Cinematheque Schedule Highlights for March & April
Another two months have passed, and it's time once again to highlight some of the films on the current schedule of the Cleveland Cinematheque. I thought the last schedule was good, but this new one may be even better.
The big series on this schedule is a Charlie Chaplin retrospective, which will continue on in the next schedule. Some of his biggest hits such as The Gold Rush, The Kid and City Lights will be shown as well as various collections of shorts and less known early films such as The Circus. Dates vary; see the schedule for details.
Weekend of March 4
This coming weekend there are three showings of Julie Taymor's version of The Tempest, featuring Helen Mirren as Prospero. It shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times.
For those who would like a little horror with their Christmas stories, Rare Exports tells what happens when a monstrous 'Santa' is found frozen in a block of ice in northern Finland. Plays Friday and Sunday.
Chaplin: The Circus.
Weekend of March 11
The Academy Award nominated Dogtooth returns for a second engagement. So does Offside, an Iranian film about some young female soccer fans who disguise themselves as boys so they can attend a match. It got rave reviews. The director, Jafar Panahi, is currently imprisoned by the Iranian government for his political views.
Most importantly, the epic Holocaust documentary Shoah will receive a rare screening this weekend. The film consists solely of interviews with survivors of the camps as well as various guards and others. These were interviews were conducted from 1974 to 1985, and the resulting film is widely praised as one of the best documentaries ever on any topic; Ebert has made it one of his great movies. So why is this a rare screening? Because it weighs in at 9 hours and 23 minutes. The Cinematheque will show it in two parts (273 minutes and 290 minutes), one on Saturday night and one on Sunday afternoon. I've already blocked off this weekend and will be skipping my radio show to see this. And yes, this will be the longest movie I've ever seen, but only by about 90 minutes.
Weekend of March 18
I spent the vast majority of my Tuesday nights in college drinking and eating cheap wings at the Euclid Tavern. Virtually the only decoration there was a framed selection of photos from the film Light of Day, which was filmed at the Euc and featured Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett as siblings in a Cleveland rock band. The film returns to Cleveland on the 18th, and will be joined by director Paul Schrader. Since for some reason it's never been released on DVD, this is your chance to see it. Sadly, I can't go.
Chaplin: The Gold Rush.
Weekend of March 25
The Cleveland International Film Festival starts up, so this weekend and next are more or less repeats and old favorites. Psycho is shown here for all you Ed Gein fans.
Weekend of April 1
This weekend, the old favorite is Raging Bull. De Niro and Scorsese, how can you go wrong?
Weekend of April 8
The CIFF is finished, but the classics keep coming with Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen, which as best as I can remember I've only seen on VHS.
Weekend of April 15
On Thursday, April 14, Bill Plimpton appears in person with his film Idiots & Angels.
The new president of the Cleveland Institute of Art has a thing for John Ford, which is one of the reasons they are showing The Grapes of Wrath.
The 2010 release The Strange Case of Angelica is an updated version of the Orpheus tale directed by Manoel de Oliveira, who has the distinction of being the oldest working director at age 102.
Weekend of April 22
Chaplin: The Kid.
In Cell 211 a new prison guard is knocked out on his first day on the job. When he wakes up, he finds out that a riot has broken out and has been left behind by the other guards. He has to pose as a prisoner to survive. Soon to be remade by Hollywood, so see the original Spanish film now.
Weekend of April 29
Chaplin: City Lights.
The big series on this schedule is a Charlie Chaplin retrospective, which will continue on in the next schedule. Some of his biggest hits such as The Gold Rush, The Kid and City Lights will be shown as well as various collections of shorts and less known early films such as The Circus. Dates vary; see the schedule for details.
Weekend of March 4
This coming weekend there are three showings of Julie Taymor's version of The Tempest, featuring Helen Mirren as Prospero. It shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times.
For those who would like a little horror with their Christmas stories, Rare Exports tells what happens when a monstrous 'Santa' is found frozen in a block of ice in northern Finland. Plays Friday and Sunday.
Chaplin: The Circus.
Weekend of March 11
The Academy Award nominated Dogtooth returns for a second engagement. So does Offside, an Iranian film about some young female soccer fans who disguise themselves as boys so they can attend a match. It got rave reviews. The director, Jafar Panahi, is currently imprisoned by the Iranian government for his political views.
Most importantly, the epic Holocaust documentary Shoah will receive a rare screening this weekend. The film consists solely of interviews with survivors of the camps as well as various guards and others. These were interviews were conducted from 1974 to 1985, and the resulting film is widely praised as one of the best documentaries ever on any topic; Ebert has made it one of his great movies. So why is this a rare screening? Because it weighs in at 9 hours and 23 minutes. The Cinematheque will show it in two parts (273 minutes and 290 minutes), one on Saturday night and one on Sunday afternoon. I've already blocked off this weekend and will be skipping my radio show to see this. And yes, this will be the longest movie I've ever seen, but only by about 90 minutes.
Weekend of March 18
I spent the vast majority of my Tuesday nights in college drinking and eating cheap wings at the Euclid Tavern. Virtually the only decoration there was a framed selection of photos from the film Light of Day, which was filmed at the Euc and featured Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett as siblings in a Cleveland rock band. The film returns to Cleveland on the 18th, and will be joined by director Paul Schrader. Since for some reason it's never been released on DVD, this is your chance to see it. Sadly, I can't go.
Chaplin: The Gold Rush.
Weekend of March 25
The Cleveland International Film Festival starts up, so this weekend and next are more or less repeats and old favorites. Psycho is shown here for all you Ed Gein fans.
Weekend of April 1
This weekend, the old favorite is Raging Bull. De Niro and Scorsese, how can you go wrong?
Weekend of April 8
The CIFF is finished, but the classics keep coming with Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen, which as best as I can remember I've only seen on VHS.
Weekend of April 15
On Thursday, April 14, Bill Plimpton appears in person with his film Idiots & Angels.
The new president of the Cleveland Institute of Art has a thing for John Ford, which is one of the reasons they are showing The Grapes of Wrath.
The 2010 release The Strange Case of Angelica is an updated version of the Orpheus tale directed by Manoel de Oliveira, who has the distinction of being the oldest working director at age 102.
Weekend of April 22
Chaplin: The Kid.
In Cell 211 a new prison guard is knocked out on his first day on the job. When he wakes up, he finds out that a riot has broken out and has been left behind by the other guards. He has to pose as a prisoner to survive. Soon to be remade by Hollywood, so see the original Spanish film now.
Weekend of April 29
Chaplin: City Lights.