American Cinematheque’s Sizzling September Series

Greg Vellante

The American Cinematheque is a staple of L.A.’s cinema scene. Each month, the non-profit, viewer-supported organization offers a wide array of repertory programming ranging from genre marathons, to director retrospectives, to special premieres of the newest films.

With two theatres to their name – the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica – the American Cinematheque is “dedicated exclusively to the Public Presentation of the Moving Picture in all its forms.” With affordable tickets (and even more affordable yearly memberships) to these two gorgeous theatres, in addition to a great selection of cinematic offerings month after month, the American Cinematheque is a must for film lovers or those searching for big screen offerings that aren’t normal box office fare.

The month of September brings some great titles, directors, speakers and special guests to the American Cinematheque. The month opens with a retrospective of director Robert Wise entitled “The Many Sides of Robert Wise: A Centennial Tribute.” Wise is best known for his Oscar-winning helming of classics such as West Side Story and The Sound of Music, the latter of which will be playing this series on September 6th at the Aero Theatre. This film, and the majority of films on this schedule, are scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM on their respective nights.

The Sound of Music is preceded by two double-features focusing on Wise’s venture into various genres, also taking place at the Aero Theatre. Firstly, a dash of horror will hit the screen with a double feature of the director’s The Haunting (1963) and The Body Snatcher (1945) on the 3rd, and a sci-fi double of Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and The Andromeda Strain (1971)on the 5th. Sandwiched between these two double features is actor Steve McQueen’s only Oscar-nominated performance, in 1966’s The Sand Pebbles, also directed by Wise. The Robert Wise series wraps up on the 11th with a gritty crime drama double feature at the Egyptian Theatre featuring the director’s collaborations with actor Robert Ryan, The Set-Up (1949) and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).

Beginning that same evening at the Aero Theatre is a two-night appreciation of master director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s work made just before his death in 1996, most notably his Three Colors trilogy. This acclaimed trilogy will play over the two nights, with a double feature of Blue (1993, starring Juliette Binoche) and White (1994, starring Julie Delpy) on September 11th, concluding with Red (1994) the next night. Red will be followed by the director’s 1991 effort The Double Life of Veronique, both films starring actress Irène Jacob, who won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance.

The final series of the month brings a celebration of comedy legend Carl Reiner, kicking off with not only a double feature for the director, but for actor Steve Martin as well, with the duo’s collaborations The Jerk (1979) and The Man With Two Brains (1983) playing on September 13th at the Aero Theatre.

Reiner starred in Norman Jewison’s Cold War satire The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! in 1966, and was also co-creator of the historic Dick Van Dyke Show. The Russians Are Coming! will play on the 14th at the Aero Theatre, followed by three episodes of Dick Van Dyke which all feature Carl Reiner. A double feature of Reiner’s teen comedies Summer School (1987) and Sibling Rivalry (1990) will play at  the Aero on the 19th.

The Carl Reiner series will conclude with Reiner himself gracing the Aero Theatre to sign copies of his new book I Just Remembered. He will also introduce his autobiographical directorial debut Enter Laughing from 1967, which will be followed by 1969’s The Comic, which stars Dick Van Dyke as an aging silent clown. This special book signing and double feature will take place on the 20th, with doors at 6:30 PM.

Other highlights of the month include a plethora of options. John Waters’ Female Trouble (1975) will feature special guests – comedian Fred Armisen and musician Harper Simon, both of whom are big fans of the cult film. Martin Scorsese’s documentary on The Band’s 1976 farewell tour, The Last Waltz (1978) will play September 20th at the Egyptian, and will be followed the next night with the popular Beatles movie, A Hard Day’s Night (1964).

September 20th, catch the  60th Anniversary showing of A Star is Born (1954) with an introduction by James Mason’s grandson and Randy Schmidt, author of Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters, who will be signing copies of his book beforehand in the lobby at 6:30 PM. This month of movies wraps up at  Aero on the 27th with a double feature of director James Gray’s recent collaborations with actor Joaquin Phoenix, The Immigrant (2014) and Two Lovers (2008).

For schedule updates and a full line-up of September events, visit www.americancinemathequecalendar.com.