Nathaniel BellFriday, April 6
Hollywood movie star and trailblazing director Ida Lupino was born 100 years ago. To celebrate her centennial, UCLA will present a series of double bills featuring the British-born Lupino both in front and behind the camera. In The Hard Way, she plays a showbiz manager determined to see her sister's name in lights. In Hard, Fast and Beautiful, Lupino's third try behind the camera, Claire Trevor plays an ambitious mother who pushes her daughter, a tennis professional, to the brink of hysteria. Lupino produced the latter for the Filmmakers, an indie production outfit she started with her husband, Collier Young. Screenwriter Alexandra Seros (Point of No Return, The Specialist) will introduce the program. UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Fri., April 6, 7:30 p.m.; $10. (310) 206-8013, cinema.ucla.edu.
The Bigamist; Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Saturday, April 7
The second evening of Ida Lupino screenings inspired by the director-star's centennial kicks off with one of her rarest and most powerful films. Outrage, made in 1950, is a startlingly frank and empathetic portrait of a woman who falls victim to a rapist. Lupino co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, and her direction of actors — particularly Mala Powers as the young woman whose life is turned upside down — is sensitive ad sure-handed. The somewhat better-known second feature, The Bigamist, tackles the hot-button issue of multiple marriages with the force and vigor of a late film noir. Edmond O'Brien plays the title character, who must navigate a lie-laced labyrinth of his own making. Lupino co-stars, making this 1953 film the first Hollywood sound feature where the star directed herself. UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Fri., April 7, 7:30 p.m.; $10. (310) 206-8013, cinema.ucla.edu.
Rat Film; Credit: Cinema Guild
Sunday, April 8
Theo Anthony's acclaimed 2016 documentary Rat Film has been steadily gaining a reputation as one of the most original nonfiction films of recent years. Using the titular rodent as a central metaphor, Anthony weaves a complex, vibrant collage of sounds and images in order to interrogate the social history of Baltimore, the director's hometown. Los Angeles Film Forum presents a special screening of this wildly inventive work, followed by appearances by producers Riel Roch-Decter and Sebastian Pardo. Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., April 8, 7:30 p.m.; $10. (323) 466-3456, lafilmforum.org.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Credit: Universal Pictures
Tuesday, April 10
LACMA is co-curating a series of classic horror films in partnership with the Overlook Film Festival. This week features Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, in which the popular comic duo confronts several of Universal's franchise creations. One of the great horror parodies of all time, the movie features game turns by Bela Lugosi (Count Dracula), Lon Chaney Jr. (Wolf Man) and Glenn Strange (as the bolt-necked behemoth). LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Tue., April 10, 1 p.m.; $4. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org.
Weird Science; Credit: Universal Pictures
Thursday, April 12
Laemmle NoHo's screening of Weird Science gives audiences a chance to kick back with a little '80s nostalgia. One of John Hughes' wackier efforts, this revamping of the durable mad-doctor motif follows two nerdy teenagers (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) as they conjure a sexy centerfold-cum–fairy godmother (Kelly LeBrock) after feeding commands into a home computer. Part of Laemmle's Throwback Thursday series, the movie is presented in partnership with Eat/See/Hear. Look for the food truck outside the theater. Laemmle NoHo, 5420 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, Thu., April 12, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (310) 478-3836, laemmle.com.
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