Classic movies in SoCal: ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Blood and Sand,’ the UCLA Festival of Preservation
Find a flick with our weekly curated list of classic movies, cult favorites, film festivals, etc., playing at theaters, drive-ins and pop-ups and/or streaming online. Before you go, remember to call or check online for reservation requirements and COVID-19 protocols.
‘Alain Resnais: Five Short Films’
A selection of newly restored early shorts by the influential French filmmaker screens for one night only. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A.; Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale; Laemmle Playhouse 7, 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Laemmle Claremont 5, 450 W. 2nd St., Claremont; Laemmle Newhall, 22500 Lyons Ave., Newhall. 7:30 p.m. May 23. $15. laemmle.com
‘Bicycle Thieves’
A family man barely scraping by in postwar Rome undertakes a desperate search when his only means of transportation is stolen in Vittorio De Sica’s essential 1948 neorealist drama. In Italian with English subtitles. Presented in 35mm. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 5 p.m. May 21. $5. academymuseum.org
‘Blood and Sand’
Swoon as the immortal Rudolph Valentino struts his stuff in a toreador’s jacket and trousers in this silent 1922 melodrama. Presented with live organ accompaniment. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. 2:30 p.m. May 22. $10, $12. oldtownmusichall.org
‘Husbands’
John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk play BFFs of a certain age sharing the same midlife crisis in Cassavetes’ 1970 comedy. Brain Dead Studios at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. May 25. $12; advance purchase required. studios.wearebraindead.com
‘Jagged Edge’
Murder suspect Jeff Bridges and his defense lawyer Glenn Close give new meaning to the term “attorney-client privilege” in this steamy 1985 legal thriller directed by Richard Marquand. Presented in 35mm. American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3, 1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. 7 p.m. May 24. $8, $13. americancinematheque.com
‘King Kong vs. Godzilla’
It’s ginormous prehistoric ape versus ginormous prehistoric lizard with atomic breath — advantage, lizard — in this cheeseball 1962 creature-feature crossover. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 2 p.m. May 21-22. $10; advance purchase recommended. thenewbev.com
For “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” director Michael Dougherty, grabbing a big bowl of cereal and watching the Hanna-Barbera “Godzilla” cartoon on TV was a Saturday morning ritual growing up.
‘Léon: The Professional’
Jean Reno is the titular hitman, Natalie Portman, his youthful protégé, and Gary Oldman, the show-stealing villain in Luc Besson’s knockout 1994 action thriller. Brain Dead Studios at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. May 22. $12; advance purchase required. studios.wearebraindead.com
‘The Maltese Falcon’ with ‘The Treasure of the Sierra Madre’
A double bill pairs these two classic 1940s-era crime dramas, both starring tough guy Humphrey Bogart and both directed by John Huston. Presented in 35mm. Secret Movie Club Theatre, 1917 Bay St., 2nd floor, downtown L.A. 7:30 and 9:40 p.m. May 20. $14-$24. secretmovieclub.com
‘Phantasm’
Fear the Tall Man — seriously, fear him — in Don Coscarelli’s bonkers 1979 cult classic that spawned a five-film franchise. Angus Scrimm stars. The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. 7:30 p.m. May 20. $15. thefridacinema.org
‘RoboCop: Director’s Cut’
Detroit’s finest is equal parts man and machine in the unrated version of Paul Verhoeven’s darkly comic, hyper-violent 1987 sci-fi/action thriller. Peter Weller stars. Alamo Drafthouse, 700 W. 7th St., downtown L.A. 4 p.m. May 20; 3, 3:35 and 9 p.m. May 21; 4:30 and 6:35 p.m. May 22; 4:15 p.m. May 23. $18. drafthouse.com
‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture — the Director’s Edition’
Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise boldly go where they’d never boldly gone before — the big screen — in filmmaker Robert Wise’s 2001 cut of his 1979 sci-fi adventure based on the TV series. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, et al. Fathom Events, various local theaters (see website). 3 and 7 p.m. May 22, 7 p.m. May 23 and 25. $18-$20. fathomevents.com
Full of ideas and emotions, the ever-expanding ‘Star Trek’ canon is still finding new ways to go where no TV show has gone before, 55 years on.
‘There Will Be Blood’
Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis has his mind on your milkshake and your milkshake on his mind in Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic 2007 historical drama about a ruthless oil baron in turn-of-the-last-century California. Presented in 35mm. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. May 20-21, 6:30 p.m. May 22. $12; advance tickets sold out; standby line available. thenewbev.com
2022 UCLA Festival of Preservation
The 2004 documentary “Born Into Brothels” and a 1962 television drama that starred Betty White are among the nearly two dozen films, TV shows, cartoons, etc., that will screen at the 20th edition of the UCLA Film and Television Archive’s annual festival. Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Various showtimes, May 20-22. Free; advance registration recommended; standby line available. cinema.ucla.edu
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