Summer is here! Like the rest of the world, the Philadelphia Film Society has been bitten by the genre-bending, blues-driven spectacle that is Ryan Coogler’s unforgettable ‘Sinners’. The film has sparked enthusiasm for studio films that champion original, important, and entertaining stories with a bleeding edge —a must see if you haven’t checked it out yet.
This May, thousands and thousands of professionals in the film industry are off to the French Riviera for the annual Cannes Film Festival to wine, dine and, of course, watch world premieres of films from legendary and first-time filmmakers from around the globe. Like previous years, what premieres to cheers and jeers at Cannes will surely be a hot topic of debate for the film enthusiast and curious.
Over at PFS, the team is gearing up for our own sun-soaked outdoor screenings across Philadelphia with community partners and even some spooky screenings in the famous Laurel Hill cemetery.
‘Movies on the Block’ and ‘Cinema in the Cemetery‘
For nearly 10 years, PFS has been working with community partners and organizations to bring outdoor screenings to Philadelphia neighborhoods every summer. Rather than just sit around until the sun goes down, our Movies on the Block screenings are a full curated day of events and activities put on by fellow neighbors and community leaders. From Chinatown to Germantown, six Movies on the Block events will occur across the city. In addition, we are once again partnering with Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery to screen ‘Eraserhead’ and ‘Death Becomes Her’ amongst the mausoleums and tombs. Check out Filmadelphia.org for dates and locations.
‘Lady in a Cage’
Every weekend, PFS lets our freak flag fly with our monthly After Hours series; featuring the best (and sometimes worst) eerie, odd, and horrifying films from around the world. We have dedicated May’s line-up to some of cinema’s most notorious moms. One to look out for is the criminally underseen ‘Lady in a Cage’ (Walter Grauman, 1964) about no-good beatniks, led by the ferocious James Caan in his debut role, invading the home of a doting, well-to-do incapacitated mother literally stuck in her gilded cage. It’s an intense and shocking ride despite being over 60 years old. Playing at the Film Society East on May 12 and 25.
‘Rolling Thunder‘
A lot of the films that make up our monthly Film Essentials series are often bona fide classics of the film canon or challenging austere works of true auteurs and visionaries. That may not necessarily apply to John Flynn’s ‘Rolling Thunder,’ but Flynn’s miraculously lean and mean action-revenge saga from 1974 should be considered among the pantheon of ‘70s action films. A disillusioned, near silent, Vietnam POW (William Devane) and his ride-or-die buddy (Tommy Lee Jones) take matters into their own hands when a local crime kingpin decides to mess with the wrong SOB. Thanks to Exhumed Films for providing the 35mm print of this action classic. ‘Rolling Thunder’ plays May 22 at the Film Society Center.
‘Eight Hours Don’t Make A Day‘
The late and prolific German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder would have been 80 years old on May 31 this year. In celebration of his birthday and impact on cinema at large we are screening his rarely exhibited ode to the working class saga ‘Eight Hours Don’t Make A Day’ in its entirety (roughly 8 hours).
Known for his constant reinvention of the often unfairly maligned melodrama, Fassbinder took an assignment and ran with it when he explored all facets of the everyday struggles and triumphs of the proletariat. If that isn’t your speed, we also have six other titles from Fassbinder in June ranging from sci-fi to erotica. ‘Eight Hours Don’t Make A Day’ plays May 31 at the Film Society East.
‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?‘
Two of Hollywood’s greatest movie stars and their egos collide in one of the most ridiculous yet poignant films of all time. Even better, at the June 7 screening we will be graced with the presence of the grandson of Joan Crawford, Casey LaLonde, as he dishes the tea and shares insight into what truly happened on the legendary set of the film. Our good friend Rosalie Kicks, founder of MovieJawn magazine and Baby Jane stan, will be moderating the talkback with LaLonde. ‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?’ plays at the Film Society East on June 4, 7, and 24.
NOW SHOWING is a monthly column courtesy of the Philadelphia Film Society. Trey Shields is Director of Year-Round Programming and Senior Festival Programmer at the Philadelphia Film Society.
