Before I start rhyming off my recommendations for the second half of July, since I’m taking a summer vacation, I want to let you know that you won’t be seeing a Magic in the Dark article for the first half of August. But I’m sure there will be some dandy films at the ByTowne and the Mayfair during that time, so check out both cinemas’ online calendars.
I’ll start by highly recommending Seven Samurai, a film on my list of favourites for half a century. The story is a simple one. In tumultuous 16th-century feudal Japan, a poor village of farmers is beset by marauding bandits. The village’s old wise man advises them to hire samurai (actually, to hire ronin—masterless samurai) to defend their home. Ultimately, they recruit seven samurai, each of whom has his reasons for signing up for this seemingly hopeless task. As the New York Daily News wrote, “ It’s impossible to imagine how the action genre would have developed without Akira Kurosawa’s watershed 1954 movie Seven Samurai.” The rich plot details, superb acting, masterful direction, and remarkable camera work (especially during the battle scenes) have not been surpassed. Seven Samurai deserved its rare “98” score on Metacritic. This film, plus Kurosawa’s groundbreaking Rashomon, introduced me to Japanese films, and I still get a thrill watching them. I’m sure you will too when you watch Seven Samurai at the ByTowne!
The ByTowne has programmed another great classic foreign film: La dolce vita by Federico Fellini. It’s an episodic film which follows a week in the life of a philandering Roman paparazzo journalist (played by Marcello Mastroianni). He can’t seem to break away from the dissolute rich people in Rome who are living “la dolce vita” and get down to being a serious writer. The Guardian says, “ It’s a brilliant film, but nothing sweet about it.” Metacritic scored it a “95.” And Martin Scorsese called it “the film that conquered the world.”
It’s summer, it’s hot, so it’s time to go to the beach! And it’s time for Jaws! Spielberg’s (and Hollywood’s) first summer blockbuster is back in time to terrify you. See it on the ByTowne’s big screen with many other fans of fear. While at it, maybe decide that the neighbourhood swimming pool is a better bet than the seashore.
Reaching way back in the vault for animation fans, the ByTowne’s got The Cartoons of Max Fleisher, a collection of new restorations of Betty Boop, Popeye, Koko the Clown and more! From 1919 to 1942, Fleisher produced more than 700 cartoons, including the first animations of Popeye and Superman. And of course the quintessential flapper, Betty Boop.
Over at the Mayfair, their series devoted to Humphrey Bogart continues with my favourite Bogart film (yes, I like it even better than Casablanca!). It’s The Treasure of Sierra Madre, a dyspeptic story of two down-and-out Americans (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt) in 1920s Mexico who persuade an old prospector (Walter Huston, father of the director John Huston) to take them into the Sierra Madre mountains to search for gold. What they find–besides gold–is how toxic greed and mistrust can be. Another “98” Metacritic score.
The other Bogart movie, The Desperate Hours, is based on an award-winning novel and play about a home invasion by three convicts. The upstanding pater familias is Fredric March; one of the criminals is Bogart; the director is William Wyler.
For a thoroughly enjoyable 100 minutes—one of the best transgressive cult films is back. Yes, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, back for the umpteenth time at the Mayfair to delight its legions of fans. Let’s do the Time Warp again!
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing three recently released films, so I’m glad they’re still being shown at the ByTowne.
First up, two delightful films about seniors, demonstrating terrific acting talent available in the pool of actors who have reached their “golden years.” The films are Thelma (see my recent article) and The Great Escaper (which I recommended in early June). The latter is a clear-eyed look at aging and the memory of personal history, with stellar performances by Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson. And Thelma has a delightfully different plot—a gutsy nonagenarian takes matters into her own hands to recover money that was scammed from her. Her actions mirror the adventure tropes of Mission Impossible! Everyone I’ve sent to see Thelma has loved it. I’m sure you will, too.
Challengers is the third film I saw in June that I’m recommending, and it lived up to the reviews I’d read – it’s a Metacritic must-see full of sexual foreplay and tennis. Lots of tennis.
Songs of Earth is a documentary I’m eager to see, especially on ByTowne’s big screen with its excellent sound system. The trailer alone seduced me! The filmmaker’s 84-year-old father takes her (and us) on a year-long exploration of Norway’s most beautiful valley and the sounds of the earth. One reviewer wrote, “Its sound design and score are every bit as immersive (as the visuals), and that may hold the actual key to best experiencing (the film).” A Metacritic must-see.
So much to see and enjoy!
Dates, times and tickets for the ByTowne are at www.bytowne.ca. The ByTowne publishes its calendar at least three weeks in advance. Dates, times and tickets for the Mayfair are at www.mayfairtheatre.ca. The Mayfair usually publishes the coming week’s schedule midweek and adds to their “coming soon” list, so check their website and emails for the latest updates.
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