Around town: Italian film, beer and Mel Brooks, and more
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The first Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival opens Saturday at the museum with ‘The Way Back,’ directed by Peter Weir and starring Ed Harris and Colin Farrell. More than 22 films will be shown at the festival, which runs through Nov. 18, including ‘Made in Dagenham’ and ‘Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny.’ Clint Eastwood will be honored at the festival’s gala Sunday evening. www.museumoftolerance.com
The American Cinematheque’s Cinema Italian Style 2010 continues at the Aero Theatre on Thursday evening with Pasquale Scimeca’s ‘House by the Medlar Tree’ and Rocco Papaleo’s ‘Bascilicata Coast to Coast.’ On tap for Friday is Pupi Avati’s ‘A Second Childhood’ and Aureliano Amadei’s ’20 Cigarettes.’ ‘Childhood’ star Francesca Neri and ‘Cigarettes’ producer Tilde Corsi will attend. Set for Saturday are John Turturro’s ‘Passion’ and Antonio Capuano’s ‘Dark Love.’ Carlo Verdone’s ‘Me, Them and Lara,’ Guiseppe Capotondi’s ‘The Double Hour’ and Daniele Luchetti’s ‘Our Life’ are scheduled for Sunday. Six Italian shorts are set for Wednesday at the Egyptian. Among the films being screened are ‘The Game’ and ‘As It Should Be.’ www.americancinematheque.com
Film historian, preservationist and documentarian Kevin Brownlow, who will recieve the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ governors award this weekend, will be introducing his two feature films, 1975’s ‘Winstanley’ and 1965’s ‘It Happened Here,’ which he co-directed with Andrew Mollo, Friday evening at the Egyptian Theatre. www.americancinematheque.com
The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre’s ‘Neon Noir’ looks at film noirs set in the 1980s. Screening Friday is Paul Schrader’s 1980 hit ‘American Gigolo,’ which turned Richard Gere into a superstar. Also on the bill is 1983’s ‘Breathless,’ also starring Gere, a remake by Jim McBride of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 French classic. www.cinefamily.org
For those who like to watch Mel Brooks’ film with a few brewskis, the Downtown Independent is offering ‘Blazing Saddles & Spaceballs Drink Along & Beer Bong’ Friday evening. And on Saturday the theater is presenting a fashion show, sing-a-long/dance-a-long/quote-along screening of two comedies — 1989’s ‘Troop Beverly Hills,’ starring Shelley Long, and 1991’s ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead’ with Christina Applegate. www.downtownindependent.com The 10th Annual Valley Film Festival opens Thursday at the CAP Theatre in Sherman Oaks and runs through Sunday. Among the films being screened at the event, which aims to showcase the best new work by Valley residents and independent filmmakers from further afield, are ‘Boil Maker’ (a drama in which bank robbers take an AA meeting hostage) and ‘The Commune,’ a thriller from Elisabeth Fies. www.valleyfilmfest.com
The American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre is presenting a tribute to the collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Saturday and Sunday. Screening Saturday is their first film together, 2003’s ‘The Gangs of New York,’ and 2006’s ‘The Departed,’ which won the best film Oscar and best director for Scorsese. On Sunday afternoon, the two will appear in conversation live via satellite from London. Immediately afterward will be a screening of their latest film, ‘Shutter Island,’ which was released earlier this year and is being bandied for awards consideration, and 2004’s ‘The Aviator.’ www.americancinematheque.com
The UCLA Film and Television Archive’s Family Flicks Sunday matinee at the Billy Wilder Theatre presents Carroll Ballard’s exquisite 1979 adventure ‘The Black Stallion,’ based on the novel by Walter Farley. Kelly Reno and Mickey Rooney, in an Oscar-nominated turn as a horse trainer, star. In Monday evening at the James Bridges Theater, UCLA’s Out of the Past: Film Restoration series presents the rarely screened 1941 animated feature, ‘Mr. Bugs Goes to Town,’ directed by Dave Fleisher. Originally considered a failure when released, it did well in re-releases as ‘Hoppity Goes to Town.’ www.cinema.ucla.edu
Art historian Aaron M. Rubin will give a lecture Sunday evening at the Egyptian Theatre on ‘Adrian and the Bizarre’ — a look at the surreal and avant-garde imagery in the costume and fashion designs of Gilbert Adrian, who was known as Adrian. Following the lecture will be a screening of the 1939 comedy classic ‘The Women,’ for which Adrian designed the costumes worn by its stars, including Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell. www.americancinematheque.com
The Aero Theatre offers a sneak preview Monday evening of writer-director Henry Jaglom’s latest film, ‘Queen of the Lot,’ starring Tanna Frederick as an up-and-coming actress. Noah Wyle also stars along with Kathryn Crosby, Mary Crosby, Peter Bogdanovich and Dennis Christopher. www.americancinematheque.com
The Independent Film & Television Alliance continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary with the 30 most significant indie films made over the past three decades Wednesday at the Egyptian with James Cameron’s seminal 1984 sci-fi epic ‘The Terminator,’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. www.americancinematheque.com
Also screening Wednesday at the Silent Movie Theatre is the newly restored version of Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent German masterpiece, ‘Metropolis.’ www.cinefamily.org
‘Illegal,’ Belgium’s official submission in the foreign-language film Oscar derby, screens Wednesday at the Aero Theatre. Stay afterward for a Belgian beer reception. www.americancinematheque.com
— Susan King
Clint Eastwood. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times.
Gene Wilder, left, and Cleavon Little in ‘Blazing Saddles.’ Credit: Warner Bros.
