SoCal classic movies, Oct. 23-30: ‘High Art,’ ‘Salt of the Earth,’ ‘Spanish Dracula,’ AFI Fest 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.
AFI Fest The American Film Institute’s annual showcase returns with premieres of major studio releases plus foreign films, documentaries, shorts, etc. as well as filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions and more. TCL Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., and TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Various days, dates, and times, Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 23-27. $12-$30; 8-ticket bundles, $150; passes, $300 & $600. fest.afi.com
‘The Fall’ A seriously injured and heartbroken silent film-era stuntman (Lee Pace) spins a fantastical tale to the delight of a young girl recuperating in the same hospital in a new 4K restoration of Tarsem Singh’s visually ravishing 2006 drama. Various theaters, showtimes and prices, thru Oct. 24. fandango.com
‘High Art’ Filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko will be on hand for a Q&A at the premiere of a new restoration of her acclaimed LGBTQ-themed 1988 romantic drama starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. UCLA Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Free; no advance reservations; first come, first served. cinema.ucla.edu
‘Spanish Dracula’ Lina González-Granados and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra perform Gustavo Santaolalla’s new score live-to-picture to accompany a screening of the Spanish-language version of the 1931 vampire thriller. The United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25-27. $45-$141. (213) 972-8001. laopera.org
‘Ramrod’ The Autry’s “What is a Western?” series continues with André de Toth’s noir-ish 1947 drama starring Veronica Lake as a ranch owner who locks horns with a ruthless cattle baron. Joel McCrea also stars. Presented in 35mm. Autry Museum, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, L.A. 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. Included with museum admission ($6-$14); reservations recommended. (323) 667-2000. theautry.org
‘Universal Monster-thon’ Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the rest are back on the big screen in this two-day, 10-film celebration of classic creature features. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena. 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 26-27. $17.85; passes: $66, $109. eventbrite.com
‘Heaven’s Gate’ The late Kris Kristofferson is the law ’round these parts in the director’s cut of Michael Cimino’s ill-fated 1980 western inspired by the story of the Johnson County War. With Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston. Academy Museum, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. $5-$10. academymuseum.org
‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Lon “The Man of a Thousand Faces” Chaney is the fiendish and disfigured ghoul lurking about Paris’ historic Palais Garnier in this chilling 1925 silent presented with live musical accompaniment by organist Randy Woltz. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. 2:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. $10, $12. (310) 322-2592. oldtownmusichall.org
‘Salt of the Earth’ Mexican American mine workers go on strike to protest low wages and unsafe working conditions in an outdoor 70th anniversary screening of Herbert J. Biberman’s groundbreaking but once-controversial 1954 indie drama. Includes a pre-show panel discussion and a post-show Q&A. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27; screening, 6:30 p.m. $35, $50. (310) 455-3723. theatricum.com
‘Halloween’ Jamie Lee Curtis is the final girl in John Carpenter’s knife-twisting 1978 thriller, the apex of the slasher genre. With Donald Pleasance and P.J. Soles. The Frida Cinema, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. 8:15 p.m. next Wednesday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. next Friday, 4:45 p.m. next Friday, Oct. 30-Nov. 2. $13. thefridacinema.org
‘The Masque of the Red Death’ A demented Italian nobleman (horror icon Vincent Price) and his hangers-on are gonna party like its 1399 in Roger Corman’s flamboyant 1964 B-movie adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe terror tale. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Oct. 30. $16. laemmle.com
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ in 4D The Pumpkin King steps onto Santa’s turf in Tim Burton’s tune-filled 1993 stop-motion animated tale. El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 9:30 a.m., noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Thursdays thru Oct. 31, with 10 p.m. screenings Fridays-Sundays. $20. (800) 347-6396. elcapitantheatre.com
‘Science Fiction Against the Margins’ The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s new series showcasing sci-fi in alternative films, documentaries, shorts, etc., continues thru Dec. 14. UCLA Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Free; no advance reservations; first come, first served. cinema.ucla.edu