Friday, December 01, 2017

LA 35mm Film Screenings Week of Dec. 1, 2017


Your weekly LA 35mm film screenings list is here! (Includes some digital screenings.)

This is just what's on my personal radar. You can browse the LA Film Calendars links on my side bar to find even more!  → → →

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Sometimes these choices are tonight, FYI, and not necessarily listed first.

New Beverly
The Meyerowitz Stories (2017, Noah Baumbach)
Begins Fri. Dec. 1, through Dec. 7 various showtimes
I love me some Baumbach, haven’t actually seen his recent films, but loved Kicking and Screaming (1995). This film was shot on Super 16mm Kodak (according to IMDB at least), which is a superb format that translates to 35mm extremely well as the modernization of film stocks took a leap forward about a decade or so ago (or maybe just five years ago). I’ve seen many films shot Super 16mm and blown up. The Walking Dead, on TV, is another notable example (it’s definitely 16mm, and I’m guessing Super 16). Super 16 is still 16mm, it’s just the way you expose it to favor the aspect ratio, and actually you expose a larger surface area by eliminating one side of sprockets, making the blow-up great. Okay, lot of babbling there, long story short, this should look amazing! Go help support a modern filmmaker shooting on film and projecting on film, yay!
NEW BEVERLY MAIN CALENDAR (Browse their full calendar for multiple showtimes.)


UCLA Film & TV Archive
Contra la corriente (1936, Ramón Novarro)
and
La virgin que forjó una patria (1942, Julio Bracho)
Sun. Dec. 3 7:00 pm
It’s a Ramón Novarro Spanish-language double feature. He was a major Hollywood silent film star (Ben-Hur [1925], Scaramouche [1924], The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse [1921]), so this is quite intriguing for fans of his. The first is a U.S. production he directed, a romantic comedy set in Los Angeles, but in Spanish! The second film is extra intriguing (to me at least) because of its historical scope, religious subject (portrays the witness to Our Lady of Guadalupe) and being billed here as a mega-production, ’cause I kind of love large-scale history films. It navigates the history of Mexico from 1531 to the nation’s fight for freedom in 1810. While this is screening in 16mm, it sounds rare, plus that would match the correct aspect ratio anyway. And the first film is 35mm.



NuArt Theatre
The Other Side of Hope (2017, Aki Kaurismäki)
Starting Fri. Dec. 1, showing all week
The new film from Aki Kaurismäki (The Man Without a Past, Le Havre, Leningrad Cowboys Go America), generally worth a look in a theater, as he is kind of a well-known auteur. In this one a Finnish traveling salesman and a Syrian refugee cross paths. Be prepared, though, as this director makes Wes Anderson look like he doesn’t know what deadpan even is. (Presumably shot and screened digitally.)


LACMA
Phantom Lady (1944, Robert Siodmak)
Tue. Dec. 5 1:00 pm
I feel fairly sure I saw this a long time ago and it was good! While I guess a vague memory is not much to solidly recommend a film, it is 35mm, a film noir, and has a stellar cast! Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, plus character actors extraordinaire Elisha Cook Jr. and Thomas Gomez. For only $4 at this matinee screening in 35mm!

Aero Theatre
Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder)
Thur. Dec. 7 7:30 pm
Albeit DCP, this is quite the classic to see on the big screen, especially convenient if you live on the West side. A fading silent film star played by Gloria Swanson (who was a silent film star) gets involved in a film noir murder mystery. This is quite the tale.

Echo Park Film Center
Il Viadante – The Wayfarer (Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet, 2001, 5 min)
The Rabbit Hunters (Pedro Costa, 2007, 23 min.)
The Amazing Transparent Man (Edgar Ulmer, 1960, 58 min.)
Fri. (tonight) Dec. 1 8:00 pm
Presented by Kino Slang, here is an excellent selection of rarely screened items. Straub-Huillet films are always difficult to see, this one is just a short. I always adore Edgar Ulmer, so it’s great to see in a theater. Ulmer was the genius of bringing artistry to B-movie pictures and especially a deceptive look of high production values while operating on a woeful budget. He was a true talent. This film center is a bit like a classroom with couches, so make sure you’re up for that type of vibe. One other short is showing: The Singing Street (The Teachers of Norton Park School, Edinburgh, 1951,17 min) which sounds very interesting too. (Screening format of films not indicated.)


Arclight Hollywood
Die Hard (1988, John McTiernan)
Tue. Dec. 5 8:30 pm
Some people live to see this in a theater, so this is a pretty good opportunity. It’s an exciting action film starring Bruce Willis, duh. (This screening DCP.)

Egyptian Theatre
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989, Jeremiah S. Chechik)
and
Scrooged (1988, Richard Donner)
Fri. (tonight) Dec. 1 8:00 pm
Just ’cause it’s Christmas, maybe you’ll want to see these. Could be fun!
(This screening DCP)

Arclight Hollywood
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987, John Hughes)
Mon. Dec. 4 8:15 pm
Some people like to see this one in a theater, so this is a pretty good opportunity at the holidays. (This screening DCP.)

Arclight Pasadena/Santa Monica
Love Actually (2003, Richard Curtis)
Tue. Dec. 5 7:00 pm (Pasadena)/ 7:15 pm (Santa Monica)
What, you don’t cry during this?! Who are you!? I like British stuff, sue me. (This screening DCP.)

Arclight Sherman Oaks
Scrooged (1988, Richard Donner)
Tue. Dec. 5 7:00 pm
Also playing this week at the Egyptian (see above), here’s one more opportunity to see this in a theater. (This screening also DCP.)


Coming Next Week

UCLA Film & TV Archive
María Candelaria (1943, Emilio Fernández)
and
Cita en la frontera (1940, Mario Soffici)
Sat. Dec. 9 3:00 pm
The first film was the Cannes Palme D’Or winner..! Well, technically it was so long ago it was called the Grand Prix back then. Showing in 35mm, this is not something you get to see every day. It’s a Mexican film that concerns the creation of a controversial painting. The second film is from Argentina and is about two middle-aged brothers who fall in love with a tango singer, a psychological drama unfolds as things go wrong. Both films 35mm!


UCLA Film & TV Archive
El Vampiro (1957, Fernando Méndez)
and
Sombra verde (1954, Roberto Gavaldón
Sat. Dec. 9 7:30 pm
While this played Downtown Independent last month, it’s back for a second helping at UCLA, as with many of the screenings in this extensive Latin American Cinema in Los Angeles retrospective. The first is a said to be a classic of midcentury Mexican horror, but that’s not a thing on my radar, what is that?! Anyway, it’s two people stranded at a train station at night, and boom, a carriage offers to give them a ride and things will get bitey. Sounds like that Coppola Dracula. In the second film, we have Ricardo Montalbán returning to Mexico to make a film, whilst already a major star in the US. It’s a bit of an erotic jungle adventure film, but sounds interesting. (First film 35mm, second film DCP.)

New Beverly
The Great Escape (1963, John Sturges)
Sat. Dec 9 7:30 pm
This is the ultimate ’60s all-star cast, fun action film, with a catchy as hell jaunty main theme. This one really delivers on the popcorn entertainment angle with a dash of respectability due to solid acting from the likes of Steve McQueen, along with James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasance and James Coburn. In 35mm!

New Beverly
Get Mean (1975, Ferdinando Baldi)
Sat. Dec. 9 11:59 pm.
Gosh, I don’t know if this is good, but it sounds rare and fun. Especially at midnight! New Bev’s description: “Hung by his heels… barbecued… shot with a cannon. Now it’s his turn to Get Mean! Tony Anthony reprises his role as the Stranger in Ferdinando Baldi’s wildly offbeat Spaghetti Western, playing an American cowboy escorting a princess back to her home in Spain.” In 35mm.


New Beverly
Skin Game (1971, Paul Bogart)
and
Maverick (1994, Richard Donner)
Wed. Dec. 13 7:30 pm/9:50 pm
Thur. Dec. 14 7:30 pm/9:50 pm
I haven’t seen Maverick in ages and remember it as a rollicking, fun star-driven ride (Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson, James Garner). The first film sounds like it was an influence on Tarantino and stars James Garner and Louis Gossett Jr. running a fake slave trader scheme where they split the profits. The combination of the two totally different filmmaking eras seems like a really fun double feature outing. Both in 35mm.


Aero Theatre
Some Like it Hot (1959, Billy Wilder)
and
The Seven Year Itch (1955, Billy Wilder)
Fri. Dec. 8 7:30 pm.
Albeit both screening in DCP, this is good stuff to see on the big screen at the Aero, especially if you live on the West side. Some Like it Hot is of course a broad comedy with some light caper elements moving the plot along. The Seven Year Itch I continue to go every seven years still without seeing it!


Aero Theatre
Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder)
and
The Lost Weekend (1945, Billy Wilder)
Sat. Dec. 9 7:30 pm
Finally, some Billy Wilder films with a little more edge than the other ones in the series. This is again DCP. Double Indemnity is from the James M. Cain novel, but the screenplay is punched up here by Raymond Chandler. It’s the fastest-talking slick film noir gruesome nail-biter of a Hollywood film ever, and Barbara Stanwyck is at her height in this film. Not that she isn’t in every film, but this is near the pinnacle. Plus, plus you’ve got the wonderful Edward G. Robinson doing frankly for me his most memorable role, eclipsing Little Caesar. The Lost Weekend is Ray Milland struggling to get over his alcoholism.


Egyptian Theatre
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005, Shane Black) Shane Black in person!
and
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996, Renny Harlin)
Sun. Dec. 10 7:30 pm
Both in 35mm! Not maybe the highest echelon of art cinema, but I find Long Kiss Goodnight funny in its extremely over-the-top way. I haven’t seen the first one, but some people are fans of it.

Aero Theatre
The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)
and
One, Two, Three (1961, Billy Wilder)
Sun. Dec. 10 7:30 pm
Yet more Billy Wilder. If you hadn’t familiarized yourself and done a career retrospective of his yet, then this week at the Aero has been served up with a bow for you for the holidays. Big stars, prime Classic Hollywood, with scads of Billy Wilder’s cutting humor. One, Two, Three features James Cagney as the head of the Coca-Cola branch in West Berlin who gets annoyed by some Communist infiltrations, played for laughs. The Apartment is an Oscar winner for best picture, so it might be okay. Also One, Two, Three is in 35mm! (The Apartment is DCP.)



UCLA FILM & TV ARCHIVE
Enamorada (1946, Emilio Fernández)
and
Allá en el rancho grande  (Out on the Big Ranch)  (1936, Fernando de Fuentes)
Sun. Dec. 10 7:00 pm
A return engagement for both these films, now at UCLA after previously playing the Downtown Independent, here featuring very early films from Mexico in 35mm, with this pretty famous (and I think very entertaining?) one, starring María Félix in 35mm!

LACMA
Nocturne (1946, Edwin L. Marin)
Tue. Dec. 12 1:00 pm
Some more buried treasure film noir screenings in 35mm at LACMA’s Tuesday 1:00 pm matinees. Well, I haven’t seen this one, so I don’t know, but it is a noir starring George Raft, Lynn Bari, and Virginia Huston. Their description says: “In 1940s Los Angeles, when womanizing composer Keith Vincent is found dead, the inquest concludes it was a suicide but police detective Joe Warne is not so sure.” 35mm, only $4, or even cheaper if you’re a member.


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