SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Fall 2016 special presentations include a 35mm screening of Dennis Hopper’s ultra-rare third feature, Out of the Blue; an evening of work by Italian avant-garde filmmaker Paolo Gioli; the late Michael Cimino’s controversial masterpiece Heaven’s Gate, shown in a restored, uncut version; and an evening of comedy greats Laurel & Hardy.
- Sat., Oct. 1 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Following the counterculture one-two-punch of Easy Rider and The Last Movie, Dennis Hopper returned to the director’s chair after almost 10 years to make this blistering masterpiece. After Don Barnes (Hopper) is let out of prison, he returns home eager to make a fresh start with his family. However, the damage Barnes has done to himself and his loved ones is too great. Hopper’s most subversive move is making the film’s focus not Barnes but his daughter, played by Days of Heaven’s Manz, whose presence gives the film its anarchic edge. (VM)
- Sat., Oct. 8 | 2:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Following the story of 104-year old Tyrus Wong, this documentary reveals the epic achievements of the Chinese American painter whose watercolors provided the inspiration for Disney’s Bambi. The film spans from Wong’s early life as a Chinese immigrant to his professional career as one of the first Asian Americans to work in Hollywood, all the while battling anti-Asian racism through his magnificent works of art. Director Pamela Tom will participate in a post-screening discussion via Skype. Co-presented by the UW Cinematheque and Madison’s Asian American Media Spotlight. (LL)
- Sat., Oct. 8 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Nakamura’s documentary tells the story of Native Hawaiian youth who are combining indigenous forms of spirituality with the contemporary art of graffiti in order to build community in Waimea, HI. Their unique blend of hip-hop culture and ancient traditions has a transformative effect on two artists who must embark on their own spiritual journey toward becoming mentors, educators, and leaders. Ted Nakamura will be present for a post-screening discussion. Co-presented by the UW Cinematheque and Madison’s Asian American Media Spotlight. (LL)
- Sat., Oct. 15 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
An avant-garde artist whose work occupies a unique spot in the history of Italian cinema, Paolo Gioli and his cinema explore the limitations of the screen, of darkness, of the projector. This selection of Gioli’s short films, curated and presented by UW Madison Professor of Italian Patrick Rumble, offers examples of the filmmaker’s playfully deconstructive attitudes towards the medium and its technology. Among other titles, the lineup will include Commutazioni con Mutazione (1969), Anonimatografo (1972), Children (2008) and Natura Obscura (2013).
- Thu., Oct. 20 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Falk and Arkin are one of comedy history’s funniest pairings in this now classic farce. The only thing that Arkin’s wealthy dentist and Falk’s middle-class C.I.A. operative have in common is that their kids are marrying each other. But they are soon embroiled in a serpentine plot to sell U.S. currency engravings to a wacky Central American dictator (Libertini) and his indescribable companion, Señor Pepe. Andrew Bergman’s brilliant and unpredictable script contains countless nuggets of funny dialogue and throws in everything from the Bay of Pigs to The Price is Right. Bergman, a UW Madison alum, will be with us to discuss this comic masterpiece after the screening.
- Thu., Nov. 3 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Computers and the internet have changed society. While data is becoming the "new oil", data protection is becoming the new "pollution control". This innovatively told documentary opens an astonishing inside view to show how a group of European Union policy-makers try to protect today’s society against corporate data collection and mass surveillance. Presented with the support of the Center for German and European Studies and the Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence.
- Fri., Nov. 11 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Cimino’s epic was inspired by the true story of the bloody fight for immigrant’s rights in Johnson County, WY. Synonymous with box-office failure at the time of its release, Heaven’s Gate’s subsequent acclaim by a growing number of audiences has earned it a place among the best of the 1980s. Seen on the big screen in this restored, uncut version—an absolute must—one can finally appreciate this visually stunning American art film that is unprecedented in its ambition, complexity, and political force.
- Fri., Nov. 18 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Colbert and Fonda are a recently married couple in the late 18th century who relocated to upstate New York and find themselves caught up in the Revolutionary War. “This is a thoroughly realized and inimitable Fordian world, poised on the edge of civilization and savagery, with both ethics given their due” (Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader). A 35mm restoration from 20th Century Fox and the Academy Film Archive will be shown.
- Fri., Dec. 2 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
This selection of newly restored short films from one of the greatest comedy teams in movie history contains four of Stan and Ollie’s best, all from 1932: Helpmates, County Hospital, Their First Mistake, and the Oscar-winning The Music Box.
- Fri., Dec. 2 | 8:45 PM4070 Vilas Hall
In one of their funniest features, Stan and Ollie are recruited into the French Foreign Legion. Their usual bumbling antics lead them to a firing squad, which they manage to escape by stealing an airplane. Amidst the hijinks, the legendary duo sing and dance a memorable version of “Shine On, Harvest Moon.” Shown in vastly inferior public domain video versions over the years, this new digital restoration of The Flying Deuces has the film looking its very best.
- Fri., Dec. 9 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
In honor of Kirk Douglas’ 100th birthday, we present the great star in the title role of this sweeping epic about the leader of a Roman slave rebellion. 31-year old director Kubrick balances the performances of a stellar cast - that also includes Charles Laughton, and an Oscar-winning Peter Ustinov - with stunning action set-pieces to create a fascinating mural of masculine erotics, patrician decadence, brutal athleticism, and headstrong fealty. This new 4K restoration of the original Roadshow version contains a once scandalous sequence between Olivier and Curtis.
