h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In spite of poor attendance, I've decided to go ahead with my Thursday evening classic films showings at the library. I'm hoping to gradually build up an audience. A free movie, popcorn and a beverage isn't a bad deal, especially in a tight economy. I'm thinking of calling it Cheap Date Night.

So, for March and April I have two themes. I'll alternate them. The first is for folks who enjoy drama. I'm calling it "Dangerous Women". I have the films picked out although not the order. Laura, Leave Her to Heaven, The Letter and Dial M for Murder.

The second group is called "Classic Stinkers" and are some of those old movies that are so bad they're good. I'm hoping the teens will enjoy them. I'll do two double features and two single features on this one. The Abominable Dr. Phibes followed by Dr. Phibes Rises Again, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Forbidden Planet, and a twin-bill of Ed Wood followed by Plan 9 from Outer Space, which is supposed to be the worst movie ever made. I suspect that designation was made by people who hadn't seen Dr. Phibes.

So why am I telling you all this? Because I need ideas for themes for future months. Last summer I did old musicals. Those were a big hit, but I don't want to do them again right away. I do want to stick to older films. I don't want to be seen as competing with the local theatre. And there are so many really great older films that it shouldn't be a problem.

Any ideas?

I just watched Wait Until Dark. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062467/ This is an excellent suspense film. Audry Hepburn as a recently blinded woman, Alan Arkin as a very sinister bad guy.

A few weeks ago I watched Family Plot. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074512/ This was Hitchcock's last film and it's quite fun. They both have some great classic style suspense. Not the silly predictable tripe they call suspense today.

The Austin Film Society runs a series called Essential Cinema which is themed. The one that got me to join the AFS was this one http://www.austinfilm.org/Page.aspx?pid=676 although I'm not sure how easy it'd be to get some of those films.

In which case may I humbly suggest a foggy London Town theme

Try Tarzan movies. One that isn't often seen is 'Tarzan Triumphs' from 1943.

Watching Johnny Weissmuller tauntingly chanting 'Na-zis, oh Na-zis' will have them rolling in the aisles. (We saw this at a film club in Munich.)

Good ideas all. Some of the older films are hard to find. So I'll have to make sure I can find enough films in any given theme. For Banned Books Week, I did films made from banned books.
That was interesting. I was thinking of films made from novels. But that would be just about everything these days. I've also thought of doing producers. David Lean, for example.

How about silent movies?

David Lean would be a great theme... but plan on either starting early or staying late

How about a British Royalty theme:
The Private Life of Henry VIII
The Madness of King George III
Mrs Brown
The Queen
Henry V (either Olivier or Branagh)
The Lion in Winter
A Man For All Seasons

Are silent movies still available? You know, I've never seen one clear through.

Charlie Chaplin?

I love The Lion in Winter and A Man for All Seasons.

David Lean films do tend to be long. Fabulous, but long.

Wait a minute... Forbidden Planet a stinker? I think you and I are going to have to have words It's generally regarded as one of the better 1950s sci-fi films, along with The Day the Earth Stood Still.

You want a stinker? Try Zardoz

Yep, many of the classic silents are available on DVD. A few of Chaplin's would be good, but most audiences probably wouldn't enjoy him as much as Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd.

I liked Zardoz... I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, but I didn't hate it... I think mind altering substances would probably help though.

Hi Hyp

Decko phoned just as I was reading your first post, so naturally I got his opinion on the matter.

He suggests a motorcycle theme:
The Wild One
The Wild Angels
Easy Rider
Electra Glide in Blue

I guess you'd need a certain kind of clientele...

How old are these 'older films' btw? The local theater surely wouldn't complain about anything say pre-1990, would they? I guess you could probably go somewhat more recent than that?

I don't have a date in mind, Pin. I was thinking that they should be old enough that young adults probably wouldn't have seen them. And not so popular that a theatre would be likely to show them in a retrospective or something.

Gosho, Forbidden Planet is a cheesy retelling of The Tempest. And I agree that it is entertaining. But good film making, it isn't. One reason I addedit to the lineup is because there is a musical stage play of it now which is done strictly as camp. Our local theatre group is doing it in May.

In love the motorcycle theme, by the way.

Ya know, you could just show a couple of MST3K flicks.

GAMERA!

Right. You got me. What are MST3K films?

Actually, ya know what would make a great theme, one that could extend for weeks?

Show all the originals for the movies that Hollywood just can't leave alone.

The Taking of Pelham 123
Alfie
The Italian Job
The Karate Kid
...
Death Race 2000 and Rollerball would make a great double feature.

And then there's film noir, like The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The Big Sleep (those are all Bogart movies), and, and, well here's a good list with linkies:
http://www.imdb.com/chart/filmnoir

Hummmmm. All the versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would take a while. And they would have London fog.

By the way, I want to thank everyone for not suggesting vampires.