(Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Guiseppe Tornatore, Italy 1988, 155 min., Italian w/subtitles)

Dryden Renovation Special Presentation! If you’ve ever told anyone you’re a film buff then you’ve probably heard two things: “Then you’ve been to the Dryden” and “you HAVE to see Cinema Paradiso.” Come say a two-month goodbye to the Dryden (see renovation articles pg. 1 and 12) with the full-length director’s cut of an all-time favorite film. Giuseppe Tornatore’s classic tells the story of Salvatore, a young man growing up in a provincial Sicilian village who seeks refuge at the Cinema Paradiso, working in the booth and finding a mentor in the theater’s projectionist, Alfredo.

To Catch a Thief
(Alfred Hitchcock, US 1955, 106 min.)

Desire
(Frank Borzage, US 1936, 89 min.)

New Year’s Eve Jewel Heist Double Feature! Stolen jewels, stolen kisses … New Year’s Eve is a night for romance and excitement, and the Dryden Theatre offers up a double-shot of both on the last night of the year. First, reformed burglar Cary Grant is under suspicion on the French Riviera, and distracted by the lovely Grace Kelly. Then, confirmed burglar Marlene Dietrich is on the run from the French police and distracted by the dashing Gary Cooper. These romantic, comedic thrillers endure as examples of why old acquaintances should never be forgotten.

(Robert Zemeckis, US 1988, 104 min.)

Special Presentation. The year is 1947 and A-list cartoon actor Roger Rabbit has been framed for murder. His boss killed, his wife blackmailed, and the future of his beloved “Toontown” in jeopardy, Roger and detective Eddie Valiant pursue the truth in this comic noir-tinged mystery that reignited interest in animation at a time when it was dwindling. Robert Zemeckis’s highly creative live action/animation hybrid film was the first of its kind to win four Academy Awards.

(Robert Zemeckis, US 1988, 104 min.)

Special Presentation. The year is 1947 and A-list cartoon actor Roger Rabbit has been framed for murder. His boss killed, his wife blackmailed, and the future of his beloved “Toontown” in jeopardy, Roger and detective Eddie Valiant pursue the truth in this comic noir-tinged mystery that reignited interest in animation at a time when it was dwindling. Robert Zemeckis’s highly creative live action/animation hybrid film was the first of its kind to win four Academy Awards.

(Mel Brooks, US 1987, 96 min.)

Mel Brooks. One of Brooks’s most quotable films, this Star Wars send-up takes on the mega-franchise, American politics, and Hollywood itself. Luke Skywalker, excuse me, Lone Starr must do battle with the evil President Skroob (Brooks) and Dark Helmet for the hand of Druish Princess Vespa and the air over planet Druidia. With the help of a diminutive merchandises chilling mystic named Yogurt (also Brooks), a half-man/half-dog co-pilot, and a purity defending droid, can Lone Starr and his band of weirdos save the day?

(David Lean, UK 1948, 105 min.)

Dickens. Fleeing from the clutches of a cruel orphanage to the brutal streets of London, young Oliver finds himself amidst a criminal underworld of pickpockets and thieves. Exploring familiar Dickens territory regarding guilt and the unpredictable circularity of life, this dark tale of childhood naïveté is loyal to the emotional rollercoaster that Dickens intended. David Lean’s second Dickens adaptation stars Alec Guinness as Fagin and John Howard Davies as the eponymous Oliver.

(Bu San, Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan 2003, 82 min., Mandarin w/subtitles)

New Dryden. Member’s Movie Night A classic movie house in Taipei is holding its last show — a revival of the beloved martial arts film Dragon Inn — and the few audience members and employees who remain forge a strange community amidst the whirring of the projector and the ghosts of screenings past. A close spiritual cousin to Cinema Paradiso, arthouse auteur Tsai Ming-liang’s tribute to the power of the movies is beautiful, sad, and very, very funny, with some silent comic setpieces worthy of Sherlock Jr. himself. Members admitted free.

(Frank Capra, US 1946, 130 min.)

Happy Holidays. Cited as one of the most inspirational films of all time, James Stewart and Donna Reed find their way through rough times in Bedford Falls (modeled after nearby Seneca Falls, NY) by way of a loving, dedicated relationship and a little heavenly intervention. As Stewart’s, and director Capra’s, first work after their military service, the film takes the post-war malaise often seen in film noir and turns it on its head, constructing a narrative of faith and perseverance. Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive. Special thanks to the staff at Academy for their assistance.

(Frank Capra, US 1946, 130 min.)

Happy Holidays. Cited as one of the most inspirational films of all time, James Stewart and Donna Reed find their way through rough times in Bedford Falls (modeled after nearby Seneca Falls, NY) by way of a loving, dedicated relationship and a little heavenly intervention. As Stewart’s, and director Capra’s, first work after their military service, the film takes the post-war malaise often seen in film noir and turns it on its head, constructing a narrative of faith and perseverance. Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive. Special thanks to the staff at Academy for their assistance.

(Mel Brooks, US 1976, 86 min.)

Mel Brooks. Twenty-five years before The Artist, Mel Brooks gambled big — and won — with this boldly uncommercial attempt at recapturing the magic and hilarity of the pre-sound era. And like The Artist, Brooks’s affectionate homage is not entirely silent, but the one spoken word of dialogue comes, ingeniously, from the least expected mouth. Though not the smash success of Blazing Saddles, this loving satire has, like Young Frankenstein, aged beautifully, and there’s a cadre of fans who argue it’s as good — if not better — than anything else Brooks directed during the 1970s.