Summer is approaching, and Royal Oak will be hopping with people and screaming with motorcycles. What better respite from the insanity than to take a stroll into a quiet movie theater at the stroke of midnight for some classic fare. You’ll leave feeling better than if you were leaving a bar, and in this time of intellectually weak cinema fare and moguls gobbling up the indie film industry, it’s good to be thankful for small theaters that have remained steadfast in bringing us worthwhile films and documentaries.
In its ongoing effort to fill the collective cinematic void — for the cult- and art-film loving public that just can’t get enough — Landmark Theaters is launching a summer midnight film series, from May 28 until the end of August. Landmark has been running the series since 1997, and this year offers a wide range of flicks, from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to A Clockwork Orange, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, Dazed and Confused and one of my personal all-time favorites, The Big Lebowski.
Also included are features that are hard to find in the video store, let alone in theaters, such as The Forbidden Zone, featuring music by Danny Elfman’s band, Mystic Knights of the Oingo-Boingo. Elfman also portrays Satan in the film, and is directed by his brother, Richard Elfman. On July 16th, The Animation Show, a collection of animated features, including rare stuff from Mike Judge (the brains behind “King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butt-head” and Office Space). The series wraps up with The Triplets of Belleville, a highly acclaimed animated tale by French writer/director, Sylvain Chomet.
The series starts on Friday with Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. For further information on the schedules, call 248-542-5198. The Main Art Theatre is located at 118 N. Main, Royal Oak.
Gina Pasfield is an editorial intern at Metro Times. E-mail [email protected].
