Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Movies return to the Englert this fall!


I am very excited to announce that movies are returning to the Englert screen this fall!

M.C. Ginsberg presents
SUNDAY NIGHT PICTURES

This is something people have been asking for ever since the Englert re-opened in 2004, and thanks to the support of M.C. Ginsberg, we're finally able to make it happen. We have 11 movies lined up, spanning over 60 years of classic film.

Most of the movies are only five bucks at the door (no advance ticketing), and there should be a little something for almost everyone, including a special Family Day early showing of The Sound of Music in November (kids under 12 free!), and an end-of-semester showing of Napoleon Dynamite in December (only $1 for UI students).

All movies will be shown digitally via a DLP projector on our 30-foot screen. Drinks and snacks will be available.

Here is the complete lineup and details:

SEPT 6 - THE GRADUATE - 1967 - PG | 7 PM - $5 | Dustin Hoffman (in his first major film role) turns in a landmark performance as a naïve young man recently graduated from college who is seduced by a middle-aged neighbor (Anne Bancroft). He, in turn, falls in love with her daughter (Katharine Ross). Mike Nichols won a Best Director Oscar, and Simon and Garfunkel achieved immortality with a score that includes "Mrs. Robinson."

SEPT 13 - FIGHT CLUB - 1999 - R | 9 PM - $5 | An insomnia-stricken corporate drone (Edward Norton) meets roguish rebel Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and together they form a cathartic but brutal underground society where men fight each other freely. But the line between reality and sleepless haze starts to really blur when propagandist Durden transforms Fight Club from a group of men rebelling against conformity into a nihilistic cult with greater malice in store. Helena Bonham Carter co-stars.

OCT 4 - THE FRENCH CONNECTION - 1971 - R | 7 PM - $5 | Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman), a foul-mouthed, violent narcotics detective, pursues a suave French drug dealer (Fernando Rey) through New York City with Captain Ahab-like zeal. Director William Friedkin took the provocative stance that both the narcs and the smugglers use similar thuggish ends to get what they need. This thrilling Best Picture Oscar winner (based on a true story) is famous for its riveting car-vs.-elevated-train chase.

OCT 18 - SUPER TROOPERS - 2002 - R | 9 PM - $5 | Bored, occasionally high and always highly ineffective Vermont state troopers Mac (Steve Lemme), Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directed), Foster (Paul Stoter) and Rabbit (Erik Stohlanske) must prove their worth to Governor Jessman (Lynda Carter) -- or lose their jobs. After stumbling on a drug smuggling ring, they plan to make a high-profile bust, but the rival police of Earlville are out to steal the glory in this irreverent comedy. Don't miss the cast LIVE in Nov. 7th's Broken Lizard show!

OCT 25 - EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN - 1987 - R | 7 PM - $5 | Stranded in a cabin in the woods, Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his girlfriend accidentally invoke a spell that causes the Evil Dead to rise and kill! As a lone man pitted against hordes of walking corpses, can Ash survive until the safety of sunrise? Director Sam Raimi's whip-crack direction and Campbell's comedic skills induce hair-raising fear and gales of laughter.

OCT 31 - THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - 1975 - R | MIDNIGHT - $15 - includes prop bag | Come to the lab, and see what's on the slab! This notorious horror parody -- a fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock 'n' roll, among other things -- tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) after they stumble across the lair of transvestite vampire Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a brilliant Tim Curry). Co-presented by Riff Raff Theater.

NOV 8 - THIS IS SPINAL TAP - 1984 - R | 7 PM - $5 | This satire about a fictional heavy metal group named Spinal Tap spoofs nearly every facet of rock 'n' roll -- from vacuous modern songwriting to half-baked album promos to pyrotechnic concerts. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer portray the washed-up, aging British rockers whose tresses and egos outstrip their talent. Chronicling the band's evolution and its calamitous comeback tour is filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner).

NOV 15 - SAY ANYTHING - 1999 - PG13 | 7 PM - $5 | A budding romance between noble underachiever Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and high school valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye) is threatened when Diane's overly possessive, disapproving father (John Mahoney) interferes with their relationship. With a prized scholarship to study abroad hanging in the balance, Diane must find a way to make both men happy. Writer-director Cameron Crowe steers this 1980s teen flick into instant-classic territory.

NOV 22 - THE SOUND OF MUSIC - 1965 - G | 3 PM - $5 - KIDS UNDER 12 FREE! | The hills are alive with the sound of singing siblings and nuns! In Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest collaboration, a feisty postulant named Maria (Julie Andrews) is sent to care for the unruly, motherless Von Trapp children. She soon tames them -- and finds herself falling for their stern father (Christopher Plummer). Oscar-winning director Robert Wise used stunning Austrian locations to transform the stage musical into a cinema classic.

DEC 6 - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE - 2004 - PG | 9 PM - $5 - UI STUDENTS ONLY $1 WITH ID! | This indie favorite follows Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder), a quirky, ninja-loving teenager growing up in the far reaches of Idaho. Napoleon's life gets complicated when his shady Uncle Rico (John Gries) shows up, a shy girl (Tina Majorino) starts showing him some attention & his best friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez) runs for school president.

DEC 20 - MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET - 1947 - NR | 7 PM - $5 | When Santa falls down drunk in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, reluctant Macy's supervisor Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) offers the job to a bearded Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) purporting to be the real Santa! During the Christmas season, he shares a flat with Doris's neighbor (John Payne), who has eyes for Doris. Kris hopes to unite the two while winning over Doris's skeptical 6-year-old daughter (Natalie Wood).