Movie Alert - 8/28/2023
Here's all the good shit I highly recommend checking out.
Some stuff I saw last week
I’m going to try to make more of an effort to talk about interesting formats I’ve seen and whether some of the screenings I include here have been worth it. Yesterday, we went to the Academy Museum’s 100th anniversary screening of Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last. It was just a DCP of the Criterion edition, but there was a full live orchestra accompanying the film with the Carl Davis score and it really elevated the entire thing in a beautiful way.
Other 16mm excitement
See It On 16mm is going to be screening Paper Moon in 16mm at a number of repertory theaters in early September in honor of its 50th anniversary. They also rescheduled the Secret Dario Argento 16mm because of the hurricane. If you want my ticket to the Lumiere Cinema showing (now September 3rd) email me because I’m going to be out of town on the new date and I need to give it away (I’m 90% sure the movie is Bird with the Crystal Plumage). See It On 16mm is also producing an event called Trash Mex to show some cool Mexican grindhouse/horror stuff. I’m personally intrigued by the event they’re doing at Whammy Analog.
Report back on Amityville Horror in 16mm
Last Friday, I went to see The Amityville Horror in 16mm at the Philosophical Research Society, courtesy of See It On 16mm. I think this was my first time seeing a 16mm print of a movie like this, and I recommend it for anything weird. The image and sound quality is always gonna be a little bit worse with 16mm for stuff that was shot on 35mm, but the Grindhouse vibe really adds a lot.
Regretfully, I have to tell you the only downside — the PRS is not a great venue. It seems like they just hired one of the old Cinefamily programmers (not one of the sex creeps!) and they do have some cool screenings planned but the screening room is terrible. Also, they allow dogs inside! Someone brought a DOG to the HORROR MOVIE! The DOG kept BARKING because it’s a DOG!
Braindead’s September calendar
Braindead has dropped their September schedule on Instagram and I’m not super impressed. There’s only a few 35mm prints scheduled, though there are some fun movies in here like Ishtar which I almost never see screened anywhere. The Mac and Me 35mm threw me for a loop. That print of The Conversation has been screening at every single theater this entire summer and now I’m kinda bummed I watched it so recently on Criterion Channel.
Some gossip
Btw, if you’re new to the newsletter I’ve mentioned before I don’t often write about Braindead or Vidiots because they tend to show a lot of digital stuff and not really rare formats the way Aero or New Beverly do. That may very well change soon as I’ve heard Vidiots is finally going to get their 35mm projector installed shortly! I may have to trek out to Eagle Rock after all.
Talking Heads in 4k
Do you have any idea how many people emailed me about the Stop Making Sense 4K restoration screening at the Aero followed by Q&A with David Byrne and other Talking Heads members, moderated by Paul Thomas Anderson?
The catch is that you have to be a Patron Level or above (Silver Screen, Marquee, and Movie Palace) donor to American Cinematheque — $400 per year and up. I’m just a lowly Film Club donor at $85 per year so I could not get tickets, but I am considering upgrading my membership when I’m not, you know, on strike for four months. They do some sick donor events like this one.
Other notable events
I can’t believe American Cinematheque is doing a public transit movie series at the Los Feliz 3, something that feels geared completely towards me, and the movies are all digital.
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in 35mm with live score at Secret Movie Club
Hitchcock’s The Lodger (albeit DCP) with live score at Secret Movie Club
Deep Crimson Director’s Cut 4K Restoration + Q&A with filmmaker Arturo Ripstein and screenwriter Paz Alicia Garcíadiego at the Aero (this is part. ofa larger Ripstein retrospective if you’re into that kind of thing)
Out of the Past in 35mm at the Aero for all my Robert Mitchum girlies
Cinematic Void at the Los Feliz 3 is doing a Boston series lol
A Place in the Sun in 35mm at the Los Feliz 3 - I CANNOT believe I’ll be out of town for this
Memento in 35mm at the Aero