SoCal classic movies, March 27-April 3: ‘The Pianist,’ ‘Ben-Hur,’ ‘Harakiri,’ ‘La Cérémonie’ and more
Classic films, film festivals, event screenings, restorations and revivals
Welcome to the latest edition of TV or Not TV’s curated guide to classic movies, events and revivals, film festivals and more screening in LA and OC this week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar.
Roll ’em!
Noir City 2024 Down-on-their-luck detectives, double-crossing dames and other denizens of the dark end of the street get their moment in the spotlight in this annual showcase featuring nearly two dozen classic and lesser-known films noir. American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Various dates and times, March 22 thru 31. $15, $20. americancinematheque.com
‘Anatomy of a Murder’ James Stewart plays a former district attorney hired to defend a husband on trial for killing the man he claims sexually assaulted his wife in Otto Preminger’s classic 1959 courtroom drama; with Lee Remick and George C. Scott. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. $5-$10. academymuseum.org
‘Harakiri’ A rōnin, or masterless samurai, has his reasons for wanting to commit ritual suicide at the local daimyō’s palace and therein lies the tale in Masaki Kobayashi’s gripping 1962 thriller set in 17th century Japan. In Japanese with English subtitles. Presented in 35mm. American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28. $8, $13. americancinematheque.com
‘The Pianist’ Oscar winner Adrien Brody portrays Jewish concert pianist and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in a new 4K restoration of Oscar winner Roman Polanski’s shattering 2002 historical drama. In English, Russian and German with English subtitles. Laemmle Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino and Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Friday-next Thursday, March 29-April 4. $7-$16. laemmle.com
‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’ with ‘Run Lola Run’ A double bill pairs Pedro Almodóvar’s sexy 1988 Spanish-language romp starring Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas with Tom Tykwer’s fast-paced 1998 German-language thriller starring Franka Potente, both presented in 35mm with English subtitles. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, March 29-31. $10, $13; advance purchase recommended; limited tickets available at the door. thenewbev.com
8th Annual NY Dog Film Festival Cute and cuddly canines cavort in a collection of short films. The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. Noon Saturday, March 30; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 31st. $8.75. thefridacinema.org
6th Annual NY Cat Film Festival Not to be outdone, fierce and frisky felines frolic in a different collection of short films. The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30; noon Sunday, March 31st. $8.75. thefridacinema.org
‘Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ’ Gentlemen, start your chariots! Ramon Navarro, not Charlton Heston, stars in Fred Niblo’s 1925 silent-era adaptation of Lew Wallace’s biblically-themed bestseller, presented with live organ accompaniment by Randy Woltz. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30. $10, $12. (310) 322-2592. oldtownmusichall.org
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ Ralph Fiennes plays the conscientious concierge of a schmancy hotel in Eastern Europe in Wes Anderson’s star-studded 2014 comedy fable. With co-star Tony Revolori (who will be on hand for a live Q&A), plus F. Murray Abraham, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, the aforementioned Adrien Brody, et al.; presented as part of the “Searchlight Saturdays” series. El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30. $25. (800) 347-6396. elcapitantheatre.com
‘Playtime’ The last time I saw Paris: Comic and filmmaker Jacques Tati reprises his beloved Monsieur Hulot character in this dizzying 1967 satire of modern life in the City of Light. In French with English subtitles. Brain Dead Studios at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 9:45 p.m. Saturday, March 30. $12; advance purchase required. studios.wearebraindead.com
‘Possession’ Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill star as a married couple whose relationship takes a dark turn — and then an even darker turn — in Andrzej Żuławski’s disturbing 1981 horror fable. Vidiots Eagle Theatre, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Highland Park. $9-$12. vidiotsfoundation.org
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the hero this time ’round in James Cameron’s hell-for-leather 1991 sequel to his gritty 1984 sci-fi/action flick about a killer robot … from the future! With Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong. The Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach. 5:15 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, March 30-31. $9-$13.50. (562) 438-5435. arttheatrelongbeach.org
‘Brick’ High schooler Joseph Gordon-Levitt is on the case in “Knives Out” director Rian Johnson’s noir-ish 2005 mystery drama inspired by classic hard-boiled detective fiction. Brain Dead Studios at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Sunday, March 31. $12. studios.wearebraindead.com
‘Yentl’ Barbra Streisand directs and stars as a young Jewish woman who disguises herself as a man so that she might study the Talmud in this 1983 musical drama set in turn-of-the-last-century Poland and based on a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. 1 p.m. Sunday, March 31. $10, $15. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org
‘La Cérémonie’ Jacqueline Bisset will be on hand for a screening of legendary French New Wave auteur Claude Chabrol’s class-conscious 1995 psychological thriller also starring Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Bonnaire. In French with English subtitles. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2. $16. laemmle.com
‘Pather Panchali’ The Frida’s “Arthouse 101: The New Wave” film appreciation series continues with Satyajit Ray’s essential 1955 coming-of-age drama about a young boy and his family in rural Bengal, the opening installment in the master filmmaker’s acclaimed “Apu Trilogy.” In Bengali with English subtitles. The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2. Free with RSVP. thefridacinema.org
‘Being There’ Peter Sellers stars as a simple-minded gardener who inadvertently finds himself hobnobbing with the rich and powerful in Washington D.C. in director Hal Ashby and writer Jerzy Kosinski’s 1979 adaptation of Kosinski’s 1970 novel. Vidiots Eagle Theatre, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Highland Park. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. $9-$12. vidiotsfoundation.org
‘The Crying Game’ He met her in a club down in old Soho where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola in writer-director Neil Jordan’s sensitive LGBTQ-themed 1992 romantic thriller starring Stephen Rea, Forest Whitaker and Jaye Davidson. Presented in 35mm. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. $5-$10. academymuseum.org