's photos (may not published until now) and notations on his time with Marilyn.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Wed, January 11 • 7:00pm at the Egyptian Theatre

At the height of her popularity, Marilyn Monroe went to England to make THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL with Sir Laurence Olivier. An eager assistant became the only person who could comfort the insecure star. Michelle Williams is Marilyn to Kenneth Branagh's Olivier in this tale of their on-set struggles and the young man who kept Monroe company. Discussion following with Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh. See more about this event.

Tickets are available on www.fandango.com

Golden Globe Nominees at the Aero & Egyptian Theatres

2012-01-09T00:13:00.000-08:00

Award season is in full swing. In February at the Cinematheque we will have our annual panels with the Oscar nominated film editors and the art directors and set directors, but the award show that really kicks the season off is the Golden Globes (founded in 1944).

Discover the best of 2011's international cinema with the Golden Globes'® foreign-language nominees. First see the five nominated films (listed below) January 9 - 13 at the Aero Theatre and then join us Saturday, January 15 at the Egyptian Theatre for a FREE round-table discussion with directors of the nominated films in person to conclude American Cinematheque's Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee Series (full series schedule can be viewed here

The Nominees Are:

Monday, January 9 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre

Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee from U.S.A.:

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY

A VER ES MEZ FOLDJEN
2011, FilmDistrict, 127 min. Director: Angelina Jolie. Angelina Jolie's directorial debut is a war-torn romance between two people on either side of the ethnic divide during the Balkan War. In Bosnian with English subtitles. Details

Tuesday, January 10 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre

Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee from Spain:

THE SKIN I LIVE IN, LA PIEL QUE HABITO
2011, Sony Pictures Classics, 117 min. Director: Pedro Almodovar. The latest film from Pedro Almodovar reunites him with star Antonio Banderas, who plays Dr. Robert Ledgard, a plastic surgeon inspired to develop an artificial skin after his wife burned to death. Described by Almodovar as "a horror story without screams or frights," THE SKIN I LIVE IN crawls with the byzantine plot twists, perversity and dark humor for which its writer-director is justly famous. Details

In Spanish with English subtitles.

Wednesday, January 11 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre

Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee from Iran:

A SEPARATION

JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN

2011, Sony Pictures Classics, 123 min. Director: Asghar Farhadi. In this wrenching family drama, the dissolution of an upper-middle class marriage reveals sexual, class and religious fault lines in contemporary Iran. Details

In Persian with English subtitles.

Thursday, January 12 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre

Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee from Belgium:

THE KID WITH A BIKE

LE GAMIN AU VELO

2011, Sundance Selects, 87 min. Directors: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. This Grand Prix winner at the Cannes Film Festival from directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne is the story of a troubled 11-year old boy who lands at a state group home when his father abandons him and his unlikely relationship with a single hairdresser who agrees to host him on weekends. Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne will appear in person for discussion following the film. Details

In French with English subtitles.

Friday, January 13 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre

Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominee from China:

THE FLOWERS OF WAR

JIN LING SHI SAN CHAI
2011, Wrekin Hill/Row 1, 145 min. Director: Zhang Yimou. The director of RAISE THE RED LANTERN and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS adapts a book set in 1937 during the second Sino-Japanese War about an American missionary (Christian Bale) at a Catholic church in Nanjing, China where schoolgirls and local prostitutes seek sanctuary when the Japanese invade. Details

In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Watch Robert Downey Jr. LIVE on the Red Carpet Friday!

2011-10-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

Join us on the Red Carpet on Friday, October 14 around 6:30 PM (PDT) to watch the arrivals to the presentation of the 25th Annual American Cinematheque Award to Robert Downey Jr. We're expecting Jack Black, Jodie Foster, Jared Harris, Guy Ritchie, Anthony Michael Hall, the Sr. Robert Downey and more stars!

Do you have a question for Robert Downey Jr.? Post it here. Your question may be chosen to ask live on the red carpet this Friday!

We know it doesn't look like much right now, but the player will go live on Friday! So stay tuned!

Robert Downey Jr.'s friends, co-stars and family will celebrate his career with their memories of working with him and clips of his movies, plus, the live audience will get a sneak peek at upcoming films SHERLOCK HOLMES 2: A GAME OF SHADOWS and THE AVENGERS!

The event is a fundraiser for the American Cinematheque. Funds raised keep movies rolling on the big screen as they were meant to be seen, all year long. Viewing the red carpet arrivals on Ustream help to raise additional funds for the Cinematheque. Just click to view on the player above when it goes live or use this link

Robert Downey Jr. To Receive American Cinematheque 2011 Award

2011-08-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. WILL RECEIVE THE 25th AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AWARD

AT THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL AT GALA TRIBUTE ON OCTOBER 14th

Join our Facebook page for the event for updates and to talk about Robert Downey Jr.!

The 25th American Cinematheque Award will be presented to two-time Academy Award^® nominee Robert Downey Jr. at the Cinematheque’s annual benefit gala, American Cinematheque Board chairman Rick Nicita announced today. The presentation takes place Friday, October 14, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom in Beverly Hills.

"The American Cinematheque is extremely pleased to honor Robert Downey Jr. .as the 25^th recipient of the American Cinematheque award at our celebration this year," said Rick Nicita. "The pleasure that we receive from his charismatic and nuanced performances is matched only by the respect that he has earned for his personal and professional journey. The wide range of his talent has kept us enthralled in movies from a biopic like "Chaplin" to outrageous comedies like "Tropic Thunder" to franchises like "Sherlock Holmes" and, of course, "Iron Man." While we have been enjoying him for years, it seems that he’s just getting started all over again. The Cinematheque is thrilled to mark this milestone in the flourishing career of Robert Downey Jr."

Downey was the unanimous choice of the Cinematheque Board of Directors selection committee, which since 1986, has annually honored an extraordinary artist (actor, director or writer) in the entertainment industry, who is fully engaged in his or her work and is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the motion picture.

The executive producers of the show are Paul Flattery, Barbara Smith and Michael Dempsey. Irene Crinita is the producer and Kelly Brock co-producer. Corrinne Mann is the benefit producer. Co-chairs and presenters of the event will be announced as they are confirmed

ROBERT DOWNEY JR., a two-time Academy Award^® nominee, earned his most recent Oscar^® nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, for his work in Ben Stiller’s comedy hit "Tropic Thunder." His performance as Kirk Lazarus, a white Australian actor playing a black American character, also brought him Golden Globe, BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award^® nominations. Downey was honored with his first Oscar^® nomination, in the category of Best Actor, for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s acclaimed 1992 biopic "Chaplin," for which he also won BAFTA Award and London Film Critics Awards and received a Golden Globe Award nomination.

In early 2010, Downey received another Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the title role of the 2009 hit "Sherlock Holmes," under the direction of Guy Ritchie. Downey has once again teamed up with Ritchie and co-star Jude Law to return to the role of the legendary detective in the sequel "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," currently slated for release in December 2011.

Downey starred alongside Zach Galifianakis in Todd Phillips’ "Due Date" released in late 2010. In the Warner Bros. film, Downey played the role of an expectant father on a road trip racing to get back in time for the birth of his first child.

Additionally in 2010, Downey and his producer/wife, Susan Downey, launched production company, Team Downey, which has a first look deal with Warner Bros.

Downey was honored by Time Magazine’s "Time 100" in 2008, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In summer 2008, Downey received praise from critics and audiences for his performance in the title role of the blockbuster hit "Iron Man," under the direction of Jon Favreau. Bringing the Marvel Comics superhero to the big screen, "Iron Man" earned more than $585 million worldwide, making it one of the year’s biggest hits. Downey reprised his role in the successful sequel, which was released in Spring 2010. He returns to the role in Josh Whedon’s upcoming actioner "The Avengers," which teams Iron Man with other Marvel Comics superheroes.

Downey’s other recent films include "The Soloist," opposite Jamie Foxx; "Charlie Bartlett;" David Fincher’s "Zodiac," alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo; Richard Linklater’s "A Scanner Darkly," with Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson; "Fur," opposite Nicole Kidman in a film inspired by the life of revered photographer Diane Arbus; and "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." He also shared in a SAG Award^® nomination as a member of the ensemble cast of George Clooney’s true-life drama "Good Night, and Good Luck," and in a Special Jury Prize won by the ensemble cast of "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," presented at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Downey’s long list of film credits also includes "Gothika" "The Singing Detective;" Curtis Hanson’s "Wonder Boys;" "U.S. Marshals;" Mike Figgis’ "One Night Stand;" Jodie Foster’s "Home for the Holidays;" "Richard III;" Oliver Stone’s "Natural Born Killers;" Robert Altman’s "The Gingerbread Man" and "Short Cuts," sharing in a Golden Globe Award for Best Ensemble for the latter; "Heart and Souls," "Soapdish," "Air America," "Chances Are," "True Believer," "Less Than Zero," "Weird Science," "Firstborn," and "Pound," in which he made his debut under the direction of Robert Downey Sr.

Marking his debut into music, Robert Downey Jr. released his first album titled "The Futurist" on the Sony Classics Label on November 23^rd, 2004. The album’s eight original songs that Downey wrote and his two musical numbers debuting as cover songs revealed his sultry singing voice and his musical talents.

In 2001, Downey made his primetime television debut when he joined the cast of the Fox-TV series "Ally McBeal," as attorney Larry Paul. For this role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Comedy Series. In addition, Downey was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Matt Damon received the 2010 American Cinematheque Award. Previous honorees are as follows: Eddie Murphy (1986); Bette Midler (1987); Robin Williams (1988); Steven Spielberg (1989); Ron Howard (1990); Martin Scorsese (1991); Sean Connery (1992); Michael Douglas (1993); Rob Reiner (1994); Mel Gibson (1995); Tom Cruise (1996); John Travolta (1997); Arnold Schwarzenegger (1998); Jodie Foster (1999); Bruce Willis (2000); Nicolas Cage (2001); Denzel Washington (2002); Nicole Kidman (2003), Steve Martin (2004); Al Pacino (2005) George Clooney (2006), Julia Roberts (2007) and Samuel L. Jackson (2008).

One thousand entertainment industry notables are expected to attend the Tribute. This annual event is the American Cinematheque’s most important benefit, providing funds for the non-profit film exhibition organization’s programs throughout the year and operation of the historic landmark Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard as well as the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on Montana Avenue.

Tickets to the Cinematheque Tribute, an elegant black-tie dinner followed by a multi-media award show start at $550. Call Mann Productions for tickets and further information: 424.832.7434. Please note that this event was formerly known as the Moving Picture Ball.

Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on December 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre which celebrates its 89th anniversary on October 18. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman’s first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur.

The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In early 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.

Everything You Need To Know About Producing Web Entertainment

2011-06-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 PM the American Cinematheque's seminar series will present our 2nd annual panel discussion with industry experts, "Everything You Need To Know About Producing Web Entertainment." The seminar, which takes place at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028) will last approximately 150 minutes and will include a moderated discussion with our panel and a question and answer period.

Once just a revenue and career gamble, the world of web series creation is now becoming a vital life force all its own for emerging filmmakers, actors, producers and writers. Not only are careers getting started both in front of and behind the camera, but established celebrity participation and corporate endorsement of web series creation is on the rise.

Are you still resisting understanding the vast exposure the internet can provide your film career?
Yes, there is a big web entertainment world out there… but let’s set the stage for all of you filmmakers, producers, writers and actors looking for a start in the entertainment industry:
Here’s a little fact sheet to consider about today’s Web Entertainment industry:

The web entertainment industry includes original programming of every conceivable genre and classification (and a few yet to be defined) known to the established mainstream industry. Action, animation, cult, documentary, drama, experimental, exploitation, fantasy, horror, informational, LGBT, musical, noir, reality, sci-fi and talk original series can all be found on the internet. And then there are the comedies - situation, sketch, screwball, stand-up, sex, satire, parody and some really twisted blends!

Corporations as diverse as Ikea, Lexus, Altoids and Spherion are all getting involved in the creation of “branded” web series. Jaguar, Kodak, Verizon Wireless and Mountain Dew are coming to the playing field with financial support via “product integration.”

And who’s contributing content exclusively to the web?

Academy Award-nominees like Michael Lerner (BARTON FINK) and Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN); Emmy Award-winners/nominees like Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”), Ed Begley, Jr. (“St. Elsewhere”) and Illeana Douglas (“Six Feet Under”); television beloveds Justine Bateman (“Family Ties”), Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Neil Patrick Harris (“Doogie Howser, M.D.); cult/horror superstars like Robert Englund, comedians like Will Ferrell and today’s hottest established talent like Zach Galifianakis (THE HANGOVER), Rosario Dawson (SIN CITY, SEVEN POUNDS); a host of the coolest and brightest new stars (Brendan Bradley, Dingani Beza, Nathan Fillion, Mark Gantt, Rachael Hip-Flores, Nicole Pacent); acclaimed Hollywood film directors like David Lynch (BLUE VELVET) and Robert Townsend (HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE), impressive new animators, and the list goes on and on…

The mainstream, broadcast world has warmed up to buying and adapting web original series for the more traditional form of exhibition they offer. Catch Lisa Kudrow’s former web series original, WEB THERAPY, on Showtime!

The coveted “Best Short Film” prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival did not go to an independently- or film school- made short film. A web-designed short took top honors.
The Television Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009 recognized web series DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-A-LONG BLOG with a “Prime Time” Emmy Award (Dr. Horrible beat out the likes of “Battlestar Galactica,” “The Daily Show,” “30 Rock” and Bruce Springsteen for the honor!)

The world has found its first American “webberty” in actor Felicia Day of the web series THE GUILD.

Whether you are a budding filmmaker looking for a place to start, a smart producer looking for an arena to play in, an actor looking for a career start and a way to get in front of thousands of viewers or if you are just interested in learning more about the best web series out there, our June 21st Web Entertainment seminar is going to be completely invaluable to you!

It is high time to turn a brighter light on an end of the entertainment industry that all too frequently escapes the attention it deserves.

Confirmed Panelists Include: Illeana Douglas (Series Creator/Writer/Actor: EASY TO ASSEMBLE); Peter Hyoguchi (CEO: Strike.TV); Sandeep Parikh (Series Creator/Writer/Director: THE LEGEND OF NEIL & Actor: THE GUILD); Joe Wilson (Series Creator/Writer/Director: VAMPIRE MOB); Anna Wenger (Head Of Physical Production: Funny Or Die); Daniel Williams (Series Creator/Writer/Producer: ASYLUM); Kimberley Browning (Moderator, Executive Director: Hollywood Shorts); Thomas Ethan Harris (Producer: American Cinematheque Film Seminar Series).

Ticket Prices: $12 Member, $15 Student/Senior, $20 General. Advance tickets are available on www.fandango.com

Added, Postponed & Sold Out Screenings at the Aero and Egyptian Theatres

2011-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

A few schedule changes to the American Cinematheque film calendar to note:
SEMINAR POSTPONED
1. The Seminar for filmmakers entitled "Not Just for Decoration: Color and Design in Cinema" has been postponed from Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 7:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre. As soon as a new date is confirmed it will be announced on our website and on Facebook. Ticket holders are entitled to a cash refund at the box office. You must bring your original ticket to obtain the refund. If you ordered online and do not have the ticket in your possession, simply bring your fandango receipt to the box office. We apologize for the inconvenience.

EVEN THE RAIN Added Screenings!
2. Back by Popular Demand are added screenings of the Spanish Oscar Entry EVEN THE RAIN (TAMBIEN LA LLUVIA) starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The film screens in the Egyptian's Spielberg Theatre twice this weekend: Saturday, May 14 - 7:30PM Sunday, May 15 - 4:30 PM *not on DVD. Official website.Spain conquered the New World for gold. 500 years later, water is gold. Not much else has changed…

Critics Pick! “Splendidly panoramic...a grandeur and a force reminiscent of Terrence Malick films."
—Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

MICHAEL KEATON

3. Michael Keaton's In Person appearance on Friday, May 13 at the Aero Theatre with BEETLEJUICE and MULTIPLICITY is SOLD OUT. There will be a standby line at the Aero on Friday. It will be first come, first served for any remaining tickets. Tickets to the BATMAN I & II double feature and other Keaton programs are still available. View the Keaton series.

Go to the American Cinematheque website.

How the Internet (Well Social Networking Really) Saved the Cinematheque

2010-11-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

By Sid Grauman with additional reporting in the real world by Margot Gerber

As a general rule, non-profit arts organizations have no money for advertising. They may have tremendously inventive, even innovative programming, but if no one knows about it, it’s like the proverbial tree falling in the forest when Paul Bunyan goes on a coffee break and no one is around the hear it. Making noise in the community about our programs had become something of a problem. A few years ago, we couldn’t justify high-priced advertising in print publications that had no track back (we didn’t know if the ads were being seen, but no one cared about our programs, or if people had just stopped reading print altogether). Our audiences for films on the big screen as they were meant to be seen at the American Cinematheque’s gorgeous, state-of-the-art theatres (especially Sid Grauman's legendary Egyptian Theatre - home of the first Hollywood movie premiere), were dwindling.

There is no doubt, that the Internet killed the centuries old institution of the printed newspaper. As the ad pages shrunk, so did the editorial. The Los Angeles Times, our remaining local daily paper of record, that once devoted a whole column to repertory cinema around LA, reduced editorial in proportion with ad pages. Before the demise of print, cable television started the wave of change, offering more choices than the original three networks everyone watched and it split the audience into too many pieces to go to one source to mount a campaign targeted at the vast majority. The Internet cut audiences again, this time, a thousand-fold and the days of there being one or two sources that every person in America consulted (and spoke about around the water cooler), were gone forever. Around 2007, the cry went out, “Nobody is reading the LA Weekly anymore” and “All entertainment news has gone online.” The LA Weekly had always been the source to advertise entertainment. You picked it up to see what was happening in LA in film and music even if you didn't read the news section. In a year or two when Facebook peaked, it became a much friendlier advertising climate for companies with no money who were actually looking for a very specific audience. You could drill down to find people who liked a certain movie. You didn't have to hope they might happen to see the small ad you could afford in the LA Weekly that week. I should add that I came across a box of LA Weekly's from the 90s around this time and was reminded that the Weekly often reviewed our one night, one off events including short film showcases and highlighted listings from the world of repertory cinema! The paper was fat and there were no URL's. All the information was contained within those pages.

But before Mark Zuckerberg's revolutionary concept reached critical mass, I was faced with the question, "so where does a non-profit movie marketer go from here?" We couldn’t afford to buy one million impressions on a national website and that strategy made no sense since we only operate in Los Angeles, but we did have our own e-mail list of opt in subscribers that we had been cultivating since 1996. We had been sending out our calendar in a text format for awhile, but we were starting to get labeled as a “spam server.” Then around 2007 Icontact and Constant Contact and other web-based e-mail programs came onto the scene. What a concept! A service you pay for that maintains “white list status” with all the big e-mail service providers like aol and yahoo for example. Suddenly the Cinematheque’s e-mails were getting through to our customers, were now more eye-catching html based emails with pictures and color AND we were spending less time managing our own database because people could unsubscribe or change their e-mail addresses themselves! There is nothing more appealing to a company with a small staff than automation.

In 2007, my assistant at the time came in one day all hopped up about something called MySpace. She wanted to build a page for the Cinematheque. “Give it a try,” I encouraged her. It was free and supposedly young people were on Myspace. Number one on the wish list of all of us museums, performing arts and heritage type institutions, is connecting with and building a new generation of patrons, before our customer base literally dies off.

My assistant would give me daily updates on friend requests and shared people’s comments on Myspace around the office. It seemed to be working. People joined our page. It wasn’t long before we had our 10,000th friend. Still, I didn’t feel like there was a lot of engagement. People joined the page, but then what? Most of the messages seemed designed to get me to listen to a band. Still, my assistant was enthusiastic that her job required her to spend several hours a day on MySpace, updating our calendar of films and posting soundtrack selections as background music for the page.

Maybe a year later, a volunteer came in and told me about something called Facebook. “Yeah, people start pages for everything," she said. "There is even a fan page for Spaghetti,” she confided. “Go for it,” I told her. “Start a fan page for the Aero and one for the Egyptian.” At this point, I was of the mindset that all of these sites were just designed for people who had way too much time on their hands, but hey, if hey were movie fans with idle evenings, maybe they would come out to the theatres! At the time, I put these social network site users in the same category as those friends and colleagues who were compelled to pass on chain e-mails of jokes that went were cc’ed to a million people you didn't know, who would then reply all, cluttering your inbox with "LOL’s" and emoticons to the point of nausea. If nothing else, Facebook seems to have rid cyberspace of that disease. Now people can post that garbage on their own pages to their heart’s delight and the comments stay on their OWN PAGE.

As we got into Facebook at the Cinematheque - and eventually Twitter, the thought of having my own Facebook page made me nervous. I chose who I invited into my life. I was fine promoting someone else's film, but not my own life. I didn’t want to be judged or challenged in a public forum. But, as it turned out, it was necessary to have a profile in order to interact on Facebook. So first, I tried to have one that was sort of a hybrid of my name and business, but ultimately I changed it to my own name and posted a photo of myself so that people could find me. I’ve been on Facebook for about three years now and outside of an ex-boyfriend recently appearing out of the past to send me a private message to let me know I had used the contraction it’s without an apostrophe (never heard from him again after that), I haven’t suffered too much anxiety from having a profile. I was even disappointed when I realized I had hid by birthday and since no one knew, I didn’t end up with a page full of birthday wishes from people I barely know. And then, there is that sense of being left out, tinged with jealousy, when you see all the fabulous things everyone else is doing.

Back to the CINEMATHEQUE... So, we started to accumulate fans as Facebook began to rule the Internet and the demographic went much wider than MySpace. Grandparents got on to see photos of the grandkids, post-college kids making their way in a new city stayed in touch with school friends, business people got on to gain leads and people WERE (for the most part) , who they said they WERE. The Cinematheque used Fan Pages, never groups. Our website (soon to be re-launched) sufficed for presenting information, but it would have been too expensive for us to build in a proprietary chat room to provide a way for audience members to interact and isn’t it better to be part of a much, much larger platform that is being marketed every day to new people who we don’t already know? The fan page allowed us to get updates out at a rapid fire pace and to make sure people saw them. We could tease programs and get a barometer reading on interest, we could post events and people could RSVP to them and pass them around to friends and we could answer questions quickly and easily to one person, but all could see in case they wanted to know too.

With Facebook, people who had already been indoctrinated into the thrill of being immersed in a film on the big screen at the Cinematheque, could easily share their passion with friends on Facebook with the tap of a key. One of our biggest recruitment methods has long been word of mouth and by extension, this IS word of mouth. People are more likely to try something if someone they know recommends it. That goes for books, diets, plastic surgeons, movies and movie theatres.

Once we hit that 1000th fan the viral part of the equation kicked in. It is like that story about the monkeys on the island with nuclear fall out. Scientists started teaching some monkeys to wash the coconut before eating it. Once the 100h monkey adopted this practice, all the monkeys were washing their coconuts.

From September of 2009 and September of 2010, audiences returned to the Egyptian. Our message had gone viral. All those people sitting around at home typing movie titles - ERASERHEAD, ROBOCOP, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, GONE WITH THE WIND, into their Facebook profiles - did we suddenly get on their radar?

The economy was down and movies were still amongst the cheapest forms of entertainment you could buy. Now selling out at least one show a month in a 616-seat theatre, our demographic was all over the place. We literally had patrons that ranged from infants to people in their 90s. Every night we might have a different audience, depending on the theme of the show. News Film from Italy, a genre film 30 years in the making, finally making its premiere, an old classic with a Golden Age star in person...

Another goal Facebook, as well as Twitter helped us meet, was to build a community. People came to our facility to do something non-social by definition. To sit in the dark and watch a film even if at the Cinematheque it is an altogether different experience than going to the usual movie theatre. Not only have patrons been stoned by fellow patrons for deigning to extract a cell phone from their pocket during a movie, but the audience is whip smart about film and will applaud a popular 1930s movie star's entrance onscreen or laugh at the inside jokes in a movie. Our Facebook page began to literally put a face with a name and a personality. For the first time we were really interacting with our audience and when I would post something especially clever (like a Tweet on 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY that was “sent from my HAL9000), I couldn’t wait until our audience started to comment. And yes, they challenge us, argue with us and flat out get nasty sometimes, but we remember it is all for the love of film, so we forgive them time and again. At least they care enough to argue right?

People love to talk about the movies and we’ve given them a platform, but it has gone beyond the arena of when people loved to read our expensive printed newsletter and then RENT the films they had just read about to watch at home, instead of coming to the theatre to see them. No, the new fans of Aero Theatre and Egyptian Theatre DO show up for events at the theatre. They are part of the dialog, so how could they not show up for their events.

For more information on how these and other tools are used on a daily basis to keep the Cinematheque relevant in a changing world, come to the panel discussion SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR THE FILM COMMUNITY on Tuesday, November 19, 2010 at 7:30 PM at the historic 1922 Egyptian Theatre (built by theatre impresario and darn fine promoter, Sid Grauman).

CARLOS based on the real-life Terrorist Carlos the Jackal Opens in LA Exclusively at the Egyptian Theatre

2010-10-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Director Olivier Assayas & Actor Edgar Ramirez In Person with

an exclusive engagement of

CARLOS

Only one man could hijack the world. Carlos the Jackal.

A representative of the next generation of Cahiers du Cinéma critics-turned-filmmakers, Olivier Assayas has amassed a body of work encompassing some of the most ambitious and accomplished movies in contemporary French cinema. Following the character-driven, behavioral tradition of post-New Wave directors, Assayas also proves connected to his Cahiers forefathers by making films that speak to a wide variety of cinematic texts (seen most famously in IRMA VEP, which looks backwards to the mysterious silent serials of the great Louis Feuillade while throwing a sidelong glance at contemporary Hong Kong cinema). Assayas’s career has been marked by a thrilling creative restlessness, as he has explored a variety of genres and modes, trying his hand at contemporary drama (CLEAN), documentary portrait (HHH, his 1997 film on Hou Hsiao-hsien), period-piece (LES DESTINÉES) and cyber-thriller (the notorious DEMONLOVER).

Assayas’ most recent cinematic contribution, CARLOS, certainly falls in line with the creative ingenuity seen in his previous works. At 330 minutes, CARLOS has been described by the Los Angeles Times as "THE BOURNE IDENTITY with more substance, or MUNICH with more of a pulse…a globetrotting and epic look at one man's rise to the station of international guerrilla leader and terrorist celebrity." The film was an official selection of this year’s Cannes Film Festival where it electrified audiences.

Join us for an in-person tribute to Olivier Assayas with IRMA VEP and DEMONLOVER, as well as an exclusive limited-engagement of CARLOS!

Carlos Trailer

Interview with Assayas in LA Weekly
Meet Edgar Ramirez

Thursday, October 21 – 7:30 PM

Before we get started with Carlos, Olivier Assayas In Person!

Double Feature:

IRMA VEP, 1996, Zeitgeist Films, 96 min. Dir. Olivier Assayas. "[A] dark, brittle…comedy about a film company remaking Feuillade’s silent serial LES VAMPIRES…A once prestigious French director (Jean-Pierre Léaud) casts Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung (playing herself) as villainess Irma Vep, and his sexual infatuation with her is matched by that of the costume designer who escorts her around Paris. The feverish pace of the shooting seems to unleash bad vibes as well as desire, and Assayas follows the delirium as if he were at the center of a hurricane." – Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader. In French with English subtitles. Trailer

New Print!

DEMONLOVER, 2002, Palm Pictures, 117 min. Updating David Cronenberg’s VIDEODROME for the dotcom age, this dark thriller throws together gray-suited executives, high-tech websites and corporate espionage. As it draws links between the worlds of anime, videogames and pay-per-view pornography, Assayas’ film unnervingly suggests that even the most innocuous entertainments are part of a far less wholesome culture of the image. Music by Sonic Youth. In French with English subtitles. Discussion between films with Olivier Assayas. Trailer

Exclusive Engagement!

All ticket buyers will get a souvenir 'Carlos' booklet!

CARLOS

2010, IFC Films, 330 min.

In French with English subtitles.

Director Olivier Assayas' epic, searing and relentlessly thrilling portrayal of the Venezuelan revolutionary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as "THE BOURNE IDENTITY with more substance, or MUNICH with more of a pulse," and received much well-deserved buzz at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Sanchez (played by Venezuelan actor Édgar Ramirez) is a fascinating real-life figure with an explosive rise and fall - he managed to found a worldwide terrorist organization and raid the OPEC headquarters before being caught by the French police in 1975.

Olivier Assayas electrified the Cannes Film Festival with CARLOS, his epic and definitive portrait of the notorious international terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal, who masterminded a wave of terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East in the ’70s and ’80s. Co-written by Assayas and Dan Franck, CARLOS illustrates the evolution of contemporary terrorism as it examines the life of its title character. Tracing the arc of Carlos’ criminal activities across two decades and several nations, the film features a dynamic cast of international talent and was shot in numerous countries, including Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Lebanon, and Morocco.

Don't miss this stunning telling of an unbelievable moment in history, in a one week exclusive run at the Cinematheque!

"(An) epic achievement...Nothing I've encountered on any size screen matches the lucidity of this fact-based fiction—it amounts to a textbook on state-sponsored terrorism—and nothing I've seen in recent years has held my attention so relentlessly. 'Carlos' also stood as a textbook case of the total immersion that one can enjoy only in a theatrical setting."

- Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

"An event...An outrageous political gangster film Possibly the most universally admired movie among the Cannes Film Festival's official selections."

- J. Hoberman, Film Comment

"An astonishing film. Olivier Assayas adopts a fleet, ever-propulsive style that creates an extraordinary you-are-there sense of verisimilitude, while Edgar Ramirez inhabits the title role with the arrogant charisma of Brando in his prime."

- Todd McCarthy, indieWIRE

"HOW GOOD IS OLIVIER ASSAYAS' 'CARLOS'? Think of 'The Bourne Identity' with more substance, or 'Munich' with more of a pulse, and you begin to have a sense of what the French filmmaker accomplished with this globe-trotting and epic look at one man's rise to the station of international guerrilla leader and terrorist celebrity. This is an impressive work, the kind that one may be moved to see for reasons of novelty (it is a five-hour odyssey, after all) but that one is glad to have seen for all sorts of nobler reasons."
Steven Zeitchik, Los Angeles Times

"A SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENT. BRAVURA NARRATIVE FILMMAKING ON A HUGELY AMBITIOUS SCALE. A landmark contribution to the recent flush of movies devoted to '70s terrorism....a marvel of concision, and for all its nonstop globe-trotting and language-switching, its energy rarely flags...Ramirez holds Carlos' many contradictions together in an indelible performance, maintaining a fearsome intensity through the first two-thirds before gradually draining away the charisma and athleticism, he's convincing at every age and every stage. The film is Ramirez's star-making show."

Justin Chang, Variety

Screening Schedule:

Friday, October 22 – 7:00 PM

Director Olivier Assayas and Edgar Ramirez will introduce the screening.

Special prices: General $18, Student/Senior $15, Members $12.

There will be an intermission after Part 2. Buy Carlos Tickets

Saturday, October 23 – 11:00 AM
Director Olivier Assayas and Edgar Ramirez will introduce the screening and appear for discussion following.
Special prices: General $18, Student/Senior $15, Members $12.

There will be an intermission after Part 2. Buy Carlos Tickets

Saturday, October 23 – 6:00 PM
Director Olivier Assayas and Edgar Ramirez will introduce the screening.
Buy Carlos Tickets

Long Version additional screening in the 80-seat Spielberg Theatre:

Sunday, October 24 – 3:00 PM

Special prices: General $18, Student/Senior $15, Members $12.

There will be an intermission after Part 2. Buy Carlos Tickets

The "Short Version" (166 min) of CARLOS will screen in the 80-seat Spielberg Theatre at these times:

(regular ticket prices apply: general admission $11; student/senior $9; Cinematheque members $7.)

Monday, October 25 – 7:30 PM

Tuesday, October 26 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, October 27 – 7:30 PM

Discussion with Cinematographer Denis Lenoir.

Thursday, October 28 – 7:30 PM

Buy Carlos Tickets

________________

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

PARKING:
$2 for up to 4 hours with validation from the Egyptian or any business in the Hollywood & Highland Complex parking structure. Lots are $5-10 behind the Egyptian off Selma Avenue.

Controversy Over Pope Joan by author Donna Woolfolk Cross

2010-10-19T01:37:00.000-07:00

In April, "Pope Joan", the movie based on my novel of the same name, opened in Italy. "La Papessa" ( the title in Italian) was doing so-so business at the box office until the Vatican denounced it--at which point it vaulted to the top of the box office charts. In the mad, mad world we live in, controversy sells things. The Vatican surely understands this, and yet could not refrain from condemning Pope Joan, an act that had the opposite effect of the one desired. The best way to bury any story is to ignore it. Joan's story is over a millennium old, but few people have ever heard of her. It doesn't matter whether Joan's story is legend or truth (though one can make a strong case for the latter, as I do in the Author's Note the end of my novel). King Arthur's story is known to be nothing more than legend, yet every school child knows Arthur's name. His story has been told and re-told, repeated and advanced to the point where it seems like history, like Henry VIII and his six wives. In contrast, Joan's story has been expunged, obliterated, and ignored. A good example of what Francis Bacon, the 17th-century philosopher said: "People believe what they prefer to be true." I think the movie is wonderful (and how often do you hear the author of the book say THAT?) Enjoy the screening at the Aero Theater as pure story-telling, or as history, whichever you prefer. Either way, I think you'll be inspired, as I was, by this tale of a woman who overcame medieval social strictures asserting that females can not reason and therefore should not be educated--and who defiantly went on to become the most brilliant and scholarly mind of her day. What an inspirational story to tell our daughters, and our sons!

POPE JOAN screens on Friday, October 27, 2010 at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica as part of GERMAN CURRENTS: New Films From Germany.

Find us on Facebook.

Recent Spanish Cinema 16 at the Egyptian Theatre October 14 - 17

2010-09-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

RECENT SPANISH CINEMA XVI
October 14 – 17, 2010, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood

Presented in collaboration with the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and EGEDA - Filmotech.
With the support of Embassy of Spain in Washington, Spain USA Foundation, Consulate General of Spain in Los Angeles, Tourist Office of Spain in Los Angeles, Promoción Madrid (Madrid City Council) and E.L.M.A. (European Languages and Movies in America).
Sponsored by Lladró, Codorniú, Bodegas Terras Gauda y Viña Zaco.

One of the Cinematheque's most anticipated foreign film series is finally here. The detailed schedule with dates and times will be posted by October 1st. Below are the names of the films we will present, with an opening night slot reserved for the yet-to-be-announced official Spanish entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar! Join us to meet the next generation of Spanish stars and directors. Back in 1994 when the series began, a young unknown Spanish actor named Javier Bardem was our special guest!

Spanish cinema continues to attain a broader international market by embracing slick genre films, emotional dramas and box office winners that win critical acclaim both at home and abroad. This year’s selection of recent Spanish cinema focuses on a new generation of filmmakers, while highlighting performances by both seasoned veterans and talented newcomers in roles that demonstrate their strength and versatility. Don’t miss one of Spain’s most vibrant actors, Luis Tosar, as the delectable Bad Mother in Daniel Monzón’s box office hit CELDA 211. Lola Dueñas in Alvaro Pastor’s and Antonio Naharro’s YO, TAMBIÉN, alongside newcomer Pablo Pineda, garnered the Goya for Best Actress and both won accolades at the 2009 San Sebastian International Film Festival. Alberto Rodriguez’s AFTER showcases the talents of Blanca Romero, who received a nomination for Best New Actress at the 2010 Goyas. Emilio Aragon’s directorial debut, PÁJAROS DE PAPEL, pairs Imanol Arias and Lluís Homar as a comedy duo in a vaudeville troupe in post-civil war Spain. Oskar Santos directs EL MAL AJENO, starring Eduardo Noriega in a “snappishly contempo morality tale [that] is satisfyingly breathless and twisty,” raves Jonathan Holland of Variety. Daniel Sánchez Arévalo directs a stellar ensemble cast in GORDOS, a comedy that received seven nominations at the 2010 Goyas, with one win for Raúl Arévalo in the Best Supporting Actor category. Director Laura Maña’s second feature LA VIDA EMPIEZA HOY stars the ever-delightful Rosa Maria Sarda as an unconventional teacher of a senior citizen sex education class. All films in Spanish with English subtitles.

In addition to the lineup, we will screen the winning entries from the Recent Spanish Cinema XVI Student Short Film Contest, a competition for Spanish film students living in Los Angeles.

Join us for our Spanish Cinema opening night event, with Spain’s official selection for the 2011 Foreign-Language Film Oscar (film TBA in early October). Also, a celebratory bash will take place in the Egyptian Courtyard after the screening!

Actors and director will be joining us for the weekend – check our website for update.

Series compiled by Gwen Deglise with the assistance of Soledad González and Elvira Cano. Program notes by Noelia Saenz.

Join Recent Spanish Cinema on Facebook

Thursday, October 14 – 7:30 PM
Join us for our Spanish Cinema opening night event, with Spain’s official selection for the 2011 Foreign-Language Film Oscar (film TBA in early October). Also, a celebratory bash will take place in the Egyptian courtyard after the screening! Please check our website for details.

Friday, October 15 – 7:30 PM
The schedule for the weekend will be posted October 1, as soon as Spain’s official selection for the 2011 Foreign-Language Film Oscar is announced, Please check our website for details. The selection includes the following films (plus a few surprises!):

The selection will include:
L.A. Premiere! EL MAL AJENO, 2010, Mod Producciones, 107 min. Dir. Oskar Santos. After a near fatal shooting, Diego (Eduardo Noriega), an emotionally distant doctor, discovers he mysteriously possesses the ability to heal with a touch of his hands. This ability proves life-affirming, but with unforeseen consequences for Diego and his patients. Screen Daily describes this beautifully executed film as “an intriguing emotional and psychological drama.”
Trailer | Official Website

CELDA 211, 2009, IFC Films, 113 min. Dir. Daniel Monzón. After an on-the-job accident that renders him unconscious, Juan Oliver (Alberto Ammann), a rookie prison guard, finds himself locked inside cell 211 during a prison riot. To ensure his survival, Juan masquerades as a new prisoner and finds himself under the wings of Malamadre, aka Bad Mother (Luis Tosar), the prison riot leader. “The film won eight Goya Awards, the Spanish Oscars, this year. It deserves them.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Trailer | Official Website

L.A. Premiere! GORDOS, 2009, Cinemien, 110 min. Dir. Daniel Sánchez Arévalo. Stories and lives are intertwined in a group therapy session for fat people, led by thin therapist Abel (Roberto Enriquez). The participants include a now fleshier former spokesman for a weight-loss supplement; a jovial crime investigator; and a woman engaged to a thin and devoutly religious man. Don’t miss what Variety called “a daring, refreshingly fleshy take on society’s obsession with appearances”!
Trailer | Official Website

U.S. Premiere! LA VIDA EMPIEZA HOY, 2010, Ovideo TV, 90 min. Dir. Laura Maña. Olga (the ever-delightful Rosa Maria Sarda) teaches a sex education class to a group of senior citizens. “A lively, sympathetic script brought to bubbling life by fine perfs, agile scripting and a shot of social critique.” – Jonathan Holland, Variety.
Trailer | Official Website

U.S. Premiere! PAJAROS DE PAPEL, 2010, Hispano FoxFilms, 110 min. Dir. Emilio Aragon. A traveling vaudeville troupe struggles to stay afloat despite economic hardships in post-civil war Spain. Jorge del Pino (Imanol Arias), a former member of the resistance, and Enrique Corgo (Lluis Homar), a closeted homosexual, play a comedy duo who take in a feisty but lovable orphan named Miguel (Roger Princep). “A zesty celebration of those who entertain us,” – Variety
Trailer | Official Website

L.A. Premiere! YO, TAMBIEN, 2009, Olive Films, 103 min. Dir. Alvaro Pastor & Antonio Naharro. A recent university graduate with Down syndrome, Daniel (Pablo Pineda), falls in love with coworker Laura (Lola Dueñas, winner of the 2010 Goya for Best Actress), a woman battling her inner demons. This touching tale focuses on Daniel’s quest to develop a romantic relationship with Laura and raises the contentious issue of sexuality and love within the Down syndrome community.
Trailer | Official Website

U.S. Premiere! AFTER, 2009, La Zanfona Producciones, 116 min. Dir. Alberto Rodriguez. Three soon-to-be middle-aged friends reunite for one drug- and alcohol-fueled night of debauchery in Seville. Nominated for three Goyas, including Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. “This is acid noir with a flashy surface.” – Robert Koehler, Variety
Trailer | Official Website

What Skills Do Americans Need in the 21st Century? 'Speaking in Tongues' Tackles This Topic

2010-09-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, the American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre presents a new documentary on bi-lingual education. Following the film there will be a panel discussion with the following guest speakers:

Lori Orum, Principal, Edison Elementary School, Santa Monica Malibu School District

Toby Bornstein, Executive Director, Multicultural Learning Center, Los Angeles Unified School District

Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Executive Director, Californians Together

Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider, Filmmakers, Speaking in Tongues

Details:

Sunday, September 12 – 3:00 PM at the Aero Theatre

SPEAKING IN TONGUES, 2009, Patchworks Productions, 60 min. Four Kids, Four Languages, One City, One World. Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider's fascinating documentary follows four kids from diverse backgrounds on a bold journey to becoming bilingual despite a troubled school system. At a time when 31 states have passed "English-only" laws, a few pioneering families have put their children in public schools where, from the first day of kindergarten, their teachers speak mostly Chinese or Spanish. This charming story will challenge you to rethink the skills that Americans need in the 21st century.Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

View a trailer on the official Speaking in Tongues website.

Fox Celebrates 75th Anniversary with 'Valley of the Dolls' Double Feature

2010-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Fox Studios celebrates its 75th anniversary with 'HOMETOWN HOLLYWOOD,' a nationwide celebration. The Los Angeles event is a double feature of Jacqueline Susann's "VALLEY OF THE DOLLS" & Russ Meyer's BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS at the Egyptian Theatre tonight!

Discussion and meet-and-greet with actors Dolly Read, John Lazar and Harrison Page between films! Hosted by Jackie Beat!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - 7:30 PM
Fox 75th Anniversary Double Feature:
New Digitally Restored 35mm Print!
VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, 1967, 20th Century Fox, 123 min. Dir. Mark Robson. "You know it's bad to take liquor with those pills," warns small town girl-turned-supermodel Anne (Barbara Parkins) to Broadway diva/train wreck Neely (Patty Duke). Neely's answer: "They work faster." If you want to see the great, bitchy, booze-angst-sex-drugs-fueled godmother to the "Real Housewives" franchise, you've come to the right place! Based on Jacqueline Susann's runaway bestseller - which practically created a cottage industry in glossy, sex-drenched soap operas on page and screen - VALLEY also co-stars the tragically beautiful Sharon Tate as B-movie queen Jennifer. Enormous thanks to our friends at 20th Century Fox for striking a new print of this 1960s classic!

The Carrie Nations in Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Pristine 35mm Archive Print! BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS,1970, 20th Century Fox/Criterion, 109 min. Dir. Russ Meyer. Girl-group madness from the director of FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! Dolly Reed, Marcia McBroom and Cynthia Myers journey from hicksville to Hollywood, hoping to make it with their rock trio, The Carrie Nations. They fall prey to the "business" as well as their own inflated ambitions, in what is arguably Meyer's most purely entertaining, pop-culture sex-fest (co-written by film critic Roger Ebert). With additional tunes by The Strawberry Alarm Clock. This is not a sequel the trailer assures, "You've never seen anything like it." Check out this studio trailer prepping the audience for the genius of Russ Meyer! Trailer | Clip. Discussion and meet-and-greet with actors Dolly Read, John Lazar and Harrison Page between films.

This event is part of the 75th Anniversary celebration of 20th Century Fox. As part of this nationwide celebration, Fox is presenting "Hometown Hollywood" events in 15 cities, featuring films being shown in the cities in which they were shot and by which they were inspired.

Portrait of Jackie Beat by Peter Pallandino.

The evening will be emceed by the incomparable Jackie Beat who played Helen Lawson in the off Broadway NYC production.

You are encouraged to glam up when you come out to this fabulous celebration of bouffant hair, gold culottes, booze and pills in an assortment of pretty colors and every girl's desire to be a buxom rock starlet.

View this event on the Cinematheque's website.

The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre is proud to celebrate Twentieth Century Fox’s 75th anniversary by bringing two of its most beloved films back to the big screen, Valley of the Dolls and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Tonight’s screening is just one aspect of a year-long celebration to commemorate and promote Fox’s library and legacy.

The Egyptian Theatre has been chosen as a historic “Hometown Hollywood” location for its contribution to the revitalization of the City of Hollywood. The Egyptian held the first-ever Hollywood premiere when it opened in 1922, and twelve years ago this major Hollywood landmark was renovated by American Cinematheque.

Tonight’s seat dedication at the Egyptian on behalf of Fox’s 75th anniversary pays tribute to the movies of yesterday that continue to inspire people today.

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector Comes to LA

2010-08-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

A few years ago you couldn't turn on a TV, or open a browser without hearing about the Phil Spector trial. In England, a director wanted to make a documentary for the BBC. He suggested that he try to interview Spector. Everyone dismissed this as even a remote possibility. Spector didn't grant interviews. But, Vikram Jayanti sent him a letter anyone and to everyone's surprise Spector said yes. Jayanti made it inside the castle and he spoke one-on-one with the man many in the music industry call genius and many more call murderer. Decide for yourself this week when you see THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF PHIL SPECTOR, an apt title for a look at the life of the out-of-control guru of pop music who began his career with a hit he penned called "To Know Him Is To Love Him" - inspired by the epitaph on his dead-by- suicide, father's tombstone. - and who ended it, jailed for murder. Director Vikram Jayanti will appear for discussion following the film on Opening Night (8/19) and again on 8/20. From Spector's very early days, is two-time Oscar nominee, singer/songwriter Carol Connors who will introduce the 8/20, 7:30 PM show. Carol was the voice of The Teddy Bears, Spector's teen band. She sang "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and as a result, met and dated Elvis Presley. Carol will discuss Phil Spector, Before the Wall of Sound in her introductory remarks.

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF PHIL SPECTOR Screens August 19 - 25 at the Egyptian Theatre in an exclusive Los Angeles Engagement at multiple showtimes. For details and showtimes click here.

KPCC Interview with Vikram Jayanti by John Rabe:

LA Weekly Story by Karina Longworth:

LA Times review by Kenneth Turan:

WAH DO DEM - Adventure in Jamaica with Sean Bones, Yeahsayer, MGMT & More

2010-06-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

"If you're in search of this generation's Brooklyn hipster-pop equivalent of Singles (or at least Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist), there's a promising candidate in the form of Wah Do Dem, a new movie from directors Sam Fleischner and Ben Chace. Singer-songwriter Sean Bones stars as a recently-dumped Brooklyn skateboarder who gets lost in Jamaica after taking a cruise alone that he was supposed to take with his girlfriend (played by Norah Jones) Yeasayer's Ira Wolf Tuton also stars in the film, and it features appearances by Suckers (who perform live in the film) and MGMT's Ben Goldwasser, as well as music from Santigold, Yeasayer, MGMT, Suckers, the Congos, and Bones. he film shares a title with an eternally badass dancehall anthem by Eek-A-Mouse." - Pitchfork

Once in Jamaica, Max quickly escapes the tourist zone for more "authentic" surroundings and in the process is robbed of his possessions and is stranded, and literally misses the boat. As Max sets out for the American Embassy in Kingston on foot, Jamaica is waiting to meet him with unexpected and extraordinary encounters, including a full-moon celebration with the legendary reggae group The Congos, and a dreamy stay with a Rasta prophet (Carl Bradshaw, THE HARDER THEY COME).

Screenings at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, LA, CA 90028:
The film repeats on the following dates and times.
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 7:30 PM & 9:00 PM, Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian Theatre
Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 7:30 PM & 9:00 PM, Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian Theatre
Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 4:00 PM, Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian Theatre
Buy Tickets | Read about this on the Cinematheque Website
and in New York this weekend at the Cinema Village.

WAH DO DEM co-creators Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner have been friends since kindergarten. Two years ago Ben won a cruise in a raffle at a free screening of Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and invited Sam to come along. The young filmmakers decided to turn the trip into a project. With a mutual love for Jamaican culture and a free boat ride to the Caribbean, they began to map out the story's possible scenarios. Two additional cruise tickets were bought for actor/musician Sean Bones and Kevin Bewersdorf, sound recordist/actor. The crew of four boarded the luxury vessel in Red Hook, Brooklyn and sailed for one week. Once in Jamaica, they were joined by producer Katina Hubbard for two weeks of Island production. WAH DO DEM (Jamaican Patois for "what's wrong with them") enjoyed its world premiere at the 2009 LA Film Festival where it was honored with the top jury prize for Best Narrative Film. The movie went on to screen at the London, San Francisco IndieFest, Spokane (Best Feature), Reggae (Best International Feature), and Vancouver film festivals.

Reviews:
"Guerrilla indie filmmaking meets slacker road movie, WAH DO DEM is a well crafted black comedy that benefits from its raw, improvisational feel. "
-Critic's Notebook

"Winning and often funny, the scrappy Amerindie WAH DO DEM is a fish-out-of-water comedy driven by Sean "Bones" Sullivan's offbeat performance..."
-Variety

"A dynamic portrait of Jamaica and of vacation as experience, not escape."
-The Hollywood Reporter

CAST
Sean Bones, Norah Jones, Carl Bradshaw,
Kevin Bewersdorf, and Mark Gibbs

MUSIC & APPEARANCES
Sean Bones, MGMT, Yeasayer, Santigold, Suckers,
Mykal Rose, Mr. Lexx

Filmmaker Magazine interviewed filmmakers Sam Fleischner and Ben Chace about their unusual story behind making the film (they won a cruise to Jamaica). Click here to read the interview.
Watch the trailer. Official WAH DO DEM website

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Producing Web Entertainment

2010-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

On Monday, June 21st at 7:30 PM, filmmakers, actors and others will have an opportunity to learn from professionals involved in creating web entertainment at a panel discussion focused on how to produce for the web, how to get your work seen, how to market your web series and best practices for interacting with with the major sites that stream web series and more.

Panelists include:

Jim Burns, Executive Producer of Fear Clinic, FearNet.com

Illeana Douglas, Creator/Writer/Actor, "Easy to Assemble"

Mark Gantt, Executive Producer/Co-Writer/Actor "The Bannen Way"

Peter Hyoguchi, CEO, Strike.TV

Amber J. Lawson, Comedy Publisher at Babelgum.com

Brady Brim-DeForest, CEO of Tubefilter.com

David Fickas, Drama 3/4 Productions
and others to be announced.

The American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre presents a panel discussion on web entertainment, web series creation, sustainability and growth, entitled EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRODUCING WEB ENTERTAINMENT. Following moderated questions, audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.

Once just a revenue and career gamble, the world of web series creation is now becoming a vital life force all its own for emerging filmmakers, actors, producers and writers. Not only are careers getting started both in front of and behind the camera, but established celebrity participation and corporate endorsement of web series creation is on the rise.

Are you still resisting understanding the vast exposure the internet can provide your film career?

Yes, there is a BIG web entertainment world out there... but let’s set the stage for all of you filmmakers, producers, writers and actors looking for a start in the entertainment industry:

Here’s a little fact sheet to consider about today’s Web Entertainment industry:

The web entertainment industry includes ORIGINAL programming of every conceivable genre and classification (and a few yet to be defined) known to the established mainstream industry. Action, animation, cult, documentary, drama, experimental, exploitation, fantasy, horror, informational, LGBT, musical, noir, reality, sci-fi and talk original series can all be found on the internet. And then there are the comedies – situation, sketch, screwball, stand-up, sex, satire, parody and some really twisted blends!

Corporations as diverse as IKEA, Lexus, Altoids and Spherion are all getting involved in the creation of “branded” web series. Jaguar, Kodak, Verizon Wireless and Mountain Dew are coming to the playfield with financial support via “product integration”.

Academy Award nominees like Michael Lerner (BARTON FINK) and Robert Forester (JACKIE BROWN); Emmy Award winners/nominees like Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”), Ed Begley, Jr. (“St. Elsewhere”) and Illeana Douglas (“Six Feet Under”); television beloveds Justine Bateman (“Family Ties”), Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Neil Patrick Harris (“Doogie Howser, M.D.); cult/horror superstars like Robert Englund and today’s hottest established talent like Zach Galifianakis (THE HANGOVER), Rosario Dawson (SIN CITY, SEVEN POUNDS); a host of the coolest and brightest new stars (Amir Blumenfeld, Nathan Fillion, Mark Gantt, Rachael Hip-Flores, Nicole Pacent et all); impressive new animators are all contributing new content exclusively to the web.

The mainstream, broadcast world has warmed up to buying and adapting web original series for the more traditional form of exhibition they offer. Catch Lisa Kudrow’s former web series original, WEB THERAPY, debuting on Showtime soon!

The coveted “Best Short Film” prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival did not go to an independently or film school made short film. A web designed short took top honors.

The Television Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009 recognized web series DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-A-LONG BLOG with a “Prime Time” Emmy Award (Dr. Horrible beat out the likes of “Battlestar Galactica”, “The Daily Show”, “30 Rock” and Bruce Springsteen for the honor!)

The world has found its first American “webberty” in actor Felicia Day (THE GUILD).

Whether you are a budding filmmaker looking for a place to start, a smart producer looking for an arena to play in, an actor looking for a career start and a way to get in front of thousands of viewers or if you are just interested in learning more about the best web series out there, our June 21st Web Entertainment seminar is going to be completely invaluable to you!

It is high time to turn a brighter light on an end of the entertainment industry that all too frequently escapes the attention it deserves.

Monday, June 21 at 7:30 PM
American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403
$12 Member, $15 Student/Senior, $20 General.
Buy Tickets | Official Website

American Cinematheque on National Television Tonight!

2010-05-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

Tonight's the Night Folks! Strange as it may sound, American Cinematheque employees, members and supporters are being encouraged to sit around their television sets at home tonight around 9pm. Yep, tonight is the premiere broadcast of the American Cinematheque Award presentation to Matt Damon on ABC. Tune in and make the ratings sky-rocket.

The Cinematheque gave out its 24th annual award back on March 27 in front of a live audience at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Now the nation will have a chance to witness this momentous occasion on national television tonight, Thursday, May 27 at 9 PM on ABC (that is channel 7 in Los Angeles).

Here are the details:
Award-winning actor Matt Damon was the recipient of the 24th American Cinematheque Award at a gala held this past March at the Beverly Hilton. The presentation and celebration will be televised in the hour-long special, Hollywood Salutes Matt Damon: An American Cinematheque Tribute, airing THURSDAY, MAY 27 (check local listings) on the ABC Television Network. The stellar list of guests who paid tribute to Damon when he received the award from longtime friend and co-star Ben Affleck are Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Garner, Jimmy Kimmel, Greg Kinnear, Sarah Silverman, Charlize Theron and Robin Williams. In addition, George Clooney and Ben Stiller paid tribute by partaking in individual pre-taped comedy sketches, while President William Jefferson Clinton appeared in and narrated a piece about Damon's humanitarian efforts. Damon's efforts include work with Water.org and as an ambassador with onexone.com

Read a post by the show's writer David Wild on the Huffington Post blog.

For information about the American Cinematheque Awards click here.

Top photo: Courtesy of ABC
All other photos: Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio Photography

Jim Henson Studios Family Day: Fraggles and Doozers and Gorgs OH MY!

2010-05-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

It's Jim Henson Family day at the Egyptian Theatre on May 22 at 10 AM. The kids are in for a treat with the appearance of Sid the Science Kid, Buddy the T-Rex from Dinosaur Train, Red Fraggle from The Fraggles and more! A program of films on the Egyptian's giant screen, including a sneak of something new from the Jim Henson Studios and fun, fun, fun activities in the Egyptian's Courtyard for kids of all ages. The Henson Studio gave us the Muppets on "Sesame Street" back in 1969 and they continue to delight new generations with their creative puppet wizardry!

In attendance will be Buddy the T-rex from "Dinosaur Train," the new hit series on PBS KIDS®. Additional special guests include Red Fraggle, star of the hit series "Fraggle Rock," with world-renowned puppeteer Karen Prell; Paul Rugg, star of the PBSKIDS GO! Web destination "Wilson & Ditch: Digging America," who will demonstrate the Emmy ® Award winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio; and creative Guru Courtney Watkins, star of the online creativity destination "The Possibility Shop" featured on Disney Online’s FamilyFun.com*

The event is co-produced by the Producers Guild of America/ New Media Council as part of the Saturday 2.0 series: JIM HENSON FAMILY DAY: One of the world's most visionary puppetry artists, Jim Henson brought an original combination of playful fun and artful sophistication to his groundbreaking film and television works that widely appeal to children and adults alike. Henson gave us such icons as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and a host of other memorable Muppets, not to mention the Fraggles and various Sesame Street characters. Join us for a special program of shorts from The Jim Henson Legacy and some new material from The Henson Company.
Saturday, May 22 – 10:00 AM at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood

A BETTER WORLD: LIVING IN HARMONY from world-touring series Muppets™, Music & Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy (90 min). Included in this wonderful, environmentally-oriented program of shorts from the beloved Henson studio is a 1983 rare episode from the "Fraggle Rock" TV show that contrasts three different communities (the musical Fraggles, the industrious Doozers and the giant Gorgs!) living in harmony in a carefully balanced underground world far below those mysterious silly creatures (the humans) who live above ground, and the short "The Song of the Cloud Forest," (1989) a beautifully colorful evocation of the rain forest and the adventures of a lovable golden toad, directed by Jim Henson. It features a blend of music, puppetry and animation resulting in a vibrant landscape of color that echoes the natural beauty found in the real world's rain forest. Starring a brightly colored cast of puppet animals, the show celebrates the beauty of this natural environment while educating the audience of the real dangers threatening the survival of both the rain forest and its inhabitants. (c) The Muppets Studio, LLC 2010, (c)The Jim Henson Company, 2010. After the shorts program, the Henson Company will showcase exciting sneak peeks in the Rigler Theatre, and host lots of fun activities in the Egyptian courtyard until 2:30 PM. Free for ticket-holders!

The Jim Henson Company's Family Day at the Egyptian Theatre will feature an exciting line up of children's favorite characters and activities including Sid from "Sid the Science Kid," Buddy from "Dinosaur Train," Red Fraggle from "Fraggle Rock," Ditch from "Wilson & Ditch Digging America" and Courtney Watkins from "The Possibility Shop." To celebrate the June 21 premiere of Sid's "No School Singalong Special!" Sid himself will be on hand to meet with kids and parents, and welcome them to a dynamic and interactive investigation station hosted by local PBS affiliate KCET/Los Angeles where kids can investigate, explore and discover!

11:30 AM: Premiere of "Sid the Science Kid:" "No School Singalong Special!"

12:00 PM: Premiere of "Dinosaur Train:" "Pteranodon Family World Tour," "Gilbert the Conductor"

12:30 PM: "Wilson & Ditch: Digging America:" Two comical gopher brothers explore America

12:45 PM: "The Possibility Shop:" Creative Guru Courtney Watkins demonstrates how to turn ordinary afternoons into extraordinary creative adventures for the whole family

Website | Buy Tickets

It Came From Kuchar Tells the Story of the Underground Filmmaking Kuchar Twins

2010-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Just in Time for Mother's Day, Jennifer Kroot's new film IT CAME FROM KUCHAR will screen at the American Cinematheque. Jennifer Kroot and actor/writer Buck Henry will appear in person to present the film and participate in a Q & A. The documentary tells the story of legendary, loveable underground filmmaking twins George and Mike Kuchar, featuring interviews with John Waters, B. Ruby Rich, Buck Henry and others.

“…affectionate and fascinating….”—The New York Times

“…gleefully piles on everything anyone could want in a docu on the fabulous Kuchar brothers….”—Variety

“…the world just got a little more perfect (and not a moment too soon) thanks to Jennifer M. Kroot and her lavish, hilarious, and luminary-filled feature It Came From Kuchar.” –– New York Daily News

“This film is funny, heartfelt and interesting….” (five stars out of five) – Film Threat

Jennifer Kroot’s new film It Came From Kuchar will screen at The American Cinematheque at The Egyptian Theatre May 7th–9th. Friday and Saturday shows will be hosted by academy award-nominated screenwriter, actor, director – Buck Henry. Henry is one of the luminaries interviewed in this doc. In the 1960’s, he became a fan of the Kuchar brothers’ early films in the New York, underground film scene. In 1976, as a film programmer, Henry championed George Kuchar’s cult-porn masterpiece, Thundercrack! at the prestigious Filmex Film Festival (precursor to the AFI Film Festival).

It Came From Kuchar tells the story of legendary underground film pioneers George and Mike Kuchar. In addition to compelling interviews with the twins themselves, It Came From Kuchar features conversations with celebrated personalities of independent and underground film that were influenced by the Kuchars including John Waters, B. Ruby Rich, Buck Henry, Atom Egoyan, Guy Maddin and Wayne Wang.

George and Mike Kuchar grew up in the Bronx in the 1950’s making films with their aunt’s 8mm home-movie camera, compulsively copying Hollywood melodramas. By the early 1960’s, the Kuchars had become known as the “8mm Mozarts,” and alongside Andy Warhol, shaped the New York underground film scene. Their wildly funny, yet vulnerable films openly explored their strict catholic upbringing and sexual anxiety with campy theatrics.

It Came From Kuchar is told in a stream of consciousness style whereby clips from the brothers’ films (ranging over the last 50 years) interweave with interviews of the Kuchars, their fans, students and actors. Despite having high-profile enthusiasts such as Waters and Rich, the Kuchars remain relatively obscure as their ambition always hinged on making movies, not the pursuit of fame. Kroot says of the film, “From the start I envisioned making a film that wouldn’t just explore the Kuchar’s films and artwork, but one that was character driven, so that a wider audience could really appreciate how compelling and genuine they are as artists and as people. I hope to encourage a wider Kuchar fan base with this film.”

Directed by filmmaker Jennifer M. Kroot, It Came From Kuchar is produced by Holly Million, Tina Kroot and Jennifer Kroot. Chris Million is the director of photography and the associate producers are Lewis Gillian and Jeff Kroot. The film is supported by grants from The Andy Warhol Foundation, The Creative Work Fund, The San Francisco Arts Commission, The Fleishhaker Foundation and Frameline.

Past festival screenings include SXSW, Telluride, Cinevegas, Outfest, Frameline, Vancouver International, Starz Denver, Leeds International, Raindance, Viennale, Melbourne International. Awards: Best Documentary at Chicago Underground and Boston Underground. Distributed by IndiePix. It Came From Kuchar is screening theatrically in the U.S. in over 25 cities spring/summer 2010 (including: New York, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Santa Fe, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and others).

SCREENING DATES:
Friday, May 7 at 7:30 PM, hosted by Buck Henry and director Jennifer M. Kroot

Saturday, May 8 at 7:30 PM, ( screened with a program of new short videos by George and Mike Kuchar) hosted by Buck Henry and director Jennifer M. Kroot

Sunday, May 9 at 5:00 PM Screening of IT CAME FROM KUCHAR ONLY

More information about attending this event at the American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre. More information about It Came From Kuchar

TOM LUDDY TO RECEIVE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE’S 2nd ANNUAL SYDNEY POLLACK AWARD ON MARCH 27th AT THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL

2010-03-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Award to Be Presented to Tom Luddy by Rick Nicita at “Hollywood Salutes Matt Damon:An American Cinematheque Tribute”

Rick Nicita, American Cinematheque Chairman, will Present the Telluride Film Festival's Tom Luddy with the Sydney Pollack Award at the Cinematheque's Annual Fundraising Gala on March 27 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Hollywood - Tom Luddy, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Telluride Film Festival, will be presented with the second annual Sydney Pollack Award on March 27, 2010. The Award will be presented by Rick Nicita, Chairman, Cinematheque Board of Directors. The Sydney Pollack Award is presented at the top of the evening at the American Cinematheque's benefit "Hollywood Salutes Matt Damon: An American Cinematheque Tribute" at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. This portion of the evening will not be broadcast.

About the Sydney Pollack Award The Sydney Pollack Award is presented by the American Cinematheque in honor of Sydney Pollack (1934 - 2008).long-standing support and early leadership on the Cinematheque Board of Directors was instrumental in ensuring the Cinematheque's future. He was a member of the Board of Directors for 24 years (1984 to 2008) and served as Chairman of the Board from 1985 to 1993. Sydney Pollack's involvement with the American Cinematheque grew out of his belief in the importance of the proper exhibition of all kinds of films - old and new, American, foreign, independent, etc. in an atmosphere that encouraged a dialogue between filmmakers and the audience. He was also very aware of the importance of film preservation and independent filmmaking, and was a founding Board member of The Sundance Institute and the Film Foundation. The Sydney Pollack Award honors someone who has been of critical importance and continuing influence in non-profit film exhibition, film preservation and/or independent film distribution - people whose work Sydney supported and found to be so valuable, who are not often recognized for their efforts. The first Sydney Pollack Award was presented to Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer, Tribeca Enterprises on December 1, 2008. At the time, Gilmore was Director of the Sundance Film Festival.

Tom Luddy's influence in the international film scene has been felt, often quietly, since the early 1960s when his creative programming for the F.W. Murnau Film Society, Slate and the ASUC Society at the University of California, Berkeley set the stage for his work with filmmakers, offering introductions that helped launch careers and a desire to make certain their films were screened to appreciative audiences. During this period he was hired to write program notes and consult on programming for the Berkeley Cinema-Studio Guild cinemas. Upon graduating from UC in 1966, he embarked on numerous projects, often simultaneously. Brandon Films hired Luddy as director of National Distribution where he worked with countless film societies, museums and other venues to encourage adventurous programming. In 1967 Luddy became Assistant to the San Francisco Film Festival's Artistic Director, Albert Johnson, a position he held until 1973. As Program Director and Manager of the Telegraph Repertory Cinema from 1968-1972 and a partner with veteran exhibitor Mel Novikoff at the Surf Interplayers in San Francisco, Luddy was able to offer a variety of screens to emerging directors and provide audiences a chance to discover the history of the moving image. In 1968 he curated a complete retrospective of Jean-Luc Godard on the UC campus in Berkeley with the director in attendance. Dan Talbot asked him to write the notes for the first New Yorker Films catalog. The Pacific Film Archive at Berkeley's University Art Museum opened a full-time Cinematheque in 1971 and Tom became Program Director in 1972 and was Director from 1975 to 1979. In a short period of time the bold programs at PFA became known both locally and globally, establishing the venue as one of the most important places to experience retrospectives and encounter new talent. Many filmmakers brought new works to the PFA so they could present them and obtain valuable feedback. Luddy was able to obtain many rare prints for the Archive collection, encourage restorations and gladly provide advice for others inspired by his work.

In 1974 Bill Pence, James Card and Stella Pence asked Tom to join them as Co-Founders and Co-Directors of the Telluride Film Festival, where he continues as Co-Director today. The Telluride Film Festival is presented each year over the Labor Day weekend in a remote Colorado mountain town 9,000 feet up. The programming emphasizes discovery for audiences with two dozen new features, three Tributes, numerous programs of shorts and documentaries, a selection of classic restorations (including silent films with live music) and a selection of rare movies curated by guest directors that have included Donald Richie, Salman Rushdie, Don DeLillo, Laurie Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, Stephen Sondheim, Errol Morris, Bertrand Tavernier and Alexander Payne. The program is kept a secret until that weekend.

Film festivals look to Luddy for his guidance and he has served as Associate Director of the San Francisco International Film Festival (1980-83), where he was later a Board President and currently is a member of the Advisory Board; Jury Member at Cannes, Moscow, Berlin, Cartegena, Mexico City, Morelia, Tehran and San Paolo Film Festivals; member of the New York Film Festival Selection Committee (1979-82) and West Coast Programming Consultant (1978, 1983-84); and Program Curator for the Documentary Film Institute at San Francisco State University (2005-present). Tom Luddy has been associated with American Zoetrope since 1979. As Zoetrope's Director of Special Projects, he developed and supervised the 1981-82 worldwide revival of Abel Gance's 1927 masterpiece NAPOLEON, as well as the presentation across America of Hans-Jurgen Syberberg's seven-hour OUR HITLER - A FILM FROM GERMANY in 1980. Luddy coordinated Zoetrope's sponsorship of Godfrey Reggio's KOYAANISQATSI (1983). As an executive or film producer, he worked with Jean-Luc Godard, Gregory Nava, Akira Kurosawa, Paul Schrader, Fielder Cook, Norman Mailer, Barbet Schroeder, Godfrey Reggio, Dusan Makavejev, Carroll Ballard, Sherwood Hu and Agnieszka Holland.

The American Cinematheque Award presentation gala (now in its 24th year) funds the year-round community film programs of the American Cinematheque, the non-profit, view-supported arts organization that preserves the historic 1922 Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. The American Cinematheque's public programming celebrates the art of the moving picture in all of its forms -- from the classics to American independents, the latest international productions, documentaries, shorts, animation and experimental projects. Series are highlighted by screenings of rare works, special prints and audience discussions with filmmakers. The Cinematheque is dedicated to preserving the movie-going experience -- presenting films on the big screen as they were meant to be seen and heard. For more information about what you can see onscreen this week:

Read about this event and others on our website, www.americancinematheque.com

About American Cinematheque
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.

THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE PRESENTS LUST AND LARCENY: NOIR CITY THE 12th ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF FILM NOIR AT THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE

2010-03-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Co-Presented with the Film Noir Foundation

Noir Experts, Authors and Founders of The Film Noir Foundation, Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode to Host Festival Discussions with In Person Guests, Actors Julie Adams, Richard Erdman, Rhonda Fleming, Karen Sharpe Kramer, Paul Picerni and Author Robert Dix

Plus, Booksignings with Paul Picerni and
Robert Dix (son of Richard Dix)

April 2 - 18, 2010 at the Egyptian Theatre

The Cinematheque's Most Hotly Anticipated Revival Festival: The 12th Annual Festival of Film Noir

These Films are Egyptian Theatre Exclusives!

LUST & LARCENY: NOIR CITY - 12TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF FILM NOIR
April 2 - 18, 2010 at the Egyptian Theatre
Presented in collaboration with Film Noir Foundation.

The venerable NOIR CITY film festival returns to the Egyptian Theatre for its 12th year, presenting an astonishing array of rarities available ONLY on the big screen! We've scoured studio archives to assemble a feast of film noir that can only be consumed in its original 35mm format, in the glorious darkness of a vintage movie palace!

The series is co-presented with The Film Noir Foundation, an organization dedicated to rescuing and restoring America's noir heritage.

This year's program features the Los Angeles premiere of the Film Noir Foundation's restoration of CRY DANGER, a must-see for noir fans and lovers of old Los Angeles locales; unearthed gems from William Castle's pre-1950s resume; a queasy quartet of Gothic noirs; a George Raft tribute double bill; two new prints from THE WHISTLER film series; stunning femmes fatales (Rhonda Fleming, Claire Trevor, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Hedy Lamarr, Laraine Day, Cleo Moore, Anne Baxter); an amazing assortment of noir heavies (plenty of pre-Perry Mason Raymond Burr and William Talman); and the long-awaited reappearance of one of the most sought-after "lost" films in the noir canon: NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL! This may be the last chance to ever see these extraordinary films on a big screen - don't miss a single one!

Buy Tickets

Series compiled by Eddie Muller, Alan K. Rode, with the assistance of Gwen Deglise and Grant Moninger. Program notes by Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode.

Friday, April 2 - 7:30 PM
Bill Bowers Tribute Double Feature:
New 35mm Restored Print!
CRY DANGER, 1951, Paramount, 79 min. Dir. Robert Parrish. One of the most wicked and witty revenge yarns of the original film noir era is also an amazing tour of midcentury downtown Los Angeles. Screenplay by Bill Bowers, based on Jerome Cady's story. A new 35mm restoration courtesy of the Film Noir Foundation and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. NOT ON DVD
Trailer
TIGHT SPOT, 1955, Sony Repertory, 97 min. Dir. Phil Karlson. Screenwriter Bill Bowers is back, providing a whip-crack rendition of Leonard Kantor's stage play about a tough dame (Ginger Rogers) being squeezed by the D.A. (Edward G. Robinson) to testify against a mob boss. Rhonda Fleming and Richard Erdman in person! NOT ON DVD
Clip

Saturday, April 3 - 7:30 PM
George Raft Tribute Double Feature:
RED LIGHT, 1949, Warner Bros., 83 min. Dir. Roy Del Ruth. San Francisco truck company owner Johnny Torno (George Raft) seeks revenge on the killers of his priest brother, who left a clue to the culprit's identity in a missing Bible. NOT ON DVD
JOHNNY ANGEL, 1945, Warner Bros., 79 min. Dir. Edwin L. Marin. Ship captain Raft plays straight man to a cast of colorful actors - Claire Trevor, Signe Hasso, Hoagy Carmichael, Marvin Miller and Margaret Wycherly - as he pursues his father's killer through a backlot New Orleans demimonde cunningly photographed by Harry Wild. NOT ON DVD

Sunday, April 4 - 7:30 PM
William Castle Tribute Double Feature:
HOLLYWOOD STORY, 1951, Universal, 76 min. Dir. William Castle. Richard Conte plays a wannabe independent producer who buys a vacant studio lot and gets embroiled in the mystery of a film director murdered there many years before.
NOT ON DVD
UNDERTOW, 1949, Universal, 71 min. Director William Castle brings panache to this impoverished B-production, enlivening a fairly routine tale of a framed ex-con (Scott Brady - Lawrence Tierney's "little" brother) looking for revenge in the Chicago underworld. Hot dishes Dorothy Hart and Peggy Dow complicate matters in time-honored tradition. NOT ON DVD Special guest appearance by actress Julie Adams!

Wednesday, April 7 - 7:30 PM
Andrew L. Stone Tribute Double Feature: JULIE, 1956, Warner Bros., 99 min. Dir. Andrew L. Stone. The husband-and-wife team of Andrew and Virginia Stone created this suspenseful 1950s version of GASLIGHT as a vehicle for Doris Day. Here, the vehicle is a jet airliner in which stewardess Day is trapped by her psychotic husband (a truly scary Louis Jourdan). A wild "woman in jeopardy" film, nominated for an Original Screenplay Oscar! NOT ON DVD
BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER, 1953, 20th Century Fox, 77 min. Dir. Andrew L. Stone. When his niece dies, Whitney Cameron (Joseph Cotten) suspects the widow (Jean Peters) of his late brother is bumping off family members for financial gain. A deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues, climaxing with all the players on an ocean liner.
Trailer

Thursday, April 8 - 7:30 PM
Gothic Noir Double Feature:
SO EVIL MY LOVE, 1948, Universal, 112 min. Dir. Lewis Allen. A widowed missionary (Ann Todd) is befriended aboard-ship by a charming rogue (Ray Milland) whom she takes in as a boarder. Gorgeous Geraldine Fitzgerald costars in this perverse and disturbing melodrama of mind-control and madness. NOT ON DVD
EXPERIMENT PERILOUS, 1944, Warner Bros., 91 min. Dir. Jacques Tourneur. Fresh off his stunning work for Val Lewton, Tourneur (I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, CAT PEOPLE) directed this challenging tale of a woman (the incandescent Hedy Lamarr) who believes her husband (Paul Lukas) is plotting to drive her mad.
Clip

Friday, April 9 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
THE LOCKET, 1946, Warner Bros., 85 min. Dir. John Brahm. On his wedding day, a groom (Brian Aherne) is told stunning tales regarding the troubled past of his bride-to-be (Laraine Day), including her destructive affair with a tortured artist (Robert Mitchum). This dazzling and dizzying psychodrama uses a web of interlocking flashbacks to show how a woman's childhood obsession with a prized locket dictates the course of her life. NOT ON DVD
BODYGUARD, 1948, Warner Bros., 62 min. Dir. Richard Fleischer. Lawrence Tierney is an insubordinate copper who gets framed, turns in his badge and goes undercover to expose corruption and murder in the meat-packing industry. Helping him is beautiful Priscilla Lane. This early Richard Fleischer programmer boasts a breakneck pace and a screenplay by Robert Altman! NOT ON DVD

Saturday, April 10 - 7:30 PM
Broderick Crawford Double Feature:
NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL, 1955, Kit Parker Films, 87 min. Dir. Russell Rouse. A mob kingpin (Broderick Crawford) runs the syndicate from a Manhattan high-rise, assisted by a crew of plug-uglies (J. Carrol Naish, Onslow Stevens, Barry Kelley and Mike Mazurki). Complicating matters: a newly imported hit man (Richard Conte), a restless mistress (Marilyn Maxwell) and Brod's beautifully fragile daughter (Anne Bancroft). NOT ON DVD
HUMAN DESIRE, 1954, Sony Repertory, 91 min. Dir. Fritz Lang. You can't really call this a re-do of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE because it's based on Emile Zola's 1890 novel La Bete Humaine - but then, tales of tortured lovers tempted to commit murder are timeless, aren't they? Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame rekindle their flame from Lang's 1953 smash THE BIG HEAT, and Broderick Crawford plays the loutish cuckold they want to be rid of. Do we need to note that things don't go according to plan? Burnett Guffey supplies the wonderfully atmospheric cinematography. NOT ON DVD

Sunday, April 11 - 7:30 PM
It's a Crooked World Double Feature:
DRIVE A CROOKED ROAD, 1954, Sony Repertory, 83 min. Dir. Richard Quine. Mickey Rooney is cast against type as a car mechanic whose craving for fast cars and faster women steers him into a blind alley in which there are no pit stops. Blake Edwards' crackerjack script is given vivid life by Rooney's compelling characterization and a stellar supporting cast (Dianne Foster, Kevin McCarthy, Jack Kelly).
NOT ON DVD
WALK A CROOKED MILE, 1948, Sony Repertory, 91 min. Dir. Gordon Douglas. When a security leak at an atomic energy plant threatens the safety of the free world, an FBI agent (Dennis O'Keefe) and a Scotland Yard inspector (Louis Hayward) track the spy ring to - where else? - Commie-infested San Francisco. Hint to the feds: Look for the big, shifty guy (Raymond Burr) with the Lenin look-alike goatee. Discussion with Paul Picerni, plus book signing of his memoir Steps to Stardom.
NOT ON DVD

Wednesday, April 14 - 7:30 PM
Los Angeles Premiere! New Noir!
EVE'S NECKLACE, 2009, Erickson Films, 80 min. Film noir is a road regularly traveled by filmmakers, but never has a film noir exclusively starred... mannequins! Director Daniel Erickson made the highly unusual and cost-effective decision to shoot the film, originally conceived as live-action, with store-front "dummies," for which he held an extensive eBay casting call. As dread builds in the film, the impressive feat is achieved of turning an all-mannequin cast into a sympathetic group of characters. "A killer bizarre mannequin film noir movie...one of the strangest movies you'll ever have the likelihood of ever seeing... a fascinating experiment gone right." - Harry Knowles, Ain't It Cool News. Discussion following with director Daniel Erickson.
Offical Website

Thursday, April 15 - 7:30 PM
Gothic Noir Double Feature:
AMONG THE LIVING, 1941, Universal, 67 min. Dir. Stuart Heisler. Albert Dekker stars as identical twins who stir up a Gothic whirlwind of insanity, family skeletons and murder in a small town paralyzed by fear. Penned by Lester Cole of Hollywood Ten notoriety and costarring a youthfully lush Susan Hayward, venerable Harry Carey and pre-tragedy Frances Farmer.
DARK WATERS, 1944, Films Around the World, 90 min. Dir. Andre de Toth. Travel down a dark Southern road of perversity as a distraught shipwreck survivor (Merle Oberon) returns to her family's estate near the Big Easy. Can she trust the earnest doctor (Franchot Tone) who tries to shield her from some exceedingly strange relatives (Fay Bainter, Thomas Mitchell and Elisha Cook Jr.)?

Friday, April 16 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
CRASHOUT, 1955, Paramount, 89 min. Dir. Lewis R. Foster. William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Luther Adler, Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson and William Talman (as a knife-chucking religious fanatic) break out of the pen in pursuit of a stashed robbery payroll. Distracting from their quest are leggy farm girl Beverly Michaels, wholesome Gloria Talbott and noir favorite Percy Helton. NOT ON DVD
CRY VENGEANCE, 1954, Paramount, 82 min. Mark Stevens (THE DARK CORNER) stars in and directs this brutal revenge melodrama in which a psychically and physically scarred ex-cop (Stevens) hunts the killer of his family to the wilds of Ketchikan, Alaska. NOT ON DVD

Saturday, April 17
EGYPTIAN THEATRE HISTORIC TOUR & FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
11:40 AM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD

Saturday, April 17 - 7:30 PM
Co presented with the Roxie Theater: The Whistler Series Double Feature: New Print!
THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER, 1945, Sony Repertory, 66 min. Dir. Lew Landers. From radio to the silver screen and then television, "The Whistler" was the only episodic mystery series that can accurately be labeled as film noir. Richard Dix stars as a man suffering noir's version of the common cold: amnesia. NOT ON DVD
New Print! VOICE OF THE WHISTLER, 1945, Sony Repertory, 60 min. Richard Dix is a terminally ill man lured into marriage by a gold digger (Lynn Merrick) with fatal consequences for all concerned. Written and directed by William Castle, this is a must-see in a new 35mm print! Discussion in between films with actor Robert Dix, son of Richard Dix. Robert Dix also will sign his book Out of Hollywood: Two Generations of Actors in the lobby at 6:45 PM. NOT ON DVD

Sunday, April 18
EGYPTIAN THEATRE HISTORIC TOUR & FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
11:40 AM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD

Sunday, April 18 - 7:30 PM
Femme Fatale Double Feature:
STRANGE FASCINATION 1952, Sony Repertory, 80 min. The first of seven features produced, written and directed by low-rent auteur Hugo Haas stars his fatale muse Cleo Moore. Haas plays a concert pianist led down the road to perdition by bad girl Moore, with typically painful results. NOT ON DVD.
THE COME ON, 1956, Paramount, 83 min. Dir. Russell Birdwell. Anne Baxter pulls out all the stops in her performance as a fetching grifter tying chump Sterling Hayden into knots in a complex affair involving her abusive "husband," the suave but scary John Hoyt. NOT ON DVD Discussion in between films with actress Karen Sharpe Kramer (STRANGE FASCINATION).

Perry Henzell Tribute to Feature Special Guests, DJ Reggae Music, Jimmy Cliff in THE HARDER THEY COME & Premiere of Long Lost Film NO PLACE LIKE HOME

2010-03-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Our Perry Henzell Tribute keeps getting bigger. Arrive by 6:30 PM for a Courtyard Pre-Screening Reception. Party to celebrate Perry Henzell and ... "The Harder They Come" star Jimmy Cliff on his induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. DJ Baby Ace mixing the classics. Meet and greet. Prize give-a-ways. Brought to you by Universal Music Enterprises and Red Stripe Beer.

Perry Henzell has been called "the most important filmmaker to emerge from the Caribbean." His landmark film THE HARDER THEY COME was responsible for introducing Reggae music to the world. With unique insight, visual sense and original thinking, he forever changed the way we look at things. Through his films, stage plays, and novels, the worldwide impact of his work continues to grow. The American Cinematheque salutes the memory of Perry Henzell with an evening dedicated to his feature films.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME (see a trailer), Perry Henzell's long lost sequel to his Jamaican classic, "The Harder they Come" will screen as a double feature with a discussion between films with Justine Henzell (Perry's daughter), producer David Garonzik, P.J. Soles (actress), Arthur Gorson (friend and producer), Roger Steffens (reggae historian) and special surprise guests. Moderated by Wayne Jobson.

Lately, the Cinematheque seems to be discovering a lot of films shot in the 70s and finished in the 2000's (GONE WITH THE POPE makes its World Premiere Friday, March 12 at the Egyptian). One such incredible story of the resurrection of a film that was thought to be lost forever, is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. A print was discovered in a New Jersey warehouse that had long since been thought to have perished. Under Perry's guidance prior to his passing he outlined the changes and direction for the film to follow given the elements that re-emerged. Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

Trailer by Oliver Entertainment. Produced by Jeff Scheftel and Arthur Gorson; directed and written by Jeff Scheftel; edited by Scheftel and Desert Rock. With Grace Jones, Countryman, Carl Bradshaw, P.J. Soles (CARRIE, HALLOWEEN, ROCK 'N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL).

Read more about this event on March 19, 2010 at the Egyptian Theatre.

Mysterious Child Abductions in Northern England in the 1970s & 80s Spawn Tales of the Yorkshire Ripper

2010-03-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

The RED RIDING Trilogy follows the story of the "Yorkshire Ripper" through three feature films including one by director James Marsh (Oscar winner MAN ON WIRE). Its getting some great reviews so we thought we would give Cinematheque audiences a chance to see the Trilogy back to back on Saturday, March 20th. Everyone who buys tickets to see all three will not only get a discount, but also a souvenir road show booklet on the film. Ready for a little British noir?

"The brooding soundtrack of 1980 pays subtle tribute to the music of Throbbing Gristle and Joy Division which colours and informs the novel. The Red Riding trilogy as a whole is like a piece of post-punk music. It demands to be replayed many times, and each new viewing reveals more depth and nuance."- Mark Fisher, Frieze Magazine

March 18-21:

Critic's Buzz Special Screenings:

THE RED RIDING TRILOGY

RED RIDING: 1974, 2009, IFC Films, 105 min. Dir. Julian Jarrold. Inspired by the novels of David Peace, part one of the trilogy centers on Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield), a rookie journalist who returns to his Yorkshire home town, where ten-year-old Clare Kemplay (a figurative Red Riding Hood, seen in a red hoodie) has just been abducted. Seeing a possible link to two other local missing children, Eddie throws himself into a spiriling investigation of child abductions and murders that leads him to suspect that there’s a terrifying connection between the perpetrators and the upper echelons of Yorkshire power. With David Morrissey and Rebecca Hall.

RED RIDING: 1980, 2009, IFC Films, 96 min. Director James Marsh (MAN ON WIRE) continues the narrative for part two of the trilogy. With the police and public still baffled that the "Ripper" remains at large and may have inspired a copycat killer, veteran police officer Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) is called in from Manchester to take over the investigation. While struggling with scandal and tragedy in his personal life, his new theories about the case only incite growing opposition to his involvement.

RED RIDING: 1983, 2009, IFC Films, 104 min. Dir. Anand Tucker. When yet another young girl is kidnapped, Detective Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) notices a number of powerful similarities to the abduction cases he had investigated back in the ’70s for which a man was convicted and sentenced. Meanwhile, a reluctant local solicitor, John Piggott (Mark Addy), decides to take up the condemned man’s cause.

"To view this gritty, gripping series is to enter a devil's bargain: Watch and you'll never forget." - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

"…the most striking dramas of this decade, towering above the usual costume epics and routine police procedurals. Indeed, in their use of setting and landscape the Red Riding films attain an expressionist naturalism that exceeds practically anything British cinema has achieved in the past 30 years." - Mark Fisher, Frieze Magazine

Special 'Trilogy' Ticket Price $25 for all three films. For individual admissions, normal prices apply.

Trailer | Buy Tickets | Official Site

Thurs, March 18 - 7:30 PM | RED RIDING: 1974

Friday, March 19 - 7:30 PM | RED RIDING: 1980

Saturday, March 20 - 5 PM | RED RIDING: 1974

Saturday, March 20 - 7:30 PM | RED RIDING: 1980

Saturday, March 20 - 9:30 PM | RED RIDING: 1983

Sunday, March 21 - 4 PM | RED RIDING: 1983

The White Stripes documentary to Sneak Preview at the Egyptian Theatre Hollywood

2010-03-10T02:49:00.000-08:00

Lucky blog readers will know that we added a screening of the White Stripes documentary UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS at the Egyptian Theatre. Tickets are already going fast so do not delay if you want to see this film on the big screen with great sound! White Stripes merchandise will also be on sale at the screening. Red, Black, White and Peppermints!

Monday, March 15 – 7:30 PM

"...can be credibly included alongside such canonical rock rock-docs as 'Gimme Shelter' and 'Don't Look Back.'" - LA TIMES

UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS (93 min.) In the summer of 2007, shortly after the release of their 6th album Icky Thump, The White Stripes headed north of their hometown of Detroit to embark on an ambitious journey across Canada. The plan was to play a show in every province and territory in Canada, from B.C. to Newfoundland to Nunavut. “Having never done a tour of Canada, Meg and I thought it was high time to go whole hog…from the ocean to the permafrost” says Jack White. “We wanted to play out of the way towns that don’t usually get shows…the shows are better, it’s better for the people, it’s a better experience, it’s way more unique, something interesting is going to happen…hopefully.”

This visual and revealing feature length film documenting The White Stripes' historic Canadian tour and culmination of their 10th Anniversary show. The movie chronicles the band’s journey all over Canada from the many interesting locales they experience to the people they meet along the way – from rural bowling alleys, to city buses, aboriginal tribes and onward. The film captures intimate moments of Jack and Meg both on and off stage, intimate and personal conversations about their ten years together, are cannons, raw performances of some of their biggest songs, and even an impromptu "one note show." Variety review by Dennis Harvey. Discussion following with the director Emmett Malloy.

More information on the Cinematheque website.

The White Stripes official website. Buy Tickets

The 1922 Historic Egyptian Theatre Debuts Live Hi-Tech Hook Up with the Filmmakers of WE LIVE IN PUBLIC & Audiences in 6 Cities

2010-02-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

The American Cinematheque's 87-year old Egyptian Theatre, has been around long enough to witness a whole lot of new-fangled technology come into play - from the advent of the "Talkies" (Sound Movies), to Technicolor, Television, Answering & ATM Machines, the 8-Track Tape, the Beta-Max, Computers, Cell Phones, Digital Cameras, E-mail and of course, the Internet. Back in the day, Hollywood was a hub for live broadcasting from premieres and ballrooms. People around the country lived vicariously through news reports from glamorous places they had never been. Now, we can have a 6-way dialog with information coming in and going out to create an interactive discussion across the miles...

We could not be more excited to announce that we are part of the WE LIVE IN PUBLIC six city screening and interactive discussion on Monday, March 1 at 6:00 PM. It's an internet date you don't want to miss. We will be debuting our new hi-tech hook-up that enables us to broadcast thrilling events at the Egyptian to other places in the world (and check out what audiences elsewhere are doing).

Following a screening of WE LIVE IN PUBLIC (90 min.) we will connect with five other audiences in theatres around the country, the film's director Ondi Timoner and the subject of her documentary - the "Warhol of the Web" himself, Josh Harris and fans on the internet for a fully interactive discussion on what it means to "live in public" online in the 21st Century. The early start time is dictated by the time difference in cities in other time zones, so even if you can't make the screening, we hope you will join us for the 7:30 PM discussion hosted in person by actress Eliza Dushku (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”).

Here is some information about the film itself:
Sundance Grand Jury Documentary Prize Winner
# "4 STARS!… This is a remarkable film about a strange and prophetic man. "
—Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, 2009, 90 min., Interloper Films. Ten years in the making and culled from 5000 hours of footage, the film reveals the effect the web has on our society, as seen through the eyes of the “Warhol of the Web” aka “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of”, artist, futurist and visionary Josh Harris. Through his experiments, including a six-month stint living with his girlfriend under 24-hour electronic surveillance which led to his mental collapse, Harris demonstrated the price we pay for living in public. Award-winning director Ondi Timoner (DIG! – which also won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004 – making Timoner the only director to win that prestigious award twice) documented his tumultuous life for more than a decade to create a riveting, cautionary tale of what to expect as the virtual world inevitably takes control of our lives.

Following the screenings, which will play simultaneously in Vancouver, LA, Denver, Chicago, New York & Atlanta, director Ondi Timoner & Josh Harris will link up with Los Angeles event host Eliza Dushku (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”) and NY event host Adrian Grenier (“Entourage”) and all the audiences nationwide in theaters and online will have a live, interactive conversation about living in public.

See a trailer

Roger Ebert Review Buy Tickets
WE LIVE IN PUBLIC OFFICIAL WEBSITE

African American Shorts Line Up Announced

2010-02-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

The details of our AFRICAN AMERICAN FILMMAKERS Short Film Celebration are now available and we have a great line up for this 75 minute shorts program celebrating the voices that define a new generation of Black Cinema. Join us for a showcase of the work of emerging directors, writers and animators who are redefining the depiction of the African American experience, stories and perspectives through films ranging from comedy to documentary to animation. Program compiled by Kimberley Browning, Executive Director: HOLLYWOOD SHORTS.

Including:

Michael Johnson's "Brothers Incorporated" (USA, 2009, 23 min.) This award-winning film film follows Marcus as he is poised to take control of his father's company - Philadelphia's Black Mafia circa 1963. Shot on location in Penn., this is the filmmaker's USC thesis film. Terence Anthony "Choke" (USA, 2009, 7 min.) This edgy comedy is an animated adaptation of Terence's original play by the same name. Marcus Stokes' "Chains" (USA, 2010, 14 min.) A sneak peek at the brand new short starring Andre Royo (The Wire) and John Hensley (Nip/Tuck) before it launches its highly anticipated festival premieres. Rashaad Ernesto Green's "Choices" (USA, 2009, 4 min.) A Sundance Official Selection. One of two short films completed right after the filmmaker's multi - award winning NYU student short "Premature". Andre Campbell's "Trust" (USA, 2008, 6 min.) A promiscuous housewife learns the true meaning of A Friend You Can Trust. A collaboration with Kimberley Browning of Hollywood Shorts. Discussion to follow with Michael Johnson, Marcus Stokes and Terence Anthony.

Saturday, February 27 – 7:30 PM

American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre (in the Spielberg Theatre screening room)

6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028

tickets | details

Pianist Robert Israel to Accompany 'IT' Starring Clara Bow

2010-02-19T02:29:00.000-08:00

The 1920s were a time of rapid change and women, for the first time, liberated their bodies from corsets, long skirts and other cumbersome, movement limiting clothing - likewise they cropped their curls into a scandalous hairstyle known as "the bob." Still popular today, the hairdo was sported by popular silent film actresses such as Clara Bow who stars in IT and Louise Brooks. Come see what all the fuss was about. First an illustrated history of the flapper hairstyle of choice and then a screening of IT, based on an article/concept on those who have "it" (aka sex appeal). by Elinor Glynn - which made a sensation in its day. Do you have "it?" Come find out on Sunday! We've just confirmed Robert Israel on piano with IT!

Sunday, February 21 – 2:00 PM at the Egyptian Theatre

Co-presented with the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles:
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: "The Bob"
The turbulent years from the mid-1910s until the stock market crashed in 1929 provided the ideal climate for political and social change - and any hairstyle that could become the topic of editorials, sermons, cartoons, and literature during that time bears investigation. What could a world class tennis player, a murderous housewife, a female evangelist, and a Hollywood star possibly have in common? Bobbed hair! In addition to reflecting upon the broader impact of the bob, we'll examine the lives of both famous and infamous women who sported this provocative cropped hairdo. Some of these women behaved well and others badly, but at least they all looked chic! Lecturer Joan Renner is a social historian and writer. She volunteers for the Los Angeles Police Historical Society, Los Angeles Art Deco Society, Los Angeles Conservancy, and is a board member for the non-profit organization Photo Friends as well as tour guide for Esotouric tours.

IT, 1927, Kino, 72 min. Dir. Clarence G. Badger. The film that launched a thousand bobbed hairdos, IT stars the remarkably sassy Clara Bow as Betty Lou, a department store worker who has "It" (a.k.a. sex appeal). What does an It Girl do when the man of her dreams doesn't know she exists? She dates his best friend! This attention-getting technique works swimmingly, but complications arise when Betty Lou is mistakenly written up in the daily newspaper as an unwed mother. A flirty, fashionable romp about class politics. Live accompaniment on the piano by Robert Israel.

Buy Tickets | View Cinematheque Website

Oscar Buzz Special Screenings: Limited Engagement of THE HURT LOCKER

2010-02-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 18 - 21:

THE HURT LOCKER is one of the most talked about films of award season. It has picked up some honors already, including a DGA award for Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow. Cameron and Bigelow, ex-husband and wife contend for the biggest prize in the motion picture industry. Blue indigenous people vs adrenaline junkies. Who will win. Well we've brought back THE HURT LOCKER (the film premiered at the Egyptian last Summer with Bigelow, writer Mark Boal and Jeremy Renner in person. Check it out once again on the big screen!

THE HURT LOCKER, 2009, Summit Entertainment, 131 min. Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow brings together realistic action and intimate human drama in a landmark film starring Jeremy Renner (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD), Anthony Mackie (WE ARE MARSHALL), Brian Geraghty (JARHEAD), and co-starring Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") and Guy Pearce. In the summer of 2004, Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Geraghty) are part of a small counterforce trained to handle homemade bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The job, a high-pressure, high-stakes assignment that soldiers volunteer for, requires a calm intelligence that leaves no room for mistakes. When Staff Sergeant James (Renner) cheerfully takes over the team, Sanborn and Eldridge are shocked by what seems like his reckless disregard for military protocol and basic safety measures. Is James really a swaggering cowboy who lives for peak experiences and the moments when the margin of error is zero - or is he a consummate professional who has honed his craft to high-wire precision? The men have only 38 days left in their tour, but with each new mission comes another deadly encounter. As James blurs the line between bravery and bravado, it seems only a matter of time before disaster strikes. A gripping portrayal of real-life sacrifice and heroism, and a probing study of the soul-numbing rigors and potent allure of the modern battlefield. Based on the first-hand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq -- a squad whose members spoke of explosions as putting you in "the hurt locker." Nominated for 9 Academy Awards, including Best Directing and Motion Picture of the Year.

"It's both the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for and the kind of unqualified triumph that's been long expected from director Kathryn Bigelow."- Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times

"…a first-class piece of visceral action moviemaking." -Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly

Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian
Buy Tickets | Learn More

Thursday, February 18 - 7:30 PM

Friday, February 19 - 7:30 PM

Friday, February 19 - 10 PM

Saturday, February 20 - 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 20 - 10 PM

Sunday, February 21 - 3:30 PM

Quentin Tarantino In Person, The Beaches of Agnes, In the Loop Just Added to February Calendar

2010-02-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just when you finished circling all the programs you wanted to attend at the American Cinematheque this month, we went and added more shows...

Quentin Tarantino In Person

Monday, February 8 - 6:00 PM
Quentin Tarantino In-Person! Double Feature!
PULP FICTION, 1994, Miramax, 153 min. Director Quentin Tarantino's dazzling, nitro-fueled homage to 1930's crime fiction, Elvis Presley flicks, Los Angeles diners, Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Melville is arguably the most audacious and exciting American film of the 1990's. The movie's brilliant, against-type casting includes John Travolta (in a career-reviving performance), Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stolz, Maria de Medeiros, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Christopher Walken and Ving Rhames. Winner of LAFCA Awards for Best Picture, Actor (John Travolta) and Screenplay (Tarantino and Roger Avary).

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, 2009, Universal Pictures, 153 min. Tarantino's most recent cinematic achievement blends the director's trademark fetishism of film history with an emphatically violent, gung-ho pop culture assault against the 20th century's greatest villains: the Nazis. When a beautiful Jewish film projectionist recognizes the SS general (a magnetic Christopher Waltz) who riddled her family with bullets several years earlier, she brews a plan that involves revenge and celluloid. Meanwhile, a guerilla clan of Jewish-American soldiers and their twangy lieutenant (Brad Pitt) have plans of their own for the venomous Nazis. Nominated for 4 Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture, Director, Screenplay, and a win for Waltz for Best Supporting Actor. 8 Oscar nominations. Discussion following each film with director Quentin Tarantino, moderated by Todd McCarthy.

Tuesday, February 9 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: Cannes Film Festival Version!
KILL BILL: Vol. 1, 2003, Miramax, 111 min. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. With Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica Fox, Darryl Hannah, Michael Parks, Sonny Chiba. Kill Bill is both an homage and a reimagining of the genre films that Quentin Taratino has seen and loved: spaghetti westerns, Chinese martial arts films, Japanese samurai movies and anime. The film is conceived in chapters, each with the characteristic look and pulse of a specific genre and then interwoven with references from pop culture. It is the tale of Beatrix Kiddo (a perfectly cast Uma Thurman) and her quest for bloody justice after being left for dead on her wedding day.

Cannes Film Festival Version!
KILL BILL: Vol. 2, 2004, Miramax, 136 min. The second and final installment in Tarantino's pulsating KILL BILL epic, Vol. 2 finds Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman at her most raw and empowering) waking from a lengthy coma and having the devastating realization that the baby she was carrying has died. This loss only serves as more fuel to her vengeful fire, and The Bride begins hunting down the final three people on her to-kill list: Budd (Bill's brother), Elle Driver (a one-eyed doozy), and Bill himself. Hyperbolically innovative death sequences, punchy color and a first-rate score by Wu-Tang Clan's The RZA make this one of the best action films of the new millennium - and also so much more than an action film. Also starring David Carradine, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah.

Read about this event on our website.

Critics Buzz

We're bring some films back to the big screen that we don't think got enough time on the big screen when they were initially released - and the critics think so too. See the films that were mentioned on a number of Critic's end of year lists...
Get tickets

FEBRUARY 11 - 14:
Critic's Buzz Special Screenings:

THE BEACHES OF AGNES [Spielberg Theatre]
Thursday, February 11- 7:30 PM THE BEACHES OF AGNES
Friday, February 12 - 9:30 PM IN THE BEACH OF AGNES
Saturday, February 13 - 7:30 PM THE BEACHES OF AGNES
Sunday, February 14 - 4:00 PM THE BEACHES OF AGNES

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (LES PLAGES D’ AGNÈS), 2008, 110 min. "If you opened people up, you would find landscapes," Varda says in the opening voiceover of her new film. "If you opened me up, you would find beaches." Varda’s latest work is an autobiographical essay that takes a nostalgic yet penetrating look back at her life and films. Using photographs, recreations and scenes from her films, Varda illustrates the various stages of her life, from her marriage to Jacques Demy and his death in 1990 to her childhood memories of Sète, the fishing village that would become the subject of her first film. Woven through these reminiscences are lonely, dreamlike sequences shot on the beaches that have influenced and inspired her. View Trailer
Get Tickets

Read about this event on our website.

FEBRUARY 10 - 13:
Critic's Buzz Special Screenings:
Oscar Nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay
IN THE LOOP [Spielberg Theatre]

Wednesday, February 10 - 7:30 PM
IN THE LOOP

Thursday, February 11- 9:30 PM
IN THE LOOP

Friday, February 12 - 7:30 PM
IN THE LOOP

Saturday, February 13 - 9:30 PM
IN THE LOOP

IN THE LOOP, 2008, IFC Films, 106 min. Dir. Armando Iannucci. With Anna Chlumsky (Liza), Chris Addison (Toby), David Rasche (Linton), Gina McKee (Judy), James Gandolfini (General Miller), Mimi Kennedy (Karen), Olivia Poulet (Suzy), Peter Capaldi (Malcolm Tucker), Steve Coogan (Paul Michaelson), Tom Hollander (Simon Foster) and Zach Woods (Chad).

"See if this sounds familiar: A U.S. president is pushing for a war in the Middle East, going for a U.N. resolution though there's no reliable intelligence to back him up. And the Brits are staying carefully neutral, to give their prime minister room to maneuver.
Been there, seen that, you say? Not like this, you haven't. In the blistering British political satire In the Loop, bureaucratic bungling in the run-up to war is played for scabrous laughs, not a few of which will be pained laughs of recognition."
- Bob Mondello, All Things Considered (In the Loop: Wartime Fever As Screwball Tragedy)

"...a sharply written, fast-talking, almost dementedly articulate satire on modern statecraft..." - A.O. Scott, The New York Times (more)
View Trailer | In the Loop review on "All Things Considered"
Get tickets

Read about this event on our website.

Updates & Trailers at: www.americancinematheque.com

Strike TV Webisodes with a Panel of Guests, Including Actor Timothy Dalton!

2010-01-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

It's time once again for American Cinematheque to blow up the internet -- blow it up on the big screen, that is. Friday, January 15th, we'll be screening strike.tv's webisodes on the Egyptian's massive 60-foot wide screen!

Strike TV was created by screenwriters during the Writers Guild of America’s strike of 2007. Since then, it has grown to house more than 200 independently financed web series from writers of "The Office," "The Daily Show," "Friends," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Saturday Night Live," "Robot Chicken," and many more. In addition to the webisodes this Friday night, special guests will join us in person for a discussion panel.

Hosted by Bob Kushell (writer and producer, "The Simpsons")

Panelists include:

Peter Hyoguchi: CEO of strike.tv

Ken Lazebnik: Writer, A Prarie Home Companion, Star Trek: Enterprise, Touched by an Angel. Writer / Producer of "Harmony" (screening)

Matt Enlow: Producer of "Mountain Man" (screening)

Timothy Dalton: Actor, James Bond. Starring in "Unknown Sender" (screening)

Steven de Souza: Writer, Die Hard, Tomb Raider. Creator of "Unknown Sender" (screening)

Dan de Souza: Producer/Editor of "Unknown Sender" (screening)

Mindy Sterling: Actor, Austin Powers and "Unknown Sender" (screening)

Ellen Sandweiss: Actor, Evil Dead. Actor/Producer of "Dangerous Women" (screening)

Anthony Farrell: Writer, "The Office." Creator of "Dwelling" (screening)

Christopher Barrett: COO of strike.tv

Lester Lewis: Writer, "The Office" and co-founder of strike.tv

Ian Deitchman: CCO of strike.tv

Susan Miller: Writer, "thirtysomething", "The L Word," Creator of "Anyone But Me" (screening)

Tina Cesa Ward: Co-creator of "Anyone But Me" (screening)

Lorin Wertheimer: Writer, "Girlfriends." Creator of "Speedie Date" (screening)

Patricia Scanlon: Creator of "Hildy, Hildy" (screening)

Keu Reyes: Creator of "Caesar & Chuy" (screening)

Magnus Janson: Creator of "The Goob" (screening)

Renaissance Pleasure Fair, Ed Harris In Person, Elvis' 75th Birthday

2010-01-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, January is off to a rampaging start. This weekend alone at the Egyptian, we'll time travel from the Renaissance (a mini Original Renaissance Pleasure Fair is cropping up in the Courtyard Saturday as part of our Kings, Queens, Knights and Jesters film series, which includes a Saturday screening of KNIGHTRIDERS with actor Ed Harris in person) to 'Graceland East' when we celebrate The King's 75th Birthday with Elvis karaoke, films, music, foods, birthday cake and special guest, actress Francine York who appeared in TICKLE ME with Elvis.

Come to the Elvis Presley 75th Birthday press conference at Elvis' star (at Hollywood Blvd. & La Brea) and compete to win a pair of tickets to the event. Friday, January 8 at AM sharp!

Here are the details:

Kings, Queens, Knights & Jesters co-presented with the Original Renaissance Pleasure Fair Through Saturday, January 9 at the Egyptian Theatre
See the full schedule.

Saturday, January 9 – Noon - 5:00 PM (free admission)

The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire: The Egyptian Courtyard is magically transformed into an Elizabethan village with food and merchants, performers and craft demonstrations courtesy of the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire (April 10 - May 23, 2010). Wares will include fine clothes form Muscovy Trading Co. & great games and toys from Hallowed Tree as well as other wonderful artisans from our Faire. Traditional and humorous music will fill the air with the likes of Brigid’s Daughters, Sportive Tricks, Ad Hoc Consortium, and Willie Banger. Villagers, Games, and sweet chocolates from Lady Rowley Sweets all will help create a sampling of what the Faire offers during its regular season (April 10 - May 23, 2010).

Saturday, January 9 – 1:00 PM

THE SECRET OF KELLS, 2009, 75 min. Dir. Tomm Moore. Magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the

eyes, in this sweeping s

tory. Best Animated Feature nominee, 2009 Annie Award and European Film Awards. Winner 2009 Annecy Int'l Film Festival. "Absolutely luscious to behold!"-Variety. "Visually ravishing"-Screen Daily. Trailer | Listen to KPCC interview with animation critic Charles Solomon and host John Rabe!

Saturday, January 9 – 5:00 PM

Double Feature:

EXCALIBUR, 1981, Warner Bros., 119 min. Director John Boorman’s retelling of the Arthur legend brings the story of Arthur’s court to life via a series of stunning images and rich performances by, among others, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry, Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart. Trailer

KNIGHTRIDERS, 1981, Taurus, 145 min. Dir. George Romero. George Romero’s most underrated and personal film, a haunting tale of Camelot transposed to a modern-day Pennsylvania renaissance fair, where knights joust on

motorcycles. Ed Harris is mesmerizing as the doomed king, Amy Ingersoll is the Guinevere figure, and Gary Lahti stands in for Lancelot. Make-up/effects artist Tom Savini is a standout in a rare acting role. Trailer Ed Harris in person with KNIGHTRIDERS.

Elvis 75th Birthday Celebration
More information on our website.

Sunday, January 10 – 5: 30 PM

Elvis Presley 75^th Birthday Celebration:
Join us for a celebration of what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, with films, special guest Francine York, music and karaoke from Roarshack, the biggest Elvis Mix 'n Mingle trivia game west of Memphis from Wise Guys Events (and Elvisy Prizes), food vendors including banana-peanut butter pancake bites from Buttermilk Truck, BBQ from BarbiesQ and to top it all off, birthday cake from La Morenita Bakery for the entire audience. Plus, Elvis merchandise from Hollywood Book & Poster. Fabulous prizes from Warner Bros. and Bettie Page Clothing. Dress to im-Presley!
Then at 7:30 PM, an
Elvis Presley Double Feature:
ELVIS '56, 1987, 61 min. Dir. Alan & Susan Raymond (AN AMERICAN FAMILY). A chronicle of Elvis' breakthrough year when he rose from naive rock singer to world famous superstar. Featuring rare performance footage and most of the 22 songs he recorded in 1956... "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender" and more. Band member Levon Helm narrates. [SD/DMX Digital Cinema Presentation]

JAILHOUSE ROCK, 1957, Warner Bros., 96 min. Dir. Richard Thorpe. Elvis Presley is serving a term for manslaughter. Once the King is released from jail, he quickly rises to the top as a rock 'n' roll singer. Trailer Special Guest Francine York.

More films and more guests...

THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND: Sneak Preview Screening, Costume Display, and Bryce Dallas Howard and Jodie Markell In Person!

2009-12-15T17:19:00.001-08:00

It's not every day that a new film written by Tennessee Williams is released. William's 1957 screenplay for THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND was supposed to be his third collaboration with director Elia Kazan (after Baby Doll and A Streetcar Named Desire), but when plans to make the film fell through, the screenplay was lost and forgotten -- until young, Memphis-born director Jodie Markell recently picked it up.

We celebrated Mr. Williams earlier this month at the Egyptian with a double feature of the Suddenly Last Summer and Cat on A Hot Tin Roof; now, join us for a sneak preview of THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND at the AERO THEATRE! Director Jodie Markell and star Bryce Dallas Howard will be there for a Q&A discussion after the screening. We'll also have a display of costumes from the film in the Aero lobby! Costume designer Chrisi Karvonides will be on hand to answer questions about the costumes, in the lobby.

Wednesday, December 16 - 7:30 PM
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave at 14th St
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Sneak Preview: THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND, 2009, Paladin, 102 min. Dir. Jodie Markell. This new drama based on a recently rediscovered original screenplay by Tennessee Williams is set in the Roaring Twenties and tells the story of Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard) a headstrong young southern heiress who rebels by asking the impoverished but handsome Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans) to escort her to the major social events of the season. The relationship is purely a business arrangement, with Fisher paying for Jimmy’s time and attention, but when she discovers she really loves him, she finds it impossible to earn the affection she tried to buy. Also starring Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret and Will Patton.

Discussion following with director Jodie Markell and actor Bryce Dallas Howard. There will be a display of some of the beautiful 1920s era costumes from the film on display in the lobby as well. Special thanks to Palace Costume and Revamp Vintage Reproduction Clothing.

Chris Evans and Bryce Dallas Howard in THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND

Funny Or Die Presents "Internet 3.0"

2009-12-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

The American Cinematheque had this idea to "blow up" these popular Webisode things on our giant screen, because, well, that's just the way we do things here at the Cinematheque. We like our filmed entertainment big and beefy and with our Dr. Horrible and The Guild event, we saw that 600+ other folks liked them better giant too. We don't believe that you can enjoy something that is only 2 inches square the same way you can at nearly 60 feet across. So there you go, Funny or Die thought they might be extra funny at 60 feet across so we promise you, Friday night WILL be funny. The folks at Funny or Die are just crazy enough to stray from their usual format of videos for the internet, to produce a live show about which they will only say this:

"A Live Show Featuring Surprise Guests And Premiere Videos at the Egyptian Theatre on Friday, December 11, 2009. We don't want to spoil the surprise but if you are a fan of Funny Or Die and comedy in general this show will blow you away. Comedic performers include Brett Gelman, Jordan Peele, Brandon Johnson, Charlie Sanders, and a really big comedian who likes to sit between two ferns and interview famous people. Plus, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin."

Buzz Aldrin you say? What's the deal. Well apparently Buzz conspired with Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli to produce this (click to see "Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience").
Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience from Buzz Aldrin

Friday night is one of those not to be missed, once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the American Cinematheque. Don't miss it. Tickets are on sale now at www.fandango.com

Friday, December 11 - 7:30 PM WEBISODES
The American Cinematheque Blows Up the Internet: Funny or Die presents The Internet 3.0
Since its launch in 2007 with the now-classic video THE LANDLORD, Funnyordie.com has become the Internet's premier place for comedy. Combining shorts by noted Hollywood celebrities and filmmakers with user-generated submissions, Funnyordie is both a forum for established comic geniuses and a launching pad for up-and-coming talent. Join us at the Cinematheque for a special live program that brings together Funny or Die favorites, premiere videos, celebrity guests and surprise hosts. This is a Funny night you do not want to miss. Official Website

Added Events: SERIOUS FILMMAKING: A Coen Brothers Retrospective

2009-12-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

SERIOUS FILMMAKING: A Coen Brothers Retrospective

From their electrifying debut with BLOOD SIMPLE in 1984 to their Academy Award-winning triumph NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in 2007 and the recent masterpiece A SERIOUS MAN, brothers Ethan and Joel Coen have established themselves as a formidable creative force. Join us at both the Aero and Egyptian Theatres for triple features of the Coens' best films, movies that traverse the worlds of comedy, film noir, and domestic melodrama with immense wit and style. One admission price for all 3 films.

Coen Bros Triple Features

Monday, December 14, 2009 - 5:30 PM at the Egyptian

5:30 PM: RAISING ARIZONA at the Aero Theatre, 1987, 20th Century Fox, 94 min. Dir. Joel Coen. This staggeringly hilarious chronicle of the romance between inept bad boy Nicolas Cage and straight arrow cop Holly Hunter was an unexpected follow up to the Coen Bros.' chilling BLOOD SIMPLE. The kidnap scheme that follows when the loving couple learn they can't conceive kids is guaranteed to provoke more laughs per minute than any American comedy since the heyday of 1930's screwball cinema.

7:30 PM: A SERIOUS MAN at the Aero Theatre, 2009, Focus Features, 105 min. Dir. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. Jewish physics professor Larry Gropnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) can't catch a break: his wife (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce, his malady-laden brother (Richard Kind) is living on his couch, and his tenure is endangered by a small misunderstanding that snowballs into a fiasco. Only the Coen brothers could make such a modern-day Job's plight so painfully hilarious; their return to the world of Minnesota academia in which they grew up yields one of their richest, most personal films to date.

9:30 PM BLOOD SIMPLE at the Aero Theatre 1984, MGM Repertory, 99 min. Joel and Ethan Coen's first feature film is one of the most assured moviemaking debuts in recent history. Hangdog Texas bar owner Marty (Dan Hedaya) hires a corrupt and corpulent detective (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill Abby, his unfaithful wife (Frances McDormand) and her lover (John Getz). Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-Dramatic.

"...it's the noir-style humor, not the violence, that makes this tribute to James M. Cain and Alfred Hitchcock so good." - Desson Thomson, The Washington Post;

"Grisly, stylish and often weirdly funny, BLOOD SIMPLE is a reminder of how rarely an original artistic sensibility is announced to the world and how much better movies are when that sensibility is allowed to keep going its own way." - Anne Hornaday, The Baltimore Sun

Egyptian Theatre Details

Tuesday, December 15 - 5:30 PM
5:30 PM
FARGO at the Egyptian Theatre
1996, MGM Repertory, 98 min. One of Joel and Ethan Coen's most acclaimed films, winning their first Oscars (Screenplay) as well as a Frances McDormand victory for best actress. Cool, calm, collected (and pregnant!) policewoman Marge (McDormand) tracks the kidnappers of a used car salesman's wife in North Dakota's snow-covered wasteland. Salesman Jerry's (William H. Macy) inept plot to get out of debt by staging the hoax unravels in gory fashion when his two bizarrely mismatched henchmen (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) have a falling out. That hulking Stormare's nonchalant, bloodcurdling use of a woodchipper at the limax emerges as both chilling and hilarious testifies to the Coen's complete mastery of tone in the filmmaking process. "...an illuminating amalgam of emotion and thought. It glimpses into the heart of man and unearths a blackly comic nature, hellishly mercurial and selfish, yet strangely innocent. If it weren't so funny, it would be unbearably disturbing." - Arnold Wayne Jones, The Dallas Observer "A crime gem that is darkly funny even when it's chilling - and certain to become a classic." - Peter Stack, The San Francisco Chronicle

7:30 PM
A SERIOUS MAN at the Egyptian Theatre
2009, Focus Features, 105 min. Dir. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. Jewish physics professor Larry Gropnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) can't catch a break: his wife (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce, his malady-laden brother (Richard Kind) is living on his couch, and his tenure is endangered by a small misunderstanding that snowballs into a fiasco. Only the Coen brothers could make such a modern-day Job's plight so painfully hilarious; their return to the world of Minnesota academia in which they grew up yields one of their richest, most personal films to date.

9:30 PM: BARTON FINK at the Egyptian Theatre
1991, 20th Century Fox, 116 min. Winner of best director, best actor and a Unanimous winner of the.Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. In the Depression Era, naïve and ridiculously idealistic New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro, in a tour-de-force performance) is brought out to tinseltown by an egocentric movie mogul (hilarious Michael Lerner) to write a "wrestling picture for Wallace Beery." Joel and Ethan Coen engineer an escalating case of existential dread for Fink in his quiet hotel room when he is afflicted with a terrifying case of writer's block. The few people Fink meets fuel his mushrooming paranoia: a William Faulkner-type writer (John Mahoney) too drunk to work, the writer's tragic mistress (Judy Davis) and last, but not least, the only guy he's been able to make friends with - a sweet-natured traveling salesman (John Goodman) from next door who may just turn out to be the notorious serial killer, Madman Muntz. "What RAISING ARIZONA was to baby lust, BARTON FINK is to writer's block -- a rapturously funny, strangely bittersweet, moderately horrifying and, yes, truly apt description of the condition and its symptoms." - Rita Kempley, The Washington Post

Aero Theatre Details

Wizard of Oz Costume Contest at the Aero Theatre

2009-11-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Dress in your best Munchkin, Flying Monkey or Toto costume and have a chance to take home the Wizard of Oz Ultimate Edition DVD set!

HTML clipboardSunday, November 29 - 4:00 PM
at the Aero Theatre
THE WIZARD OF OZ, 1939, Warner Bros., 101 min. Dir. Victor Fleming. Judy Garland is Dorothy in this sublime, candy-colored adaptation of L. Frank Baum's children's favorite, one of the most beloved film classics of all time. Take a surreal stroll down the yellow brick road with Dorothy as she encounters the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. But there's no place like home! Don't miss the display of Wizard of Oz artwork at Every Picture Tells A Story! Trailer

Come in costume and participate in the WIZARD OF OZ costume contest before the screening and win a Blu-ray DVD (courtesy of Warner Home Video).

The 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition contains nearly four hours of all-new bonus material, plus Digital Copy, and come in numbered packaging.

Supplemental highlights include the original extended version of If I Only Had a Brain; the documentary MGM: When the Lion Roars; The Dreamer of Oz, (a 1990 TV bio-pic about Oz author L. Frank Baum); Victor Fleming, Master Craftsman, a new documentary about the director); Hollywood Celebrates It's Biggest Little Stars, a featurette dedicated to the life and times of the actors who played the Munchkins; two 1914 silent films, The Magic Cloak of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz, both produced by Baum, a sing-along track; promotional artworks; 52-page miniature book, and a numbered Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary watch!

Take home GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ this weekend!

2009-11-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

Join us at the Egyptian on Saturday, November 28th at 7:30PM for a 70th Anniversary Screening of GONE WITH THE WIND. We'll be holding a drawing where you can win the 70th Anniversary DVD or Blu-Ray Boxed Set, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video!
More Info

Then head over to the Aero on Sunday at 4:00pm for a 70th Anniversary Screening of THE WIZARD OF OZ, where we'll also be giving away a Wizard of Oz Blu-Ray DVD -- but you must come in costume as your favorite Wizard of Oz character for a chance to win!
More Info

Paul Mazursky and Friends In Person at the Aero!

2009-11-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

Filmmaker Paul Mazursky, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his directorial debut (BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE) is the subject of a two night in person tribute at the American Cinematheque on Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20. BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE Co-stars Robert Culp, Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon will join Mazursky in person after the Friday screening of BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the film.

Thursday, November 19 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, 1978, 20th Century Fox, 124 min. Dir. Paul Mazursky. Erica (Jill Clayburgh) is a wealthy New Yorker whose stability is shattered by the breakup of her marriage. But she turns tragedy into triumph by seizing the opportunity to find herself via a new life and a new relationship.Clip

TEMPEST, 1982, Sony Repertory, 136 min. In Paul Mazursky's loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," John Cassavetes plays an architect who leaves his wife (Gena Rowlands) and moves to a Greek island with his teenage daughter (Molly Ringwald). Complications emerge when Cassavetes falls for Susan Sarandon and his wife shows up on the island with a new lover. Discussion in between films with director Paul Mazursky. Clip

Friday, November 20 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: 40th Anniversary! BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE, 1969, Sony Repertory, 105 min. Dir. Paul Mazursky. A ground-breaking, hilarious and still-pointed satire of sexual hang-ups in America. "We came here for an orgy, didn't we?" says repressed housewife Dyan Cannon, just before she joins Natalie Wood and husbands Elliott Gould and Robert Culp in some classic, late-1960s wife-swapping, hot-tubbing action. Clip

HARRY AND TONTO, 1974, 20thCentury Fox, 115 min. Dir. Paul Mazursky. Art Carney won an Oscar for his performance as Harry, an aging man who hits the road with his cat Tonto. Their journey is funny and touching in equal measures, thanks to Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfield’s reflective screenplay and a supporting cast that includes Larry Hagman, Ellen Burstyn and Josh Mostel. Discussion in between films with director Paul Mazursky and actors Dyan Cannon and Robert Culp. Trailer

A Message from Steve Railsback Star of THE STUNT MAN and ED GEIN

2009-10-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE INVITED BY AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE TO SCREEN TWO OF MY FAVORITE FILMS: THE STUNT MAN AND ED GEIN. I'M THRILLED TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH RICHARD RUSH; HE IS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC DIRECTORS IN HOLLYWOOD.

ONE OF THE GREATEST EXPERIENCES OF MY ACTING CAREER WAS CO-STARRING IN THE STUNT MAN WITH PETER O'TOOLE AND BARBARA HERSHEY. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET TO THE SET DURING THE 5 MONTHS OF FILMING, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT SOMETHING EXCITING AND CREATIVE WAS GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY DAY. WORKING WITH RICHARD RUSH WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST HIGHLIGHTS OF MY CAREER.

Note: This classic motion picture received rave reviews from Time, Newsweek and critics nationwide. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and was the first American motion picture to win "Best Film Award' at the Montreal Film Festival. Railsback was nominated for Best Actor by "The Golden Globes" and won that honor at the Dallas Film Festival.

PORTRAYING CHARLES MANSON IN HELTER SKELTER AND THE TITLE CHARACTER IN ED GEIN, WERE TWO OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND REWARDING CHALLENGES OF MY CAREER. ED GEIN WAS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF MANSON; AN EXTREMELY PASSIVE MAN, WHO GREW UP IN WISCONSIN IN THE 1950's, AND SOUGHT HIS DECEASED MOTHER'S PERMISSION BEFORE HE COULD DO ANTHING. HE WAS ANTI-SOCIAL, A SCHIZOPHRENIC AND A MURDERER.

Steve Railsback, October 8, 2009

Note: This haunting motion picture, based on a true story, was produced by and starred Steve Railsback. Feature films PSYCHO and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS were based on Ed Gein's lost and tortured soul. Railsback won "Best Actor" for ED GEIN and the movie won "Best Feature Film" at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain in 2000. He was also awarded "Best Actor" at the Film Festival in Rome in 2001.

Steve Railsback will appear in person for a double feature of THE STUNT MAN and ED GEIN at the Aero Theatre on Sunday, October 25. For details click here.

The "Girls in the Band" will Appear in person with SOME LIKE IT HOT

2009-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

All 5 Girls in the Band, Marilyn Monroe's band in SOME LIKE IT HOT will come down to the Egyptian tonight to reminisce about making the film with Monroe, Curtis and Lemmon. Still a favorite, the film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and to commemorate it, Curtis penned a tell-all volume with the help of Mark Vieria. Vieria will sign books and tell some stories along with a screening of this timeless classic about the days when Jazz was HOT and Men were sometimes Girls, but it all worked out in the end.

Thursday, October 8 – 8:00 PM COMEDY

50th Anniversary! SOME LIKE IT HOT, 1959, MGM Repertory, 119 min. Dir. Billy Wilder. Musicians Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon take it on the lam from the Chicago mob, cross-dressing to blend in with an all-girl band and creating a situation where luscious Marilyn Monroe doesn’t know if she’s falling for a playboy (Curtis) or a playgirl. Hosted by Mark Vieria who wrote The Making of "Some Like It Hot" with Tony Curtis. Viera will relate some previously untold behind-the-scenes stories from the book. Book siging at 7 PM in the lobby. Discussion following with the girls from Sugar Kane's (Marilyn Monroe) band including Marian Collier (Olga, the clarinet player) and Marie Foley, Sandra Warner, Joan Layne and Tracy Ross.

Tickets are available in advance on www.fandango or at the Egyptian Theatre box office prior to the show. The booksigning will start at 7PM.

View this event on the Cinematheque website.

2009-09-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment") will join us IN PERSON for the opening night of the Irish Film Festival at the Aero on Thursday. He will speak following a documentary about him - GABRIEL BYRNE: STORIES FROM HOME - so you can hear from the on...screen Byrne and the in person Byrne and then compare and contrast. Byrne's doc is on a double feature with PEACEFIRE and a short that sounds pretty cool - there is NOTHING better than tongue in cheek claymation in our book!

PEACEFIRE
2008, Goldcrest Independent/mayFLY Entertainment, 87 min. Dir. Macdara Vallely. Colin (John Travers, SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY) is a joy-riding hood who couldn’t care less about the local political situation. But a chance encounter with a ruthless detective (Gerry Doherty) turns him into an informer for the so-called forces of law and order and a target for retribution for his father’s old mates in the Irish Republican Army. "... (M)uch of its dramatic power comes from quiet, visually poetic moments." – Peter Brunette, The Hollywood Reporter. Trailer

Plus "Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty" (Ireland, 2008, 6 min.) Dir. Nicky Phelan. A seemingly sweet old lady loses the plot as she tells her version of Sleeping Beauty to her terrified granddaughter.

Click here to get the details on the attending the screening.

Exotic Entertainment Added to Tiki Night at the Egyptian

2009-07-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

The allure of the South Seas comes to Hollywood this weekend with a Tiki themed weekend which will sprinkle the enchantment of the Islands in the Egyptian Theatre Courtyard. In addition to the previously announced Tiki movies and Luau featuring a Polynesian Dinner, Musical Entertainment from King Kukulele and His Friki Tikis, Ukele Davey, the Polynesian Paradise Dancers, Vendors of Tiki-ana and miscellaneous exotica - we have more special guests - and for those who missed the fabulous Scopitone program last weekend, these Technicolor (slightly risque) 60s music videos are back with Tiki themed versions:

MORE from the "Scopitone: Carousel of Stars" Archive! Princess Leilani & Alex "Keep Your Eyes On The Hands" April Stevens & Nino Tempo "Land of A Thousand Dances" Princess Leilani & Alex "Smoldering Drums" Joi Lansing "The Web Of Love" All 4 presented in 16mm Dye Transfer Technicolor!!! Total Run Time - 10 minutes

Special Guest: Wally Boag In Person - The Voice of the Jose character in Disneyland's Tiki Room and a participant in many other Disneyland attractions. For more information on Wally click here.

Tickets to the Luau will be sold until noon on Friday. After that its first come, first served at the door. About 50 tickets will be sold at the door.

'In the Loop' Screening Canceled

2009-06-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

We regret that the Aero Theatre screening of the new Brit comedy IN THE LOOP has been canceled. If you purchased tickets you can go to the box office any time on or before July 15, 2009 to get a refund.

'Beaches of Agnes' Sneak to Highlight In Person Retrospective of the work of Filmmaker Agnes Varda

2009-06-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Agnès Varda, one of the founding members of the French New Wave will appear In Person at the Aero Theatre with a Sneak Preview of her latest film, plus a mini-retrospective of highlights of her long career as a filmmaker (including a 'Los Angeles' night featuring work from Varda's stay in LA in the 1960s. All this takes place at the Aero Theatre from June 24 - July 1. Learn more & see a film schedule.

A gifted and outspoken feminist and one of the most acclaimed directors anywhere in the world, Agnès Varda could be considered the prototype of today’s independent filmmaker. Varda is a survivor, a stubborn and patient observer of her time and her people, like the pop singer in CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7, the lovers in LE BONHEUR (HAPPINESS) or the drifter in VAGABOND. "I have fought so much since I started … for something that comes from emotion, from visual emotion, sound emotion, feeling, and finding a shape for that," Varda has said.

Varda directed her first feature, LA POINTE COURTE, in 1954, with no formal training in filmmaking. The movie has often been identified as the film that started the French New Wave ("and a famous flop," as Varda has wryly noted). Along with Alain Resnais and Chris Marker, she made up the so-called "Left Bank Group" of the early 1960s, distinct from other New Wave directors for their interest in both documentary and fiction and their passion for both political and social filmmaking. Her marriage to Jacques Demy (1931-1990) made her one-half of the most beloved filmmaking couple of their day, and her tribute to Demy, JACQUOT DE NANTES, is one of her finest films.

In 1962, Varda directed the legendary CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7, a French New Wave classic about two hours in the life of a pop singer. The film’s sense of profound realism crossed with lyrical visual poetry pointed the way toward much of Varda’s later work, which would alternate between acclaimed documentaries and romantic but naturalistic fiction features. Capable of crafting both gritty cinematic time capsules and expressionistic mood pieces like LES CREATURES, the breadth of Varda’s talent is nearly as astonishing as its depth. For more than 50 years, she has continued to experiment and innovate, creating one of the first digital video masterpieces (THE GLEANERS AND I) as well as timely portraits of cities from L.A. (LIONS LOVE) to Paris. She has worked in nearly every form of filmmaking that exists, from shorts to documentaries to a delightful celebration of film history (ONE HUNDRED AND ONE NIGHTS), and has mastered them all.

As if that weren’t enough, Varda also helmed one of the greatest French films of the 1980s, VAGABOND, and published a highly acclaimed autobiography. Recent years have seen no slowing down of her output and no lessening of her talent: Her latest film, THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS, won the Cesar (the French equivalent of the Academy Award) for best documentary. Varda has been quoted as saying that she wants "to illuminate women’s lives—not only their hardships, although they’re important, but also the light, the transparency, the pleasure of being a woman." While Varda has certainly accomplished this, the range of her work is more expansive than perhaps even she knows—it is not enough to label her a feminist filmmaker, or a New Wave filmmaker, or a political filmmaker. She is simply one of the greatest living directors in any country, working in any language, in any form.

Agnes Varda's official website.
Senses of Cinema Article on Agnes Varda

See a Trailer for Beaches of Agnes

The Cinematheque is proud to present a sneak preview of THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS along with a series of Varda’s masterpieces, with the director herself live and in-person.

American Girl Silent Screen at the Egyptian Theatre

2009-06-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

Kids traveled back almost 100 years into the past to experience watching movies as Rebecca Rubin, the newest American Girl character did in 1914 when she saw Charlie Chaplin in "Dough and Dynamite." Dan Redfeld played piano for the Chaplin short as well as an Oswald Rabbit and Alice in Cartoonland cartoon and a Harold Lloyd film. An American Girl craft (making a carousel horse) and a tour of the historic Egyptian Theatre were also on the agenda! Biggest laugh? The kids loved when a lion in the Alice short took out his teeth and filed them, before popping them back in to chase Alice (who eventually beats up the lions inside a tree trunk!). After the program, two girls declared the Harold Lloyd short their favorite. This program has two more installments this summer with new films on July 19 and August 15! More information will appear on the Cinematheque website.

THE HURT LOCKER Sneak Preview with Cast & Crew In Person June 5th!

2009-06-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and screenwriter Mark Boal will join director Kathryn Bigelow for q & a with the Sneak Preview screening of THE HURT LOCKER on June 5 at 7:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre. A few tickets are still available on www.fandango.com

THE HURT LOCKER, 2009, Summit Entertainment, 131 min. Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow brings together realistic action and intimate human drama in a landmark film starring Jeremy Renner (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD), Anthony Mackie (WE ARE MARSHALL), Brian Geraghty (JARHEAD), and co-starring Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") and Guy Pearce. In the summer of 2004, Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Geraghty) are part of a small counterforce trained to handle homemade bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The job, a high-pressure, high-stakes assignment that soldiers volunteer for, requires a calm intelligence that leaves no room for mistakes. When Staff Sergeant James (Renner) cheerfully takes over the team, Sanborn and Eldridge are shocked by what seems like his reckless disregard for military protocol and basic safety measures. Is James really a swaggering cowboy who lives for peak experiences and the moments when the margin of error is zero – or is he a consummate professional who has honed his craft to high-wire precision? The men have only 38 days left in their tour, but with each new mission comes another deadly encounter. As James blurs the line between bravery and bravado, it seems only a matter of time before disaster strikes. A gripping portrayal of real-life sacrifice and heroism, and a probing study of the soul-numbing rigors and potent allure of the modern battlefield. Based on the first-hand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq -- a squad whose members spoke of explosions as putting you in "the hurt locker." Discussion following with director Kathryn Bigelow and Stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and screenwriter Mark Boal.

2009-05-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

Joining the guests of the Famous Monsters of Filmland Returns weekend film series May 30 & 31 is Bela Lugosi, Jr. who will introduce DRACULA on Sunday, May 31 at 7:30 PM. Other guests include: Sara Karloff, Carla Laemmle (DRACULA), Janet Ann Gallow (GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN) and Jane Adams (HOUSE OF DRACULA). The Famous Monsters folks will have merchandise to sell and other Scare-tacular touches to a monsterously good weekend (coinciding with Monsterpalooza - attendees get a special ticket discount!

Actor Lance Henriksen will join director Kathryn Bigelow to introduce a double feature of NEAR DARK and STRANGE DAYS on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 PM. See some silent films with your American Girl doll and stay for some vampire, futuristic apocalyptic action in 1999!!!

That's right, we have a family matinee celebrating the newest addition to the American Girl family!!

Calling all doll (and silent film) lovers - meet Rebecca Rubin, the newest American Girl character, at our American Girl Silent Screen event (with live piano accompaniment and and an American Girl Craft) on June 6th. Rebecca Rubin longs to become an actress when she grows up. She loves Charlie Chaplin and is the daughter of Jewish Russian immigrants living on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1914.

Tickets are available for all of these events on www.fandango.com

2009-05-19T22:16:00.001-07:00

Join as a NEW Member at any level at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre during our 70mm series Thursday, May 21 - Sunday, May 24 and receive 20% off the cost of membership AND a classic film DVD. This offer is only good for in person purchase of new or gift memberships. Box office opens at 6:00pm each day of the series.
Check out the 70MM line up at the Aero Theatre including one of our most requested (and attended) titles (so get your tickets in advance on www.fandango.com), Hitchcock's VERTIGO, THE UNTOUCHABLES, The Who in the rock opera TOMMY - and - sorry kids, the evening with ALIENS and THE ABYSS with James Cameron sold out eons ago. Sign up for our mailing list on the American Cinematheque website to be informed in advance of special events like this!

Famous Monsters In Hollywood

2009-05-14T19:08:00.001-07:00

May 30 - 31, 2009 Famous Monsters of Filmland Return

ShareThis | Website
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Take a break from Monsterpalooza and join in celebrating the return of one of the most popular, beloved and influential movie magazines ever - Famous Monsters of Filmland. Legendary fan, literary agent and writer Forrest J. Ackerman started the magazine with publisher James Warren in 1958, and it continued to publish under their guidance until 1983 when it folded after 191 scare-packed issues. The publication's fortunes fluctuated through a roller-coaster of legal issues from 1993 until just this year. Make merry (or should we say, scary?) at the re-launch of the magazine and its website. Classic horror films such as GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA and HOUSE OF DRACULA will be screened, along with appearances by special guests Sara Karloff, Carla Laemmle (DRACULA), Janet Ann Gallow (GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN) and Jane Adams (HOUSE OF DRACULA).

Saturday, May 30 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1939, Universal, 99 min. Dir. Rowland V. Lee. The third atmospheric installment in Universal's FRANKENSTEIN franchise finds Henry Frankenstein's grown-up son Wolf (Basil Rathbone) returning to the family estate with his wife and son (Josephine Hutchinson and Donnie Dunagan) after many years. The laboratory is in ruins - nevertheless Wolf soon becomes enmeshed in his family's nefarious legacy when he finds the dormant monster (Boris Karloff) being looked after by a vengeful gallows' survivor, the crook necked Ygor (a very creepy Bela Lugosi). Universal was firing on all cylinders with their bolt-necked creature when they released this exceptionally entertaining tall tale. Watch for Lionel Atwill as the one-armed police chief (he lost his missing appendage to a previous encounter with the monster). Trailer

GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1942, Universal, 67 min. Universal's horrors became much more formulaic and by-the-numbers in the 1940s, but the creative juices were still amply flowing in this fourth time out with the Frankenstein monster. Director Erle C. Kenton (ISLAND OF LOST SOULS) helms this fast-moving tale of Wolf Frankenstein's brother Ludwig (Cedric Hardwicke) trying to live down the ignominy of the family name. Too bad for him that Ygor (Bela Lugosi) and the monster (now played by Lon Chaney, Jr.) survived somehow at the end of SON OF... Now they're back knocking on his door for help in reviving the ailing monster, hoping to restore him to his former glory. Adding to Ludwig's headaches are an envious, formerly illustrious doctor (Lionel Atwill) and Ludwig's beautiful daughter Elsa (Evelyn Ankers). Introduction to first film by Sara Karloff. Introduction to second film by Janet Ann Gallow. Trailer

Sunday, May 31 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
DRACULA, 1931, Universal, 75 min. Director Tod Browning (FREAKS) and actor Bela Lugosi established the Transylvanian count as one of the archetypal movie vampires and a monster icon for Universal Studios' golden era of classic horror films. This adaptation of Hamilton Deane's then-popular stage play of Bram Stoker's novel is quite different from Murnau's silent NOSFERATU, or from later works coming from Hammer Studios in the 1950s-1970s and Francis Ford Coppola's 1990s version. Real estate agent Renfield (played by everyone's favorite madman Dwight Frye) goes insane after visiting Dracula at his Transylvanian castle and is thereafter confined to a London asylum, though he does the Count's bidding as a hypnotized slave when Dracula comes to Britain and moves into the deserted Carfax Abbey. David Manners is Jonathan Harker and Helen Chandler is his lady love, who Dracula wants to make his bride. Edward Van Sloan, a fixture in early Universal horrors, is Professor Van Helsing. Trailer

HOUSE OF DRACULA, 1945, Universal, 67 min. Dir. Erle C. Kenton. To maximize returns and balking at continuing to grant their monsters a perpetual string of individual sequels, Universal decided to give audiences more bang for their buck. Monster rallies FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN and HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN had already come and gone, and by the time of HOUSE OF DRACULA, the only original star to appear was Lon Chaney, Jr., reprising his role yet again as Lawrence Talbot, the Wolf Man. Both Talbot and Count Dracula (John Carradine) desire a cure for their afflictions, and secure the help of renowned scientist Dr. Edelman (Onslow Stevens) and his hunchbacked nurse (Jane Adams). Complicating matters are the suspicions of beautiful nurse Martha O'Driscoll and police inspector Lionel Atwill, and the discovery of the dormant Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange) in a sea cave! Extremely entertaining. Introduction to first film by Carla Laemmle (DRACULA). Introduction to second film by Jane Adams Trailer

American Cinematheque
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.americancinematheque.com
<http://www.myspace.com/americancinematheque>
****You can buy tickets for the Egyptian and Aero Theatres online at Fandango.com****