| Special Events in March:
March 3 - 6
OSCAR SHORTS
Los Angeles Premiere! Exclusive Engagement!
This rare chance to see live-action and animated short films
nominated for this year’s Academy Awards will provide multiple viewing opportunities
of magnificent work by short filmmakers.
A representative from Apollo Cinema, the distributor
of Oscar Shorts will be on hand for the 8:00pm, Friday, March 4th and 8:00pm March 5th
screening to discuss the mysterious process of how shorts in the Live-Action &
Animation categories are qualified and and questions about the process, where to see and
where to sell short films.
Please check www.apollocinema.com
for updates.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Jeff Fowler's "Gopher Broke" (US, 5
min, Animation). A hungry gopher devises a scheme that he hopes will provide him with a
tasty snack. Taika Waititi and Ainsley Gardiner's "Two Cars, One Night" (New
Zealand, 13 mins, Live-Action). As they wait for their parents in the parking lot of a
motel bar, two boys and a girl begin a tentative friendship. Sejong Park's "Birthday
Boy" (Australia, 10mins, Animation). Too young to realize its consequences, a
little Korean boy plays at war while his father fights at the front. Ashvin Kumar's "Little
Terrorist" (India, 15 mins, Live-Action). When a young Pakistani boy accidentally
crosses the mine-strewn border into India in pursuit of his cricket ball, he is helped by
a Hindu teacher. Chris Landreth's "Ryan" (Canada, 14 mins, Animation).
Ryan Larkin, one of the most influential figures in Canadian animation, now lives on skid
row following years of drug and alcohol abuse. Nacho Vigalondo's "7:35 in the
Morning" (Spain, 8 mins, Live-Action). A woman enters the cafe where she has
breakfast every morning and finds that all of the other diners are staring at their plates
in silence. Student Academy Award Winner - Animation. Alex Woo's "Rex
Steele: Nazi Smasher" (12 mins). It is 1941, and the United States is at war with
Nazi Germany. The U.S. Government has just been informed that Eval Schnitzler has occupied
a remote location near the mysterious source of the Amazon River. Convinced that his
motives are more than leisurely, the United States sends Rex Steele, Nazi smasher
extraordinaire, to find and foil Eval's evil plans. Andrea Arnold's "Wasp"
(UK, 23 mins, Live-Action). Zoe is twenty-three years old and already the mother of four
children. A chance meeting with an old flame offers her a temporary escape from her bleak
life. Several of the filmmakers in person for introductions and discussions at various
shows. Check website for updates.
Additional screenings in the Spielberg Theatre:
Thursday, February 24th, 8:00 PM
Friday, February 25th 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 26th - 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 3rd - 8:00 PM
Friday, March 4th - 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 5th - 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 6th - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, March 8 – 7:30 PM
New from Agnes Varda – Los Angeles
Premiere!!
"In my films, I always wanted to make people see deeply.
I don't want to show things, but to give people the desire to see." - Agnès Varda
CINÉVARDAPHOTO, 2004,
Ciné-Tamaris, 96 minutes. With originality and consummate artistry, director Agnès Varda
has produced dramatic features, quasi-musicals, cine-poems, essay films and documentaries.
Her concern with the importance of images resonates throughout all of her films. But in
the shorts that she brings together in the trilogy CINÉVARDAPHOTO, we find a
direct engagement with photographs and their meanings in different contexts over a period
of forty years:
"Ydessa, les ours et etc..." documents Toronto art
collector Ydessa Hendeles's Teddy Bear Project, an exhibition of thousands of photographs
featuring teddy bears. The daughter of Holocaust survivors who had lost all family
memorabilia, Hendeles bought the photos - metaphorical traces of childhood, security and
loving relations - over a period of ten years, finally exhibiting them as a contemporary
art experience that addresses the history of the twentieth century. Through this
groundbreaking curatorial approach, the exhibition questions the way personal and national
identity are formed in the context of history; the parallel course of idyllic and civil
life is just as present as atrocity, war, persecution and expulsion. Personal and
original, this documentary presents a fascinating portrait of a gifted Canadian figure. In
"Ulysse", Varda revisits an enigmatic photograph taken in Egypt
twenty-eight years earlier. The film is a thoughtful and imaginative analysis of the
meanings of images - mythological, allegorical, historical and personal. "Salut
les Cubains" animates fifteen hundred of the more than four thousand photographs
Varda took while vacationing in Cuba. Through montage, she makes the subjects of the
photos sing and dance. She calls it Socialism and cha-cha-cha.
In French and English, with English Subtitles.
>> Also playing at the Aero on March 15.
Wednesday, March 9 – 7:30 PM
COMEDY SHORTS
Join us for another round of laughter this year as we bring you some
of the funniest shorts from the recent festival circuit. A great chance to see how comedy
can transcend borders and speak universally when the filmmakers are in control of the
script, the actors and the visuals. Several of the filmmakers will appear for a
post-screening discussion. Jonny McGovern’s "Gay Pimp Daddy – Looking
Cute" Los Angeles Premiere! (4 min, USA). A spoof of the typical rap video.
Aundre Johnson’s "F#$#ing Hollywood"
Los Angeles Premiere! (18 min., USA) A rollicking romp in this nightmarish comedy
of errors. Olivier Venturini’s "In the Bathroom" Los Angeles
Premiere! (8 min., UK). A hilarious battle of wills between a seemingly loving couple.
David Harb’s "Cut and Run" Los Angeles Premiere! (15 min., USA). A
tough-talking bounty fulfills his dream of entering beauty school. Jay Field’s "Displaced"
(23 min., Canada). Director stars as a Frenchman who was mistakenly born into an English
family. Unique and fresh! Neele Vollman’s "My Parents" (19 min,
Germany). Multi-Award Winner! Marie is panicked about introducing her new boyfriend to her
uncool parents. Discussion following with Aundre Johnson
("F#$#ing Hollywood") & David Harb ("Cut and Run"). An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Thursday, March 10 – 7:30 PM
ALTERNATIVE SCREEN
SAY YES QUICKLY,
2005, 88 min., USA. Deeply affected by the death of her 53-year old father, Hannah, a
young southern woman (Suli Holum) locks herself in her Athens, Georgia room for a year to
sort out her feelings. Writing about her experiences, growing up under the stern gaze of a
deeply religious mother she doesn’t understand, Hannah cuts herself off from flesh
and blood life. On the internet, Hannah falls into an intellectual affair with @lien, a
faceless, placeless mentor who helps her turn her deepest thoughts into a novel. 
When her roommate forces her out to a concert, Hannah meets Henry
(Brandon Bales), a quirky, charismatic trombonist with an unstudied zest for life and a
police record for drug possession. Hannah falls for the offbeat Henry and when he decides
to skip town to avoid charges, the two set off on a road trip to San Francisco where
Hannah secretly hopes to meet @lien. But just when Hannah thinks her biggest dilemma is
being torn between two lovers, her mother beckons and Hannah returns to the South to deal
with a reality she never envisioned. This gothic southern romance is the directorial debut
of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT producer Gregg Hale from a screenplay by Hale and Rachel Davis.
Mellissa Berry and Bob Eick (BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) produced with Hale. Writing for Variety,
Robert Koehler remarked that the two leads give the film "refreshing energy and
humanity." www.alienhannah.com
Preceded by the animated short film, Liz Blazer's "Backseat Bingo" (5.5 min., 2004, USA). Blazer uses
cut out animation to illustrate interviews with senior citizens talking about sexuality. Discussion following with filmmakers of each film.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Saturday, March 12 - 10:30
AM
Egyptian Theatre Historic Tours &
FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
11:30 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
Sunday, March 13 - 10:30
AM
Egyptian Theatre Historic Tours &
FOREVER
HOLLYWOOD
10:30 AM Behind the Scenes Tour
For the total “Old Hollywood” experience add a tour of the
legendary 1922 Egyptian Theatre. See what it would have been like to be in a Grauman stage
show with a visit to the dressing rooms and singers' boxes. Check out our state-of-the-art
projection booth and more! Discover the painstaking restoration work and the marriage of
modern technology with a landmark of Hollywood history.
Tickets: $5. Tour & movie: $10. Call 323.461.2020, ext. 3 for schedule
changes. Screening Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM and with behind the
scenes historic theatre tours (offered once a month).
11:30 AM, 2:00 PM & 3:30 PM FOREVER HOLLYWOOD
Sunday, March 13 – 5:00 PM
Harry Langdon – The Forgotten
Comedy Genius of Silent Cinema
Film Historian Kevin Brownlow once pointed out "He is the
comedian who has fallen furthest from fashion of all of them. Believe it or not, there
used to be FOUR, not three, great comedians, and the fourth was always Langdon." The
details of Harry "the sad clown" Langdon’s life are not well known. Born in
1884 in Council Bluffs Iowa, he began his career as a successful vaudeville comedian when
he was very young. By 1906 he had his own show (which he performed with his wife Rose
Musolff) and by 1923 he was quite familiar to both the public and the industry. He signed
with Mack Sennett later that year and became immediately successful, primarily because
Sennett and a tight group of collaborators (among them the director Harry Edwards)
realized that Langdon’s power on screen was not his fast-rhythmic-slapstick, but
rather his reserve, his naïve characterizations and his lovable bashfulness towards the
women he secretly loves.
Langdon’s career did not end when the silent era ended. He
appeared in many comic-talkie-shorts, some of them produced by big studios. His voice was
recognizable for he acted in a very high tone, but these films definitely are not as
notable as some of his silent masterpieces. Unlike Keaton (to whom Langdon has been often
compared career-wise), Langdon’s legacy has not been properly rediscovered. The
Landgon society on line (http://www.silent-movies.com/Langdon/)
cites: "Buster lived long enough to be rediscovered by a new audience, escaping
obscurity. Like a fairytale prince under a spell, awaiting the kiss of wakefulness, Harry
still waits for his time to come round again… One indisputable fact about Harry
Langdon is that he died much too early for his own good." Today cinema lovers have
been slowly re-considering Langdon’s importance and impact on film history.
The American Cinematheque is proud to present two of Langdon’s
best-known films: TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP and LONG PANTS. Both prints have been provided by
the Douris Corporation/The Rohauer Collection. We thank Tim Lanza for his help and
support.
Double Feature:
TRAMP, TRAMP TRAMP, 1926, 65 min. (24fps)
Director Harry Edwards. In a story co-written by Frank Capra, Harry (Harry Langdon)
decides to compete in a cross country walking/hiking contest to impress his sweetheart
Betty. After a number of adventurous circumstances where the quintessential Langdon
emerges ("his best routines: throwing small stones at a tornado to scare it away, he
spits at it in victory only to look down and have to wipe his spit off his lapel…he
gets hung up on the fence nail, unaware that it is all that keeps him from dropping
several hundred feet to the highway below" -- from the Rohauer Collection USA), our
hero manages to pay his debts and marry the woman he loves. Also starring Joan Crawford.
Edward Davis, Alec B. Franklin.
LONG PANTS, 1927, 54 minutes
(24fps). Directed by Frank Capra. A tale of coming of age. Harry (Harry Langdon) is
finally given the chance, by his over protective mother, to wear a pair of long pants.
Growing up also means thinking of having a family. His marriage to childhood sweetheart
Priscilla is taken for granted, even though he naively is secretly in love with
independent Bebe Blair. Langdon is a master in picturing the innocent and touching
juvenile lover. Indeed, his power as a comic is traceable to these fantastic moments of
sweetness and sadness and not to slapstick gags. With Gladys Brockwwell, Al Roscoe,
Priscilla Bonner.
>> Also playing at the Aero on March 6.
Monday, March 14 – 7:30 PM
Los Angeles Premiere – New from
director Tim Hunter!
Free to members!
CONTROL, 2005, NuImage/Blockbuster/DEJ
Productions, 104 min. Director Tim Hunter (RIVER’S EDGE, TV’s "Twin
Peaks" and "Carnivale") returns with this sinister psychological crime
drama starring Ray Liotta (NARC) and Willem Dafoe (PLATOON) as two men from
opposite worlds trying to come to terms with their troubled pasts. Liotta plays Lee Ray
Oliver, a violent sociopathic killer who's granted a second chance at life when Dr.
Copeland (Dafoe), a pioneering pharmacologist offers him an experimental behavioral drug
that promises to suppress his violent nature. Lee Ray's newfound life begins -- but he's
continually haunted by his murderous past. As he tries to start over, he falls in love
with Teresa, his beautiful yet cautious co-worker, played by Michelle Rodriguez
(GIRLFIGHT.) It seems that Lee Ray is becoming a better person -- or is he? What dark
impulses still drive him? And who are those people who still want to kill him? Hunter's
self-styled 'B' picture -- shot in Bulgaria, doubling for an 'unnamed American city' --
promises plenty of plot twists and lots of action. Discussion
following with director Tim Hunter and producer Randall Emmett. [Note:
Cinematheque Members are admitted free to this screening with valid membership card.] An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Tuesday, March 15 – 7:30 PM
Special Sneak Preview Screening!!
AIN’T IT COOL NEWS/AMERICAN
CINEMATHEQUE SNEAK PREVIEW SHOWCASE.
The groundbreaking Internet website Ain’t It Cool News
and the American Cinematheque are joining forces once again to present a special Sneak
Preview of an upcoming movie that we think is really exceptional and exciting.
OLDBOY,
2004, Tartan Films, 120 min. Winner of the 2004 Grand Prix at Cannes, the latest from
white-hot Korean director Park Chan-Wook (SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE.) Oh Dae-su (Min-sik
Choi) is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter who, after a
drunken nocturnal rampage, is locked up in a strange, private "prison". No one
will tell him why he's there or who his jailer is. Through a TV news broadcast, he
discovers he has been framed for his wife's murder. After 15 years (!), Dae-su finds
himself unexpectedly deposited on a grass-covered high-rise roof. Determined to discover
who had him locked up, the search will lead down dark corridors of the mind and soul, and
into spectacularly violent confrontations. Also an official selection of the 2005 Sundance
Film Festival, it will be released in the U.S. by Tartan Films in late March. >>Tuesday, March 22 at the Aero.
For more information see:
www.aintitcoolnews.com
Wednesday, March 16 – 7:30 PM
Back By Popular Demand!
THE THING, 1982, Universal, 108 min. Director John
Carpenter re-imagined the 1951 sci-fi classic THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD as
something darker, fiercer and altogether more disturbing, pitting sombrero-wearing
helicopter pilot Kurt Russell and a crew of Arctic scientists against a ravenous,
shape-shifting alien being. From the haunting opening shots of a sled dog fleeing across
the snow, to the apocalyptic, fire-and-ice ending, this ranks with Ridley Scott’s
ALIEN as one of the finest and most beautifully-crafted sci-fi films of the past 25 years.
Thursday, March 17 – 7:30 PM
Les Classiques du Cinema Series:
BRONCO BULLFROG, 1970, 83 min. Director Barney
Platts-Mills’s long-lost classic of late 1960’s British indie filmmaking is
like an early Kinks or Pretty Things song brought to life: rude, raw and defiantly
downbeat, with an amazing cast of non-pro actors headed by Del Walker as the
diffident, welder’s apprentice "hero" of the film, and Anne Gooding
as his 15-year old girlfriend, a dark-haired, East End version of Julie Christie hidden
behind long tresses and a shy smile. There’s nowhere to go, nothing to do in this
bleaker-than-bleak portrait of London teenagers – but strangely, the film has an
uplifting feel to it, as you find yourself rooting, against all odds, for these
beaten-down kids to somehow pull through. Call it a rough-trade QUADROPHENIA, or THE 400
BLOWS filtered through the no-illusions sensibility of early Mike Leigh or Ken Loach. By
any standards, this is a real discovery – our thanks to the British Film Institute
for restoring this long-overlooked gem. "A smashing Cockney film" – Penelope
Gilliatt, New Yorker. "Crude and defiant, full of angry energy" –
Jay Cocks, Time Magazine.
>> Also playing at the Aero on March 16.
ANIMATION A-GO-GO! TWO NIGHTS WITH GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY
Presented in conjunction with Cartoon
Network, Lucasfilm, and ASIFA-Hollywood (International Animated Film Society)
March 18 – 19, 2005
Moscow-born creator/writer/director Genndy Tartakovsky parlayed a lifelong interest in
comics, cartoons, and cinema into an array of pop culture hits for Cartoon Network since
graduating from Cal Arts. First came the comical stylings of a neurotic boy scientist and
his bungling older sister in "Dexter’s Laboratory," then Tartakovsky
swapped funny for the fantastical in the visceral action epic, "Samurai Jack."
Those renowned gigs—along with directing/producing stints on other cartoon staples
like "The Powerpuff Girls"— netted the attention of George Lucas,
who fulfilled Tartakovsky’s boyhood dreams, awarding him the chance to fill the void
between EPISODES II and III with "Star Wars: Clone Wars,"
an animated supplement to the seminal sci-fi franchise. Tartakovsky has since begun his
transition into features and is currently toiling away on a few pet projects. This
two-night mini-tribute will feature everything from student films to sneak peeks at future
projects, as well as a hearty helping of classic cartoons by some of Tartakovsky’s
animation heroes. Genndy Tartakovsky will appear for an extended discussion each
night.
This two-night mini-tribute will entail
everything from student films to advance looks at future projects, as well as a hearty
helping of inspirational material, comprised of shorts and clips.
Series Compiled by Jon M. Gibson and Dennis Bartok.
Special Thanks to: Cartoon Network; LucasFilm.
Friday, March 18 – 7:30 PM
Genndy Tartakovsky Tribute – Program #1
Encompassing many of his early, short works—including
rarely seen, unreleased ditties from his days at Cal Arts, like "Changes," the
basis for "Dexter’s Laboratory"—this first night
chronicles Tartakovsky’s evolution as a filmmaker. Then, samplings of the first
season of "Star Wars: Clone Wars"—as well as the
ground-breaking two-part "Samurai Jack" episode, "Birth
of Evil"—will be washed down by a few of Tartakovsky’s favorite
classic cartoons from legends like Tex Avery (shown in 35mm glory). No doubt, there will
be a few surprises, too—some never-before-aired… anywhere. Genndy Tartakovsky will appear for an extended discussion after the
program, moderated by animation writer Jon M. Gibson.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Saturday, March 19 – 5:00 PM
Genndy Tartakovsky Tribute – Program #2
Tonight’s clincher: the World Premiere of the entire
second season of "Star Wars: Clone Wars,"
which Tartakovsky will have completed mere days before its debut. This second night also
veers off the beaten path a bit to uncover the side-projects that have nabbed so much of
his imagination, including interstitials he created for Cartoon Network based on vintage
Hanna Barbara characters, as well as more inspirational offerings from the masters of
animation. Genndy Tartakovsky will appear for an extended
discussion after the program, moderated by animation writer Jon M. Gibson.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Saturday, March 19 – 8:00PM
Genndy Tartakovsky Tribute – Program #3
CONAN THE BARBARIAN,
1982, Universal, 129 min. It’s no surprise that director John Milius’ brawny
epic was a huge inspiration on Tartakovsky’s career, especially in the more recent
"Samurai Jack" years. He cites the first 20 minutes of the Schwarzenegger-starrer
as "flawless filmmaking," but is still partial to the rest of the feature, too.
CONAN will be followed by hand-picked "Samurai Jack" episodes that
Tartakovsky feels were influenced most heavily by the Oliver Stone-penned tale of a boy
born to slavery, who muscles up and seeks sweet revenge on those who massacred the people
of his village. Genndy Tartakovsky will appear for an
introduction prior to the program, moderated by animation writer Jon M. Gibson.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Sunday, March 20 – 6:00 PM
Roland West Tribute
Director Roland West (1887 – 1952) remains one of the
most mysterious of the early 20th century filmmakers, a brilliantly original
visual stylist given to fits of Gothic splendor, Germanic-influenced expressionism and, at
times, downright avant-garde mise-en-scene. His career was all-too-brief, beginning in the
mid-teens and ending in the early Thirties – but he created a number of dark,
glittering jewels during that short period. We’re pleased to be able to present this
one night tribute to an underrated, pioneering movie master, with two of his finest:
Double Feature:
THE BAT WHISPERS, 1930, Milestone
Films, 82 min. Director Roland West’s sound remake of his earlier success, THE
BAT, this time starring Una Merkel and Chester Morris, in the creepy story of a masked
killer terrorizing an old mansion. West shot two versions of the film simultaneously, one
in standard 1:33 aspect ratio and one in an experimental wide-screen format. The UCLA Film
& Television Archive lovingly restored both versions and we'll be showing the more
rarely-screened wide-screen print!
ALIBI, 1929, Douris Corp., 90 min.
Director Roland West's crime film about unredeemed gangster Chester Morris
illustrates his innovative use of the then-new medium of sound, plus his baroque visuals
that were as much influenced by German expressionism as avant-garde experimentation. With
art direction by William Cameron Menzies (GONE WITH THE WIND). An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Thursday, March 24 - 7: 30 PM ALTERNATIVE SCREEN
INDEPENDENT FILM SHOWCASE
Sneak Preview! FIXED,
2005, 93 min., USA. Writer/Director Neil Matsumoto (PHANTOM PAIN) returns to Alternative
Screen with his latest film, the story of a quiet young man (Jason Van Over) on the
fringes of L.A.’s art scene -- whose strong desire to focus on his artwork results in
taking drastic measures to free himself from sexual distractions. Along the way he meets
Deanna (Tina Holmes ) a rising art star and Frederick (Stephen DeCordova), a wealthy,
older art patron who offers assistance that makes Matthew uncomfortable. Neil Matsumoto is
one of the founders of the Los Angeles Filmmaking Collective Alpha 60. Discussion following with Neil Matsumoto, producer Lewis Haidt
and additional cast and crew.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
Sunday, March 27 – 5:00 PM
The American Cinematheque and "Underground
Garage" Sirius Satellite Radio present
ROCK IS FIFTY!
Special 50th Anniversary Screening!!
Please join us for a special screening of THE BLACKBOARD
JUNGLE (1955, Warner Classics, 101 min., dir. Richard Brooks, starring Glenn Ford and
Sidney Poitier), to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the film’s first general
release on March 25th, 1955. In addition to its considerable merits as a searing social
drama, the movie was also unwittingly responsible for jump-starting rock ‘n’
roll. Its soundtrack use of Bill Haley and The Comets’ "Rock Around The
Clock" led directly to the song’s breakthrough success. It went Number One
worldwide, eventually selling 25 million copies. The rest was hysteria … The screening of BLACKBOARD JUNGLE will be followed
by a discussion with cast members Paul Mazursky and Jamie Farr, star Glenn
Ford’s son and biographer, Peter Ford, Joel Freeman -
assistant director - and the five surviving members of the original incarnation of The
Comets: Johnny Grande (piano), Marshall Lytle (bass and vocals), Joey
Ambrose (saxophone and vocals), Dick Richards (drums), and Franny Beecher
(lead guitar). The Comets reformed in 1987 and are
still performing together as a band, ranging in age from 71 to 83! (musician and "Underground Garage"
radio creator Steven Van Zandt unfortunately will not be able to appear as was
previously announced.
Followed by a screening of ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK,
1956, Columbia, 77 min., Dir. Fred F. Sears. Featuring Bill Haley & The
Comets as an unknown band discovered in a small town who migrate to the Big Apple to
make it big with the help of Alan Freed. Legendary performances by Bill Haley as
well as The Platters..
Special Thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and the "Rock Is Fifty!"
Honorary Committee.
An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!
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