<<< November 2003 >>>

Tuesday, November 4 – 7:00 PM

Guy Green 90^th Birthday Celebration:
Please join us for a special 90^th birthday salute to acclaimed British director and cinematographer Guy Green, screening one of his finest movies:

A PATCH OF BLUE, 1965, Warner Bros., 105 min. Director Guy Green’s groundbreaking tale of friendship and love in interracial relations was one of the most acclaimed films of the sixties. Young middle class Sidney Poitier falls in love with Elizabeth Hartman (who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress), a blind girl under the thumb of her domineering mother, Shelley Winters (Best Supporting Actress Oscar). Co-presented with BAFTA/LA. Discussion before screening with director Guy Green.

Thursday, November 6 – 7:30 PM

Alternative Screen Independent Film Showcase

THE GHOULS, 2003, 85 min., USA. Director Chad Ferrin mixes gritty street action with dark, supernatural terror in this tale about the horror we see on the evening news and the horror lurking just outside the frame. Eric Hayes (Timothy Muskatell, VIRUS) is a video vulture, a man whose camera is always at the ready to prey on police chases, ambulance calls and random street violence – generating shock footage to sell to the highest bidder. Addicted to the police scanner, he lives on cigarettes and human pain and suffering, One night he uncovers something wicked terrorizing the alleys and sewers of downtown Los Angeles’ skid-row. In pursuit of the ultimate money shot he pursues the depraved flesh-eating ghouls… But for once his camera can’t shield him from the horror of the experience. This movie contains scenes of graphic horror movie gore and violence. Discussion following with director Chad Ferrin and members of the Cast and Crew.

ANNUAL WOMEN IN SHORTS PROGRAM

Wednesday, November 5 – 7:30 PM

Co-Presented with Women in Film

Our fifth-annual look at short films that feature female protagonists and themes, but not necessarily directed by a female. An excellent combination ranging from comedy to dramas & animation, with other shorts bridging the gap between laughter and tears, empathy and fear. "Featuring Sybil Temchen (BODY SHOTS, RESTAURANT) in the comedy, "Piece A' Cake,"& Lili Taylor (CASA DE LOS BABYS, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL) portraying our Penguin heroine in "Penguins Behind Bars." Do not miss the Q & A after the screening with several of the filmmakers.

"Piece A’ Cake" Dir. Dean Pollack (12 min.) Audrey is obsessed…with a new love and a chocolate cake. "Sophie" Dir. Helen Lee (30 min.) This heartbreakingly elegant, multi award- winning film looks behind the doors of the "model" Korean-American family to reveal the cracks in the façade of marriage and family. "Colorforms" Dir. Eva Saks (9 min.) A very short film about a very messy little girl. LA Premiere! "Penguins Behind Bars" Dir. Janet Perlman (23 min.) Animated gem features Lili Taylor (CASA DE LOS BABYS, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL) providing the voice for our tragic heroine, This delightful short brilliantly works as both pure entertainment and as an institutional and gender bias critique. "Pink" Dir. Ed Gass-Donnelly (9 min.) In Apartheid-era South Africa, a young girl attends the funeral of her nanny. "The Vest" Dir. Paul Gutrecht (10 min.) Funny, sweet film about a third-graders unlikely reaction to a schoolmates tease.

Discussion to follow with Helen Lee ("Sophie"), Dean Pollack, Sybil Temchen ("Piece A’ Cake) & Paul Gutrecht ("The Vest"). A reception hosted by the filmmakers of "Piece A' Cake will follow the screenings. Series compiled by Andrew P. Crane.

Women in Film members receive $2.00 off the regular $9.00 ticket price (2 maximum) when they present their membership card at the box office.

Saturday, November 8

11:35 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD

Sunday, November 9

11:35 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD

Monday, November 10 – 7:30 PM

Anita Loos Screening + Booksigning:

Please join us for a one-night Tribute to one of golden age Hollywood’s most quick-witted and acerbic screenwriters Anita Loos (1888 – 1981), in connection with the publication of the new book Anita Loos Rediscovered, edited by Cari Beauchamp and Mary Anita Loos:

RED-HEADED WOMAN, 1932, Warner Bros., 79 min. Dir. Jack Conway. Jean Harlow scorches the screen as Lil, a gold-digging social climber who ruins her boss, Chester Morris’ marriage, pursues millionaire Henry Stephanson while romancing her suave lover, French chauffeur, Charles Boyer (in one of his earliest American roles). Whew! This scandalously shameless sex comedy is one of the prime examples of why the Hays Office created the Motion Picture Production Code.

THE WOMEN, 1939, Warner Bros., 133 min. Director George Cukor’s adaptation is one of the most perfect evocations of the Anita Loos genius. Socialite Norma Shearer must suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous gossip from backbiter Rosalind Russell when she discovers her beloved husband has been stolen away by hard-as-nails shopgirl, Joan Crawford. The all-female cast also includes sexy divorcee Paulette Goddard who gives Norma some much needed advice in the battle of the sexes. Booksigning from 6:30 – 7:30 PM prior to screening in theatre lobby with author Cari Beauchamp. Intro by Cari Beauchamp.

Saturday, November 15 – 5:00 PM

Special Sneak Preview – Director Jim Sheridan In Person!!

Co-presented with the Irish Screen:

IN AMERICA, 2003, Fox Searchlight, 103 min. From director Jim Sheridan (MY LEFT FOOT, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER) comes a deeply personal and emotionally raw tale of a family finding its soul IN AMERICA. Through the wide-open eyes of two young heroines, Sheridan transforms a devastating human tragedy into a riveting, humor-tinged story about memory, secrets, love, loss, coming together and starting over. To begin all over again is a classic American dream. But it’s remarkably hard to do, as Irish émigrés Johnny and Sarah (Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton) discover when they hit the streets of modern-day Manhattan, their two spunky young daughters in tow, and emerge into a realm as comical and adventure-filled as it is strange and terrifying. The family faces a dizzying new future –- but first they must face down a past that haunts every single one of them. With no cash to spare, Johnny and Sarah settle into a chaotic New York tenement populated by junkies, drag queens and a colorful assortment of characters – and attempt to turn a Gothic horror-movie setting into a true home. From dragging an iffy-looking air conditioner across Manhattan to finding make-do jobs, nothing comes without a fight for the couple. And yet, while they see America as rife with challenges, dangers and weirdness, their daughters see it as a magical place where anything can happen, a place that might release them all from the anguish of what has come before. Then, on Halloween, Christy and Ariel (sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger) dare to knock on the door of "the screaming man," a mysterious neighbor named Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), and everything changes. As the family heads for a crisis, Mateo becomes their unlikely ally in the territory where hope, faith and even magic hold sway. Based in part on Jim Sheridan’s own autobiographical experiences coming to the United States, IN AMERICA is directed by Sheridan from a script by Sheridan and his two daughters, Naomi Sheridan and Kirsten Sheridan. Discussion following with Jim Sheridan.

Wednesday, November 19 – 8:00 PM

ON-SET WITH FRENCH CINEMA: Director Agnes Varda In Person!

Co presented with Unifrance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Film & TV Department - Consulate General in Los Angeles

JACQUOT DE NANTES, 1991, Cine Tamaris, 118 min. With Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, Laurent Monnier. Director Agnes Varda’s tender farewell to her late husband, Jacques Demy, JACQUOT recreates the early years of Demy’s life in the port city of Nantes, delicately interwoven with clips from LOLA, THE UMBRELLA OF CHERBOURG and his other films. "Has there been anything quite like JACQUOT DE NANTES?…It deserves to be called a CINEMA PARADISO without self-indulgence, or a 400 BLOWS without self-pity." – Film Comment. Plus, don’t miss Agnès Varda’s latest short film, shot in her neighborhood: "Le Lion Volatil" 2003, 12 min. Clarisse and Lazare meet daily around Denfert-Rochereau in Paris’ 14^th district where an enormous bronze lion thrones. One day Lazare and the lion disappear. With Julie Depardieu. Discussion following with director Agnès Varda.

Thursday, November 20 – 7:30 PM

Alternative Screen Independent Film Showcase

FIVE YEARS (2002, 89 min., USA)  In this suspenseful drama, a young man’s (Todd Swenson) actions are misjudged by his hot tempered red neck father and favored older brother (Timothy Altmeyer)... and tragedy ensues. When he returns home after five years in prison, a family secret boils to the surface, devastating everyone in its path. Writer/director Brett Wagner unfolds his tale of interracial romance and the reassessing of one’s life like a mystery. With Michael Buscemi & Kris Carr. Beautifully lensed in rural Ohio by Chad Davidson. "...FIVE YEARS reps an admirably polished indie debut... ," Variety. Winner, Best Feature, Mill Valley Film Festival. Please see www.fiveyears.com for more information on the film.

Saturday, November 22 – 7:30PM [Spielberg Theatre]

LAS VEGAS MERCURY FILM FESTIVAL SHOWCASE 2003

"Phoenix" Dir. Steven Bordelon (19 min, narrative); An ingenious sci-fi thriller about a kid with telekinetic powers escaping from a sinister research facility. "What Remains" Dir. Curtis Schmitt (15 min, alternative); A psychological journey into one man’s mind. "Rattle" Dir. Ed Chen (3 min, animation); A smart use of animation to show man’s inhumanity to man from birth to death. "Native Americans of The Civil War" Dir. Stan Armstrong (15min, Documentary); Intriguing highlights from a documentary that investigates the participation of Native Americans in the Civil War. "Hysteria" Dir. Scott Michael (6min, music video); A "Thriller"- like music video, that incorporates goblins, ghouls and things that go bump in the night with rap and roll. "One Dollar Difference" Dir. Doug Shutte (4 min, narrative); A two minute gem inspired by an anonymous email story about a kid and a bowl of ice cream. "Untitled" Dir. Roger Eric Tinch (18 min, narrative); An acerbic satire about a graffiti artist who exposes a fraudulent painter that’s been buying his paintings and passing them off as his own. "Retirement Rehearsal" Dir. Anisha Pattanaik (24 min, narrative); A touching drama about life beyond retirement. "Fueling The Fire" Dir. Tanja Mairitsch (22 min, narrative). A "Rashomon"- style look at a crime from three different perspectives. Discussion to follow with several of the filmmakers!

Tuesday, November 25 – 7:30 PM

L.A. Premiere – New from Takashi Miike:

GOZU, 2003, The Klockworx Co., 130 min. The latest from bad boy Japanese director Takashi Miike (DEAD OR ALIVE, ICHI THE KILLER) created a sensation at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and is arguably his best movie since his breakout hit AUDITION. A young yakuza thug named Minami is ordered to assassinate his mentor and best friend, Ozaki – but coincidentally, Ozaki dies in a freak car accident before the hit can be carried out. When the body mysteriously disappears, Minami goes on an increasingly surreal and dreamlike journey ala Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY that leads him into encounters with oversexed grandmothers, cow-headed gods and a man who gives birth to himself. With Sone Hideki, Aikawa Sho, Yoshino Kimika.