Highlights of this week’s film events, revivals, festivals and series.
John Huston: A Retrospective The film series concludes with the director’s final two films. Jack Nicholson heads the cast of the darkly comic Prizzi’s Honor (1985) as Charley, the doltish hit man for a Brooklyn crime family. Nicholson pursues blond beauty and fellow hired gun Irene (Kathleen Turner) , and is in turn pursued by black sheep mafia princess Maerose Prizzi (Anjelica Huston, who won an Oscar for her role) . Huston’s final film, The Dead (1987) , is both a nod to his second home, Ireland, and a true family affair. Son Tony adapted the screenplay from James Joyce’s short story, and once again daughter Angelica stars, this time as Gretta, a married woman who still pines for her first love, now dead. Huston himself was dying during the production and the film was released posthumously. UCLA Film & Television Archive, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 206-8013. Aug. 27,7 p.m. $10; $8 for senior citizens. www.cinema.ucla.edu/events
Cary Elwes Double Feature In The Princess Bride (1987) , screenwriter William Goldman and director Rob Reiner take the fairy tale trope and put a quirky, Python-esque spin on it. Robin Wright stars as the beautiful Buttercup who is pursued by both the handsome and noble farmhand (Elwes) and the conniving and nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) . The excellent cast includes Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn, and Christopher Guest. It’s preceded by the recently released The Queen of Spain starring Penélope Cruz as a screen queen playing the title character in a sequel of sorts to director Fernando Trueba’s 1998 “The Girl of Your Dreams.” Elwes, who will be on hand for a discussion between the films, costars as Cruz’s rakish American leading man. American Cinematheque, Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 260-1528. Aug. 27,7: 30 p.m. $12; $8 for Cinematheque members. www.americancinemathequecalendar.com
GKids Presents Studio Ghibli Fest Hayao Miyazaki ’s 1986 animated adventure Castle in the Sky was the first release from the famed Japan animation studio. In the magical tale, an orphaned girl and a small-town boy seek out a mystical sky castle while being pursued by both government agents and sky pirates. Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, and Cloris Leachman lend their voices to the English-language version. Selected AMC, Cinemark, Regal, Pacific locations and other theaters. English version screens Aug. 27,12: 55 p.m., and Aug. 30,7 p.m. The subtitled Japanese version screens Aug. 28,7 p.m. www.fathomevents.com
David Lynch: The Art of Life (2017) The film and television auteur recounts his idyllic childhood and his years as an art-school student in Philadelphia through the time he moved to Hollywood to make “Eraserhead.” The viewer gains some insight into the director’s psyche, but in true Lynchian fashion, he leaves us hanging with a question: Just what did that neighbor say to him as a boy when his family was preparing to move to Virginia? Laemmle Culture Vulture Series, Town Center 5, Encino; Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Royal, West Los Angeles; Claremont 5, Claremont. Aug. 28,7: 30 p.m. Aug. 29,1 p.m. $16; $13 for seniors, 62+. www.laemmle.com
Pariah “Mudbound” director Dee Rees’ 2011 drama is about a Brooklyn teenager named Alike (Adepero Oduye) who grapples with her family’s expectations and her evolving relationships with friends when she comes out as lesbian. “Pariah” screened at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals, and Oduye was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. The film will be followed by a discussion. Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 443-7000. Aug. 29,7: 30 p.m. Free. www.hammer.ucla.edu
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