Category Archives: Film

Les Miz “Between Stage and Screen” Tonight

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replesmizNext month, Les Miserables returns to Arkansas Rep.  In conjunction with that, the Between Stage and Screen series returns for this month’s installment.

The monthly series showcases films which share connections with productions currently on stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Tonight’s film is Les Miserables.  Members of The Rep’s creative team will discuss one of the most popular musicals in Broadway history and compare and contrast the audience’s emotional connection to the story of Les Miserables on screen and on the stage. Between Stage and Screen is FREE and open to the public. The event takes place at Laman Library, 2801 Orange Street.

The program begins tonight at 6pm with a discussion of the Rep’s production led by members of the Rep’s staff.  Following that, at 6:30, the film will be screened.

The Rep’s production, directed by Robert Hupp, begins performances on March 5 and runs through April 6.  Opening night is March 7.

A LOVEly 2nd Friday Art Night

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2nd friday art nightSince Valentine’s Day falls on 2nd Friday Art Night, expect some touches of red and pink along the way at the various sites.

Among the participating locations are Historic Arkansas Museum which will feature live music by Kit & Kaboodle as well as the opening reception for the Mid-Southern Watercolorists 44th Annual Juried Exhibition. Awards will be announced at 6 pm.

This exhibition includes 43 watercolors from members of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists (MSW), a group founded in Little Rock in 1970 with members in more than a dozen states.

MSW was formed to elevate the stature of watercolor and educate the public to the significance of watercolor as an important creative, permanent painting medium. MSW offers workshops, programs and competitive exhibits throughout the year.

The Old State House Museum‘s Second Friday Cinema will feature the film Hallelujah at 6:00pm.

One of the earliest Hollywood feature films shot on location in Arkansas, Hallelujah was innovative in several ways. It was the first talking picture made by popular director King Vidor, one of the first Hollywood movies with an all-black cast, and it introduced an early form of sound dubbing. Scenes of cotton picking and outdoor church revivals were shot in Tennessee and Arkansas, with the movie’s climactic chase scene shot in Ten Mile Bayou near West Memphis.

Ben Fry, General Manager of KLRE/KUAR and coordinator of the film minor at UALR, will introduce the film and lead a discussion after the screening.

At CALS’ Butler Center Galleries, they are promising “Sweet Art for Your Sweetheart.”

The featured artist is Russell Lemond.  He is a contemporary sculptural artist who works primarily with metal. His work is deemed “outside the box” by some, but he feels that in art as in life, there is no box.  The featured musician,Oksana Pavilionis, is a premier concert violinist playing mix of classical and folk tunes. Originally from Russia, Oksana now lives and teaches in Benton, Arkansas.

The current exhibitions are “Reflections in Pastel,” “Arkansas Women to Watch 2013,” “Native Arkansas,” and “Unusual Portraits: New Works by Michael Warrick and David O’Brien.”

Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman at Ron Robinson Theater this weekend

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One of the advantages of the new CALS Ron Robinson Theater is the fact it can be programmed fairly quickly.

In tribute to the late stage and screen actor/director Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Little Rock Film Festival and Central Arkansas Library System have programmed a special weekend of films celebrating his career.

It kicks off tonight at 7pm with Magnolia and continues tomorrow at 7 with Charlie Wilson’s War.  On Sunday, his Academy Award winning performance as the title character in Capote will be screened at 4pm.

All films take place in the CALS Ron Robinson Theater inside the Arcade Building on the CALS campus.  The screenings are free.

MAGNOLIA – Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2000 film is an epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. Arkansan Melinda Dillon and Hoffman were just two of the actors in this ensemble film.

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR – Mike Nichols and Aaron Sorkin’s comic drama was based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.  Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Hoffman teamed up to lead the cast of this movie.

CAPOTE –  During his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, Truman Capote writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers. Hoffman won an Oscar for his uncanny portrayal of this brilliant and troubled writer. Catherine Keener received an Oscar nomination for her performance as lifelong Capote friend, reclusive author Harper Lee.

Weather prompting changes; Good day to stay in and try CALS new Hoopla download service

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Due to inclement weather, many area museums and performances may be postponed or cancelled. Please call ahead before venturing out.

The Central Arkansas Library System now offers Hoopla, a movie, tv, audiobook, and music downloading system. Today would be a great day to try out this new service.

To learn more, visit the CALS website at www.cals.org.

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GROUNDHOG DAY on Groundhog Day

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Groundhog Day (1993) movie poster Cinemark Theatres is offering the chance to see 1993’s GROUNDHOG DAY on Groundhog Day. And since it starts at 2pm, it will be concluded in time for kickoff to see the Denver Broncos celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse by downing the Seattle Seahawks.

The showing is part of a series which Cinemark is offering in January and February where they screen classic movies from the 1980s and 1990s on the big screen on Sunday afternoons and Wednesdays (the film will be repeated on February 5 at 2pm and 7pm).

This 1993 comedy from director Harold Ramis offers Bill Murray as a meteorologist trapped in Punxsutawney PA by snow and by the fact that he keeps repeating the day over and over and over. It also stars Andie McDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray and Marita Geraghty. Willie Garson and Michael Shannon are also seen briefly in the movie.

The film will be shown at Cinemark’s Colonel Glenn location (formerly the Rave).  Tickets are $7.50 for the screening today.

Little Rock Look Back: 1940 Movie Ball at Robinson Auditorium

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Mayor J V Satterfield escorting actress Maureen O'Hara at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Democrat)

Mayor J V Satterfield escorting actress Maureen O’Hara at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Democrat)

As final preparations were being made for the opening of the Joseph Taylor Robinson Municipal Auditorium in early 1940, a glamorous evening took place in Robinson’s lower level convention hall on February 1.

In conjunction with a meeting of film executives and movie theatre owners sponsored by Robb and Rowley Theaters (which later became the United Artists theatre chain), several Hollywood actors were in Little Rock and headlined a Movie Ball. While in Little Rock, Maureen O’Hara, Phyllis Brooks, Arleen Whelan, Tim Holt and Gene Autry had also made a variety of public appearances.

Mr. Autrey had to miss the ball because he had to return to Hollywood early to attend to business matters. Actress Ilona Massey had also been scheduled to attend the events but was unable due to illness.

Autograph seekers crowd around the actors at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Gazette)

Autograph seekers crowd around the actors at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Gazette)

The quartet who did appear at the Movie Ball caused quite a scene. Upon their entrance, so many of the attendees crowded around for autographs that the evening’s grand march could not take place (a newspaper headline in the Democrat innocently used the word “orgy” to describe the crowd). After two attempts, Little Rock Mayor J. V. Satterfield (who was escorting Miss O’Hara) and the other members of the Little Rock host delegation led the Hollywood foursome to their reserved table. For quite a while that evening, the table was besieged by autograph seekers.

Though it is unknown as to whether he sought an autograph, photos from the evening showed a very satisfied Mayor Satterfield with Miss O’Hara on his arm. Satterfield family lore joked that Mrs. Satterfield was not a fan of Miss O’Hara’s films after that evening.

The Movie Ball showed Little Rock citizens the value of Robinson Auditorium even before it had been officially dedicated. The film industry meetings had taken place at the Albert Pike Hotel which did not feature a ballroom large enough to host the ball. Without the auditorium’s availability for the gala, organizers might not have chosen Little Rock for the meeting.

With the auditorium’s convention hall not attached to any hotel, it opened up the chance for Little Rock to host more events. This had been one of the key arguments for an auditorium since Mayor W. E. Lenon’s first proposal back in 1904. Having a glamorous event this early in the auditorium’s life validated that contention. After having endured the challenges to open the building, it was a nice lagniappe for the auditorium’s proponents who were present.

The actor Tim Holt would again be connected to Little Rock. In September 1951 he tried to obtain a divorce in Arkansas and stated that he had been a resident of the state for at least six weeks. He also had someone else testify to that fact. In October 1951 the divorce was granted. But later Mr. Holt was charged with perjury and fined $200 for falsely representing his length of residence in Arkansas. Judicial sanctions for his legal team, which included a State Senator, were eventually reviewed by the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Little Rock Film Festival Celebrates Opening of Ron Robinson Theater

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lrff_mp_hdr_logoLast week the new Ron Robinson Theater opened in the Arcade Building at the corner of President Clinton and River Market.  One of the anchors of this facility is the Little Rock Film Festival.
To celebrate the grand opening, the Little Rock Film Festival has scheduled a series of events.
Things kick off tonight with the documentary Ain’t In It for My Health.  This honest look at the life and career of Arkansas native and music legend Levon Helm was one of the highlights of the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival.  The film starts at 7pm.  It will be followed by a Q&A with Amy Helm.  Then at 9pm, Amy Helm and Handsome Strangers will take the stage for a concert.

On Saturday, January 18, at 3pm, the Ron Robinson Theater will be screen the “Best of the LRFF’s 48 Hour Film Project.”  the titles shown will be La Grande Fete, Surprise Party, Abbatoir, Vacation, The Door, The Plumber, Last Chance Romance, Drain, The Third Save, and Deuces.  

At 7pm on the 18th, the documentary Sleepy LaBeef Rides Again will be shown.  This documentary/concert film about Arkansas native Sleepy LaBeef will be followed by a Q&A with Sleepy LaBeef and Dave Pomeroy.  At 8:30pm, LaBeef and Pomeroy will be in concert.

On Monday, January 20 at 7pm, the HBO Documentary Film Moms Mabley will be screened.  A special Martin Luther King Day presentation about the iconic African American standup comedienne Jackie “Moms” Mabley, who broke racial and sexual boundaries and continues to inspire comedians to this day. In her directorial debut, Whoopi Goldberg pays homage to this pioneering legend.

Tuesday, January 21 will feature a program entitled “Locals Rule” at 7:30 pm.  These standout  Arkansas short films from the first seven years of Little Rock Film Festival represent some of the most creative work on the national festival circuit. From offbeat comedies to Gothic tales, these films show the vibrancy of the Arkansas Film Community.  The titles to be showns are Ballerina, Cain and Able, Mary, The Orderly, Pillow, Spanola Pepper Sauce, and The Van.

Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00pm may seem more like Halloween as The Little Rock Horror Picture Show presents One Please and Contracted.

  • One Please– Summers in suburbia get weird when Michael Berryman comes to town. The short film is an Arkansas premiere from the award winning team behind ‘Pillow’.
  • Contracted – Russellville native Eric England returns to Arkansas with his latest project, Contracted, a feature length thriller about what can go wrong when the party goes out of hand. England’s previous films, Madison County and Roadside, both screened at the Little Rock Horror Picture Show. Director Eric England and actress Najarra Townsend will be in attendance.

On Thursday, January 23 at 7:30pm, an episode of the Sundance series “Rectify” will be shown.  The Sundance series, “Rectify,” created by former Little Rock resident Ray McKinnon, has deservedly landed on many critics’ best of the year list. The series follows Daniel Holden as he struggles to deal with life on the outside when DNA evidence releases him from prison  after he served 19 years  for a rape conviction. Following a screening of Episode 4 from the first season, writer Graham Gordy will discuss the project.

The week-plus long series will culminate on Saturday, January 25, with a screening of Ladder 49 at 7pm.  North Little Rock native film director Jay Russell will be in town to present his film, Ladder 49, starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta. Ladder 49 is a 2004 film centered around the heroics of fictional Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire, and his recollection of the events  that got him to that point.  Following the screening of Ladder 49 the Little Rock Film Festival will host a grand opening party in the lobby of the Ron Robinson Theater. Music, Food and Drink provided.