<< March 5 - 8, 2008 >>>

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With one foot in the world of film noir and the other in the milieu of the urban action film, the heist genre has given us some of the most compelling, kinetic movies ever made. John Huston perfected the form in 1950 with his classic THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, and a young Stanley Kubrick reinvented it six years later with THE KILLING. Ever since, expert directors from Don Siegel to Quentin Tarantino have turned to the genre for searing explorations of men (and occasionally women) at their most diabolically inventive. The Aero will be screening several landmarks of the genre, as well as a sneak preview of its latest masterpiece, THE BANK JOB, with director Roger Donaldson in-person.

Wednesday, March 5 – 7:30 PM

Sneak Preview!

THE BANK JOB, 2008, Lionsgate, 114 min. Dir. Roger Donaldson. Jason Statham leads a group of small-time hoods out for a big score who quickly learn that they're in over their heads -- but by the time they realize how many forces are aligned against them, it's too late to turn back. Based on a true story, this brilliantly constructed thriller pays homage to the British crime films of the 1970's before going off in its own fascinating and wildly entertaining directions. Superb performances, a precise and kinetic visual style, and a plot that is intricate and elaborate make this that rare thriller that's as moving as it is exciting. Discussion following with director Roger Donaldson.

Thursday, March 6 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE, 1974, MGM Repertory, 104 min. Dir. Joseph Sargent. Nerve-demolishing suspense delivered at an intoxicating pace as merciless hijackers led by cold-blooded Robert Shaw take over a NYC subway and demand $1,000,000 in ransom. Hardboiled action thrillers just don’t get much better. Plus, as an added bonus, the viewer gets to enjoy some of the most profanely entertaining, hard-nosed, unsentimental dialogue of any 1970s fare. With a sterling cast that includes Walter Matthau, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo and Jerry Stiller, and a killer score by David Shire.

CHARLEY VARRICK, 1973, Universal, 111 min. Many people who went to see this on its initial release were expecting a genial Walter Matthau comedy. Instead they got this hard-as-nails, Don Siegel-helmed thriller about a lone wolf master crook, Charley Varrick (Matthau in a change-of-pace role), who robs a small-town bank unaware it’s full of Mafia money. With riveting supporting performaces from a truly lethal Joe Don Baker, Andrew Robinson, Sheree North, Felicia Farr. Discussion in between films with actor Hector Elizondo.

Friday, March 7 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

THE ITALIAN JOB, 1969, Paramount, 101 min. Dir. Peter Collinson. A rollicking heist caper with imprisoned criminal genius Noel Coward enlisting Michael Caine and his band of Mini Minor-driving thieves to create a gigantic traffic jam in Turin, Italy, so they can make off with a busload of gold. The very funny open-ended finale with the gang’s getaway bus has to be seen to be believed, and serves to redefine the term "cliffhanger!" With Benny Hill.

WHO'S MINDING THE MINT, 1967, Sony Repertory, 97 min. Dir. Howard Morris. When U.S. Mint employee Harry Lucas (Jim Hutton) inadvertently destroys $50,000 in currency, he sees a scam printing new money after-hours as his only way out of trouble. Unfortunately for him, his plan grows increasingly complicated as he brings in more and more partners -- most of them flawed or incompetent in some way -- on board for the operation. This hilarious riff on the heist genre boasts superb comic performances by Milton Berle, Joey Bishop and Jamie Farr, among others. Actress Margaret Bly (THE ITALIAN JOB) will join us for a discussion between films.

Saturday, March 8 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

THE KILLING, 1956, MGM Repertory, 83 min. Stanley Kubrick’s tough-as-nails heist film about a robbery at a racetrack features an incredible rogue’s gallery of great character actors, including Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor and Timothy Carey. One of the most entertaining crime films ever made, propelled by Kubrick’s no-nonsense approach and screenwriter Jim Thompson’s biting, chiseled-in-stone dialogue (based on Lionel White’s novel Clean Break.)

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, 1950, Warner Bros., 112 min. The kingpin of caper films, featuring one of the best ensemble casts ever. Director John Huston's neo-realist adaptation of W. R. Burnett’s novel examines the ambitions of small-time hoods and brought a new level of empathy and authenticity to crime -- that "left-handed form of human endeavor." Famous as the film that introduced Marilyn Monroe, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE deserves renewed recognition as a crucial work of noir Americana. With Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, Jean Hagen. Discussion in between films with actress Coleen Gray.