<<< January 2005 >>>

Monday, January 3 – 7:15 PM

Téa Leoni Tribute
This event has been cancelled. All tickets will be refunded or exchanged for another program.

Tuesday, January 4 – 7:00 PM

Taylor Hackford Tribute

One of American cinema’s most thoughtful and consistently satisfying filmmakers, Taylor Hackford began his career making documentaries at KCET public TV in Los Angeles; his first dramatic effort, "Teenage Father," won the Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short in 1979. His debut feature, THE IDOLMAKER, was a fascinating portrait of the early 1960’s pop music scene, and began a string of superb music-related films from Hackford, including LA BAMBA (which he produced), CHUCK BERRY: HAIL! HAIL! ROCK ‘N ROLL, and his latest, RAY, on the life of the great Ray Charles. Hackford’s second feature, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, was an enormous breakout hit and a career-making movie for stars Richard Gere and Debra Winger. For the past two decades, Hackford has directed and produced a series of beautifully constructed movies that are both artistically complex and commercially successful, including AGAINST ALL ODDS, WHITE NIGHTS, EVERYBODY’S ALL AMERICAN, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE and PROOF OF LIFE. His most recent film, RAY, has been released to rave reviews for both Hackford’s direction and Jamie Foxx’s stunning performance as Ray Charles. Please join us for a One Night Tribute to Taylor Hackford:

Double Feature: RAY, 2004, Universal, 152 min. RAY is the never-before-told musical biographical drama of American legend Ray Charles, brought to the big screen following a 15-year journey by award-winning filmmaker Taylor Hackford and featuring a remarkable performance from the multi-faceted Jamie Foxx. The story of RAY – that of an impoverished, blind child of the segregated South who went on to break down social and artistic barriers and change the history of American music – is the quintessentially American story of a man’s fight to control his own destiny.

DOLORES CLAIBORNE, 1995, Warner Bros., 132 min. Dir. Taylor Hackford. Terrific adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of a New England woman accused of killing her employer and re-connecting with her estranged daughter, fueled by memorable performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kathy Bates. Discussion between films with director Taylor Hackford.

Wednesday, January 5 – 7:15 PM

Jeremy Irons Tribute

For nearly 25 years now, since his dazzling breakout performances in THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN and the miniseries "Brideshead Revisited," British actor Jeremy Irons has remained one of the most admired performers in modern film, bringing wit, elegance and a brooding magnetism to a wide range of roles, including his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Claus von Bülow in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE. We’re thrilled to welcome Mr. Irons for a special 2-night tribute at the Egyptian and Aero Theatres, featuring:

Double Feature: REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, 1990, Warner Bros., 120 min. Dir. Barbet Schroeder. Jeremy Irons won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actor for his wonderfully sly and sepulchral performance as aristocrat Claus von Bülow, accused of attempted murder of his wife Sunny (Glenn Close) for her vast fortune. Co-starring Ron Silver as real-life Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz.

LOLITA, 1997, Showtime, 137 min. Jeremy Irons gives James Mason a run for his money as the nymphet-obsessed Humbert Humbert in this Adrian Lyne-directed new-take on Vladimir Nabokov’s classic novel. With sterling support from Dominique Swain as the precocious teenager, Melanie Griffith as her mom Charlotte and Frank Langella as Humbert’s nemesis, Clare Quilty. Discussion between films with actor Jeremy Irons.

January 6 – 7, 2005

One of the most phenomenally successful and acclaimed actors of his generation, John Travolta has electrified audiences for over three decades, from his breakout performances in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, GREASE and URBAN COWBOY, to his now-iconic re-emergence in Quentin Tarantino’s PULP FICTION. He’s proven equally adept at dramas (A CIVIL ACTION, the recent LADDER 49) comedies (GET SHORTY, PRIMARY COLORS), and big-budget action spectaculars (BROKEN ARROW, FACE/OFF). Please join us for a special 2-night tribute to Mr. Travolta, featuring his latest film, A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG. Please note that due to a change in Mr. Travolta's schedule, he will not appear in person during the tribute. All films will still screen as announced. Persons holding tickets to A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG may request a refund or ticket exchange prior to 7:15 PM on January 7, 2005. Once the film starts, no refunds or exchanges will be issued.

Thursday, January 6 – 7:15 PM

PULP FICTION, 1994, Miramax, 153 min. Quentin Tarantino’s dazzling, nitro-fueled homage to 1930’s crime fiction, Elvis Presley flicks, Los Angeles diners, Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Melville and much more was easily the most audacious and exciting American film of the 1990’s. The movie’s brilliant, against-type casting includes John Travolta (in a career-reviving performance), Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stolz, Maria de Medeiros, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Christopher Walken and Ving Rhames. Winner of LAFCA Awards for Best Picture, Actor (John Travolta) and Screenplay (Tarantino and Roger Avary).

Friday, January 7 – 7:15 PM

John Travolta Tribute

Double Feature: A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG, 2004, Lions Gate, 119 min. Debuting to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, the film is a poignant story of a wayward girl and two men, each scarred by their past, who struggle to mend their broken lives and create a home together in a forgotten section of New Orleans. Starring John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht and Deborah Kara Unger, this is the feature directorial debut of Shainee Gabel (ANTHEM). Gabel based her screenplay on Ronal Everett Capps’ soon to be published novel, Off Magazine Street.

A CIVIL ACTION, 1998, Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 112 min. Dir. Steve Zaillian. John Travolta shines as a relatively inexperienced lawyer who gets his firm in over its head when he takes on a corporate giant accused of poisoning a small Massachusetts town’s water supply, a company represented by an older, seemingly invincible attorney (Robert Duvall). With a fine supporting cast that includes John Lithgow, William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, Kathleen Quinlan and James Gandolfini. The previously announced discussion between films with actor John Travolta has been cancelled due to a change in Mr. Travolta's schedule.

Saturday, January 8 – 6:00 PM

Laura Dern Tribute:

Vogue magazine once called Laura Dern "our greatest actress of weird, funky, run-amok femininity" – without doubt she’s one of our greatest working actresses, period. She’s played the feverish teenager desperate for attention in SMOOTH TALK, and done double duty for David Lynch in both BLUE VELVET and WILD AT HEART. She’s been Oscar nominated for RAMBLING ROSE and took on the role of Ellen DeGeneres love-interest in an episode of "Ellen." Throughout her career, she’s shown the rarest combination of fire, intelligence and sheer recklessness on-screen. We are excited to present her most recent, breathtaking performance in John Curran’s WE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE:

Double Feature: WE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, 2004, Warner Independent, 101 min. Dir. John Curran. Adapted from two short stories by Andre Dubus, this is a brilliant study of friendship amongst married couples and how infidelity upsets its delicate balance, causing long-suppressed emotion and hurtful truths to emerge. Mark Ruffalo is excellent as a frustrated young man and Laura Dern superb as his wife Terry, a woman struggling with the chaos of trying to juggle housework, motherhood and romance. Both soon realize life is more complex than they had ever imagined. With stunning support from Naomi Watts as Edith and Peter Krause as Hank.

CITIZEN RUTH, 1996, Miramax, 102 min. Director Alexander Payne already shows evidence of the extraordinary insight and razor wit brought to bear on such later projects as ABOUT SCHMIDT and SIDEWAYS. A fierce satire with Laura Dern as a glue-sniffing, pregnant drifter torn between pro-life and pro-abortion forces. Discussion between films with actress Laura Dern.

Tuesday, January 11 – 7:00 PM

Val Kilmer Tribute This event has been cancelled. All tickets will be refunded or exchanged for another program.

Thursday, January 13 - 7:30 PM

ALTERNATIVE SCREEN

SUNSET STORY, 2003, 73 min., USA. Dir. Laura Gabbert. Lucille (95) and Irja (80) explode familiar stereotypes of doddering "old ladies" in this documentary about a bond of deep friendship between two residents of L.A.’s Sunset House, a retirement home for the politically progressive elderly. Sharp-witted, up-to-date, and often provocative, the two are not afraid to weigh in with opinions on men, sex, gender roles, and social attitudes toward the elderly. Irja the eternal idealist travels the facility in her wheelchair, signing the staff up to vote, while Lucille, the irreverent skeptic, cracks dry, ironic jokes in the face of illness. Discussion following with the filmmakers.

Official Website: www.sunsetstory.com

Friday, January 14 – 7:15 PM

John C. Reilly Tribute

With his offbeat, hound-dog charm and easy-going grace on screen, John C. Reilly has emerged as one of the most unique American actors of the past decade, playing everything from the beleaguered Everyman husband in CHICAGO and THE GOOD GIRL, to working class fisherman in THE PERFECT STORM, to porn-star sidekick Reed Rothchild in BOOGIE NIGHTS. With his recent performances in THE HOURS, GANGS OF NEW YORK and CRIMINAL and THE AVIATOR and DARK WATER, Reilly has solidified his position as one of the busiest and most sought-after performers working today. Please join us for a special evening with John C. Reilly:

Double Feature: HARD EIGHT, 1996, 102 min. Nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, director Paul Thomas Anderson’s film pictures the lurid allure of gambling life, with John Finnegan (John C. Reilly) losing everything as he tries to fund his mother’s funeral. Enter mentor and surrogate father, Sydney (Philip Baker Hall), a mysterious risktaker wise to the ways of Reno and the underworld, who tries to steer the wayward youth out of harm’s way. With Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L Jackson.

MAGNOLIA, 1999, New Line Cinema, 188 min. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic of American life woven through a series of comic and poignant vignettes. On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife (Julianne Moore), a male caretaker, a famous and embittered lost son (Tom Cruise), a police officer in love (John C. Reilly), a boy genius, an ex-boy genius (William H. Macy), a game show host (Philip Baker Hall) and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots devolving into one magnificent story. Discussion in between films with actor John C. Reilly.

Saturday, January 15 - 1:00 PM

Golden Globe Foreign Language Nominees Seminar

Discover the best of new foreign films with the five foreign language nominees for the Golden Globe Award. The filmmakers, Alejandro Amenabar, Christophe Barratier, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Walter Salles and Yimou Zhang will join us for a FREE seminar at the Egyptian Theatre on Saturday, January 15. All five films will screen at the Aero Theatre Jan. 12-14.

Please join us for a Round Table discussion with the filmmakers of the five Foreign Film Nominees. Reception to follow in the Courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre.

Saturday, January 15 – 6:00 PM

An Evening with Ray Harryhausen

Please join us for a special return visit to the Egyptian by one of our favorite guests, visual F/X legend Ray Harryhausen, featuring two of his classic films, plus more rarities from the Harryhausen archives!!

Double Feature – Newly Restored 35 mm. Prints!!

THE 7^TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, 1958, Columbia, 88 min. Director Nathan Juran’s marvelous fantasy follows the adventures of Sinbad (Kerwin Matthews) as he battles a phenomenal gallery of Ray Harryhausen-created monsters including the giant cyclops, two-headed birds, dragons and sword-fighting skeletons, all to save beautiful princess Kathryn Grant. Featuring one of composer Bernard Herrmann’s most memorable scores.

THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER, 1960, Columbia (Sony), 100 min. Dir. Jack Sher. In this adaptation of the Jonathan Swift classic, Kerwin Matthews stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a doctor traveling by ship who is washed overboard and finds himself stranded first on the island of Lilliput inhabited by miniature people, then in the land of Brobdingnag, a world of giants. With a charming score by Bernard Hermann and a vast array of special effects by wizard Ray Harryhausen. Plus, 30 minutes of Harryhausen rarities!!

Discussion between films with visual F/X legend Ray Harryhausen and actress Sherri Alberoni (3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER). Ray Harryhausen will appear at 5:00 PM in the Lobby to sign copies of his book "Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life."

Wednesday, January 19 – 7:30 PM

Rosemount Australian Film and Style Festival.

Australia Week 2005 -G'Day LA - a celebration of art, commerce, culture, and history, showcasing all things Australian, from food and wine, film, arts, lifestyle, indigenous culture and tourism. For more information visit: www.australia-week.com

DOWN UNDER WONDERS: A NIGHT OF AUSTRALIAN SHORTS – A wide-ranging survey of styles and themes are found in these recent shorts: Andrew Silke and David Clayton’s "Cane Toad" (4 mins). A crazy cane toad learns the dangers of being one of the less adored icons of the Aussie landscape. Frazer Bailey’s "Self Serve" (7 mins) When Griff pulls into a remote country gas station, he did not realize how difficult it would be to get good service. One to learn by! Costa Avgoustinos’ "Ying" (3 min). This animated gem about a world made up of yin and yang’s, where each is destined to hook up with each other to create the stars. Until one day…..Christopher Jones’ "Excursion" (3 min). It is a trip. It is a nightmare. It is your life (though you would not care to admit it). It is happening all around you. You will see soon enough. Elissa Down’s "Summer Angst" (7 mins). Felicity is fifteen, braless and without a boyfriend. She wants a bra and her first kiss by the end of summer holidays. Greg Williams’ "The Little Woman" (7 mins). When Ted’s wife leaves him and takes the kids, he turns to the police in desperation. The police investigate but do not believe Ted’s story. As the police leave, they discover something that suggests that Ted’s little woman is more than just a fantasy. Glenn Stewart’s "For Every Year" (7 mins). A young boy contemplates death after his 4 year old brother dies. Sejong Park’s "Birthday Boy" (9 mins). Set during the Korean War, Manuk is dreaming of his father who is at the front. He finds a package on his doorstep and as it is his birthday, he opens it. The contents will change his life. Nathan Stone’s "The Tooth" (4 mins). Hilarious animated short featuring a young alien with a troublesome tooth. Rebecca O’ Brien’s "The Great Dark".(15 mins). Two sister struggle to reconcile the trauma of their childhood. Robbie Baldwin’s "A Wonderful Day" (13 mins). A young drag queen has a difficult journey of his own as he tries to visit his mother in the hospital. Adrian Bosich’s "Marco Solo" (8 mins). Very funny tale about a boy’s struggle to find his own space in an overcrowded Italian-Australian household, with a little help from Dame Edna Everage. Discussion to follow screening with filmmakers Adrian Bosich ("Marco Solo"), Sejong Park ("Birthday Boy"). Check the website for updates.