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Like his mentor Howard Hawks, Peter Bogdanovich has made a career out of intelligent, varied entertainments that have two things in common: a love of humanity and a deep sense of the craft of film.  After meeting Hawks and other Hollywood icons as a reporter for Esquire, Bogdanovich went to work for Roger Corman, who gave the young filmmaker his big break writing and directing TARGETS.  Bogdanovich followed that thriller with something completely different, the elegiac THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, a film that catapulted Bogdanovich into the ranks of major American filmmakers.   Thus began a pattern that has continued throughout Bogdanovich’s career, as he deftly moves from one genre to another, evolving a style of long takes and classical compositions that put the story and performances first.  Like Jean Renoir, Bogdanovich knows that everyone has his or her reasons, and the empathy with which he views his often troubled characters makes his films timeless classics. 

Join us for a series that includes four director’s cuts, as well as in-person appearances by Peter Bogdanovich.

Thursday, September 10 - 7:30 PM
Director Peter Bogdanovich In-Person! Director’s Cuts Double Feature:
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, 1971, Sony Repertory, 118 min. Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms and Cybill Shepherd star as sexually confused teens trapped in a dying, dust-blown town. Flawlessly directed by Peter Bogdanovich and photographed by Robert Surtees, with a letter-perfect supporting cast led by Ben Johnson (Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner), Cloris Leachman (Best Actress Oscar winner) and Ellen Burstyn. Trailer | Roger Ebert Review

THEY ALL LAUGHED, 1981, HBO Films, 115 min. Peter Bogdanovich uses the private-eye genre as a vehicle to deliver deeply romantic insights about love, marriage and regret.  John Ritter and Ben Gazzara work for the Odyssey Detective Agency, a firm where the investigators are more concerned with their own complicated love lives than with solving any cases.  Audrey Hepburn and Dorothy Stratten co-star in this hilarious ensemble dramedy, a film that Quentin Tarantino declared one of the 10 greatest ever made. Discussion in between films with director Peter Bogdanovich. Slant Review

Friday, September 11 - 7:30 PM
Director Peter Bogdanovich In-Person! Director’s Cuts Double Feature:

NICKELODEON, 1976, Sony Repertory, 122 min. Dir. Peter Bogdanovich. A hugely entertaining slapstick farce and heartfelt valentine to the earliest days of the Hollywood movie industry. Ryan O’Neal stars as the bumbling young lawyer who accidentally stumbles into directing, Burt Reynolds is the hot-tempered leading man, Tatum O’Neal is the brains behind the operation, and lovely Jane Hitchcock is the object of everyone’s affections. Co-starring John Ritter, Stella Stevens, Brian Keith. Clip

MASK, 1985, Universal, 127 min. Disfigured teen Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) fights against his disease and society’s prejudices with the help of an unconventional but loving biker mom (Cher) and her boyfriend (Sam Elliott).  Peter Bogdanovich directs this true story with sensitivity and intelligence, creating that rare film that is heartwarming and inspirational without being phony in its sentiment. Discussion in between films with director Peter Bogdanovich. Clip | Roger Ebert Review:

Saturday, September 12 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: PAPER MOON, 1973, Paramount, 102 min. Director Peter Bogdanovich’s Depression-era tale of confidence man Ryan O’Neal and his young daughter (Tatum O’Neal, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) fleecing naïve citizens from town to town in the American Midwest is rendered in glistening and appropriately gritty black, gray and white tones by cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs. Co-starring Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman. Clips Tatum O’Neil Wins Best Supporting Actress | Scene - It’s a Deal | Roger Ebert Review

WHAT’S UP, DOC? 1972, Warner Bros., 94 min. A luggage mix-up leads to stuffy academic Ryan O’Neal being taken on a wild ride by free spirit Barbra Streisand in this outrageous farce.   Working from a precise and hilarious script by Buck Henry, David Newman and Robert Benton, director Peter Bogdanovich crafts a tribute to 1930s screwball comedies that is fast, funny and packed with delirious supporting performances; Madeline Kahn is a standout in her screen debut. Trailer | Roger Ebert Review