Documentaries, Other Films at The Music Hall

The Music Hall continues its tradition of offering a variety of outstanding cinema this month. May screenings include a thought provoking documentary followed by a panel discussion, foreign films, and a look at Jewish delis. All are being shown at either the splendidly restored Historic Theater on Chestnut Street or at the chic Loft on Congress Street, both acclaimed for their architectural design.

“August is packed full of can’t miss movies at both theaters,” said Chris Curtis, Programming Coordinator. “We start out the month with two powerful documentaries, I am Chris Farley and Amy, that look at the lives that were cut short by the subjects inability to deal with fame. We also have the Beach Boys biopic Love and Mercy as well as Infinitely Polar Bear that stars Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana.”

Extraordinary Cinema: Dope (R, 1h55m, US)

8/12, 8/13 • 7pm • 6/7 • 3pm • Historic Theater

A critical hit and audience favorite out of the Sundance Film Festival. Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being ‘dope’, to ultimately being himself.

“a comedy of social expectation that plays like an exhilarating gift.”— Rolling Stone

“”Dope” is the bomb.”—Washington Post

Extraordinary Cinema: Amy (R, 114mins, Sweden) - subtitled

8/12, 8/13 • 7pm • 8/9 • 3pm • the Loft

Despite just two albums to her name Amy Winehouse is one of the biggest music icons in British history. With a voice oft described as a combination of Billy Holiday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, Amy Winehouse was a pop star with soul; a once in a generation musical talent whose appeal crossed cultural and demographic boundaries. But while her music made her a star, her chaotic personal life stole headlines.

“telling the story of contemporary celebrity and, crucially, fandom’s cost.”— New York Times

“takes care not to lose sight of the human being behind the mythology.” — Village Voice

HD Broadcast: Cast Party (NR, 2h30m)

8/20 • 7pm • Historic Theater

A broadcast on screen from when the hosts of several of the biggest and best podcasts in the world convene on stage in New York City at NYU’s Skirball Center for the inaugural CAST PARTY: a stage show celebrating the emergence of podcasting as a powerhouse medium with millions of obsessed fans. Like, the Lollapalooza of podcasts.

Cast Party will feature original stories and performances by: Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, audio pioneers of RADIOLAB; Lulu Miller from NPR’s newest mega-hit INVISIBILIA; PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, hosts of the Internet deep-dive REPLY ALL; improv comedy show WITH SPECIAL GUEST LAUREN LAPKUS; and the bold and often hilarious audio drama podcast THE TRUTH.

Plus music by horn quartet THE WESTERLIES, dance by COCOON CENTRAL DANCE TEAM, surprise guests, original videos, and more.

Extraordinary Cinema: A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence (PG13, 1h40)

8/14, 8/15, 8/16, 8/19 • 7pm • the Loft

Like his previous features SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR and YOU, THE LIVING, master Swedish director Roy Andersson takes up the theme of “being a human being” with this meticulously crafted, dreamlike black comedy. Sam and Jonathan, a pair of hapless novelty salesman, take us on a kaleidoscopic tour of the human condition in reality and fantasy, unfolding in absurdist episodes. It is a journey that unveils the beauty of single moments, the pettiness of others, life’s grandeur, and the humor and tragedy hidden within us all.

“every moment of this film has been carefully calibrated, and...Andersson achieves the effect he seeks.” — Salon.com

“a master class in comic timing, employing pacing and repetition with the skill of a practiced concert pianist.” — Variety

Extraordinary Cinema: Love & Mercy (PG13, 2h, US)

8/15, 8/19, 8/20 • 7pm • 8/15 • 4pm • Historic Theater The film presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys. Set against the era defining catalog of Wilson’s music, the film intimately examines the personal voyage and ultimate salvation of the icon whose success came at extraordinary personal cost. Paul Dano and John Cusack each star as Wilson.

“It’s a loving tribute to the Beach Boys and the man responsible for their distinctive sound.” — New York Times

“Dano lets it bleed as Brian Wilson, giving a performance awards were invented for.” — Rolling Stone

TMH Film Club: Touch of Evil (1958) (PG13, 1h35m, US)

8/18 • 7pm • the Loft

Widely regarded as the apotheosis of classic film noir, TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) opens with one of the greatest and longest tracking shots in cinema history, and just gets more delicious from there. A steamy B crime thriller about murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town, EVIL’s cast includes Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, and Dennis Weaver, and stars Charlton Heston and, of course, Welles himself in one of his greatest performances as sleazy, bloated Hank Quinlan, the cop with “the perfect arrest record”. Ranked 64th on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 American suspense films. ~Kent Stephens, The Music Hall Film Club host.

Extraordinary Cinema: Testament Of Youth (PG13, 2h9m, UK)

8/21, 8/22, 8/25, 8/26, 8/27 • 7pm • 8/23 • 3pm • Historic Theater

Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman’s point of view. A searing journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again, it’s a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times.

“From first to last, “Testament of Youth” sweeps you away.” — Los Angeles Times

“[D]elivers one rich and emotional scene after another” — New York Daily News

Extraordinary Cinema: Results (R, 1h45m, US)

8/21, 8/23, 8/26, 8/27 • 7pm • the Loft

Kit Recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable, Danny (Kevin Corrigan) would seem to be the perfect test subject for a definitive look at the relationship between money and happiness. Danny’s well-funded ennui is interrupted by a momentous trip to the local gym, where he meets owner/self-styled guru Trevor (Guy Pearce) and irresistibly acerbic trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders). Soon, their three lives are inextricably knotted, both professionally and personally.

“a beautifully played game of underhand slow-pitch screwball.” — New York Times

“so liberated from the shackles of genre, that it becomes its own wonderfully alive and unpredictable thing.” — New York Magazine

NTLive: The Audience (Encore Presentation) (2h 40m)

8/22 • 1pm • Historic Theater

We are pleased to present this encore broadcast following upon two 2015 Tony Award® wins for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Helen Mirren), and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role (Richard McCabe). The broadcast is of the original West End production, captured live in London in 2013, and features a Q&A with Director Stephen Daldry and Helen Mirren.

For sixty years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a private weekly meeting. This meeting is known as The Audience. No one knows what they discuss, not even their spouses.

From the old warrior Winston Churchill, to the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair right up to today’s meetings with the current incumbent David Cameron, the Queen advises her Prime Ministers on all matters both public and personal. Through these private audiences, we see glimpses of the woman behind the crown and witness the moments that shaped a monarch.

The Audience is written by Peter Morgan (The Queen) and directed by two-time Tony Award® winner and Academy Award®-nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours), and was presented in the West End by Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions, Robert Fox and Andy Harries.

Extraordinary Cinema: Infinitely Polar Bear (R, 1h30m, US)

8/29, 8/30, 9/1, 9/2, 9/3 • 7pm • Historic Theater

Stars Mark Ruffalo as Cameron, a man who suffers from bipolar disorder. After a breakdown forces him to leave his family and move into a halfway house, he attempts to rebuild a relationship with his two daughters, and win back the trust of his wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana). When Maggie decides to go to business school in New York, they decide that he will move back in and take care of the day-to-day care for the kids. Due to his mercurial nature, this leads to a series of quirky, funny, and sometimes frightening episodes.

“Mark Ruffalo gives one of his most appealing performances in writer-director Maya Forbes’ irresistible feature debut.” — Variety

“Ruffalo...demonstrates again why he may be the best actor of his generation.” — Boston Globe

Extraordinary Cinema: Best Of Enemies (R, 1h27m, US)

8/29, 8/30, 9/1, 9/2, 9/3 • 7pm • Historic Theater

In the summer of 1968, television news changed forever. Dead last in the ratings, ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions. William F. Buckley, Jr. was a leading light of the new conservative movement. A Democrat and cousin to Jackie Onassis, Gore Vidal was a leftist novelist and polemicist. It was unlike anything TV had ever broadcast, and all the more shocking because it was live and unscripted. Viewers were riveted. ABC News’ ratings skyrocketed. And a new era in public discourse was born - a highbrow blood sport that marked the dawn of pundit television as we know it today.

“The on-camera clashes between Buckley and Vidal are vividly and entertainingly recounted in this fascinating documentary.” — Variety

“there could scarcely be any documentary more enticing, scintillating and downright fascinating” — Hollywood Reporter

For more information on all shows, films, and events, go to themusichall.org/calendar