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/Film LA: James Bond Retrospective in June, ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Midnight Screening and Reunion This Week

Angie Han — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:00:31 +0000

One huge upside to living in Southern California — aside from fantastic weather and plentiful opportunities to stuff your face with In-N-Out burgers– is the thriving film scene that naturally results from being the world capital of moviemaking. Whether you prefer your adventures led by suave British spies or pudgy Italian-American plumbers, the next few weeks have got something for you. Hit the jump for details on a Super Mario Bros. screening and reunion this week and a James Bond retrospective in June.

Coming up first on Saturday, May 26, is the midnight screening and cast/crew reunion of the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. Production designer David L. Snyder will be on hand to introduce the film, and there will be memorabilia displayed in the lobby for fans to ooh and ahh over.

Former cast and crew are also expected to be in attendance, though the Super Mario Bros. Archive (who are hosting) has not named names at this point. The event is one of a series planned around the country; New York-based fans got their own last month and the Super Mario Bros. Archive plan to head to Wilmington, NC and Seattle, WA in June. Admission for the LA screening is $10.50 for general, and $8.50 for seniors and children. Head to SMBMovie.com or Facebook for more info.

As much as I loved the sexy first teaser for Skyfall released earlier this week, it had the unfortunate result of making the wait ’til November 9 seem longer than ever. But Angelenos won’t have to wait quite so long to see 007 back on the big screen. The American Cinematheque organization is screening all 22 Bond films next month at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywod and the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Here are the dates and times, via MI6-HQ.com:

DR. NO / FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Fri, June 8 – 7:30pm
Egyptian Theatre

GOLDFINGER / THUNDERBALL
Sat, June 9 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE / ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE
Sun, June 10 – 5:00pm
Aero Theatre

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER / LIVE AND LET DIE
Thu, June 14 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN / THE SPY WHO LOVED ME / MOONRAKER
Fri, June 15 – 7:30pm
Egyptian Theatre

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY / OCTOPUSSY / A VIEW TO A KILL
Sat, June 16 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS / LICENCE TO KILL
Sun, June 17 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

GOLDENEYE / TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Fri, June 22 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH / DIE ANOTHER DAY
Sat, June 23 – 7:30pm
Egyptian Theatre

CASINO ROYALE / QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Sun, June 24 – 7:30pm
Aero Theatre

Tickets are $11 per for most people, $7 for Cinematheque members, and $9 for seniors (65+) and students. Hit the Cinematheque website for more details.

Watch ‘Sleepless Night’ For FREE on Thursday Night in Los Angeles

Peter Sciretta — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:00:21 +0000

/Film will be co-presenting a free screening of Sleepless Night on Thursday, May 3rd at USC in Los Angeles with our friends at FirstShowing. We first saw this french action film at the Toronto International Film Festival and it blew me away. It’s probably one of the best written contained action thrillers in years. As I wrote in my review:

Night is kind of like Die Hard meets 24 by way of Taken, but never falling into many of the genre cliches set-up by those films.

Alex and I fought hard to present a screening of this film for our readers in Los Angeles. Not only is it a free evening screenin, but we’ll also be hosting a live Q&A with director Frédéric Jardin via Skype (as he’s in France) afterwards. You won’t want to miss this!

Courtesy of Tribeca Film and USC School of Cinematic Arts, we’re hosting the screening at 8:15 PM on May 3rd at the USC’s Ray Stark Family Theatre (George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007). Seating is first come, first serve. To register, all you need to do is submit your name, if you have a guest or not, and basic contact info to: sleeplessnightfilm@gmail.com.

I’ve been told that we’ll have plenty of seats — so tell you action movie-loving friends to sign up! Alex wants me to say that the film runs 1:42 minutes, so you will be out in time to make it to midnight screenings of The Avengers, if you have pre-arranged plans that night. We hope you can make it!

The Official movie trailer (but I’d warn you not to watch it as it contains some spoilers):

‘Serenity,’ ‘RoboCop,’ ‘Clockwork Orange’ Highlight Hero Complex Film Festival May 18-21

Germain Lussier — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:00:33 +0000

The third annual Hero Complex Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, is as star studded as ever. Taking place from May 18-21 at Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, this year’s line up goes from zombies, to cult classics, animation and superheroes. It all begins with Zack Snyder and Robert Kirkman presenting Dawn of the Dead followed by Edgar Wright and Shaun of the Dead. Saturday starts with a digitally remastered version of RoboCop with Peter Weller, A Clockwork Orange with a Malcolm McDowell Q&A and finally the hugely underrated Super with star Rainn Wilson. Then on Sunday, Andrew Stanton will present the Oscar-winning WALL-E, Nathan Fillion will present Serenity and finally there will be ‘An Evening With Stan Lee,’ which will feature a screening that is yet to be announced.

After the jump, find out how you can get tickets and more.

A limited supply of advance tickets are being made available to Los Angeles Times members at a 50% discount starting Wednesday. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10am Thursday, April 26 at latimes.com/herocomplexfilmfest.

Single screenings are $20 a piece and a limited quantity of festival passes will be available $105; includes admission to the entire lineup and the 2012 event poster designed by DC Comics’ co-publisher Jim Lee. There’s more info at herocomplex.com.

This is the festival’s third year and besides showing classic films from the past few decades, the Q&A’s with Los Angeles Times reporter Geoff Boucher are always enlightening and fun. Plus, you never know who else might show up. Simon Pegg for Shaun? Joss Whedon for Serenity? Stanley Kubrick for A Clockwork Orange? Anything is possible. 2Pac did show up at Coachella, after all.

If you can’t make it to LA for this weekend, don’t worry, I’ll be on hand to report on the Q&As if anything massive and exciting comes out of it. Will I see you there?

Exclusive: Zack Snyder and Edgar Wright Bring Zombies to the Hero Complex Film Festival

Germain Lussier — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:05:13 +0000

Does a double feature of Dawn of the Dead with Zack Snyder and Shaun of the Dead with Edgar Wright sound like a good night at out the movies? You bet it does, and we can exclusively announce that’s just the first night of the upcoming, third annual Hero Complex Film Festival presented by the Los Angeles Times. The festival will take place May 18-21 at Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE and the full announcement of the line up and ticket sales takes place at 10 a.m. April 25. Read more after the jump.

In addition to Snyder and Wright, who are presenting their films with seperate Q&A events, Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, will be on hand to do a Q&A. Wright might also bring a special guest.

There will be around eight films shown over the course of the weekend (there are always surprises), all with special guests, all hosted by the Hero Complex’s own Geoff Boucher. I’ve been to the fest for the past two years (you can read my write ups of 2010 here and 2011 here) and it was fantastic both times. Older movies, yes, but fantastic Q&A’s with the likes of Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Warren Beatty and many more. This year promises more of the same.

Check back tomorrow for the full announcement or head to www.herocomplex.com.

Seth Rogen is The Dude in Jason Reitman’s ‘Big Lebowski’ Live Read

Germain Lussier — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:00:17 +0000

Thursday marks the end of Jason Reitman‘s series of live readings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and, for most of us, that’s a relief. It’s a relief because we can finally stop being insanely jealous of the small group of people who’ve gotten to experience these incredible events which will never be released to the public. There’s still one to go, though, and it really ties the room together.

Of course, the final live reading is Joel and Ethan Coen‘s The Big Lebowski, one of the most beloved films in recent memory. And while no one could match the perfection the Coens achieved with their casting, Reitman will bring his own unique and fun actors to the material. At the top of the list, Seth Rogen as The Dude, originated by Jeff Bridges. Who’s playing Walter, Donnie, Maude, The Jesus, Bunny, Brandt, Jackie Treehorn and more? Find out after the jump.

Thanks to Entertainment Weekly and Jason Reitman’s Twitter for the following info.

Because the script has so many roles, most of the actors will be playing multiple parts. Here’s just a few of the announcements as Reitman likes to save a few for the event itself.

Rainn Wilson will play Walter, originated by John Goodman
Hank Azaria will play Donnie, originated by Steve Buscemi. He’ll also play the P.I. Da Fino and Karl Hungus.
Nick Kroll will play The Jesus, originated by John Turturro. He’ll also play Jackie Treehorn and Tony the chauffeur
Fred Savage replaced Patton Oswalt and will play Brandt, originated by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’ll also play Smokey and the cop who finds The Dude’s car. He, Kroll and Azaria will together be the Nihilists.
Christina Hendricks will be Maude Lebowki, originated by Julianne Moore.
Catherine Reitman will by Bunny, originated by Tara Reid.

Seriously, how awesome is that?

Reitman previously did readings of The Breakfast Club, The Apartment, The Princess Bride, Shampoo, and Reservoir Dogs. All of these, including tonight’s, have long since sold out. But there will be a stand by line beginning any minute now at LACMA.

Here’s the poster for the event, created by Matt Owen and curated by Gallery 1988.

The poster will be on sale to the general public and you don’t need a ticket. Any leftovers will be on sale at the G1988 Tumblr.

/Film Has Your Ticket To See ‘John Carter’ In IMAX 3D, For Free, On Monday March 5

Germain Lussier — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:00:01 +0000

How confident is Disney that fans are going to love the world and story director Andrew Stanton has created with his sci-fi, fantasy epic John Carter? They want to send Los Angeles area /Film readers to see it, in IMAX 3D, for free.

The screening takes place 7:30 p.m. Monday March 5 at the AMC Universal CityWalk Stadium 19, which is one of only two true IMAX screens in Los Angeles. How can you go? Simple. You RSVP after the jump.

If you live in the Los Angeles area and can make the screening, simply send an e-mail to wds.events.rsvp@disney.com with your full name and guest’s name. Yes, you get a plus one. Disney will then send you a confirmation Sunday night with additional details.

As you can imagine, the theater will be slightly overbooked to insure a sell out. (/Film isn’t the only site participating; Badass Digest and Collider are hosting too.) So once you get a confirmation, be sure to arrive early as the theater will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

Risking coming off like a braggart, I’ve see John Carter twice and can happily confirm it’s a massive, entertaining ride that got better on a second viewing. It’s dense – Stanton designed it that way – but the action scenes and visuals are way above what you’re used to seeing in the standard, run of the mill sci-fi epic. It has some issues, but those are better left for discussing after you see the movie. Because you should see the movie. I just hope we get to see the sequel.

That might happen if you see the movie, hopefully enjoy it, and tell everyone what you think.

So RSVP (wds.events.rsvp@disney.com) with your full name, as well as your guest’s name, and then you’ll be heading to Barsoom before you know it.

Also, check back later today for my one-on-one video interview with star Taylor Kitsch, followed a few days later by director Andrew Stanton.

Note: While the film will be show in IMAX 3D, it wasn’t shot in IMAX. It’s just a much bigger image with much better sound. And the 3D is really good.

Jason Reitman’s LACMA ‘Reservoir Dogs’ Reading Will Feature All-Black Cast

Germain Lussier — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:43 +0000

Our apologies. Even if you live in Los Angeles, posting about Jason Reitman‘s awesome live readings at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is torture. The casts are so fantastic, the projects so good and yet it’s virtually impossible to go because they sell out so quickly. In fact, they sell-out weeks before the script or cast is even announced.

I was lucky enough to see The Princess Bride a few months back with Paul Rudd, Mindy Kaling, Patton Oswalt and returning cast members Cary Elwes and Fred Savage. Reitman has also done The Apartment with Natalie Portman and Steve Carell, The Breakfast Club with Aaron Paul and Jennifer Garner and more. It’s super-impressive.

The penultimate reading, long sold out, happens February 16 and it’s Quentin Tarantino‘s Reservoir Dogs. That by itself is insane. But instead of simply casting alternative famous people to play roles actors like Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth made famous, Reitman and co-curator Elvis Mitchell decided to change the entire race of the project. They’ve selected an all-black cast. Read the list after the jump.

For Mr. Blonde, originally played by Michael Madsen, Reitman has cast Terrence Howard.
For Mr. Pink, originally played by Steve Buscemi, he’s cast Anthony Mackie.
For Mr. Orange, originally played by Tim Roth, he’s cast Cuba Gooding Jr.
For Nice Guy Eddie, originally played by Chris Penn, he’s cast Anthony Anderson.

And for Mr. White, originally played by Harvey Keitel, he’s cast…we don’t know yet. The Entertainment Weekly article leaves that role open for debate at this point, along with others like Mr. Brown (originally played by Tarantino), Joe, the cop Marvin Nash and the radio DJ originally voiced by Steven Wright. Odds are, Mr. White will be the biggest name of the bunch as Reitman likes to save one big name for last. My guess? Morgan Freeman.

If you live in Los Angeles, there will be a stand-by line for this but odds are it’ll start early and only a few of those people will get in. Head here for more info. Ahead head over to EW, who broke the news, to read Reitman’s quotes on the event.

Frequent Darren Aronofsky Composer Clint Mansell to Make Rare Live Appearances in LA

Russ Fischer — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:11:00 +0000

Many many years ago, when he was part of the band Pop Will Eat Itself, Clint Mansell was no stranger to the stage. But in the years since he has become a man who primarily scores films, his live appearances are few and far between.

That changes in 2012 as Mansell, with the Sonus Quartet, will play two LA shows timed to promote the release of the music for Massy Tajedin‘s film Last Night. The performances won’t feature only that score; they’ll also include pieces of his scores for Darren Aronofsky’s films such as Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain, and hopefully from the score for Duncan Jones’ film Moon.

More info is below.

Here’s the info from the website for Largo, the venue that will host two shows on April 4 and 5. Tickets are only $30 for each, and so they’ll probably go fast.

Composer Clint Mansell will play two intimate LA shows to celebrate the release of his score to Last Night, Massy Tajedin’s New York fidelity drama.

During his first ever live shows in the US, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated Mansell and the Sonus Quartet will perform selections from the score, as well as performances of his other works which includes scores for Darren Aronofsky movies. Milan Records will release the score for Last Night on digipak CD and limited 180g vinyl on March 27.

Seats will be assigned beginning at 6pm, Doors open for drinks at 7pm, Showtime 8pm.

[via First Showing]

Alamo Drafthouse Among Companies Vying For Renovated LA Theater

Germain Lussier — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:00:31 +0000

The Alamo Drafthouse has been planning on expanding into New York and Los Angeles for well over a year. To date, nothing has been finalized but a new report by The Wrap says they’re one of three companies in the running to occupy a Westwood theater that’s currently under renovations to include six screens with food and drink options. Has Alamo found their Los Angeles Drafthouse? Read more after the jump.

The theater in question, according to The Wrap, is the former AMC Avco Center 4 which closed in December and is located on Wilshire Blvd. It’s about to undergo a “multimillion-dollar renovation, and offer food and drink service for seated patrons” including two new screens. That would make it the only multiplex of its kind in Westwood, right around the corner from the campus of UCLA.

According to the report, three companies are competing for the lease: Cinepolis, the Alamo Drafthouse and iPic Theaters. The Wrap’s sources say that Cinepolis, a Mexican-based company, is the leader.

A Drafthouse representative said “We don’t have any news to share for an LA expansion at this time.”

An announcement is expected later this week so until then, we can’t say for sure, but it seems like this won’t end up as an Alamo Drafthouse. The best news for Los Angeles filmgoers is that the Alamo Drafthouse was in the running and is still out there, pounding the pavement and trying to find a location in the area to bring their awesome brand of filmgoing.

Also, as a reminder, there’s an Alamo Drafthouse currently being build in Littleton, Colorado plus, the company did their top ten films of the 2011 and you can read it at that link.

It’s no small task to open a movie theater, let alone one that serves food and, more importantly, booze. That raises a whole other issue that has to be taken care of in additon to everything else. The Alamo Drafthouse has all the problems of a major restaurant, bar and movie theater rolled into one.

Do you think that Westwood location is a good one for a potential Drafthouse or do you hope they show up somewhere else?

/Film LA: The Studio Ghibli Collection Runs January 26-February 12

Germain Lussier — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:00:38 +0000

So-Cal Studio Ghibli fans jealous that New Yorkers got to see new prints of these classic animated films projected on the big screen won’t have to wait long to get their turn. The Studio Ghibli Collection makes its way to Los Angeles, at both the Egyptian and Aero Theaters, from January 26-February 12.

Fourteen films produced by Ghibli: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984),Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), The Ocean Waves (1993), Porco Rosso (1992), Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001),The Cat Returns (2002) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), will screen both in their original language with subtitles as well as dubbed Englis for younger audiences. Find out how to get tickets and more after the break.

Links to tickets for the films can be found on the American Cinematheque website, which runs both the Egyptian and Aero. There they give a brief background on Studio Ghibli:

Studio Ghibli, founded in Tokyo in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is one of the most successful and well-respected animation studios in the world. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors, animators and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s films have been praised for their originality, dazzling animation and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture, and have garnered worldwide acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki’s SPIRITED AWAY won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, and in 2005 Miyazaki was named one of “the most influential people” by TIME magazine.

Several of the films above have never played theatrically in North America and these are all brand new prints. I saw the Porco Rosso print in Austin last month and it was breathtakingly beautiful.

If you’re not in Los Angeles though, don’t fret. This retrospective will play in other cities in the coming months. You can read more about it on the GKIDS website. Also, don’t forget, Mondo is doing posters timed to several of these. My Neighbor Totoro is already sold out but next up is Porco Rosso.

Source: First Showing

/Film LA: The Wayne Federman International Film Festival Featuring Garry Shandling, Doug Benson, Kevin Pollak And More

Germain Lussier — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:30:58 +0000

Los Angeles film goers get a little more spoiled this week as the Cinefamily is hosting The 1st Annual Wayne Federman International Film Festival. Federman is one of those classic “that guy” actors everyone knows and he came up with the idea to get a bunch of famous stand-up comedians to pick films that inspire them, introduce, screen and talk about them. So that’s what going to happen starting Thursday. The line up is pretty insane. How about:

Garry Shanding introducing The King of Comedy
Margaret Cho introducing Darling
Paul F. Tompkins introducing Topsy Turvy
Doug Benson making fun of Cocktail
Kevin Pollak introducing The In-Laws
Andy Kindler introducing Modern Romance

The festival runs from January 12-14. For information on all the films, and to buy tickets, head to the Cinefamily’s official website.

Edgar Wright Announces Schedule for “The Wright Stuff III: Movies Edgar Has Never Seen” Program at New Beverly Cinema

Angie Han — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:32 +0000

Last month, we tipped you off to an unusual project by director Edgar Wright. In his third round of programming for the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, California, Wright decided to make the theme “Movies Edgar Has Never Seen” — and enlisted the help of famous filmmaker pals and fans alike to guide him in picking films he’d never seen, but had always wanted to watch on the big screen.

He’s now made his selections, with suggestions from people like Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro, Judd Apatow, and Harry Knowles, and they represent a great mix of genres, tones, eras, and so on. Get the schedule for the program, which runs December 9-16, and read some of Wright’s comments after the jump.

In his blog, Wright wrote a bit about why he was inspired to fill a schedule with movies that were new to him.

I hope in my time I have never chastised anyone for not seeing a movie. Neither am I a big fan of the phrase “I can’t believe you haven’t seen…” accompanied by an exaggerated expression of surprise… I basically believe that you can’t be late to a party if the party never stops.

Everyone has gaps in their film knowledge and I am no exception. I have seen god knows how many movies, but sometimes your programming is done for you, based on your location, your income, your age, your proximity to decent cinemas, access to technology etc. I can thank the BBC in Merry Old England for giving me the gift of seeing every single Hammer Horror growing up, but conversely still need to brush up on my Ozu.

When I make up OCD lists of movies I must see, I find that many of my missing classics are ones that I want to see on the big screen. No matter the size of your TV or how cool your home theatre set up is, there’s magic to had at the movies with a decent crowd.

As someone who gets the “I can’t believe you haven’t seen” rant quite a bit, I agree with Wright’s sentiments 100%. And while I don’t have the means to catch up on my movie knowledge in a big theater, I’m glad that Wright does, and that he’s opening that experience up to other film fans. Here’s the schedule — all screenings are double features (i.e., two films for one ticket) unless otherwise noted.

Friday, Dec. 9: Rock & Roll All Nite (double feature plus midnight screening)
7:30 PM – The Girl Can’t Help It (suggested by Joe Dante and John Landis)
9:40 PM – Get Crazy (suggested by Quentin Tarantino)
Midnight – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (ticket sold separately)

Saturday, Dec. 10: Stone Face vs. Little Tramp vs. Uncle Claude (triple feature)
7:00 PM – Steamboat Bill, Jr. (suggested by Judd Apatow)
8:40 PM – Modern Times (suggested by Bill Hader)
10:40 PM – The Bank Dick (suggested by Judd Apatow)

Sunday, Dec. 11: Far Out & Far East
7:00 PM – The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (suggested by Harry Knowles)
9:00 PM – Kwaidan (suggested by Guillermo Del Toro and John Landis)

Monday, Dec. 12: The New Romantics
7:30 PM – The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (suggested by Edgar Wright)
9:30 PM – Chungking Express (suggested by Quentin Tarantino, Bill Hader, Greg Mottola, and Daniel Waters)

Tuesday, Dec. 13: Rise and Fall and Rise and…
7:30 PM – White Heat (suggested by Edgar Wright)
9:55 PM – Throne of Blood (suggested by John Landis)

Wednesday, Dec. 14: Farewell John, Hello Sam
7:30 PM – The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (suggested by John Landis)
10:00 PM – Ride the High Country (suggested by Joe Dante)

Thursday, Dec. 15: Hangdog & Underdog
7:30 PM – To Be or Not to Be (suggested by John Landis and Joe Dante)
9:40 PM – The Bad News Bears (suggested by Bill Hader and Doug Benson)

Friday, Dec. 16: Noir is the New Black (double feature plus midnight screening)
7:30 PM – Hickey & Boggs (suggested by Quentin Tarantino and Daniel Waters)
9:50 PM – Cutter’s Way (suggested by Daniel Waters)
Midnight – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (suggested by Kevin Smith; ticket sold separately)

Head to Wright’s blog for more details, including his comments on his selections and links to buy tickets for the screenings.

Edgar Wright Has Never Seen These Movies, Pair Them Up For Four Nights In Los Angeles

Germain Lussier — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:00:55 +0000

Edgar Wright‘s latest epic project has him partnering with Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Bill Hader, Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, Greg Mottola, Harry Knowles, Rian Johnson and, probably, several of you.

Like all of us, Wright has a bunch of classic and cult films he’s never seen. Unlike all of us, he has the means to see them for the first time on the big screen and will do just that in December at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles during Films Edgar Has Never Seen. The director of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World asked both his famous friends (some of which are listed above) and fans to send in their personal must see lists and, from those titles, Wright came up with one mega list from which he’ll pick a few movies to watch December 9-16.

After the jump check out the list and find out how to give Wright your input on what to screen.

The list first came from Wright’s blog, Edgar Wright Here, and was also featured on Ain’t It Cool News. He’s already settled on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension to screen at midnight and, if Gone With the Wind gets picked (it should) it’ll be the only thing that screens that night. Other than that, Wright wants fans to pick their dream double features from this list. It goes from the films with the most votes (Ichi the Killer) to least (The Westerner.)

To give your own input, head over to Edgar Wright Here. Here’s the list.

ICHI THE KILLER

GONE WITH THE WIND (Suggested by Bill Hader)

THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKEROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION

CHUNGKING EXPRESS (Suggested by Greg Mottola, Daniel Waters & Bill Hader)

MODERN TIMES (Suggested by Bill Hader)

PRINCESS MONONOKE

THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (Suggested by Rian Johnson & Bill Hader)

THRONE OF BLOOD (Suggested by John Landis)

TOKYO DRIFTER

ALL ABOUT EVE

BARFLY (Suggested by Josh Olson)

HARVEY (Suggested by Joe Dante)

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Suggested by Bill Hader)

BREAKING AWAY (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

DEFENDING YOUR LIFE

SHERLOCK JR (Suggested by John Landis)

STALKER

SUICIDE CLUB (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

THE BAD NEWS BEARS (’76) (Suggested by Doug Benson & Bill Hader)

BATTLE OF ALGIERS (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

CUTTER’S WAY (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP

THE OLD DARK HOUSE (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

PORCO ROSSO

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

ROMAN HOLIDAY (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

STAR ‘80 (Suggested by Jason Schwartzman & Bill Hader)

TALK TO HER

2046

5000 FINGERS OF DR T. (Suggested by Harry Knowles)

THE AWFUL TRUTH

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (’46)

BOB LE FLAMBEUR

CAPTAIN BLOOD (Suggested by Harry Knowles)

CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER

F IS FOR FAKE

HIGH AND LOW (Suggested by Rian Johnson)

JULES AND JIM (Suggested by Bill Hader)

THE OTHER (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

TWO FOR THE ROAD

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (Suggested by Joss Whedon & Bill Hader)

A FACE IN THE CROWD (Suggested by Bill Hader)

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

THE CHINA SYNDROME

CALIFORNIA SPLIT

CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (Suggested by Bill Hader)

COME AND SEE (Suggested by Larry Karaszewski)

GET CRAZY (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

GOKE, BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

HUD (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

IMITATION OF LIFE

KIKUJIRO

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (Suggested by John Landis)

NIGHTS OF CABIRIA

PARK ROW (Suggested by Joe Dante)

POSSESSION (’81) (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

THE QUIET MAN (Suggested by Bill Hader)

RED BEARD (Suggested by Bill Hader)

SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE

THEY SHOOT HORSES DON’T THEY?

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG

THE UNKNOWN

BABY DOLL (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

THE BAD SLEEP WELL

THE COURT JESTER (Suggested by Joe Dante)

DOGS IN SPACE

FORTY GUNS (Suggested by Bill Hader)

KICKING AND SCREAMING (Baumbach) (Suggested by Joss Whedon)

KITTEN WITH A WHIP

KRAMER VS KRAMER (Suggested by Bill Hader)

THE LION IN WINTER

LOS OLVIDADOS (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN

THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN’S CREEK (Suggested by Bill Hader)

MIKEY AND NICKEY (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

A NEW LEAF (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

ONE, TWO, THREE (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

QUACKSER FORTUNE HAS A COUSIN IN THE BRONX

SAHARA (Suggested by John Landis & Harry Knowles)

SCARECROW (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

STEAMBOAT BILL JR – (Suggested by Judd Apatow)

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (Suggested by John Landis, Joe Dante)

TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

ZABRISKIE POINT: NB – I have seen the final scene stoned many times.

800 BULLETS (Suggested by Larry Karaszweski)

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES

BALL OF FIRE

THE BANK DICK (Suggested by Judd Apatow & Bill Hader)

BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA

BURN (Suggested by Daniel Waters & Larry Karaszweski)

THE CABIN IN THE SKY (From Harry Knowles)

THE CONFORMIST (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

DESPERATE (Suggested by Joe Dante)

DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE (Suggested by Daniel Waters, Larry Karaszweski & Greg Mottola)

ELITE SQUAD

FADE TO BLACK (Suggested by Julia Marchese)

FEAR IS THE KEY

THE GAMBLER

HE WHO GETS SLAPPED

HOLIDAY

HOW THE WEST WAS WON (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

JUDEX

THE KREMLIN LETTER

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (’34) (Suggested by Rian Johnson)

MONGOL (Suggested by Harry Knowles)

MR. VAMPIRE

LA NOTTE (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (’63) (Suggested by Doug Benson)

OUR HOSPITALITY

PATTON (Suggested by Larry Karaszewski)

THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

THE RED SQUIRREL

RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY

SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR

SHARK SKIN MAN AND THE PEACH HIP GIRL

SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER (Suggested by Bill Hader)

SILVER STREAK (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN

STRAY DOG (Suggested by Bill Hader)

THE TALL T

TERROR OF TINY TOWN

THAT SUMMER

TIMES SQUARE (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

TOPSY TURVY

UNDERWORLD U.S.A

URGH! THE MUSIC WAR (Suggested by Jason Schwartzman)

VENUS IN FURS

WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?

A COLT IS MY PASSPORT

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (Suggested by Joss Whedon & Joe Dante)

BEDLAM (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

THE BIG GUNDOWN

BIG JAKE (Suggested by Larry Karaszewski)

BONJOUR TRISTESSE

THE CHALLENGE

CODE UNKNOWN

THE COWBOYS (Suggested by Josh Olson)

CRAZED FRUIT

DANCING OUTLAW

DAYS OF BEING WILD

DEPARTURES

DON’T MAKE WAVES

THE DREAMLIFE OF ANGELS (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

FEMALE CONVICT: 701 SCORPION (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

FORTRESS (’85)

THE GIRL ON THE BRIDGE

GOING IN STYLE (Suggested by Josh Olson)

GUNGA DIN (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

HICKEY AND BOGGS (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino & Daniel Waters)

HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

HOUR OF THE WOLF

INHERIT THE WIND

THE INFORMER (Suggested by Bill Hader)

INTERSTELLA 5555: THE 5TORY OF THE 5ECRET 5TAR 5YSTEM

IRMA VEP

IT’S A GIFT (Suggested by Joe Dante) NB: Have seen this, but want to see it again!

IVAN’S CHILDHOOD

JOHN AND MARY (Suggested by Larry Karaszewski)

KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

KWAIDAN (Suggested by Guillermo Del Toro & John Landis)

LANDSCAPES IN THE MIST

THE LATE SHOW (Suggested by Daniel Waters & Josh Olson)

LAST SUMMER (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

LIQUID SKY

LOLA (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

MAN’S FAVOURITE SPORT

MAUVAIS SANG (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

MATADOR

MEET JOHN DOE

THE MIRACLE WORKER (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

MIRAGE

MOROCCO (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

NIGHTMARE ALLEY (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER

NINOTCHKA (Suggested by Bill Hader)

OPENING NIGHT (Suggested by Jason Schwartzman)

PEPI, LUCI, BOM

THE PUMPKIN EATER (Suggested by Greg Mottola & Daniel Waters)

QUAI DES ORFEVRES

RED RIVER (Suggested by John Landis & Bill Hader )

ROAD HOUSE (’48)

THE SCHOOL OF HOLY BEASTS (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

THE SERVANT

THE SHANGHAI GESTURE (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

SOME CAME RUNNING (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

TESIS (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

TOPKAPI (Suggested by Harry Knowles)

TO BE TWENTY

TWENTIETH CENTURY (Suggested by John Landis)

VAMPIRE CIRCUS

THE WAR GAME

BEAT THE DEVIL

EASTERN CONDORS (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

EL DORADO (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

FORCE OF EVIL

GIANTS AND TOYS (Suggested by Greg Mottola)

THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT (Suggested by Joe Dante)

THE IN LAWS (’79) (Suggested by Doug Benson)

J.W.COOP

KISS ME STUPID

LORD LOVE A DUCK (Suggested by Daniel Waters)

ON DANGEROUS GROUND (Suggested by Joe Dante)

THE PROFESSIONALS (Suggested by Harry Knowles)

RETURN FROM THE ASHES (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

THE WESTERNER (Suggested by Quentin Tarantino)

What would you love to sit and watch with Edgar come December?

GALLERY: Mondo’s Los Angeles Mystery Movie Series Recap Including Posters

Germain Lussier — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:00:09 +0000

There’s something incredibly exciting about the phrase “anything is possible.” Waiting for something that could be anything is an exercise for your imagination. That infinite possibility, coupled with wild speculation and prediction, is ninety percent of the fun of Mondo’s Mystery Movies.

Mondo, as you may know, is the ever-growing poster boutique associated with the Alamo Drafthouse. In April Mondo began a project called Mystery Movies. People buy a ticket for a movie that won’t be announced until they’re in the theater. That is coupled with a limited edition poster that will only ever be available at the event. So imagine buying a ticket to one of these things and speculating what it could be. You throw out suggestions with your fellow attendees, laughing at wild ones and nodding at more likely ones. Finally, you sit down for the film and all is revealed. Does it live up to your expectations?

After two events in their hometown of Austin, Texas, the Mondo Mystery Movie hit the road for the first time ever featuring six different mystery movies over one weekend at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. What were the films? What did the posters look like? What was the experience like? And did the event live up to our wildest expectations? Find out after the jump.

Here are the posters that were released. Read about each one and their movies below.

Friday night, and every night through this past weekend, the line at the New Beverly began hours early. Poster collectors lined up early just to hang with fellow collectors and engage in some wild speculation. At that point, predicting the films was impossible. Mondo’s tastes run the gamut from brand new blockbusters to 1930s classics. Same goes for the poster artists. The sky was the limit.

Once everyone was seated Justin Ishmael, Mondo’s creative director, described how this weekend came about. Mondo sent an e-mail to all their artists and asked for their dream list of movies. Each person sent back about 10. After crossing off movies that are too big or too obvious (Blade Runner, Ghostbusters, etc.) the lineup started to come together. To that end, it’s announced that tonight is horror night.

Mondo Mystery Movie III – Friday October 7. 7:30 p.m. 28 Days Later by Danny Boyle

Trailers: Brain Dead, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead 2, Dawn of the Dead, Zombie

I’m not going write reviews of these movies because we’ve seen them all. Instead I’ll talk about the experience of seeing them in this way. So, for example, watching Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later on the big screen again really made me appreciate how far digital filmmaking has come in a decade. Boyle’s film was shot on early digital video and while the movie still plays like a dream, it looks incredibly dated for a movie made fairly recently. Awesome movie, Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson are amazing in it and the visual aesthetic works for the story. But, set it against any $2000 DV film made today and there isn’t a comparison.

The Poster: An 18 x 24 by Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard and titles by Jon Smith. Ishmael said this would be the last zombie poster Adlard ever did and it’s masterful. However, the Mondo team couldn’t decide on which design was better so they just decided to print them both. One in an edition of 80 the other an edition of 180. Fans were given their choice of one or the other.

Mondo Mystery Movie IV – Friday October 7. 10 p.m. Hellraiser by Clive Barker

Trailers: The Fog, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Jason X, Candyman, Night Breed, Lord of Illusions

Apparently, film prints of Hellraiser are pretty much impossible to come by. However, Mondo (or the New Beverly, it was unclear) was able to track down a collector who had one and shipped it in special. The print was gorgeous, first run quality, and seeing this film on the big screen with an audience was a much more rewarding experience than any home viewing one I’ve had.

The Poster: A 24 x 36 by German artist Florian Bertmer, a huge horror fan, who is an even bigger fan of Hellraiser. Done in an edition of 245 and variant of 70.

Saturday began with a bit of an unexpected twist. Famous film critic Leonard Maltin showed up to the New Beverly adding another piece to the mystery puzzle. Unfortunately, Maltin didn’t quite understand the nature of the whole mystery thing and tweeted out the name of the movie well in advance of the screening. Some were able to avoid it, but the news spread like wildfire. Before Justin could even explain why Maltin was there, we all knew.

Mondo Mystery Movie V – Saturday October 8. 7:30 p.m. The Iron Giant by Brad Bird

Trailers: It’s Tough to Be a Bird, The Great Mouse Detective, The Aristocats, Family Dog (a short film by Bird, produced by Steven Spielberg)

Maltin introduced this now classic animated film and explained how Warner Bros. screwed up its release before the movie eventually found its audience on home video. He was confident seeing it on the big screen was a totally different experience. He was right. Bird’s visuals and humor just soar in 35mm and while I’d always liked the movie before, I fell in love once again on the big screen.

The Poster: A 24 x 36 beauty by Kevin Tong done in a regular edition of 245 with the split giant and variant of 70 of the fully good giant. Just a stunning piece of work.

Mondo Mystery Movie VI – Saturday October 8. 10 p.m. Assault on Precinct 13 by John Carpenter

Touted beforehand as a kind of 35th anniversary screening, Ishmael announced Saturday’s poster would be used for a new Blu-ray release of the film. Executive producer Joseph Kaufman brought his own archival print to the theater along with star Austin Stoker and they did the introduction, talking a little about the history behind the movie and their memories of it. Then it was time to roll.

Trailers: Vigilante Force, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Mad Max, The Warriors

Assault is a movie I hadn’t seen in a long time so it was like watching it all over again. It was undeniably entertaining but you can tell this is early Carpenter. The film makes little to no sense in parts and features some terrible performances. Still, Carpenter’s score and flair for action really keep it moving and cool. A fun, flawed, film.

The Poster: A 24 x 36 by the super popular Tyler Stout. Attendees got to take home one of 245 variant editions of the poster and, unlike all the others posters, non-attendees will have a chance to buy the regular edition when the new Blu-ray is released. No word on when that will be.

Mondo Mystery Movie VII – Sunday October 9. 7:30 p.m. The City of Lost Children by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The final day of Mondo Mystery Movies at the New Beverly Cinemas began with screenwriter Josh Olsen. He wrote A History of Violence, the currently filming One Shot and was on hand to introduce the first film. Why? I still don’t know. But he was obviously a huge fan of the film at hand, which was touted as a blend of all the films we’d already seen. Plus, he and Ishmael said the movie was only ever on a handful of U.S. screens so chances are very few people had seen the movie it was meant to be seen: On the big screen.

Trailers: Zabriskie Point, Yellow Submarine, Delicatessen, Amelie

The City of Lost Children is one of those films that had been sitting on my Netflix queue for a long ass time so I was elated it played. It’s a gorgeous film with some charming performances and ideas but it feels slightly uneven. There are so many oddball characters to follow and you expect all their stories to run together in inventive ways. Some do, others don’t and while the film feels magical at times, at other times its a head-scratcher. The audience wasn’t totally in like the other films, but the experience was rewarding nonetheless.

The Poster: A 24 x 36 by Ken Taylor with a variant edition of 70 and regular edition of 245.

Mondo Mystery Movie VIII – Sunday October 9. 10 p.m. The Mist by Frank Darabont

Incredibly depressing, a bit long and fairly recent, The Mist might seem like an odd choice for a Mondo Mystery Movie. But the reasons why it played as the final film of the weekend overshadow those. It’s one of Ishmael’s favorite films of the past decade, it’s directed by Frank Darabont, who will be the next director to get his own Mondo Director’s Series. The character Thomas Jane plays is based on legendary artist Drew Struzan who, after doing a Mondo print for Frankenstein, will continue his relationship with company. His next print will be the painting Jane’s character is working on in the first shot of the movie: Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Yes, you read that right. Drew Struzan is doing a Dark Tower poster for Mondo. Onto the movie.

Trailers: Carrie, Cujo, Dead Zone, Children of the Corn, Creepshow 2, Pet Semetary, Graveyard Shift, The Mangler, The Green Mile

I feel The Mist is one of the most underrated films in the past several years because the ending overshadows the rest of the movie. Darabont’s third Stephen King adaptation is right in the same league as The Green Mile, and a step or two below The Shawshank Redemption, which isn’t quite bad. There are some scary creature effects and upsetting social messages but the ending of the film is such a downer, you walk out of the theater only feeling that. You totally forget about the tense, thrilling ride you’ve enjoyed before that. It’s the film’s Achilles heel. Talk about a depressing, but some how fitting, ending to an awesome weekend.

The Poster: Daniel Danger did an absolutely stunning, 9 color screenprint. It’s an odd size, 16 x 31, but you could stare at this thing for hours.

And just like that, the first six Los Angeles Mondo Mystery Movies came to a conclusion. Ishmael said he’d like this to be an annual thing and the crowed cheered. It was a great time for film fans and poster collectors alike.

/Film LA: Academy and LACMA Plan Long Needed Movie Museum; Grauman’s Chinese Theatre To Be Renovated

Germain Lussier — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:00:53 +0000

As strange as it sounds, Hollywood – the place all people think of when they think of movies – doesn’t have a centralized place to commemorate and celebrate the industry that keeps the city alive. Tourists can see parts of film history by visiting various movie studios or Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but there is no ultimate movie museum filled with the history of the business. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been trying to rectify this problem for decades to no avail. A new development might have changed that though. The Academy has just signed an agreement with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to put a real movie museum in Los Angeles.

Before that happens though, one of the most famous movie destinations – the aforementioned Grauman’s Chinese Theater - is also undergoing a major change: a $2 million renovation that includes a new restaurant and more. Read more about each film destination after the jump.

The Wrap first broke the news of the agreement between the Academy and LACMA which should start the ball rolling on a museum. Here’s the official wording:

The Academy’s Board of Governors joined their LACMA counterparts in agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding to work in good faith in establishing the Academy’s movie museum in the historic May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. The memo paves the way for the two organizations to discuss details of a future contract and for the Academy to begin developing plans for fundraising, design, exhibitions, visitor experience, and modifications to this historic site.

Confusing, I know. But here’s the gist. The Academy has been trying to find a place to put a major movie museum for some time and now but haven’t been able to afford it. This new deal helps solve that problem because teaming with LACMA means they will house the museum at one of their pre-existing structures. As for the agreement itself, it means that a formal contract can soon be signed to do actual work: fundraising, construction, etc. But that’s all a ways off. There are more details at The Wrap but, basically, this is a significant first step in the establishing of a movie museum in Los Angeles.

The Grauman’s Chinese News is not nearly as big, but it is fitting that the announcement happens on a day when Hollywood might finally get moving on a movie museum. Most tourists flock to Grauman’s as the epicenter of Hollywood because of the Walk of Fame outside, the star hand prints in the courtyard and the possibility of seeing a movie premiere. The theater itself was sold back in May and the new owners are currently spending about $2 million to add a restaurant and party rooms so that the almost weekly movie premieres housed there might stay in the theater once the movie is over. You can read more about it at the Los Angeles Times.

There’s already plenty for a film fan to do in Los Angeles but it seems like it’s just going to get better.

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Cool Stuff: Images From Quentin vs. Coens Round Three

Germain Lussier — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:00:57 +0000

No matter what the judge’s score cards say about who won Quentin vs. Coens Rounds One and Two, the real winners are us. We, once again, get to enjoy awesome art based on the films of Quentin Tarantino and The Coen Brothers.

After two successful shows in New York and San Francisco, Spoke Art is pitting the Quentin against Coens one more time in Los Angeles this weekend. Quentin vs. Coens Round Three will be on display on October 1 and 2 at the Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles. After the jump, see a whole bunch of images from the show and get all the specific information on how to attend.

Thanks to Poster Shizzle for many of these images.

The show itself is open from 6-11 p.m. Saturday October 1 and noon-5 p.m. Sunday October 2 at the Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. Visit http://www.beyondedenartfair.com/ and http://spoke-art.com/ for more info.

Anyone in LA going to check this out? You know I’ll be there.

And if you can’t make it to Los Angeles, keep an eye on Spoke-Art.com and all their social media for release dates on the prints and more.

The Mondo Mystery Movie Comes to Los Angeles: 3 Nights, 6 Movies, 6 Posters

Germain Lussier — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:00:21 +0000

The Mondo Mystery Movie is a simple concept. Blindly buy a ticket for a movie with the promise that not only will you see a cool movie, but you’ll get a limited edition poster that will never be sold anywhere else. The catch is, you don’t know what the movie or poster is until you sit in the theater.

Mondo has already done two successful Mystery Movies in their hometown of Austin, TX which turned out to be Akira and Jurassic Park. Now, they’re taking the show on the road as they’ll present three straight nights of Mondo Mystery Movies at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on October 7, 8, 9. That’s three nights, two different movies each night for a total of six movies and six posters. Wow. Read more after the jump.

According to Mondo’s Blog, tickets for these screening will go on sale September 13 and they’ll announce more info via the @MondoNews Twitter. I’m sure the @newbeverly Twitter will have info as well.

Usually movies at the New Bev are $7 for two but you can be sure these will be almost 5-10 times that price because the ticket includes the price of a poster. Price aside, the question becomes does Mondo adopt the New Beverly “Double Feature” mantra and sell one ticket for two movies each night or will each movie be a separate admission? Either way, all that info will come out Tuesday morning.

(Or maybe Monday night. Mondo is hosting some kind of special event at the New Beverly on Monday September 12. No word on the details, but they will reportedly be announced at noon that day.)

I’m so excited about this I might literally lose sleep over it. What will the movies be? How fast will ticket sell out? Can I go to more than one night? I need info! How about you?

Image: The Tattler

‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ Gets Midnight Residency at New Beverly in Los Angeles

Germain Lussier — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:08 +0000

Someone must have put in a cheat code because Scott Pilgrim vs. The World just got unlimited lives. Though you can watch Edgar Wright‘s awesome adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley‘s comic book anytime you want on Blu-ray, or cable for that matter, the film will now play on the big screen every single month at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, CA.

The theater, which is co-owned by Quentin Tarantino (and had Wright as programmer for a month last year), is the place Scott Pilgrim had its midnight-movie birth with a series of sold out screenings. Starting in September, the film is starring an open-ended Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque residency. Read more after the break.

The New Beverly made the initial announcement on Twitter but then did an interview with Movieline with a few details. Namely that the first showing is going to be September 23 and that costumes are encouraged.

Though Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was a box office disappointment, making only $48 million worldwide vs a $60 million budget, it has certainly found its audience. The film has continually sold out midnight and repertory screenings in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and more as fans continue to discover the film in various ways. More and more people are realizing it’s a film that grows on you with multiple viewings, encourages fan participation and speaks to a generation of homeless romantic video game and pop culture fans.

What’s great about these midnight screenings, too, is that Scott Pilgrim has such a large ensemble cast, if Edgar Wright can’t show up himself to introduce it – which he has often done – then one of the stars is usually available. For example, this past weekend Wright was introducing the film in San Francisco so Mark Webber, who plays Stephen Stills, did the same thing in Los Angeles.

Are you still loving Scott Pilgrim? Will you check it out in midnight screenings?

/Film Has Your Ticket to See ’50/50′, One of Peter’s Favorite Movies of 2011

Peter Sciretta — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:36 +0000

I was a huge fan/supporter of Jonathan Levine‘s 2008 film The Wackness, which premiered years ago at Sundance and got dumped at the box office by Sony Pictures Classics. Levine has had some tough luck in terms of distributors — his debut feature, the critically acclaimed horror film All The Boys Love Mandy Lane premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, yet has still never gotten a US release (both theatrically and even on dvd/blu-ray). But as they say, the third times the charm. I saw this film at an early screening a couple months back and it remains one of my favorite movies of the year. And I’m not alone, Germain also agrees.

50/50 (originally titled I’m With Cancer) is an autobiographical story based on the experiences of Will Reiser, a producer on HBO’s Da Ali G Show and VH1′s Best Week Ever. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam, a 27-year-old who is diagnosed with cancer, and his sometimes funny “struggle to beat the disease.” The film, funded with Summit Entertainment’s giant pile of Twilight money, co-stars Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston.

50/50 won’t hit theaters until September 30th 2011, but I’m very happy to be able to give you guys/gals a chance to see it early. /Film is giving out 100 tickets to screenings in:

Austin, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Screenings take place on August 30th (with the exception of Austin, which is on August 29th). Get your tickets now while they are still available. And as with any of these advance screenings, arrive a bit earlier than you normally would to ensure a seat.

SYNOPSIS
Inspired by personal experiences, 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humor in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis in this new comedy directed by Jonathan Levine from a script by Will Reiser.

“We worked with Will on Da Ali G show, and it was shortly after that we learned he was sick.” Rogen recalls. “As shocking, sad, confusing and generally screwed up as it was; we couldn’t ignore that because we were so ill-equipped to deal with the situation, funny things kept happening. Will got better, and when he did, we thought the best way to pull something good out of the situation was to get him to write a screenplay. Ideally we wanted to make a film that would be as funny, sad, and hopefully as honest as the experience we went through. As soon as the script was completed, it quickly became a passion project for all of us. It helped us come to terms with Will’s struggle as well as our own experiences.”

50/50 is the story of a guy’s transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health – drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser’s own experience with cancer and reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers.

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Cool Stuff: ‘Monster Squad’ and ‘Night of the Creeps’ Art Plus Signing and Screening

Germain Lussier — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 01:00:46 +0000

Growing up, I wanted to be a member of The Monster Squad. They were the Ghostbusters but younger, The Lost Boys but living, The Karate Kid but with friends. And they could curse and shoot shotguns. Fred Dekkar‘s salute to childhood and Universal monsters didn’t do too well at the box office, but has since become an all-time cult classic. Fans of the film probably also know that his first movie, Night of the Creeps, enjoys the same kind of underground success and fans of both those films have something very special happening Saturday night in Los Angeles. Something I’m proud to be a part of.

Monster Creeps is a one night only tribute to the first two films of director Fred Dekkar: Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad. It begins at 8 p.m. with a two hour gallery show of art inspired by the film during which Dekkar will a signing. Then, once that’s over, things shift over to a Q&A that I’ll be hosting with the writer/director before an intimate screening of The Monster Squad.

After the jump, check out a bunch of art from the show and read all the information you’ll need to attend. Hope to see you there.

Here’s the info for the event followed by art from the show:

CHOGRIN PRESENTS: MONSTER CREEPS, an art show & tribute to the films by Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps / Monster Squad), featuring art from members of the Autumn Society & other special guests!

FEATURING: An appearance & signing by writer & director Fred Dekker (with purchase of poster)

WHEN: Saturday, August 6th (8pm-10pm)

WHERE: Dark Delicacies ( www.darkdel.com / 3512 W. Magnolia, Burbank, CA 91505 )

SPECIAL SCREENING: A special screening of Monster Squad will be held at the Banshee theater ( www.theatrebanshee.org / 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank 91505 ) with a Q&A moderated by Germain Lussier of Slashfilm.com. The screening stars at 11 p.m. and will be first come, first served.

ART: View the art featured in the show (updated weekly) http://monstercreeps.blogspot.com/p/art.html

MORE ABOUT: Read on how this show came to be http://monstercreeps.blogspot.com/p/about.html

SPONSORED BY: Stange Kids Club (www.strangekidsclub.com) / Fright Rags (www.fright-rags.com) / Dead of Night Radio (deadofnightradio.blogspot.com) / The Autumn Society (www.theautumnsociety.com)

WEBSITE: http://monstercreeps.blogspot.com/

Mouse over each piece to get the artists name. Their websites are at the above link.

And that’s just some of the art. I can’t wait to check it out, talk to Dekkar and watch the movie one more time.