Tag Archives: Ron Robinson Theater

Hey You Guys! – CALS Ron Robinson Theater is showing GOONIES tonight!

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The Goonies (1985, PG)

From the imagination of Steven Spielberg, The Goonies plunges a band of small heroes into a swashbuckling surprise-around-every corner quest beyond their wildest dreams!

See it on the big screen tonight (9/6) at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden doubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys…and a mild mannered monster with a face only a mother could love.

Directed by Richard Donner and starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey, Lupe Ontiveros and Mary Ellen Trainor, The Goonies is a film that still delights the young and the young at heart.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Film starts at 7:00 p.m. Beer, wine, and concessions will be available!

Final Day of Filmland features TOY STORY 4 and episodes from STRANGER THINGS season 2

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The Arkansas Cinema Society’s Filmland concludes with a double bill of works directed by Andrew Stanton.

Up first is Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 4.  Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep and their friends return, this time joined by Forky. The gang embark on a road trip with Bonnie. The adventurous journey turns into an unexpected reunion as Woody’s slight detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep. As Woody and Bo discuss the old days, they soon start to realize that they’re two worlds apart when it comes to what they want from life as a toy.

Doors to the CALS Ron Robinson Theater open at 2pm with the screening starting at 2:30pm.  Prior to the showing of Toy Story 4, a five minute play from each semester of the Young Storytellers program will be performed.

Sunday evening, two episodes of Stranger Things, Season 2 will be shown.  Will Byers finds himself the target of the Upside Down a year after his disappearance as a large tentacled figure named the Mind Flayer soon terrorizes the citizens of Hawkins, drawing back Joyce and Hopper along with Mike’s sister Nancy, Will’s brother Jonathan, and Nancy’s boyfriend Steve, as well as Will’s close friends; Mike, Dustin and Lucas.

The whole group along with Californian newcomer Maxine as well as a missing Eleven must join forces once again to prevent the threat from increasing.

Doors open at 5:30pm with the screening starting at 6:30pm.

Following both screenings, Stanton will engage in a Q&A with ACS founder Jeff Nichols.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton was raised in Rockport, Massachusetts. He was educated at The California Institute of the Arts (or “CalArts”) in Los Angeles, where he studied character animation. After graduation, Stanton began working as a writer on the TV series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (1987). In 1990, he became only the second animator and ninth employee to join Pixar Animation Studios.

Stanton went on to help establish Pixar as one of the world’s leading animation studios. He was designer and writer on Toy Story (1995), for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He went on to write and direct such worldwide hits as A Bug’s Life (1998), Finding Nemo (2003) and WALL·E (2008), the latter two both winning Oscars for Best Animated Feature. Stanton also dabbles in voice work, perhaps most memorably as Crush, the laid back turtle, in Finding Nemo (2003).

Tonight at Filmland: BOY ERASED on the CALS Ron Robinson Theater screen

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Boy Erased (2018 poster).pngFilmland continues this evening with 2018’s Boy Erased.  Starring Oscar wines Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe and Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges, this is based on Arkansan Garrard Conley’s Boy Erased: A Memoir.

Boy Erased was written for the screen and directed by Joel Edgerton, who also produced with Kerry Kohansky Roberts and Steve Golin.  Edgerton also appears in the movie.

The movie is the story of the son of a Baptist preacher who is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.

Director Joel Edgerton will participate in a Q&A with Arkansas Cinema Society founder Jeff Nichols after the screening.  As an actor, he has appeared in Nichols’ Midnight Special and Loving.

Doors to the CALS Ron Robinson Theater open at 5:30pm with the screening starting at 6:00pm.

Directors Panel, Arkansas Short Films on tap for Filmland’s daytime schedule

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So much is going on at Filmland today there will be two separate entries on the blog.

Things start with a Directors Panel at 11:30am (doors open at 11:00am).

Jeff Nichols, Andrew Stanton and Joel Edgerton will discuss the art and science of filmmaking from the perspective of the director.  Nichols is founder of the Arkansas Cinema Society.  Stanton and Edgerton will both be screening movies at Filmland this year.

Next up is a duo of Arkansas made short films:  Purple Monster by Damon McKinnis and Dragonslayer by Mark Thiedeman. Note, these films contain adult content.

  • PURPLE MONSTER: Three friends prepare for a carefree night of relaxing and getting high only to end up discovering the deeper problems weighing on their minds.
  • ‍DRAGONSLAYER: In rural Arkansas in the 1990s, a gay teenager agrees to chauffeur his only friend to a meeting with a stranger from an online chatroom, all the while battling his own romantic feelings.

Doors open at 1:00pm with the screening starting at 1:30pm.

At 3:00pm, the second block of Arkansas made short films starts.  (Doors open at 2:30pm.)

These selected shorts will be screened in this order:
ODD HAPPENINGS IN A TINY TENT by Jesse Burks SHELTER by Daniel Hanna
THE BENCH by Bronson Crabtree
UNOS HUEVOS by David C Cruz
INTO THE GREEN by Mary McDade Casteel
MIKE THE BIRDMAN by Paige Murphy

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Arkansas filmmakers.

All of the events take place at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

Tonight at Filmland 2019: FREE SOLO on the CALS Ron Robinson screen

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Free solo climbing is the most dangerous form of rock climbing. No ropes, no harness, no protective equipment.

The documentary FREE SOLO follows Alex Honnold’s free-solo ascent in 2017 of El Capitan in Yosemite as he becomes the first solo climber to do so. FREE SOLO won an Academy Award this year for Best Documentary Feature.

Q&A following the screening with producer Evan Hayes.

Evan Hayes won an Oscar for producing the film FREE SOLO. Evan was also the production executive on the hit TV show “Outlander”, and during his eleven years at Working Title Films he worked as a producer or executive on such films as EVEREST, LES MISERABLES,TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, FROST/NIXON, A SERIOUS MAN, BURN AFTER READING, HOT FUZZ, and UNITED 93.

The screening starts at 6:30pm tonight (August 23) with doors to the CALS Ron Robinson Theater opening at 6:00pm.

Following the film, the after-party will take place at The Railyard from 9pm to midnight.

TROOP ZERO and short films made by Arkansas teen girls highlight first night of Arkansas Cinema Society FILMLAND

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Mckenna Grace in Troop Zero (2019)On August 22, Filmland’s curated programming officially gets underway with Troop Zero, which stars Viola Davis, McKenna Grace, Jim Gaffigan, and Allison Janney.

In rural 1977 Georgia, a misfit girl dreams of life in outer space. When a competition offers her a chance to be recorded on NASA’s Golden Record, she recruits a makeshift troop of Birdie Scouts, forging friendships that last a lifetime.

The film marks a reunion for Oscar winner (and Tony nominee) Janney with Oscar winner (and Tony winner) Davis who appeared in THE HELP.  It also reunites Janney and Grace, who appeared together in I, TONYA.

Before the film, “Ensemble” and “Justitia” two short films from the ACS Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls will be screened.

After the film, there will be a Q&A moderated by ACS founder Jeff Nichols with writer Lucy Alibar and director BERT.

The showing is taking place at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.  Doors open at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm screening.  The after-party will be at Buenos Aires Grill.

Men & Women of Distinction: Mike Beebe will be shown by Arkansas Cinema Society tonight at CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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Tonight the Arkansas Cinema Society is getting things started with a documentary about the 45th Governor of Arkansas, Mike Beebe.  

In 2010, a red tide swept Arkansas, flipping many federal and state offices to Republican control. But Democratic Governor Mike Beebe not only won re-election, he carried all 75 counties in Arkansas, an unprecedented feat. How did he do that?

Watch AETN: Men & Women of Distinction’s biography of Governor Mike Beebe.  In this uplifting one-hour documentary, commissioned in 2015 and directed by Kathryn Tucker, the former Governor reflects on his 32 years in elected office, with added perspectives from his wife Ginger, former Governor’s Chief of Staff – Morril Harriman, former Governor’s Director of Communications – Matt DeCample, columnist – John Brummett,  ASU fraternity brother & longtime friend – Johnny Allison, and former Attorney General’s Chief of Staff – Colette Honorable.

Matt DeCample, who served on Governor Beebe’s staff was instrumental in working with the Arkansas Cinema Society during its first two years. Today (August 21) is Matt’s birthday. Though he died earlier this year after a valiant battle with cancer, Matt’s presence continues with the Arkansas Cinema Society (not just through his appearance in this film). A special tribute to Matt will also be part of the program.

The program is at the CALS Ron Robinson Theatre.  Doors open at 5:00pm with the screening starting at 6:30pm.

RESERVE TICKETS here.