<<< April 2009 >>>

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Wednesday, April 1 - 7:30 PM

Double Feature: THE APARTMENT, 1960, MGM Repertory, 125 min. Dir. Billy Wilder. Jack Lemmon ingratiates himself with his corporate colleagues by lending out his apartment for their extra-marital affairs - but his promotion plans backfire when he falls head over heels for boss Fred MacMurray’s new gal-pal Shirley MacLaine. Oscar-winner for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay (Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond). "By the time he made THE APARTMENT, Wilder had become a master at a kind of sardonic, satiric comedy that had sadness at its center…the summation of what Wilder had done to date, and the key transition in Lemmon's career…The valuable element in Wilder is his adult sensibility; his characters can't take flight with formula plots, because they are weighted down with the trials and responsibilities of working for a living. In many movies, the characters hardly even seem to have jobs, but in THE APARTMENT they have to be reminded that they have anything else." – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

ONE, TWO, THREE, 1961, MGM Repertory, 108 min. Billy Wilder has a field day with the mega-global-corporate ad world, as James Cagney, the conservative head of Coca-Cola's West Berlin branch, goes ballistic when he finds out visiting boss's daughter Pamela Tiffin has gotten hitched to Commie activist Horst Buchholz. Trailer

Thursday, April 2 - 7:30 PM
Presented on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day:
West Coast Premiere! AUTISTIC-LIKE: GRAHAM’S STORY, 2009, 49 min. Dir. Erik Linthorst. An intimate family portrait about a father’s determined quest to find the right therapy, the right doctors, and even the right words to describe his son. When their son was just 17 months old, Erik and Jennie Linthorst suspected something was not quite right. Experts and therapists told them their son was autistic. Sort of. Maybe. Some called him autistic-like. Others said he was not autistic at all. With his parents still seeking a clear diagnosis, Graham was launched into a program of behavioral therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Soon after the therapy began, Erik and Jennie noticed something else: The treatment he was getting didn’t seem to be on target. Erik took on the conundrum confronting many parents of kids who are "mildly disordered": Handed a fuzzy diagnosis, what should the treatment be?

As he searched, Erik began wondering how other families fared in the same situation. What did it really mean, "utistic-like," and how should these parents help their kids? "This film is a gem! A brilliant reminder that by watching closely and looking for what works, parents can find the right help for their child."-- Carol Kranowitz, MA, author of The Out of Sync Child. www.autisticlike.com Discussion following with filmmaker and Graham's dad, Erik Linthorst; Vice President of Clinical Programs, Autism Speaks, Clara Lajonchere; USC Professor of Developmental Pediatrics and Director, Descanso Medical Center, Dr. Ricki Robinson; Smart Start Santa Monica Developmental Pre-school teacher/sensory specialist DanaKae Bonahoom and moderated by Autistic-Like co-producer Jody Becker.

Sunday, April 5 – 7:30 PM

Anna Faris Double Feature:

From her breakout role in the Wayans brothers’ SCARY MOVIE to her recent star turn as THE HOUSE BUNNY, Anna Faris has been one of America’s most dependable young comic actresses. Fearless in her willingness to do anything for a laugh, Faris is comfortable in broad farces (THE HOT CHICK, WAITING) and art-house character comedies (LOST IN TRANSLATION); she has also brought her eccentric touch to a range of films that includes horror (MAY) and acclaimed drama (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN).

MAY, 2002, Lionsgate, 93 min. May (Angela Bettis) is a shy misfit who works at an animal hospital with extrovert Polly (Anna Faris). Polly seems interested in May, but May’s romantic feelings are directed at Adam (Jeremy Sisto), a local mechanic and horror buff who’s intrigued by May’s weirdness. When she gets a little too weird, however, Adam backs off -- and then the trouble really starts. Director Lucky McKee’s moving, and ultimately horrifying, character study combines elements of TAXI DRIVER, THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED and CARRIE but has a voice all its own. Trailer

SMILEY FACE, 2007, First Look International, 88 min. Dir. Greg Araki. Struggling actress Jane (Anna Faris) makes the mistake of snacking on some cupcakes left behind by her shady roommate. Before long she realizes there was more in the cakes than just sugar, and she sets out on a bizarre day that includes dealing with an ill-tempered drug dealer, auditioning for a new part and bumming a ride from a guy (John Krasinski) who is utterly obsessed with her. Gregg Araki’s stoner comedy is the perfect showcase for Faris’ talents, as she embarks on a darkly hilarious odyssey reminiscent of AFTER HOURS. Trailer Discussion in between films with director Lucky McKee.

Tuesday, April 7 – 7:30 PM

Sneak Preview! OBSERVE AND REPORT, 2009, Warner Bros., 106 min. Dir. Jody Hill. At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun. Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi (Anna Faris), the hot make-up counter clerk who won't give him the time of day. But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops. Discussion following with director Jody Hil, actor Seth Rogen and Actress Anna Faris.  Trailer

Sunday, April 12 – 7:30 PM

Easter Celebration:
EASTER PARADE, 1948, Warner Bros., 107 min. Dir. Charles Walters. Fred Astaire is a dancer whose relationship with partner Ann Miller is getting sour; luckily, Judy Garland is waiting in the wings, and when Astaire grooms her as Miller’s replacement the new duo rises to stardom. Typically graceful Astaire dancing and a collection of delightful Irving Berlin songs (not to mention an Oscar-winning score by Roger Edens and Johnny Green) make this classic MGM musical a must-see. Songs include "Steppin’ Out With My Baby" and "Shaking the Blues Away." Trailer

Wednesday, April 15 – 7:30 PM

Kevin Thomas’ Favorites:

THE SERVANT, 1963, Stuart Lisell, 112 min. Director Joseph Losey and screenwriter Harold Pinter masterfully adapt Robin Maugham's novel into an unnerving and darkly humorous look at the dissolution of Britain’s upper class. A rich young playboy, Tony (James Fox, in a star-making role) decides he can’t get along without a valet when he strikes out on his own and makes the mistake of hiring Barret (Dirk Bogarde), a seemingly obsequious "gentleman’s gentleman." But Tony gets more than he bargains for when Barret slowly starts to exert his decadent, sinister influence, first installing his "sister" Vera (Sarah Miles) in an upstairs bedroom, then gradually usurping mastery of the household. With Wendy Craig. "…Bogarde, Losey and Pinter each stamp their personalities on this deliciously nasty film…Decades on from its release, THE SERVANT has lost none of its strangeness, nor its capacity to startle." – Channel 4 Film (U.K.) Film Critic Kevin Thomas will introduce the screening. Trailer

Saturday, April 18 – 3:00 PM

Family Matinee:

MARY POPPINS, 1964, Disney, 140 min. Dir. Robert Stevenson. Julie Andrews is God’s gift to nanny-dom as Mary Poppins in this classic musical comedy/fantasy. When Poppins comes to work for the Banks family in their turn-of-the-20^th-century London household, she uplifts everyone and brings magic to their lives. Dick Van Dyke is Bert, the good-natured chimney sweep and the great Jane Darwell, in her last screen appearance, plays the bird lady. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Andrews for Best Actress and Richard M. & Robert B. Sherman for Best Original Song and Best Original Music Score. With a classic cast that includes David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Arthur Treacher, Ed Wynn and Reginald Owen. Trailer

25th Anniversary Screening!

RED DAWN, 1984, MGM Repertory, 114 min. When the Soviets invade America and start World War III, a group of high school students (including Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Lea Thompson) pick up arms and wage guerrilla warfare against them. With a style that’s more Hemingway than RAMBO, writer-director John Milius uses his comic-book premise to explore very real notions of heroism and courage -- as Dave Kehr put it in the Chicago Reader, the film is a mystical and poetic "celebration of the moral victory of the noble warrior in defeat." Trailer Discussion following with production designer Jack De Govia.

Sunday, April 26 – 5:30 PM

Art Directors Society Tribute to World War II Design:

THEY WERE EXPENDABLE, 1945, Warner Bros., 135 min. The Art Directors’ April screening focuses on the theme "Designing for World War II" by showing director John Ford’s classic film, with art direction by Malcolm Brown, and photographed in stunning black and white by Joseph H. August, co-founder of the American Society of Cinematographers. Based on the book by William L. White and starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Ward Bond and a classic ensemble of some of Ford’s favorite players, this classic naval war film is a dramatized account of the role of the American PT boats in the defense of the Philippines during World War II. Production Designer Tom Walsh will moderate a panel discussion following the screening. Trailer

Wednesday, April 29 – 7:30 PM

Restored! LOLA MONTÈS, 1955, Rialto Pictures, 115 min. "There have been numerous attempts over the years to restore LOLA MONTES... we finally have something close to a definitive version. Don’t Miss It!" -- David Fear, Time Out New York. Ostensibly a biography told in flashbacks of Elizabeth Rosanna Gilbert, better known as Lola Montès, dancer, courtesan, mistress of composers and kings, director Max Ophuls’ final masterpiece is really a meditation on time and the evanescent nature of fame and riches. As the director’s majestic moving camera glides alongside Lola through scenes of the greatest opulence and splendor, we become keenly aware that it will all crumble and vanish one day, that life is indeed nothing but a dream. Martine Carol is the ostensible star, and Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook and a young Oskar Werner are the men in her life, but the real star is Ophuls himself. He gave everything to this movie, and its subsequent financial failure and butchering at the hands of its producers were among the factors that contributed to his untimely death at the age of 54. The many attempts to restore LOLA MONTES over the years have proven to be difficult given the fact that the film was shot in the relatively unstable Eastman color process. This gleaming new restoration from the Cinémathèque Française, which incorporates all available footage, is truly a major cinematic event. "LOLA MONTES is in my unhumble opinion the greatest film of all time," famously wrote the great film critic Andrew Sarris some 40 years ago. (Program notes, courtesy of New York Film Festival) Trailer

Thursday, April 30 – 7:30 PM

Michael Keaton Double Feature:

BEETLEJUICE, 1988, Warner Bros., 92 min. Dir. Tim Burton. Yuppies Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara move into a new home only to find that it’s haunted by a ghost couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) with no intention of letting the new inhabitants stay. Their solution: the obnoxious miniature exorcist (the title character), a hilarious comic creation played with gusto by Michael Keaton. In this, the first of Keaton’s collaborations with Tim Burton, the actor and director let their imaginations and enthusiasm run rampant to create a horror-comedy classic. Trailer

BATMAN, 1989, Warner Bros., 127 min. The first major installment in the BATMAN series is also the first big-budget feature by acclaimed director Tim Burton. Michael Keaton offers an intriguing, cast-against-type Bruce Wayne, and Jack Nicholson goes way over the top in the legendary role of one of the Dark Knight’s most warped adversaries, the Joker. The all-star cast doesn’t prevent Burton from paying his respects to the essence of the comic book and spreading a dark magic of his own. An adult fairy tale world framed by impressive set-pieces. With Jack Palance as Carl Grisssom. Trailer