Nathaniel BellFriday, Jan. 26
Don Coscarelli wrote, produced, directed, photographed and edited Phantasm at 24 — roughly the same age as Orson Welles when he made Citizen Kane. The similarities may end there, but Phantasm has retained a sturdy cult following for its willingness to throw in everything but the kitchen garbage disposal for the sake of a good time. Its most iconic elements are the “tall man” (played by the lanky Angus Scrimm) and the flying metallic sphere that punctures human skulls, but there's much more to this endearing, sometimes incoherent indie flick, which the Nuart is hauling out for its long-running Cine Insomnia series. Actor Reggie Bannister will appear following the midnight screening. Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A.; Fri., Jan. 26, 11:59 p.m.; $12. (310) 473-8530, landmarktheatres.com.
Sunday, Jan. 28
A popular hit the moment it landed, 9 to 5 delivers some sharp-edged comedy around the idea of three female coworkers (Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton, in nicely individuated characterizations) who turn the tables on their horrible boss (Dabney Coleman). The most inspired bit has Tomlin fantasizing about poisoning him in the style of a well-known Disney cartoon, but each of the women gets her moment to shine. The American Cinematheque will screen this 1980 favorite in partnership with the Writers Guild of America, West, as part of a screening series honoring groundbreaking screenwriters — in this case, Colin Higgins and Patricia Resnick. It will be followed by Thelma & Louise, the feminist neoclassic that earned Callie Khouri an Oscar for her original screenplay. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com.
Ryan's Daughter; Credit: Courtesy MGM
Ryan's Daughter was originally planned as an intimate drama about marriage and infidelity, but under David Lean's gaze it became something more grand: an exalted drama with the look of an epic and the soul of a D.H. Lawrence novel. Sturdy performances from a stalwart cast stand against the breathtaking Irish countryside. Nevertheless, the reviews were so unkind that Lean did not direct another feature for 14 years. It screens at the Aero in a crisp DCP in celebration of the English director's career. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Sun., Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com.
Dance Girl Dance; Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, Jan. 30
LACMA's Tuesday Matinees series concludes its tribute to Dorothy Arzner with Dance Girl Dance. A 1940 drama about a romantic competition that develops between two members of a nightclub dance troupe (Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball), the film is shot through with knowledge of the hard facts of life among professional women, something Arzner — the only female director in 1930s Hollywood — knew something about. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Tue., Jan. 30, 1 p.m.; $4. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org. —Nathaniel Bell
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