THE HIDDEN (1987)

I’m of the opinion that The Hidden is an underseen movie. I saw it when it first played in the theaters, and even then it seemed to float under the radar. Directed by Jack Sholder, of Nightmare on Elm Street II fame, The Hidden is a nice blend of horror,science fiction, and buddy cop movie with Kyle MacLachlan as “FBI agent” Lloyd Gallagher, and Michael Nouri as Tom Beck chasing a body hopping alien across Los Angeles. There’s a couple moments where it delves into cheese, but rights itself at the end with a therapeutic vanquishing of the alien. – M.Avrg

Outside the New Beverly waiting for The Hidden (1987) to unspool at midnight. Photo: Matt Average

NEW YORK NINJA (2021) / MIAMI CONNECTION (1987)

The double bill that had to happen happened! The New Beverly ran this event of dreams for two nights back in January, and Devon and I went on the 17th to see director Kurtis Spieler and Voyag3r spoke about the movie and composing the soundtrack. Both prints were great, and the audience reaction made the whole experience next level. Will anyone be able to top this bill? Remains to to be seen.

Photo by Matt Average

Lee Ving and Get Crazy! (1983)

I can’t believe I was soooo slow to post this one. This is an obvious choice for this site: punk rock and movies. How could I be so late, and aloof? I blame society. But anyway, Cinematic Void screened Get Crazy at the Los Feliz 3 on December 11, 2021, and three guests, director Allan Arkush, Lori Eastside (Nada), and Lee Ving (Piggy) were there as well for a Q&A. Ving would break into song, mostly Italian operas, and the occasional “1-2-3-4! 1-2-3-4!”. As you can see in the photo below. The Q&A was great. Allan Arkush has a million stories, and you want to hear them all, and Lee and Lori held their own as well. I won an autographed copy of the blue ray for answering a trivia question pertaining to Iggy Pop. Who knew that a steady diet of rock magazines in my youth would reap rewards?

Lee Ving at the Los Feliz 3 for Get Crazy. Photo by Matt Average

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: A Todd Haynes Documentary (2021) at the Nuart

Patrons outside the Nuart. Photo by Matt Average

Finally made it over to the Nuart to see The Velvet Underground: A Todd Haynes Documentary. It’s even better than you may expect. The segments with Jonathan Richman alone are worth the price of admission. His insights make them human, and his love for this band is infectious.

JOE DANTE and THE HOWLING (1981) at the Nuart

Joe Dante in the lobby at the Nuart. Photo by Matt Average

Joe Dante made it out to the Nuart on Wednesday night, October 20, 2021 to introduce the 4k restoration of his 1980s werewolf classic The Howling on the first night of the full moon. Talk about perfect timing! Tonight he will be back at the Nuart doing a Q&A before the 7:30 showing. Make a point of getting over there before it leaves the theatre.

Joe Dante introducing the 4k restoration of The Howling at the Nuart. Photo by Matt Average

NUART – reopens!

Places are starting to reopen here in California. I have no idea how long that will last, or if we will ever close down again at all. With the vaccines getting around, and after a year of “we’re turning a corner” only to see the numbers rise it’s tough to be positive about much at the moment.

That said, the Nuart opened it’s doors up last Friday, March 19, 2021. No idea when the midnight movies will return, but I’m looking forward to that moment when I can sit in my seat, finish my soda and candy before the trailers finish, and watch whatever classic horror is projected onto the big screen. It will be epic. (MA)

The Nuart: “I see you shiver with anticipation.”

“I see you shiver with anticipation.” Photo by: Matt Average

The legendary Nuart Theatre switched up their marquee recently with this quote from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “I see you shiver with anticipation.”

For those who don’t know, The Nuart was one of the first movie theatres to begin showing Rocky Horror on a regular basis back in 1976. I have yet to attend a screening of that movie there, but I do know the line tends to wind around the building, and the crowd is full of hardcore fans. When we are finally able to return to the movie theatres safely I will definitely go and get in line

I’m also missing seeing this beautiful marquee lit up at night, and look forward to the nights when it’s lit up advertising whatever movie is playing on the screen, as well as their Friday midnight programming. Someday…..  (MA)

DIS-ENCHANTED APRIL / THE LOVELY MONTH OF MAY

While the movie theaters remain closed, The Laemmle Royal marquee remains active with weekly updates that offer commentary on what’s happening, sometimes with movie titles, as you will see in some future posts coming up soon.

It’s certainly a bleak time for those of us who love going to the theater, but these marquees give me a boost when I see them and make it slightly easier to keep on keeping on until the doors reopen and we can all sit down and shut out the world via the big screen.  (MA)

THE BROOD (1979) / SCALPEL (1977)

The Brood / Scalpel double bill at the New Beverly, March 10, 2020. Photo: Matt Average

THE BROOD (1979)

Director: David Cronenberg

Starring: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle

SCALPEL (1977)

Director: John Grissmer

Starring: Robert Lansing, Judith Chapman, Arlen Dean Snyder, Sandy Martin

Before the world went down the toilet, and all the movie theaters were temporarily closed,  I was able to catch the double bill of The Brood, and Scalpel at the New Beverly. This was part of their month long series of double bills as they originally played in Los Angeles. The Brood print was pretty good, despite how old it is. Scalpel was the surprise of the night for me. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s entertaining, and one I would watch again. 

I look forward to the time when the theaters reopen and we can all sit in the dark and escape from daily life, with a soda at hand, and a couple of vegan hotdogs. (MA)

 

 

 

 

 

HOTEL ARTEMIS (2018)

HOTEL ARTEMIS

2018, US

Director: Drew Pearce

Starring: Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum

Viewed: Streaming

Transfer Quality: Not bad

In the near future, city-wide riots erupt in Los Angeles over the privatization of water and the streets are literally ablaze. Amid this disturbingly plausible scenario, a rogues gallery of casualties from LA’s criminal underworld admit themselves into a high-tech, underground clinic for villains called the Hotel Artemis where the drama plays out.

After re-watching Blade Runner (for the millionth time) I had a hankering for similar futuristic neo-noir and this fit the bill. It’s a flawed film, but it does try. It’s more of a character and dialogue driven stage production than an action film and it succeeds on that level. The performances and characterization are all pretty solid and these are the film’s strengths amid a muddled plot.

Jodie Foster is great as the clinic’s tormented nurse. Sterling K. Brown is excellent as always as a wounded, noble bank robber. Charlie Day is obnoxiously sleazy as a creepy arms dealer. Jeff Goldblum makes a walk-on performance as a powerful Malibu mob lord with Zachary Quinto, in an uncharacteristically aggressive role, as his ruthless son. And for a little bit of badass, hand to hand combat action we get Dave Bautista as a monster orderly and Sophia Boutella as an ass-kicking acrobatic assassin.

Overall, the actors and their relationships hold the film together, but unfortunately, the off-kilter story crumbles into an uneven climax with an abrupt open ending. I can’t really imagine a reason for a sequel to this film. I mean it doesn’t have as much edge as, say, John Wick, which seems to be the movie’s main influence. Still, it is watchable and it is set in a cool, dark world.

(AD)