Friday, Dec. 26

Cinefamily’s Truth & Soul, Inc.: The Films of Robert Downey, Sr. begins its final hurrah with Greaser’s Palace at 7:15 p.m. Allan Arbus stars as the Christ-like Jesse, who makes a powerful enemy during a quest to Jerusalem. Rather than sit idly by and bemoan the fact that the acid Western hadn’t played the silver screen in years, theater head Hadrian Belove and co. decided to strike a new 35mm print of their own. (The film plays daily through Tuesday.) Full details may be found at cinefamily.org.

You wouldn’t know it from Exodus: Gods and Kings, but Ridley Scott used to craft darkly beautiful movies. As evidence, we humbly submit the Nuart’s midnight screening of Blade Runner on 35mm — though, full disclosure, this is the original theatrical version, which includes Harrison Ford’s pained narration. Los Angeles has rarely been given such original treatment as in this noirish Philip K. Dick adaptation, which stars Ford as a retired detective tasked with hunting down rogue replicants (synthetic humans). More information is available at landmarktheatres.com.

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Between 1959 and 1970, Howard Hawks made a loose trilogy of Westerns starring John Wayne: Rio Bravo, El Dorado and Rio Lobo. Between 7:30 at night and 3 o’clock in the morning, the New Beverly is playing the lot of them. Besieged sheriffs and guns-for-hire abound in all three films, the last of which was Hawks’ final outing as director. (The program repeats on Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.) Visit thenewbev.com for full details.

Saturday, Dec. 27

If three Westerns aren’t enough for you, head back to the New Bev for two more: James Hogan’s Desert Gold at 6 p.m. and William Wyler’s The Westerner at 7:30. Hogan’s film, which clocks in at just under an hour, concerns (you guessed it) a white man searching for a Native American tribe’s hidden gold. Wyler’s stars the strong, silent Gary Cooper as a drifter who crosses paths with the noose-happy judge of Vinegaroon, Texas. For more, ride into thenewbev.com.

And what will be left of them? The Poseidon Adventure

And what will be left of them? The Poseidon Adventure


Sunday, Dec. 28

Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine and Shelley Winters are but a few of the actors who go down with the ship in The Poseidon Adventure, which you may remember as the source material for the (ahem) disastrous 2006 remake starring Kurt Russell. The Egyptian is screening the original, much more well-received film at the usual start time of 7:30 p.m., but arrive early for visual displays and a toast to Ronald Neame’s aquatic classic in the lobby prior to the screening (you can even dress up). More at americancinemathequecalendar.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Quentin Tarantino’s three-month reign as full-time curator ends with what we’ll call New Bev’s Eve: The Poseidon Adventure (yes, the same one, again) at 7:30 p.m. and More American Graffiti at 9:55 p.m. George Lucas was too busy with the Star Wars franchise to direct the sequel to his classic high school movie, but Ron Howard came back anyway. Cutting among four New Year’s Eves (1964, ’65, ’66 and ’67), the film serves as an update on what became of the soon-to-be college freshmen from the original. Full details can be found at thenewbev.com.

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