Happy Funtime Friend Service

Over the weekend, AMK called and said, “You’re the only person I know who will go see a movie about a guy who places guitar on the street in Dublin.  Will you go tonight?”  With nothing better than a night of Law & Order re-runs planned (because it was that or cleaning my apartment), I agreed and we headed off for Landmark Theatre in Bethesda.  All I can say is go see this movie.  It’s called Once and features the music of The Frames.  I came home from the movie and immediately bought the soundtrack on iTunes and have been listening to it every day.

Speaking of films, the National Gallery of Art has put together quite a collection of art films including a festival of films dedicated to “little-known, rediscovered, and restored cinema from the world’s most innovative archives,” as well as a “Journey through the Russian Fantastik.” They also have art films such as “Paul Mellon in his Own Words” and “Image Before My Eyes” as well as a selection of films for children. Best of all - it’s free. I have to say - it’s exactly this that makes me love DC - there’s so much to do - things that aren’t even available anywhere else and certainly not for free (have you seen what it costs to get into museums in other places?)

You might even say there’s a whole festival of Shakespeare going on in town (and really there is in case you haven’t noticed).  And the Library of Congress Pickford Theatre is in on the act, showing some of the best adaptations of Shakespeare on film. This Friday is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth with Ian McKellan (Gandalf), Judi Dench (before she was a Dame), and Ian McDiarmid.  Filmed for television, the production received rave reviews.

On Tuesday, 24 July, the rarely seen or produced Two Gentlemen of Verona will be screened.  One of Shakespeare’s earliest works, the play has  only been produced twice on film.  This production by the BBC is from 1983.

Other films in the series include The Dresser with Albert Finney and Comedy of Errors.  The series concludes at the end of the month with Jean Luc Godard’s King Lear.

As always, call 202.707.5677 up to 7 days in advance to reserve seats.  But it’s almost always worth showing up even if you don’t have reservations as unclaimed seats are released 10 minutes before showtime (and that’s a reminder to be on time if you have a reservation).

There’s a special screening of the first in a new documentary series - Out of the Book.  This first installment features Ian McEwan.  Tickets are available from Olsson’s Books (the event sponsors) with the purchase of McEwan’s new book, On Chesil Beach.  There will also be live music and a panel discussion with three local authors.

The event will be held at the Warehouse Theater, but you can call the Penn Quarter branch and have your book and ticket held in advance - 202-638-7610.

Another event I didn’t realize it was time for already is Silverdocs.  If you’re not familiar, it’s a film festival hosted by the American Film Insitute focusing on documentary films.

Dry material you say?  Last year I saw Air Guitar Nation about the International Air Guitar Championship that is held in Finland every year.  And the year before I saw the Aristocrats - the dirtiest and dumbest joke in the world told 150 times (it’s the singer not the song and Bob Saget is a bad, bad man).

This year’s special honoree is Jonathan Demme, so they will be featuring several of his films including Stop Making Sense - the Talking Heads concert movie that taught us all what a concert movie really could be, and the Neal Young film Heart of Gold.  He will also be debuting his new movie - New Home Movies From the Lower Ninth Ward.

I also want to see First Saturday in May about horses preparing for the Kentucky Derby, and Note by Note (The Making of Steinway L1037).  And the AFI is a beautiful theater to see a movie and you’ll be surrounded by people who love movies too.

Discounts are available on passes for ITVA-DC members as well as Women in Film & Video members (alas, not for DC Film Society), and I won’t be able to go enough to make it worth it to buy a pass (curse that day job that pays my bills), so I’ll be looking over the schedule this weekend and buying individual tickets (that don’t conflict with Romeo and Juliet at Millennium Stage of course).

Contrary to popular belief, the DC Film Society is not as exclusive as, say, the Sacred Order of the Stonecutters. In fact, the Film Society is now accepting new members - $45 gets you a regular-flavored membership and $70 gets you Gold, which opens the door to exclusive screenings sometimes with the Hollywood types (one year it was Q&A with Kevin Costner, and the following year it was Kevin Spacey). Gold members also get in free for the Film Society’s Coming Attractions (aka: Trailers) night, which would be a great deal if it weren’t for the fact that it’s hosted by the living dead… ok, ok, the Film Guys. If you can deal with the two boorish pedants extolling film minutiae, then hey, you’re in luck - Trailer Night is only $8 for nonmembers:

Trailer Night: Summer 2007
Landmark E Street Theatre
Tuesday, May 15 - 7:00pm
http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/trailers.htm

I’ll be out of town, but make reservations now at my favorite small movie theatre for Ladies and Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains at the Library of Congress Pickford Theatre for next Tuesday, May 8 at 7 p.m.

 A movie nearly lost to studio mishandling and deemed “too repellent for release” it’s the early 80s story of an all-girls punk band.  Diane Lane stars with appearances from Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, Mr. French in the Departed and soon to be Beowolf) along with members of the Clash and the Sex Pistols.  As often happens with such things, it’s now a hard to find classic.

Call 202.707.5677 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday to make a reservation up to one week in advance of the screening.  Check out the rest of the Jazz Series while you’re there.

I think that title says it all. Thanks to the AFI in Silver Spring, you can get in the Halloween mood by not only watching Frankenstein the original, but also all the bastard children of the film including Bride of, Son of, and Curse of (You-Know-Who). Sweet.

Frankenfest at the AFI Silver Spring, October 13 to November 1st:
http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/2006/v3i5/frank.aspx

Who’s the black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks? Shaft! Who’s movie is playing over at the Reynolds Center in the National Portrait Gallery tonight at 6:30 p.m.? Shaft! Damn right.

National Portrait Gallery - Reel Portraits:
http://americanart.si.edu/reynolds_center/calendar.cfm

After some renovations and funding, there is a new series of movies and television planned for the Pickford Theatre in the Library of Congress. The current schedule runs through September and includes series paired with Library of Congress exhibits including one on Bob Hope. So expect to be “On the Road to…” somewhere. They also have an impressive line-up of classic television including the first episode of Laugh-In and the first episode of Soap. I’m sure it’ll be fun to see now what we all thought was so scandalous then.

Movies are free but the theatre is small so you have to reserve in advance (up to a week ahead) by calling 202.707.5677. Even if you don’t get in, it’s worth heading over if there’s something you really want to see. Ten minutes before showtime, any unclaimed seats are released.

Capital South is the closest Metro and give yourself time to get through security.