"Now Listen to Me... "
Just some thoughts on current happenings:
Classic film screenings from around the world this July include:
TSUI HARK: EVERYTHING IS UNREAL
FILM NOIR 2025
In Vancouver, British Columbia, The Cinematheque is presenting
TSUI HARK: EVERYTHING IS UNREAL
a Hong Kong-focused retrospective that “… covers only 11 years of Tsui’s five-decade career. Yet it contains worlds of technique, twists of irony, and totalizing clarity that most directors today can’t hope to access. Following retrospectives in Hong Kong and Italy’s Far East Film Festival, as well as re-releases of his work in France, The Cinematheque is excited to present the first retrospective of Tsui’s films to happen in Vancouver.”
From July 10–August 3, 2025
and
FILM NOIR 2025
The programme reads:
“Film noir, that uniquely American cycle of mid-century crime movies positively dripping with style and the depravity of human behaviour, returns for another cruel summer here at The Cinematheque. Last year’s season leaned into the first half of noir’s classic corpus, drawing the majority of its roster from formative 1940s fare. Our 2025 lineup offers a more generous distribution: a collection of eight exemplars from which to trace the trajectory of noir, from bedrock (1944’s Double Indemnity, in a glistening new restoration) to burial ground (1961’s Blast of Silence, arguably the agonal gasp of the original era). Along the way, we’ll be serving up some pearl-clutching premieres (including, gasp, our first ever 3D noir!), resurrecting a favourite or two long-unseen at The Cinematheque (Curtis and Lancaster punch-out Sweet Smell of Success anyone?), and, in the case of André de Toth’s pithy, pulpy Crime Wave, providing the exceedingly rare opportunity to experience a newly minted 35mm print. Oh, and bah-humbugs take note—there’s a surprising amount of Yuletide violence in the proceedings too.”
From July 31–September 4, 2025
Click on the respective image above for more information on either of these series.
For all of the films scheduled this month at The Cinematheque, click on the theatre banner above.
Merrily We Go to Hell
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 400 Blows
In San Francisco, California, The Roxie Theatre will present Merrily We Go to Hell (1932, as part of their Fraenkel Film Festival) Thursday, July 10, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, a 35mm print, as part of their Fraenkel Film Festival) Thursday, July 10, and The 400 Blows (1959, a 35mm print, as part of their Fraenkel Film Festival) on Thursday, July 17.
For more information on each film’s showing, click on the appropriate movie image above. For more information on the other films being presented at The Roxie, click on the above theatre picture.
The Searchers
Lawrence of Arabia
Inception
Vertigo
In Santa Monica (part of greater Los Angeles) California, The American Cinematheque Aero Theatre will present The Searchers (1956, a 70mm print, as part of their ‘Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest 2025’ series) Thursday, July 10, Lawrence of Arabia (1962, The American Cinematheque’s own pristine 70mm archival print, as part of their ‘Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest 2025’ series) Saturday, July 12, Inception (2010, a 70mm print, as part of their ‘Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest 2025’ series) Saturday, July 19, and Vertigo (1958, a 70mm print, as part of their ‘Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest 2025’ series) on Friday, July 25.
* Note: Some of the showtimes are matinees only.
For more information on these programmes, click on the appropriate film image above. To see the entire month of July’s programming including other films showing at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, The Los Feliz 3 Theatre in Los Feliz (also part of greater Los Angeles), and The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (also part of greater Los Angeles), click on the American Cinematheque banner.
Noir City will take place in Portland, Oregon from July 11 - 13.
The introduction reads:
Writer, film historian, and “Czar of Noir” Eddie Muller returns to the Hollywood Theatre Friday-Sunday, July 11-13, 2025, for NOIR CITY: Portland, a weekend-long festival of both classic and obscure noir films from the 1940s and 1950s.
Click on the poster image for more information.
All About Eve
Basic Instinct
In Sydney, Australia The Ritz Theatre will present All About Eve (1950) Saturday, July 12, and Basic Instinct (1992, a 35mm print, as part of their ‘This is Celluloid: a Year of 35mm and 70mm Screenings’) on Friday, July 18.
Click on the respective film image for more information on either of these screenings. For other films playing at The Ritz Theatre, click on the banner above.
SAM PECKINPAH
In Lyon, France the Institut Lumiere continues with
SAM PECKINPAH a series of films by the maverick filmmaker until Sunday, July 20.
Click on the respective image above for more information on this series. Click on the Institut logo for all of the films showing this month.
In London, United Kingdom The Prince Charles Cinema will present The Conversation (1974, a 35mm print) Saturday, July 12, California Split (1974) Sunday, July 13, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly aka Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966, a 35mm print) Monday, July 14, Close Encounters of the Third Kind [The Director’s Cut] Pather Panchali (1955) Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 30, Tokyo Story aka Tôkyô monogatari (1953, a 35mm print) Thursday, July 17, Casablanca (1942, a 35mm print) Monday, July 21, Sorcerer (1977) Tuesday, July 22, The Swimmer (1968) Tuesday, July 22, The Killing (1956) Thursday, July 31, and The Long Goodbye (1973) on Thursday, July 31.
* Note: Some of the showtimes are matinees only.
Click on the film’s respective image for more information. To see July’s complete programming, click on The Prince Charles Cinema banner above.
In Detroit, Michigan The Redford Theatre will present The Wizard of Oz (1939, a 35mm print) on Saturday, July 12 at 2 pm only.
Click on the top image for more information on this screening. To see the entire month’s programming, click on The Redford Theatre banner above.
In theatres across the U.S. Flashback Cinema is presenting The Muppet Movie (1979) on Saturday, July 12, Sunday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 16.
Click on the poster image for more information on this screening. To see the entire month’s programming, click on The Flashback Cinema banner above.
KUROSAWA IN 4K
In New York City, New York, Film Forum is presenting:
KUROSAWA IN 4K
Friday, July 18 – Thursday, July 31
The programme reads:
A nine-film festival featuring some of the most influential titles by the legendary director, spanning genres from samurai epic to gritty Noir. All spectacular 4K restorations were undertaken by Toho Co., Ltd. in Japan, with many being shown in the U.S. for the first time, including THRONE OF BLOOD, STRAY DOG, HIGH AND LOW, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, IKIRU, YOJIMBO, and SANJURO and RASHOMON*.
*RASHOMON restored in 2K by the Academy Film Archive, the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Presented with support from The Reginald S. Reinhardt, Ling-Makekau Fund for Asia-Pacific Films
ALL FILMS RELEASED BY JANUS FILMS
Click on the film image for the programming of this series and on the Film Forum banner for other motion pictures playing this month.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Academy Cinemas is presenting Full Metal Jacket (1987) Saturday, July 26, and Ikiru (1952) on Monday, July 28.
To obtain more information on any of these programmes, click on the respective poster image. To see July’s complete schedule, click on the Academy banner above.
In Los Angeles, California The Beverly Cinema will present An American in Paris (1951, a 35mm print) on Sunday, July 27.
Click on the poster image for more information on this presentation. To see the rest of July’s schedule, click on The Beverly Cinema banner above.
These are the reviewed films showing on Turner Classic Movies in the U.S. this month:
My first recommendation is Howard Hawks’ lightening fast comedy/romance His Girl Friday (1940), reviewed here and blasting off Monday, July 7 at 3 pm PDT.
(From left) Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
David Lean’s magnificent 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia will be presented on Monday, July 7 at 5 pm PDT. I wrote a brief review here in response to some members of our chat room (all readers are encouraged to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/902349343110685) who also shared their thoughts on this important film.
Next up is the remarkably understated albeit compelling racial drama Intruder in the Dust released in 1949. Still deserving of more critical acclaim, this filmed adaptation of literary giant William Faulkner’s novel will grace TCM (updated) Tuesday, July 8 at 10:30 am PDT.
TCM will have a rare showing of the cult classic Blue Velvet (1986),Th previously reviewed here, on Friday, July 11 at 7 pm PDT.
Kyle MacLachlan
After her breakthrough role in Joseph von Sternberg's The Blue Angel made in Germany, Marlene Dietrich made six more films with the autocratic director in the U.S. The Scarlet Empress (1934), previously reviewed here, is arguably the duo’s most accomplished. Certainly this film is their most distinctive. She will rule Saturday, July 12 at 7 pm PDT.
TCM's current monthly schedule can be confirmed by clicking on any of the above TCM related images. To confirm the correct Pacific Daylight (West Coast) showtime information, subtract 3 hours from the Eastern Daylight (East Coast) showtime listed on TCM’s schedule.
(To be continued… ) A.G.