Nathaniel BellFriday, Nov. 23
The American Cinematheque purchased a newly struck 70mm print of Lawrence of Arabia from Sony last fall with the intention of exhibiting it a few times each year on the big screen. It's still the best way to see David Lean's stirring intellectual epic, which masterfully blends historical drama with high adventure while offering a multilayered character study. Peter O'Toole is perfection as T.E. Lawrence, the British military officer who helped unite the Arab tribes during WWI. The desert imagery is justly famous, but the film's appeal lies in its nuanced and cumulatively rich portrait of a man who achieves the impossible only to find himself a political and national orphan. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Fri. & Sat., Nov. 23 & 24, 7:30 p.m.; $15. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com.
Jean Harlow in Bombshell; Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, Nov. 27
LACMA's Tuesday Matinees tribute to Jean Harlow concludes with a screening of Bombshell. Harlow gives her best comedic performance as Lola Burns, a glamorous movie star seeking to revamp her image through such bourgeois conventions as marriage and children. This sparkling farce was penned by Jules Furthman and John Lee Mahin from a play by Caroline Franck and Mack Crane; Victor Fleming was the MGM studio hand tasked to direct. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Tue., Nov. 27, 1 p.m.; $4. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org.
Night Catches Us; Credit: Magnolia Pictures
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Tanya Hamilton's 2010 feature Night Catches Us is in the spotlight in CSUN's Wednesday Night at the Cinematheque program this week. Kerry Washington and Anthony Mackie star in this icy, Philadelphia-set drama about a group of ex–Black Panthers who must contend with the sudden reappearance of a figure from their past. It's the latest in CSUN's She Makes Media series, an ongoing weekly festival that “celebrates the contributions of women to film, television and other media.” CSUN, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Wed., Nov. 28, 7 p.m.; free. (818) 677-1200, csun.edu.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World; Credit: Universal Pictures
Thursday, Nov. 29
Edgar Wright's exuberantly witty 2010 comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World — a movie about a video game nerd shot in the style of a video game — returns to theaters for a single evening as part of Laemmle's Throwback Thursday series. Featuring Michael Cera, this Canada-set lark has something to surprise and delight in every frame, and plays its silly premise to the hilt. Eat/See/Hear is the co-sponsor, which means food trucks will be on hand. Laemmle NoHo, 5420 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, Thu., Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (310) 478-3836, laemmle.com.
Caught; Credit: MGM
The new book from former L.A. Weekly film critic and master podcaster Karina Longworth, Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood, receives a royal welcome at LACMA. First, catch a screening of Caught, Max Ophüls' superbly constructed 1949 thriller. Robert Ryan plays a smoothly nasty character who keeps a pinball machine in his room to relieve stress. It was the first film to feature a character based on Hughes, made shortly after Ophüls was fired from Vendetta. The screening includes a post-viewing conversation with Karina Longworth and Edgar Wright, as well as a book signing. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Thu., Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.; free with RSVP. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org. —Nathaniel Bell
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