What's Screening in LA This Week

Here are my picks of what's on my radar for the top screenings in LA this week especially the films screening in awesome 35mm film..! (and in sweet air-conditioning) Seriously I saw something in DCP (digital) last week and my eyes were not impressed. Grrr..! Look, you can't exercise at the gym all the time, you LA freaks, so get out and see... Tod Browning's Freaks..? Well, yes, coincidentally it is actually playing tonight at midnight at Cinefamily.

If you want to make your own decisions (why?!), browse the LA Film Calendars links on my side bar  → → →

Several of these choices are tonight only, FYI.

NuArt Theatre
Santa Sangre (1989, Alejandro Jodorowsky) Uncut
Tonight FRIDAY Midnight
Having seen Endless Poetry (2016, Alejandro Jodorowsky) last week, and having somehow missed ever seeing his notorious Santa Sangre (1989), midnight at the classic NuArt Theatre seems the perfect way to rectify that. This is Friday midnight only.
(This screening DCP probably)
NUART THEATRE LINK

Egyptian
Tonight FRIDAY 7:30pm
Maniac (1980, William Lustig)
Last House on the Left (1972, Wes Craven)
Cannibal Holocaust (1980, Ruggero Deodato)
Well, I normally don't go in for Grindhouse or horror stuff too big, but this is three 35mm "classics" in a triple feature, at least financially is a GREAT DEAL, not to be missed. Maniac I feel like is one Tarantino used to praise, then you've got a famous early Wes Craven in there, and the only one I think I've seen is Cannibal Holocaust. I remember seeing it, don't think I loved it, but it was a trip. And indeed this is a trippy night, so horror aficionados definitely do not want to miss this, and I am strongly considering going. All these movies were too creepy for me to post any images, so these are probably great if even screen grabs are scary as shit.
All in 35mm
EGYPTIAN THEATRE LINK

Egyptian
Sunday 7/30 at 5:30 PM
The Draughtsman's Contract (1982, Peter Greenaway)
and
Prospero's Books (1991, Peter Greenaway)
I'm over the moon about Draughtsman's and not sure what I think about Prospero's Books,
which in the latter case I think is the usual reaction! It's a hazy trippy film that is somehow an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest starring John Gielgud (no slouch!) as Prospero. Greenaway is like an art-school avant-garde short-film-maker who somehow gets to make major feature films, and with that combination, you get special, unique films. Draughtsman's Contract is really not to be missed.
Both 35mm
EGYPTIAN THEATRE LINK

Aero Theatre
Friday TONIGHT 7:30 pm
Barfly (1987, Barbet Schroeder)
and
Reversal of Fortune (1990, Barbet Schroeder)
This wasn't on my radar, but someone on FB replied to my earlier list that they were salivating over Barfly, which I've never seen, plus Reversal of Fortune, is prime-era Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close, seems surely worthy of at least being on the radar! There's also a lot more Barbet Schroeder films all week at the Aero.
Both 35mm
AERO THEATRE LINK

Billy Wilder Theatre (UCLA Film & TV Archive)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972, John Huston) screenplay John Milius
and
The MacKintosh Man (1973, John Huston) screenplay Walter Hill
Saturday 7/29 
7:30 pm
The Billy Wilder Theatre has classic stuff every Fri, Sat, and Sun this summer, always on film..! 'Cause they're a film archive, you see, and they've got the access to the best prints and they really take care of 'em. There's also some highly intriguing films Friday and one Sunday, but this John Huston double feature Saturday with some big-name screenwriters has my interest piqued. Not traditionally cited among the highlights of the rich trove of '70s American cinema, being on 35mm, these two seem worth a look and should pack a wallop of '70s-style fun and counter-culture contemplation.
BILLY WILDER THEATRE LINK

LACMA
The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming) 
Tuesday 1:00 pm (That's right, 1:00 pm!)
35mm for only $4..!
Only on the big screen can you see that it's just a bird and not a munchkin hanging himself! So go sort out the munchkin conspiracy for yourself. LACMA's Bing Theatre is the perfect big screen for this classic Hollywood film. Yes, it's in 35mm. What an amazing fun movie to see on the big screen in a matinee!
LACMA used to be one of the prime venues for arthouse/revival films, but they just have their Tuesday blue-hair matinees going on lately.
However, this really is a fun one if you are free at 1:00 pm on a Tuesday, so just go anyway.
LACMA LINK

Check out more great stuff at Cinefamily and New Beverly. You can check their calendars on my sidebar for what's playing.
Also the Old Town Music Hall has can't-miss City Lights (1931, Chaplin) plus every show begins with music played on the pipe organ, an audience sing along, and a comedy short. 

Eye on the Future
Next week a Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Samouraï) retrospective starts Friday August 4 at the Egyptian with Le Deuxieme Souffle (1966), and here's a link to an extremely old article I wrote raving about it, so you're really taking a long time to see this film, yo.

Also, some very nice Robert Mitchum selections are coming up as part of a centennial celebration for him starting next week in August at the Aero Theatre.

The week after that, starting Aug 10, is the return of 70mm, starting with Lifeforce (1985, Tobe Hooper) and much more at the Aero Theatre.