I learned about a new event this week (new to me anyway). The 16th annual Cinema at the Square starts this weekend and continues for the next three weekends. I’m not sure how this event has flown under my radar for so long, but I’m very excited that it exists. The event takes place at the Palace Theater where the movies are shown on what is allegedly the largest non-Imax screen in the state which is undeniably awesome. The price is equally as awesome sitting at a more than fair $5. If you’re a fan of the movie Grease (which I can’t understand why anyone would be), the event starts Friday night with a so-called Grease Sing-Along. I will most assuredly not be subjecting myself to that, but I will be attending the screening of Citizen Kane on Saturday at 2pm. Normally, I would do a paragraph about the film and why everyone should go see it, but this is Citizen Kane we’re talking about. It’s widely regarded as one of, if not the, best film of all time. There isn’t a thing I could say about it that hasn’t been said by someone much more articulate than I. All I can say is that if you haven’t seen Citizen Kane, you need to find your way downtown on Saturday at 2pm. It’s not terribly often that we get the chance to see such immortal classics on the big screen, so even if you have seen Citizen Kane, you should still get down to the Palace Theater to see it the way it was intended to be viewed. Check back early next week for my review of the event.
Legend at the Cedar Lee
Saturday, August 3, at 11:59pm
Synopsis: Ridley Scott’s visually stunning action-fantasy stars Tom Cruise as a mystical forest dweller who must battle the Lord of Darkness.
Do you like Tom Cruise, fantasy movies, unicorns, or Satan? Then you’ll love Legend. To be completely honest, I had no idea that this was a Ridley Scott film, and I watched this movie dozens of times as a kid. That knowledge really only makes me love it more. Even though legend is a Tom Cruise vehicle (only two short years later he would enter the zone of danger), the role that really stands out is Tim Curry’s performance as the Lord of Darkness. I saw Legend at a pretty young age, so the image my mind projects when I think of Satan is the version in Legend. This seems to be a common string through Curry’s career because I think of him anytime I think of clowns or transvestites. If you’re in the mood for a little whimsy and a LOT of Tangerine Dream music, ride your unicorn down to the Cedar Lee on Saturday night.
The Last Waltz at the Capitol Theater
Tuesday, August 6, at 7:30pm
Synopsis: Director Martin Scorsese’s concert documentary about The Band’s farewell performance is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year and is still considered one of the best concert documentaries ever made.
I’ve seen this movie more times than any other movie in existence. I watched it nearly every weekend when I was a kid, and now I watch it about every two months. If I had to choose my favorite movie, this one would be very high in contention. I actually have a hard time writing just a small paragraph about The Last Waltz because I feel like I could write a doctoral dissertation on the subject. It is one of my earliest musical and cinematic influences and by far the most potent in either direction. Clearly I’m incredibly biased toward this film, but I would argue that it is the best documentary (certainly the best concert documentary) ever made. Some might say the Woodstock movie deserves that honor, but those people are wrong. I’ve never seen The Last Waltz in the theater, and I am incalculably excited to have that chance next Tuesday. If you want to hear a bunch of random trivia about the production of this movie, look for me on Tuesday night. I’ll be the six foot tall gentleman with a Lincoln beard who looks as excited as a tween girl at a Twilight premiere.
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