Classic movies in SoCal: ‘Grease,’ ‘Pillow Talk,’ ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and more
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.
‘Amazing Grace’
Aretha Franklin makes a joyful noise in this glorious 2018 documentary compiled from footage shot during the recording of the Queen of Soul’s Grammy-winning 1972 gospel album. UCLA Film & Television Archive, UCLA Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Free; no registration required. cinema.ucla.edu
‘Back-to-School Marathon’
Enjoy a butt-numbing procession of campus comedies starting with “Clueless” and followed by “Easy A,” “The Craft,” “Mean Girls” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. Noon. Aug. 13. $25. thefridacinema.org
‘Cinderella’
R&B star Brandy is our young heroine and Whitney Houston her fairy godmother in this made-for-TV 1997 musical based on the fairy tale. Street Food Cinema, Verdugo Park, 1621 Cañada Blvd., Glendale. 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13. $10-$30; ages 5 and younger, free; advance purchase recommended. streetfoodcinema.com
Amid a new wave of movie musicals, the lighthearted theatricality of this 1997 production, now on Disney+, offers a thoughtful model for the genre.
‘Cinema’s First Nasty Women’
They’re most definitely not on their best behavior in this four-part series spotlighting newly restored silent-era films from the U.S. and Europe. UCLA Film & Television Archive, UCLA Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 13, 19 and 21. Free; advance registration recommended; standby line available. cinema.ucla.edu
‘A Clockwork Orange’
Fancy a bit of the old Ludwig van? Malcolm McDowell does in Stanley Kubrick’s still-shocking 1971 fable about street thugs in a dystopian Britain. Based on the Anthony Burgess novel. The Frida Cinema, Calle Cuatro Plaza, 305 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 5 and 8 p.m. Aug. 13-14. $7.50-$10.50. thefridacinema.org
‘Dirty Dancing’
Thirty-fifth anniversary screenings of this tune-filled 1987 romance about a shy teen (Jennifer Grey) who hooks up with a hunky dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) at a resort in the Catskills in 1963. Fathom Events, various local theaters (see website). 3 and 7 p.m. Aug. 14, 7 p.m. Aug. 17. $18-$20. fathomevents.com
‘Floating Weeds’
A traveling theater company creates more drama offstage than on while playing a small seaside town in Yasujirō Ozu’s essential 1959 art-house classic. In Japanese with English subtitles. Brain Dead Studios at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Aug. 17. $12; advance purchase required. studios.wearebraindead.com
‘Forbidden Planet’
Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie “Don’t call me Shirley” Nielsen star in this 1956 sci-fi classic based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 5 p.m. Aug. 13. Free with museum admission ($12-$15; students, active military and ages 18 and younger are free). nortonsimon.org
‘Grease: Sing-Along’
The dearly departed Olivia Newton-John stars opposite John Travolta in this blockbuster 1978 musical about 1950s teenagers in love. Rooftop Cinema Club Arts District, Row DTLA, 777 S. Alameda St., downtown L.A. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18. $20.75-$27.75; for ages 18 and older only. rooftopcinemaclub.com
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta went together like rama-lama-lama-ka-dinga-da-dinga-dong. Here’s a look back at their long friendship.
HollyShorts Film Festival
This celebration of short films from around the world continues. TCL Chinese Theatres, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Various showtimes through Aug. 20. Passes: $55-$300. hollyshorts.com
‘Koyaanisqatsi’
See life, the universe and everything from a different perspective in this dialogue- and narration-free 1982 visual essay set to music by Philip Glass. Alamo Drafthouse, 700 W. 7th St., downtown L.A. 3 p.m. Aug. 12, 2:20 p.m. Aug. 13, 2:15 pm. Aug. 15, 8 p.m. Aug. 17. $18. drafthouse.com
Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival
This showcase for groundbreaking feminist art films includes a new restoration of Robert J. Kaplan’s 1972 fable “Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers” starring transgender Puerto Rican actor Holly Woodlawn. American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 1 p.m. Aug. 13. $10-$15. americancinematheque.com
‘Pillow Talk’
A salute to Doris Day includes the beloved star opposite Rock Hudson in this frothy 1959 rom-com. Tony Randall also stars. Presented in 35 mm. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 2 p.m. Aug. 13. $5. academymuseum.org
‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’
John Garfield is warm for Lana Turner’s form in this steamy 1946 film noir based on the James M. Cain novel. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. 2:30 p.m. Aug. 14. $10-$12. oldtownmusichall.org
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‘Sleeping Beauty’
Someday her prince will come in Disney’s animated 1959 classic based on the fairy tale. Presented in 35 mm. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 2 p.m. Aug. 13-14. $10; advance purchase recommended. thenewbev.com
‘Three Colors: Blue’
Screenings of new 4K restorations of all three films in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s acclaimed trilogy get underway with this 1993 drama starring Juliette Binoche. In French with English subtitles. American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3, 1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. 1:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 7 p.m. Aug. 14. $8-$13. americancinematheque.com
Venice Heritage Museum Film Festival
Outdoor screenings of short films celebrating the people and culture of the seaside community. Vice Media, 589 Venice Blvd., Venice. 7 p.m. Aug. 13. $20; ages 12 and younger, free. flipcause.com
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