February 7
Remake Disasters
Wings of Desire vs. City of Angels
Wim Wenders original and the Nicolas Cage-Meg Ryan mistake

6:00pm City of Angels audio
8:00pm Wings of Desire audio
10:00pm Wings of Desire audio

What's with American studios wanting to remake perfectly good movies from foreign countries? What gives?

Has there ever been a remake that even approaches the original in its impact and import? If so, please tell us.

On Tuesdays we show two films at once that have some relation to each other; whether by subject, title, actors, or total whimsy. Each film is shown on two screens each. And we switch the soundtrack between each seating. So. If you'd like to watch a specific film come to the screening with that Audio playing and the other film will play in your periphery as it enters your thick subconscious.

Normally we alternate soundtracks between each seating. But the thought of subjecting an 8pm audience to a rotten-ass movie gives us the willies. So. If you would like to hear the remake soundtrack, you can come early to the 6pm seating.

We begin our series with Wim Wenders' great melodrama, Wings of Desire (1987), starring Bruno Ganz as an angel who sacrifices his wings and eternal omniscience so that he might live a little. And co-starring Peter Falk as a man of many hats.

And then, 11 years later, a director named Brad Siberling, whose only other directing credit was Casper, was given the license to transfer the story from Berlin to Los Angeles, in City of Angels (1998). And thus, it became a love story.

admission: FREE
no reservations necessary, except for parties of 8 or more.

February 21
Remake Disasters
Yojimbo vs. A Fistful of Dollars
Kurosawa's orginal and Leone's "homage"

6:00pm Yojimbo audio
8:00pm A Fistful of Dollars audio
10:00pm Yojimbo audio

What's with American studios wanting to remake perfectly good movies from foreign countries? What gives?

Has there ever been a remake that even approaches the original in its impact and import? If so, please tell us.

On Tuesdays we show two films at once that have some relation to each other; whether by subject, title, actors, or total whimsy. Each film is shown on two screens each. And we switch the soundtrack between each seating. So. If you'd like to watch a specific film come to the screening with that Audio playing and the other film will play in your periphery as it enters your thick subconscious.

Okay. In this case, the remake is its own animal and achieves its own greatness. So. We will make an exception with these remakes and alternate the soundtracks as we usually do.

The release of A Fistful of Dollars (1964) was delayed because Kurosawa and the co-writer of Yojimbo (1961), Ryuzo Kikushima, sued Leone and their studio for breach of copyright. It's the same damn story. Kurosawa won his lawsuit and received 15 percent of the profits from the A Fistful of Dollars. He later said he made much more money from that 15 percent than he did on Yojimbo.

And "yojimbo" means bodyguard in Japanese.

admission: FREE
no reservations necessary, except for parties of 8 or more.

February 28
Remake Disasters
La Femme Nikita vs. The Point of No Return
Luc Bresson's original and Bridget Fonda's stab at it

6:00pm The Point of No Return audio
8:00pm La Femme Nikita audio
10:00pm La Femme Nikita audio

What's with American studios wanting to remake perfectly good movies from foreign countries? What gives?

Has there ever been a remake that even approaches the original in its impact and import? If so, please tell us.

On Tuesdays we show two films at once that have some relation to each other; whether by subject, title, actors, or total whimsy. Each film is shown on two screens each. And we switch the soundtrack between each seating. So. If you'd like to watch a specific film come to the screening with that Audio playing and the other film will play in your periphery as it enters your thick subconscious.

Normally we alternate soundtracks between each seating. But the thought of subject an 8pm audience to a rotten-ass movie gives us the willies. So. If you must hear the remake soundtrack, you must come to the 6pm seating.

If it's a hit in France and plays well as a French film in Amercia, why not make it again a couple years later without subtitles. With Luc Bresson's blessing La Femme Nikita (19990) was remade three years later, as The Point of No Return (1993), by the man who directed Matthew Broderick in War Games.

We are particularly excited to see the differences in intense looks between Bridget Fonda and Anne Parillaud.

admission: FREE
no reservations necessary, except for parties of 8 or more.