I skipped Martin’s first foray, having no interest in the idea and no longer trusting him as a film comedian. I heard nothing good about it, so I was even more surprised to hear there was a sequel, The Pink Panther 2, which I ignored in theaters for the same reasons. I decided to review the Blu-ray set, expecting to savage the film, for purely selfish reasons since it came with an extra disc filled with Pink Panther cartoons. To my delight and surprise, I enjoyed it and was reminded to try something before automatically condemning it.
The story tells the tale of the cat burglar known as the Tornado, who has stolen treasures from countries around the world. An international team of detectives (Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, and Yuki Matsuzaki) is formed with France’s representative being Clouseau to the great chagrin of his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese taking over for Kevin Kline). Sonia Solandres (Aishwarya Rai), a writer about the Tornado’s exploits, also joins the team. Clouseau bumbles along, leaving a good wake of destruction and damage, yet solves the mystery in an admittedly convoluted manner.
Although definitely geared towards a young audience, The Pink Panther 2 is surprisingly funny with all its silliness, from exaggerated accents to elaborate slapstick. There’s a wonderful and possibly complicated bit involving the juggling of wine bottles I hope was real and not CGI augmented. As a fan of the Sellers films, I was glad to see a sequence that paid homage to the Clouseau/Kato fights.
The film is a throwback to early Hollywood comedies and is good for the whole family, except maybe teenagers who are too cool for anything. My 15-year-old niece Sobrino Mono, who had already seen the film gave me a one-word review, "retarded," and had no interest in seeing it again. Ten-year-old nephew, Sobrino Poco Loco, found the film funny and thought it had a good story, particularly because he was able to solve the crime, which shows the film got him thinking.
The video is presented in 1.85:1. The high definition transfer showed fine details in the foreground, such as the texture of fabrics, but the cinematographer used a limited depth of field, causing most backgrounds to be slightly out of focus. The colors were bright and consistent although flesh tones leaned toward pink. Unfortunately, the green-screen effects, especially when driving or when the skyline was altered, were obvious and distracting.
The audio is available in English in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital. The dialogue is clear, including the exaggerated accents, and positioned in the center. The surrounds and subwoofer are put to serviceable use without being overdone, although they are not called to do a lot. Henry Mancini’s classic theme is a natural standout.
The Special Features include a Gag Reel, which was slightly over three minutes but not very funny; “Drama is Easy…Comedy Is Dangerous” (HD), a look at physical comedy and stunt work, “A Dream Team Like No Other” (HD) focused on the cast. There was also a trivia game: "Master Life – Global Crime Showdown!" The participants need to answer two out of three questions related to an item and location before moving on to the finale with questions about movie. There is also a digital copy of the movie.
Even people who dislike the movie surely can’t be dissatisfied with the standard DVD of Pink Panther cartoons. It is the first disc from The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection and was also released as a single DVD entitled Vol. 1: Pranks in the Pink. In chronological order, it presents the first 27 Pink Panther cartoons, including “The Pink Phink,” Oscar-winner for Animated Short Subject. The creative team can be seen trying to get a handle on the character as the normally mute cat speaks in “Sink Pink” and “Pink Ice.” Although they started as theatrical cartoons, some have a laugh track from television airings, like “Pink Blueprint.”
The combination of material makes The Pink Panther 2 a good choice for the family.]]>
A very young sailor (Roddy McDowall) helps Thorndike hide from the Nazis aboard a ship that takes him to London. Soon after docking, Thorndike is discovered and is chased by a group of men led by Mr. Jones (John Carradine), but a chance meeting with Jerry (Joan Bennett), a prostitute, though her occupation is only hinted at because of the film censors of the times, keeps him one step ahead of his pursuers for a while. Thorndike is tracked down by Quive-Smith and the hunters have it out.
Man Hunt starts off as an intriguing adventure film, but the middle third really bogs down as the poorly constructed romantic angle is played up. This is unfortunate as the film’s pacing was already slow to begin with due to its age. The action elements return for the last third and salvage the film, but it’s a tough slog and I’d recommend skipping ahead chapters to the viewer who gets bored.
Based on Geoffrey Household’s novel, which first ran as a serial in Atlantic Monthly, Man Hunt was directed Fritz Lang, who made classic films belonging to the German Expressionism movement, such as Metropolis (1927) and M (1931). He had firsthand knowledge of the Nazis and left Germany in 1934. The film, which was shot in 1940 before America’s involvement in WWII, encourages the viewer to join the fight against them.
The video is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The audio is defaulted to mono, which pursuits will enjoy, and there is a stereo option as well. The music is by Alfred Newman, Randy’s uncle.
There are a few Special Features included. Patrick McGilligan, author of Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast, delivers a very informative commentary track. The main focus is on Lang’s history, his directorial style, and the differences between book and film. “Rouge Male: The Making of Man Hunt” presents a number of critics and historians talking about the film. The “Restoration Comparison” offers a side-by-side comparison of film transfers and the restoration done. The film looks good, but there are still some occasional flaws in the image. The remaining features deal with advertising and artwork.
Man Hunt is best suited for fans of 1940s films because it may not hold the attention or interest of a modern-day audience.
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After breaking some colleagues out of jail in 1933, Dillinger naturally goes back to doing what he does best: robbing banks with his gang. The FBI takes an interest in the Midwest crime wave, in part so the agency to make a name for itself. Director J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) assigns Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), who recently ended Pretty Boy Floyd’s criminal career, and sends him off to Chicago to work with a group of novice agents.
Dillinger is both crafty and lucky as he evades the dragnet for a time. However, by drawing the feds to Chicago, he gets on the wrong side of local gangster Frank Nitti, who wants to see Dillinger disappear more than Purvis does. Their mutual interests result in a fateful night outside Lincoln Park’s Biograph Theater.
Public Enemies fails on a number of fronts and its two-hour-plus runtime accentuates them. The screenplay and the film should have cut scenes that repeated ideas without moving them forward as well as a few others that were simply forgettable.
One major problem is neither main character is worth rooting for, and some of the fault is because both lead performances are so subdued they border on being flat. Dillinger is shown to be bold and brash, taking what he wants, like coat-check girl, Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who becomes his girlfriend. However, their romance creates no sparks on screen. Purvis suffers from a similar recklessness in pursuit of Dillinger, yet he hardly registers much emotion when his decisions cause his men to be killed.
Dillinger is meant to be a sympathetic figure, but it doesn’t work. During a bank robbery early on in the story, he tells a customer to keep his money because they only rob banks. Apparently this is supposed to be a noble gesture, but it’s really just a PR move that everyone is too dumb to grasp since he is stealing all the other customers’ money. He also never wants to kill anyone during his crimes and quickly turns on cohorts who do, such as his brief yet deadly liaison with Baby Face Nelson.
The film is shot Mann shot by Dante Spinotti with high definition cameras, which at times become extremely apparent in shots with overly bright light sources, like the flares used by the photographers. More than once the film’s look is reduced to that of a home video and dispelling the illusion of the moment. This is odd considering the amount of detail that went into the production design to make everything in the film look authentic.
If you are interested in the history of John Dillinger or a good time at the movies, I suggest looking elsewhere.]]>
Silvertongues are those who have the amazing ability to read a book out loud and have the characters come to life. Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) was unaware that he had this amazing ability when he began reading to his baby daughter. Twelve years later, Mo, a book buyer, is visiting an old bookshop and finds a book that he has long been searching for, Inkheart. When leaving the store, Mo in intercepted by Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) who is seeking his help and warns him that people are looking for him to make him read out loud. Mo takes his daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett) to eccentric great-aunt Elinor’s (Helen Mirren) home in an attempt to elude his captors.
The hooligans don’t take long in tracking them and taking them prisoner. While jailed, Mo explains his gift to Meggie and Elinor. He tells them how he brought the captors to life by reading Inkheart aloud and that when they came out, Meggie’s mother, Teresa (Sienna Guillory), went in. One of the villains, Capricorn (Andy Serkis), intends to keep Mo enslaved so he bring to life anything that he desires. Dustfinger helps Mo, Meggie, and Elinor escape so that Mo can put him back into the book to return to his family. The adventure continues as the group tries to stop Capricorn and save Teresa.
Based on Cornelia Funke’s bestseller, Inkheart is a surprisingly fun action adventure that offers an original story and interesting characters. The movie includes a great cast with Fraser, Bettany, Mirren, and the always-good Jim Broadbent leading the way. Young Bennett is also delightful and holds her own while working with these acting greats.
The video is presented in 1080p High Definition with an aspect ration of 2.4:1. The film uses a limited color palette frequent use of blacks, particularly with the bad guys, that blend together in low light situations. Textures seen in the foreground are clear, but their sharpness falls away in the background. The establishing shots in the mountains become a blur of colors. One problem comes from the poor choice by the costumer to give Fraser a corduroy jacket. When it stays on screen too long in the same shot and position, it causes a slight bit of aliasing.
The audio defaults to Dolby Digital English 5.1, but is also available as Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 as well. It is mixed rather low, and requires the volume cranked up to hear the dialogue. There is minimal surround, mainly just music with a little bit of ambiance, such as the whispers from the books. The front speakers do a good job of placement, such as a train passing by or characters shooting flames on different sides of a hallway. The subwoofer stands out during the Shadow’s appearance at the climactic battle.
The special feature offering is a bit sparse but what is included is worth watching. “A Story from the Cast and Crew” introduces the game “Tell Me a Story” that viewers can later play with friends and family. Funke starts the game by providing the first sentence of a story, the members of the cast and crew then each adds a sentence to complete the tale. “From Imagination to the Page: How Writers Write” gives Funke the opportunity to discuss the inspiration behind Inkheart. “Eliza Read to Us” is a passage from the book not in the movie read by Bennett and illustrated by Funke. There are also deleted scenes. A second disc offers a digital copy and a DVD version.
This is one of the best family films that I have seen in a long time. After making the huge mistake of taking my nephew to The Taking of Pelham 123, it was nice to watch a wholesome movie that provides exciting action with no blood, gore or cursing. It is sentimental without being overly sappy and has a story that will entertain children and adults. If you didn’t get a chance to see it while it was in theaters, make a date with your family to enjoy it now. ]]>
As one who doesn’t believe in a god you would think I was sitting here with pen in hand taking notes and gearing up to trash whatever was presented to me on this DVD. Well, you’re wrong, and I’ll tell you why with one simple word, truth. This archeological documentary isn’t trying to prove that what is written in the Bible is pure fact; it actually investigates how this book came to be and the history behind it.
Biblical archeologists and scholars piece together artifacts along with the written word not to defame the book but to get a clearer understanding. Like Homer’s Iliad or the writings of Tacitus the Roman historian, the Bible has historical facts, but how much is true and how much is embellished is hard to decipher. Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman roam through the past from Megiddo to Jerusalem to the museums of today to seek artifacts that help put this mysterious puzzle together. Along with others scholars who have studied the people of the past, they assist in unearthing the stories that have come together and created the text know as the Bible.
Piecing together the past is like wandering through a dark cave with a cheap lighter, but with each spark the writing on the walls begins to tell the story. The journey begins with the most important biblical site in Israel, Megiddo, which is still being excavated today. Here, Finkelstein checks the written record with the record written in stone. Layers of rocks hide a city built upon a city which was built upon another city and so forth. Beneath all the dirt and rock are artifacts such as tools, pottery, and clay tablets with the primitive form of writing. These objects tell the tale of life and how it was lived at the time period for each successive city. This is where fact and the embellishments there of, collide.
One example of this collision would be the journey of Abraham from the city of Haram to Canaan. There is no question to the fact that Abraham parted from his people and ended up in Canaan, but is it plausible he came out of Mesopotamia? To research this, Neil Silberman transverses history by reading the clay tablets, which along with the artifacts mentioned before, bring into existence a broader view of what actually was happening. From what records show migration at the time of Abraham came out of Canaan and into Mesopotamia.
Another example of this collision is Moses and the Exodus. It is true that Egypt conquered the people of Israel for it was recorded on a large stone tablet with all of Egypt’s other conquests of the time, but it is the only mentioning of the Israelites in the whole of Egypt’s written history. This is odd because Egypt only mentions Israel once where the Bible mentions Egypt about seven hundred times. Though the Bible’s timeline or what scholars consider to be the biblical timeline, may be off by a century this doesn’t mean the exodus didn’t occur, but here is where embellishments comes into play. The biblical account says 600,000 weapon-bearing men left Egypt and if you include women and children and older men, scholars translate this to being about two million people. At this time Egypt only had three and a half million people in country, so one would think two million of them just leaving would result in a huge down turn economically and socially, disrupting the Egyptian Empire drastically. Yet there is no evidence outside of the Bible to show this. Scholars know a lot about this time period and so to not even see a blip on the radar from any other cultures written record is very odd.
This DVD isn’t to prove or disprove the Bible or to mock any religious belief, but what it does do is reminds us all that any story, no matter how old or how new can be flavored by the historian who is writing it. This is a great documentary for those truly interested on the history of the Bible for it separates the known facts about the Bible from the embellished tales like the walls of Jericho. Yes, there was a Jericho, and the Israelites did take over the city, but at the time it happened Jericho had no walls and the people, afraid of the oncoming Israeli army fled the city days before it was captured. As the old saying goes, the winners write the history.
]]>Spaceballs may have already "gone to plaid," but now it's making the jump to Blu. Spaceballs the movie (not to be confused with Spaceballs the animated series, Spaceballs the breakfast cereal, Spaceballs the flame thrower or Spaceballs the toilet paper) is now available on Blu-ray.
Sci-fi parodies (particularly ones that pinpoint Star Wars and Star Trek as their main targets) are a dime a dozen, but Spaceballs stands out as one of the best and as one of Mel Brooks' funniest films.
While many of the pun-based jokes and more vulgar gags in the film play pretty broad, there's greatness in the more subtle aspects of the parodying. For instance, after learning that George Lucas was inspired to create Chewbacca based on his dog, Brooks created his equivalent of Chewbacca in Barf, a literal half-man, half-dog ("I'm my own best friend").
The 4th-wall-breaking meta-humor in the film is fantastic, whether it's in watching the main characters' stunt doubles getting captured by mistake or seeing Brooks as Yogurt hawk all the fake merchandise for the film ("where the real money from the movie is made"), this is where Spaceballs truly shines. The scene in which Dark Helmet and Colonel Sanders watch Spaceballs on VHS while it's still being filmed ("you're looking at now now") is a stroke of comedy genius.
A true highlight of the film is any scene featuring Rick Moranis, who, along with playing Louis Tully in Ghostbusters, gives one of the funniest performances of his career as the hilariously pathetic Dark Helmet. The rest of the cast is great as well, including John Candy (playing Barf the "mog"), Bill Pullman (the Han Solo-inspired Lone Starr), Daphne Zuniga (Druish Princess Vespa), Dick Van Patten (the king), George Wyner (as a Colonel Sanders who's totally unassociated with fried chicken) and Michael Winslow (who you may remember as "the sound effects guy" from Police Academy).
Spaceballs the Blu-ray release contains both a Blu-ray disc of the film as well as a DVD. If you already have one of the previous DVD releases of Spaceballs, there's not a lot of reason here to upgrade, unless you're really antsy to pad out your Blu-ray collection.
The DVD included is identical to the one originally released back in 2000, complete with the same utterly worthless commentary track from Brooks. Seriously, Brooks' commentary track on this disc is one of the worst DVD commentary tracks I've ever listened to. It's a prime example of how not to do an interesting commentary, with Brooks frequently merely describing what characters are doing on the screen, repeatedly calling out the names of everyone who worked on the picture and saying what a joy it was to work with them and offering up many long pauses in which he simply watches the film (some so long that you forget you're supposed to be listening to a commentary track altogether). The only interesting tidbit of information offered up in the course of the entire track is when Brooks states that Rick Moranis completely ad-libbed Dark Helmet's whole "playing with dolls" scene. There, now you have no reason to have to listen to the track at all.
The Blu-ray disc contains a high-definition transfer of the film, but all the bonus material comes directly from the 2005 "Collector's Edition" DVD release, leaving Spaceballs the Blu-ray release a hesitant recommendation for anyone who already owns a copy of the film on DVD from either time it was released.
In the film, Brooks playing Yogurt asserts that the cast will all meet up again in "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money." While a sequel has yet to materialize, the "search for more money" is certainly in effect with this Blu-ray release that offers very little to the fan who already owns Spaceballs on DVD.
A Day of Screenings - June 25, 2009
One can’t be everywhere at once but here are time capsule reviews of what this cinephile went to on this particular Thursday. A day being spent voting on films being shown at the L. A. Film Festival.
REHJE
70 minutes, Directors/Producers: Anais Huerta, Raul Cuesta Writer: Anais Huerta
Part of the DOCUMENTING MEXICO series
The Regent 2:30 p.m.
The main documentary subject is an unhappy Mazhua woman. It is only her voice that is heard throughout speaking in Spanish. Her narration is quite montonal and sounds depressed. The documentary is broken up into various chapters. The bold capitalized text of the chapters are in the Mazhua language, smaller text in Spanish, subtitled in English.
The chapter titles are one word, such as Fear, Home, Aunt, Mother, etc. She narrates over images of Mexico City. The film shows her washing dishes in an apartment. She complains about being a migrant and being abused by her husband, never shown.
She leaves and goes back to her village and has a reunion with her family. She goes back to harvesting wood bundles and remembers why she left in the first place.
Visually stunning at times with the strangeness of village culture, this one is really only for those fascinated with native tribes. The pacing is slow and very depressing.
THE LAST BEEKEEPER
66 minutes, Director: Jeremy Simmons Producers: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
The Landmark 4:45 pm
Part of the DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
This documentary begins with archival footage to bring in context the overall declining population of bees in the last two decades and an increasing demand for California almonds, for which the harvest is dependent of bee pollination. The demand is so large it demands all bees in the United States.
Also noted is the declining numbers of beekeepers in the United States. The director cross cuts the stories of three that must transport their harvest of bees on trucks to California.
The first one introduced is a female beekeeper who follows the footsteps of her mother. They live in the state of Washington where there’s still snow.
The second one introduced is a family man whose wife is the bookkeeper. They have a cute daughter and they live in South Carolina.
The third is actually introduced perusing a gay magazine in front of his partner in Montana. To this beekeeper, the bees come before anything else.
With lingering shots, and with different outcomes, all three must deal with CCD, colony collapse disorder, that have happened in 2008. All will have to deal with hard choices of what to do the next year. This documentary is heart breaking but does show the inner strength of all three and those around them.
BIRDWATCHERS (LA TERRA DEGLI UOMIN ROSSIL)
108 minutes, Director: Marco Bechis Writers: Marco Bechis, Luiz Bolonesi Producers: Marco Bechis, Calo Gueiliane, Fabriano Guiliane, Amedeo Pagini
The Landmark 7:00 pm
Part of INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE Hosted by Red Nation Film Festival and Human Rights Watch
This is a very entertaining and well acted narrative depicting the white Brazilians having frictions with the Guarani Indians. The Guarani find their reservation inhabitable due to mass destruction of the forests and natural wildlife.
Their stoic leader leads them to a field just outside the limits of a Brazilian ranch, of which the owner wants them off. When a young Guarani man chants and prayers with a tribal shaker, he attracts the owner’s daughter. She gets very determined to make him one of her sexual conquests.
There are other subplots with other characters that play out quite believably as well as thought provoking. There is humor here as well and I do highly recommend this picture. Be forewarned that this is not for the squeamish.
OCTOBER COUNTRY
80 min, Directors/Producers: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher
The Landmark 9:45 pm
Part of the DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Meet the Mosher family. Most of them live in upstate New York. They are as dysfunctional as any family has a right to be. There’s the hardened retired policeman. He served in Vietnam and had continued to serve as recently as Operation Desert Storm under the first Bush. He admits to beating up his wife, who shares his love of cigarettes and alcohol.
There’s the daughter who also enjoys booze and alcohol. She also gets into abusive relationships with men. In fact, her daughter’s husband is serving time for child molestation. Though another boyfriend she is raising another daughter. Her current relationship is definitely not pretty. She has a sister who is quite camera shy.
Add to the mix a street kid unofficially adopted by the elder Mosher female. He’s a drug addict and a thief and after a stint in prison, a total drag queen. Last but not least is the elder Mosher male’s sister who is in a world of her own making.
After getting to know them quite thoroughly, there’s a reunion Halloween party. It’s as Grand Guignol as anything seen in fiction. Highly recommended.
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Let’s say you are a Fed hot on the trail of a pair of killers and interviewing the only surviving witnesses. The hitch is two of the witnesses are lying to you to cover their own crimes.
That’s the premise of, “SURVEILLANCE;“ a new messed up thriller by Jennifer Lynch.
Two FBI agents (Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond) are called to rural B.F.E. to investigate a series of grisly murders. The only witnesses are Jack Bennet (Kent Harper) who lost his partner (a fantastic turn by French Stewart) in the carnage. Also, there is Bobbi (Pell James), a coke whore and a traumatized eight year old girl (Ryan Sympkins) who lost her whole family. The three start relating their versions of their experiences. The cokehead claims to have been out on a job interview (really a drug deal), the cop had been investigating tourists with flat tires (that he shot out for fun to harass the drivers). The only real lead they have is the young girl who can only accurately communicate in crayola images. The three met on the highway through a series of coincidences. The agents unravel the stories one by one leading to one of the most shocking conclusions in recent memory.
The first act is a dry, cliché ridden set up. However, the second and third go into overdrive, charged with intensity. This is a VERY dark rural town we have discovered, one where no one is truly innocent. While it does have a few gallons of blood thrown in for good measure, the genius moments are in the lead up to this violence. Without trying to spoil too much, the two bored cops enjoy tormenting passing tourists. This is taken to an extreme and while there is no blood, one can’t help but feeling their innerds being twisted. Considering the history of cops abusing their power, this puts you right into the middle of it. The result is an intense, skincrawling episode that is enough to tempt you into running up the aisle.
Performances are top notch, with the haunting Harper and Stewart leading the pack. Stewart, usually cast as the clown, shows some real chops and you may be seeing him frequently as the heavy from now on. Even the normally vanilla Pullman ignites during the climax to show a range uncommon in his previous roles.
Check out “Surveillance” this weekend, it is a strong alternative to Summer Blockbuster fare. Oh, and Transformers sucks.
]]>That’s the premise of, “SURVEILLANCE;“ a new messed up thriller by Janet Lynch.
TWO FBI agents (Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond) are called to rural B.F.E. to investigate a series of grisly murders. The only witnesses are Jack Bennet (Kent Harper) who lost his partner (a fantastic turn by French Stewart) in the carnage. Also, there is Bobbi (Pell James), a coke whore and a traumatized eight year old girl (Ryan Sympkins) who lost her whole family. The three start relating their versions of their experiences. The cokehead claims to have been out on a job interview (really a drug deal), the cop had been investigating tourists with flat tires (that he shot out for fun to harass the drivers). The only real lead they have is the young girl who can only accurately communicate in crayola images. The three met on the highway through a series of coincidences. The agents unravel the stories one by one leading to one of the most shocking conclusions in recent memory.
The first act is a dry, cliché ridden set up. However, the second and third go into overdrive, charged with intensity. This is a VERY dark rural town we have discovered, one where no one is truly innocent. While it does have a few gallons of blood thrown in for good measure, the genius moments are in the lead up to this violence. Without trying to spoil too much, the two bored cops enjoy tormenting passing tourists. This is taken to an extreme and while there is no blood, one can’t help but feeling their innerds being twisted. Considering the history of cops abusing their power, this puts you right into the middle of it. The result is an intense, skincrawling episode that is enough to tempt you into running up the aisle.
Performances are top notch, with the haunting Harper and Stewart leading the pack. Stewart, usually cast as the clown, shows some real chops and you may be seeing him frequently as the heavy from now on. Even the normally vanilla Pullman ignites during the climax to show a range uncommon in his previous roles.
Check out “Surveillance” this weekend, it is a strong alternative to Summer Blockbuster fare. Oh, and Transformers sucks.
]]>Join members of the Museum's history and science departments for a lighthearted exploration of the "science" behind Hollywood's creature features. You'll discover what makes these creatures and plots implausible off screen, and see some of their "real life" counterparts from the Museum's collection!
June 28th @ 2:00 PM
Screening The Monster That Challenged the World in which an earthquake in the Salton Sea lets loose a horde of angry mollusks and after the movie, stick around for a lively and light-hearted discussion about the movie with Lindsey Groves, Malacology Collection Manager.
July 5th @ 2:00 PM
Screening The Beginning of the End (1957), which finds gargantuan grasshoppers terrorizing the streets, but Entomology Curator Brian Brown is on hand to settle your nerves.
July 26th @ 2:00 PM
Screening The Flying Serpent (1946) where you'll bear witness to Aztec god Quetzalcoatl wreaking havoc after resuscitation by an evil archaeologist. Anthropology Curatorial Assistant Jennifer Saracino illuminates the impossibilities of that scenario, but also reveal cool Aztec facts.
Admission:
Adult - $9
Seniors (62+) - $6.50
Children 13 through 17 - $6.50
Children 5 through 12 - $2
Children under 5 - FREE
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 763-DINO
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