SUMMER SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
THE SMALL BACK ROOM
- Fri., Jun. 21 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
As a pair of hapless plumbers mistaken for high society elites, Abbott and Costello unleash a flood of sight gags, physical comedy, and classic vaudeville-era bits on the manner born, with great help from Marion Hutton (sister of Betty!) and the inimitable Arthur Treacher. Consistently hilarious, and featuring a handful of memorable songs, In Society stands out as one of the very best of the 28 features A&C made for Universal Pictures. Preceded by A Tale of Two Kitties (1942, 7 min.) Looney Tunes’s loving tribute to A&C and Tweety Bird’s origin story! (BR)
- Fri., Jun. 28 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Danish writer/director von Trier's scathing, riveting drama is set in a secluded Rocky Mountain village during the 1930s. The story follows Grace (Kidman), a woman running from her past whose presence disrupts the tightly woven fabric of the community, slowly revealing the small-town’s duplicity and bigotry. This sprawling saga, told from an outsider’s perspective with a bare minimum of sets and production design, provides viewers with an audacious challenge to American society. Kidman leads a stellar ensemble that also includes Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Patricia Clarkson, and James Caan.
- Fri., Jul. 5 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
This suspenseful character study, an influence on The Hurt Locker, tells of a neurotic and alcoholic munitions expert (David Farrar) during World War II. The climax of the story, a long tense scene of bomb disposal, is a virtuoso suspense sequence that is one of the most memorable in the filmography of Powell & Pressburger (The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus). The Small Back Room, which will be screened in a new 4K restoration, also offers a uniquely atmospheric evocation of the British wartime home front.