<<< January 21 - 23, 2005 >>>

Additional Screenings at the Aero Theatre through February 6th.

From Super Technirama 70 to Ultra Panavision to Dimension 150 and more, the 70mm large-screen format promised – and delivered – a Barnum-esque world of spectacular sights and 6-track sounds. If the movies were always larger-than-life, then 70mm movies were MUCH much larger! From 1955 to 1970 – the Golden Age of 70mm Filmmaking – there were nearly 60 Hollywood features shot in large format, with many more released in special engagements as 35mm-to-70mm blow-ups (which still offered superior sound and image quality to their 35mm counterparts).

This annual series is a very rare opportunity to experience 70mm as it was meant to be seen: on a big, beautiful screen, with booming six-track multi-channel sound. Following the success of our past Festivals, we’re delighted to present gorgeous new restorations from 20^th Century Fox of two films long-unseen in 70mm: director Carol (THE THIRD MAN) Reed’s epic THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY, starring Charlton Heston as master artist Michelangelo; and director Richard Fleischer’s delightful musical DOCTOR DOLITTLE, starring Rex Harrison in one of his most famous roles - ! And for those of you who missed it last year, we’ll be bringing back Jacques Tati’s masterpiece PLAYTIME for special encore screenings. The Festival will continue January 28 - February 6^th at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with screenings of such all-time 70 mm. classics as PATTON, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and much more!!

Friday, January 21 – 7:30 PM

Newly Restored Todd-AO 70 mm. Print!!

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY, 1965, 20^th Century Fox, 140 min. "When will you make an end?," asks desperate, paint-spattered pontiff Julius II (Rex Harrison) as he gazes mournfully at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s answer? "When I am finished." Director Carol Reed’s (THE THIRD MAN, OLIVER!) magnificent adaptation of Irving Stone’s bestselling historical novel features one of Charlton Heston’s most complex performances as the tormented master artist. Featuring stunning cinematography by Leon Shamroy (THE KING & I), and a marvelous score by the great Alex North (SPARTACUS). This film has been unavailable in any format for decades, so it’s even more amazing to have a beautifully restored 70 mm. print courtesy of our great friends at 20^th Century Fox - !! [Also screening 1/28 Aero]

Saturday, January 22 – 2:00 PM

EYE-POPPING and OVERWHELMING: 70 MM SHORTS PROGRAM

This selection of short films includes both classic and contemporary examples of 70mm presentation and large-format filmmaking. They utilize the capabilities of the system and the large screen to seriously impress (maybe even overwhelm) the audience. Most of these were shot in the 65mm film gauge, for 70mm projection. This program will include a bit of everything, from propaganda to soaring visuals to a visit to Mars. "Die Internationale" (25 min.) An incredibly rare treat, imported just for this showing! This amazing, over-the-top propaganda film from the former Soviet Union & Mosfilm Studios is a 65 mm production that spared no expenses. The saying goes that "the pen is mightier than the sword," but they'd never seen this piece of persuasion! Special Short Film Award, VII International Moscow Film Festival. (Film has minimal dialogue, in German. Translation will be supplied.); "Skies Over Holland" (22 min.) A World's Fair-type tourism film, featuring stunning aerial photography above and amidstthe clouds over Holland. Winner of two Awards at the Cannes Festival. "Fanny’s Wedding" (19 min.) A new stylized, dramatic short (with content similar to Jeunet's newest A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT), about a couple separated by the consequences of wartime. Dreamlike and abstract, it mixes 65mm and other gauges in production, for artistic impact. Stunning exteriors along the chalk cliffs of the English Channel. Plus: two past favorites, back again by popular request: "A Year Along The Abandoned Road" (10 min.) The ultimate stop-motion project, produced over a year's interval, exploring the changing seasons in remote northern Norway. "A Place To Stand" (20 min.) The Canadian Province of Ontario wanted a memorable film to show viewers the diversity of their region. This delivers with a WHUMP! Not only a showcase of virtuoso opticals, the song will stick with you forever! 1968 Academy Award for Best Short Film. Plus: as time permits, a motion simulator/ride film or two, including the SimEx short A TRIP TO MARS at 30 frames per second with digital sound. [Also screening 2/5 Aero]

Saturday, January 22 – 5:00 PM

Newly Restored Todd-AO 70 mm. Print!!

DOCTOR DOLITTLE, 1967, 20^th Century Fox, 144 min. Based on the original Hugh Lofting stories, director Richard Fleischer’s (20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, FANTASTIC VOYAGE) charming, beautifully conceived fantasy stars the irreplaceable Rex Harrison as the Man Who Talks to the Animals, with help from Samantha Eggar and the late, great Anthony Newley- not to mention the two headed pushme pullyous and a giant pink sea snail! Wonderfully scored and written by Leslie Bricusse, featuring such lovely, bittersweet gems as "When I Look In Your Eyes" and "If I Could Talk To The Animals." A true delight for the young and old. It’s been ages since this was seen in 70 mm., so don’t miss it here!! [Also screening 2/5 Aero]

Saturday, January 22 – 8:30 PM

Encore Presentation – Back By Popular Demand!

PLAYTIME, 1967, Janus Films, 126 min. Dir. Jacques Tati. If you missed the sold-out screenings during our last Festival, this is your chance to see the fully restored Jacques Tati masterpiece PLAYTIME, which was conceived originally as a 70mm viewing experience, then lost for over 30 years (there were only 35mm prints left of a cut version), and finally rescued by Tati's daughter Sophie Tatischeff and Jerome Deschamps. Monsieur Hulot must contact an American official in Paris, but he gets lost in a stylish maze of modern architecture filled with the latest technical gadgets. Caught in a tourist invasion, Hulot roams around Paris with a group of American tourists, causing chaos in his usual manner. The star of the film: the city built by Tati and called Tativille/Taticity. From surprise to surprise, it’s an exquisite and divine experience! François Truffaut, writing to Jacques Tati about PLAYTIME, said simply, "A film from another planet." [Also screening 1/29 Aero]

Sunday, January 23 – 5:00 PM

Restored Super Panavision 70 Print!!

LORD JIM, 1965, Columbia Pictures, 154 min. This sweeping, atmospheric adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s classic novel was aimed at recapturing the magic of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, pairing actor Peter O’Toole with a gifted director in Richard Brooks (IN COLD BLOOD, THE PROFESSIONALS) and prestigious literary material. O’Toole is perfectly cast as an idealistic sailor who is branded a coward for abandoning an apparently-sinking ship during a storm – then given a chance to redeem his conscience and his soul by aiding in a native revolution in the South Pacific jungle. Equally mesmerizing are Eli Wallach as a sadistic warlord, James Mason as an avaricious mercenary and Daliah Lavi as a courageous native girl. This superb restoration of the film by Columbia Pictures has resulted in the one of the sharpest, most eye-popping 70 mm. prints we’ve seen recently, almost like watching the movie in 3-D!! With Paul Lukas, Curt Jurgens. [Also screening 2/2 Aero]