A Nightmare on Elm Street

(Wes Craven, US 1984, 92 min.)

then at 8:45 p.m. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, PART 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE

(Jack Sholder, US 1985, 84 min.)

Robert Englund is the original Freddy Krueger, who, in the first two chapters of his enormously popular horror film saga, inhabits the nightmares of several all-American teenagers (including Johnny Depp in part one), most of whom don’t wake up. By killing their children, the vengeful Freddy is out to settle the score against the lynch mob of parents that sent him into dreamland limbo, but the youngsters start devising ways to beat Freddy at his own game. Filled with creepy atmosphere and highly imaginative low-budget dreamscape design, the Nightmare series has become a cause célèbre for fans of the horror genre. Two films for one admission price.

The Color of Money



Wednesday, April 28th 2010, 8:00 pm

The Color of Money

(Martin Scorsese, US 1986, 119 min.)

Paul Newman, in the performance that finally provided him the elusive Best Actor Oscar®, reprises his role as “Fast” Eddie Felson, poolshark anti-hero of The Hustler. Older and much more cynical, Eddie has become the type of person he once despised: a stake horse who fronts young pool hustlers for the majority of the take. When he spots the hyperactive, cocky, and very talented Vince (Tom Cruise), the prospects look good for big money. Scorsese lends his patented propulsive and kinetic directorial style to this, his only sequel. The great supporting cast includes Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, John Turturro, and Forest Whitaker.

All Quiet on the Western Front: The Lost Foreign Version

(Lewis Milestone, US 1930, 133 min.)

Hailed as the one of the greatest antiwar films of all time, this gripping adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic WWI novel hasn’t been seen at its original length since 20 minutes were cut immediately after the film’s 1930 premiere. Luckily, this version—originally intended for foreign-language markets and beautifully restored by the Library of Congress—comes as close to director Lewis Milestone’s original vision as we’re ever likely to get. Some claim this non-dialogue version with its synchronized musical score is superior to the American release. If you’ve only seen that version, you owe it to yourself to see this one. Preserved by the Library of Congress. Co-presented by George Eastman House and the M.K. Gandhi Institute at the University of Rochester in conjunction with the Season of Nonviolence (January 30-April 4).

Sometimes A Great Notion



Wednesday, April 21st 2010, 8:00 pm

Sometimes A Great Notion

(NEVER GIVE A INCH, Paul Newman, US 1971, 114 min.)

Paul Newman directed, produced, and stars as the central character in this adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel about a family of rugged individualists facing soul-searing challenges in Oregon lumber country. Henry Fonda, Lee Remick, and Richard Jaeckel (in an Oscar®-nominated performance) co-star as Newman’s family, fractured by feuds, adultery, and union organizers. This sophisticated drama, perhaps Newman’s most ambitious film, still has not been released on DVD. Don’t miss your chance to see a new 35mm print on the big screen.

Beggars of Life



Tuesday, April 20th 2010, 8:00 pm

Beggars of Life

(William A. Wellman, US 1928, 100 min., 35mm)

A year after picking up Hollywood’s first Best Picture Oscar® for Wings, legendary director Wellman turned to this rollicking saga of hobos on the lam. In what was probably her finest Hollywood feature, the magnificent Louise Brooks hops freight trains with the great Wallace Beery and finds romance with Richard Arlen. One of Brooks’ personal favorites, Beggars of Life was rescued from oblivion by the Film Preservation team at George Eastman House. A recently preserved 35mm print will be shown. Live piano by Philip C. Carli.