L.A. is the greatest place on earth to watch movies. Here are this week’s best picks.
1) The French Connection/To Live and Die in L.A. at the Aero (FRIDAY 3/10, 7:30pm)
As part of the American Cinematheque’s tribute to director William Friedkin, the Aero is screening this killer double feature of two of the director’s best films. Friedkin will be signing his new book in the lobby beforehand and will appear between films for a Q&A. From The French Connection‘s legendary, still unbeaten car chase to To Live and Die in L.A.‘s pure ’80s Wang Chung-scored soundtrack, these two crime flicks help define the genre in their respective decades. Gritty and uncompromising, The French Connection was the first R-rated film to win the best picture Oscar. To Live and Die in L.A. remains one of the quintessential Los Angeles stories and is a personal favorite of mine. Buy your tickets here.
2) The Third Man at Cinespia (SATURDAY 3/11; GATES 7PM, MOVIE 8:30PM)
Cinespia kicks off their new season of cemetery screenings with Carol Reed’s masterpiece, The Third Man. As they’ve been doing for more than a decade, each Saturday night Cinespia screens a different classic on the lawn of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The dark corridors and shadowy streets of post-WWII Vienna were never more ominous than in this film, which stars Joseph Cotten and a scene-stealing, iconically evil Orson Welles. Bring a picnic and some strong Viennese brews for this kick-off to summer. Buy your tickets here.
3) Strictly Ballroom at the New Beverly (SATURDAY 3/11, MIDNIGHT)
In preparation for Baz Luhrmann’s newest filmic extravaganza The Great Gatsby (review here), revisit his first and best film, 1992’s Strictly Ballroom at the New Bev Saturday night. Chronically one dancer’s attempts at a championship, the film is both traditional in its approach to dance, as well as a little over-the-top. Strictly Ballroom established Luhrmann’s signature stylistic excess as well as is love of brash, impulsive romantics and dazzling spectacle. Buy your tickets here.
4) Winged Migration at the Billy Wilder Theater (SUNDAY 3/12, 11AM)
Screened as part of their Family Flicks series, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents Winged Migration with free admission. The producers raised all the birds in the film from chicks, breeding them in captivity specifically to chart their migration. Winged Migration represents unparalleled access into the habits and quirks of these birds. It’s an invaluable document of their lives, as well as a thrilling insight into the beauty and power of nature. Screened in 35mm. Free admission.
5) Leviathan at Laemmle Theaters (opens FRIDAY 3/10, RUNS ALL WEEK)
Critics are hailing this immersive, audio-visually groundbreaking documentary as one of the best films of the year, and something of a head-trip. It’s total non-narrative, opting instead to blast your senses with the sights, sounds, and even smells of a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s like “Deadliest Catch” screened in a sensory deprivation chamber. The sound of the waves crashing against the hull, the screech of a flock of seagulls, the grunts of the crew working in unison: these are the elements that make up Leviathan. You can catch it this week only at two Laemmle locations. Buy your tickets here.
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If you make it out to any of these screenings, let us know how it went in the comments section. Happy viewing, Los Angeles!
