IMA Announces 2017 Summer Series Line-Up
The Indianapolis Museum of Art has announced its 42nd Summer Nights film series lineup, and there are some great films coming this summer. Unfortunately, not as many classics as last year.
The series kicks off June 2nd with the original (and far better) 1984 version of “Footloose” – the musical that made Kevin Bacon a star. A silly plot about a town that outlaws dancing lets us know right away that we’re not in for anything too thought-provoking. But the dancing is good, and it’s great to hear the old 1980s music again.
The following weekend brings us 1994’s “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” and the original animated version of Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” If you’ve seen the 2016 live-action remake, you’ll be in for a treat. While not in the top tier of Disney’s animated classics, the 1967 version is great in its mere simplicity. The songs are mostly good too.
June 16th brings us Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 crime mystery “Dial M for Murder.” While the title dates the film (Letters on a phone?), it’s a taut thriller which was the best of the original wave of 3D motion pictures. Why? Because it would have still been an interesting movie even if it hadn’t been 3D. Ray Milland and Grace Kelly star.
The following night, IMA will show 1992’s “Batman Returns” – the second of the original Michael Keaton Batman films. June 23rd is the original “The Fast and the Furious” from 2001, and on the 30th, Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn star in the 1957 Gershwin musical “Funny Face.” While certainly cute, and essentially harmless, this Paramount release doesn’t hold a candle to the great MGM musicals of the period.
On July 1st, we’re back to Disney with 1971’s “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” – a screen musical whose sole purpose was to reignite the magic of “Mary Poppins.” It didn’t, but it’s always seemed underrated to me. Angela Lansbury stars as a witch who has trouble carrying out her spells. It’s funny in parts, and the Sherman & Sherman songs are delightful, but it’s so similar to Mary Poppins – takes place in London, features children, features David Tomlinson, features music by the Sherman brothers – that it invites unnecessary comparison. “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” stands on its own two feet, and children always love it. The soccer match featuring live-action and animated characters is still a classic.
July 7th is 1992’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” then nothing until the 28th, when IMA will show the 1995 stoner comedy “Friday.” Also starring Ice Cube, this is the picture that made a star out of the annoying Chris Tucker. As drug humor goes, these two are not in the same league and Cheech & Chong.
The following night is Rob Reiner’s “Stand by Me” – the greatest big-screen adaptation ever of a Stephen King novel. And it’s not even a horror movie! It’s a heartfelt coming-of-age story about four boys who discover a dead body. It’s tender yet harrowing in parts. It’s also my favorite Rob Reiner film, and it’s the best picture River Phoenix made before he died of a drug overdose in 1993.
August 4th brings us one of the worst comedies ever made – Colin Higgins’ “9 to 5.” Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as office workers who plot revenge against their overruling and demeaning boss (Dabney Coleman), the humor is way too broad, and the screenplay features a grand total of zero funny lines.
August 11th is Cary Grant in Frank Capra’s 1944 mystery “Arsenic and Old Lace,” based on the play of the same name. It can be described as 1940s dark humor – not as good as some of Billy Wilder’s later dark comedies, but it’s still a treat. And Cary Grant is always fun to watch.
August 18th is the 2005 sci-fi flick “Serenity,” which is followed the very next night with “Cool Hand Luke” – the last, and perhaps the best, of the early rebel-‘rouser Paul Newman films. Also starring George Kennedy and Strother Martin (who famously intones, “What we have here is a failure to communicate!”), Newman plays an inmate who endures physical and psychological torture at the hands of his captors. Why? Because he dares to buck the system – a common thread of Newman’s early work. “Cool Hand Luke” works on many levels. It’s a compelling drama, an anti-establishment film, and it features many unspoken references to Christianity, with Newman’s character as the Christ-like figure. Furthermore, you’ll never be able to look at Newman again without thinking, “I can eat fifty eggs.”
This year’s Summer Nights series comes to a close on August 25th with what used to be one of the funniest movies ever made – Mel Brooks’ 1974 western spoof “Blazing Saddles.” While many scenes are still riotous (including one of the best endings in the history of motion picture comedy), a lot of the jokes seem stale now. Back then, the use of dirty words was so striking it made us laugh. Now, we merely shrug and wince. As funny as “Blazing Saddles” was back in the day, it doesn’t hold up well today (unlike, say, Brooks’ “Silent Movie,” which is still hilarious). Nevertheless, “Blazing Saddles” is surprisingly important in this day and age of corporate and cultural racism. Brooks strips away the niceties, and lays bare the overt racism of olden days to make a point about the more subtle racism we face today (or even in 1974). In that respect, “Blazing Saddles” is still a relevant piece of work. Unfortunately, it could never be made today. Neither could “All in the Family,” but that’s another column for another day.
So certainly some hits and misses in this year’s line-up, but as usual, tickets will go fast, and many of these shows will sell out long before their screenings. If you’re concerned, I’d get tickets now for “Footloose,” “Batman Returns,” “The Fast and the Furious,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Stand by Me,” “Cool Hand Luke,” and “Blazing Saddles.” My guess is they will sell out fastest. If you’d like to take the young ones, get tickets now for “The Jungle Book,” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.”
Andy Ray's reviews of current film appear on http://www.artschannelindy.com/