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The award-winning documentayr A House Made of Splinters will be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School on March 20.

By Tara Mae 

Documentaries are artistic passion put into practice. They require the fervor and drive not only of subjects and crew but also of those who seek to share their stories. 

The Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) has been honoring and matching such moxie since 2005 and advances the plot this season with the seven films on its spring roster. Held at 7 p.m. on every Monday in March, from the 6th to 27th; April 10 and 17; and May 22, each showing is followed by a Q&A session featuring either the director or producer of the project. 

Emceed by Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB, the Series is a labor of love for all involved, giving both filmmakers and festival organizers the opportunity to revisit what initially drew them to these stories and share it with an attentive public.  

“I like seeing the films again. With most of these films, we have been working on arranging the screenings for at least 3 months. I really do enjoy being in the audience, seeing the films again, thinking about them for the Q&A, and noticing what the audience reacts to. And then, meeting the documentarians and hearing their stories is one of the most exciting parts of the whole process,” said PJDS co-director Lyn Boland. 

This season starts with Dr. Tony Fauci, which explores the professional and private life of a man striving not to be blinded by the spotlight as he does his job. 

Immediate Family highlights the harmonies of five star session musicians whose notes, if not their names, are famous.

A House Made of Splinters chronicles the efforts of intrepid social workers on the front lines of the war in Eastern Ukraine as they endeavor to create an orphanage oasis for children displaced by war and woe.

I Am Not  follows the journey of Oren Levy, a young adopted Israeli man who travels back to Guatemala in search of his identity. 

Lift illuminates the invisible story of homelessness in America through the experiences of a group of young homeless and home-insecure ballet dancers who are selected to study their craft at the New York Theater Ballet.

Bobi Wine: The People’s President traces the career evolution of a man from musician to politician as he heralds the opposition to Uganda’s 35-year regime. 

Lastly, Unfinished Business offers an inside look at the creation and legacy of the WNBA, as exemplified through the champion New York Liberty’s dramatic 2021 season.

“We try to balance it between serious and entertaining documentaries,” explained PJDS co-director Wendy Feinberg.

Screenings, held either at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson or John F. Kennedy Middle School in Port Jefferson Station, are arranged and organized by PJDS’s co-directors: Boland, Feinberg, and Barbara Sverd. Known as the “Film Ladies,” they are dedicated both to spotlighting the art form of documentary filmmaking and the often lesser-known stories that they champion.  

“When I choose a film to be reviewed by the film board, I feel it must tell a story, have an emotional connection and appeal to a general audience. When I view a documentary for the first time, regardless of its subject matter, I want to feel like I am taking a class and learning something new,” Sverd said. “The greatest pleasure is sharing this experience with our audience and having the director, producer or someone from the film there for the Q&A to enhance the learning experience.” 

Such an opportunity for more informed dialogue is part of the appeal for the documentarians as well; it acts as an avenue for deeper understanding between audience and artist.  

“A smaller series or festival offers a unique and intimate connection with those who come to a theater and watch your film. It’s not about the publicity, or agents, or distributors. It brings us, as filmmakers, back to the fundamental reason we made this work: to listen for an answer back,” said David Peterson, director of Lift. 

In addition to personal, there are also practical reasons that the PJDS and other such events are vital to the endurance of documentaries, a genre that generally has far less star power and thus less funding than its cinema siblings. 

“These films would never have a chance if it was not for festivals and documentary series…to get distribution is really hard. That is where PJDS and other festivals can help.  You have to show distributors that you have an audience,” said Denny Tedesco, director and executive producer of Immediate Family.

After each viewing, audience members are given the opportunity to rate the documentary: Excellent, Very Good, Good, or Poor. At the end of the season, the votes are tallied and the Audience Award winner is announced. 

The members of the Film Board, which in addition to Boland, Feinberg, and Sverd, includes Honey Katz, Lynn, and Lorie Rothstein, then chip in money to donate to an organization of the winning director’s choosing. 

Sponsored the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, Maggio Environmental, Port Jeff Storage, Inc., and Covati and Janhsen, CPAs, with funding from Suffolk County, PJDS is seeking volunteers to assist with screenings, marketing, and social media. 

Theatre Three is located at 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson. John F. Kennedy Middle School is located at 200 Jayne Blvd, Port Jefferson Station.

A season pass for all seven documentaries is $56; single tickets are $10 online or at the door. To purchase passes, tickets, or for more information, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.

A scene from ‘Lift.’ Photo courtesy of PJDS
Film Schedule:

■ The season begins with a screening of Dr. Tony Fauci at Theatre Three on March 6. This intimate film chronicles Fauci at home, in his office and in the corridors of power as he battles the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the political onslaught that upends his life and calls into question his 50-year career as the United States of America’s leading advocate for public health. Guest speaker is Director Mark Mannucci. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

■ Immediate Family will be screened at Theatre Three on March 13. If you listen to 1970s pop music, you’ve undoubtedly heard these guys play, but do you know their names? The documentary highlights five talented men—Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel and Steve Postell—who shunned the spotlight for themselves, yet enjoyed decades of success as session musicians on iconic tracks. Guest speaker is Director Denny Tedesco. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club and the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook.

■ Next up is A House Made of Splinters at JFK Middle School on March 20. As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontlines, a small group of strong-willed social workers works tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state decides the fate of the child and family. The film is nominated for a 2023 Oscar in the documentary film category. Guest speaker is Director Simon Lereng Wilmont via pre-recorded Zoom.

■ I Am Not will be screened at JFK Middle School on March 27. Oren Levy, a young Israeli man, who is an adopted child with Asperger’s, faces challenges adapting. Suddenly, his life changes with the help of the camera, which becomes an extraordinary therapy tool assisting him on a long journey which takes Oren and his family to Guatemala in search of his identity. Guest speaker via Live Zoom will be Ehud Levy, Oren’s father and subject in film. Sponsored by North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station and Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook.

■ The season continues on April 10 at Theatre Three with Lift which shines a spotlight on the invisible story of homelessness in America through the eyes of a group of young homeless and home-insecure ballet dancers in New York City. The story centers around ballet dancer and mentor Steven Melendez, who was a seven-year-old boy living in a Bronx homeless shelter who had his life turned around when he was the recipient of the New York Theater Ballet (NYTB) Project LIFT’s generosity. Guest speakers will be Director David Petersen and Steven Melendez, Principal Dancer & Artistic Director at the New York Theatre Ballet and subject in the film.

■ Bobi Wine: The People’s President heads to JFK Middle School on April 17. First-time co-directors Christopher Sharp and journalist Moses Bwayo tell the story of Bobi Wine, the musician-turned-politician leading the opposition to the 35-year regime in Uganda. Withstanding arrests, torture, and violence from the government, Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie risk their own lives and the lives of their children to lead their country towards freedom. Bobi Wine: The People’s President is a brave exposition of an authoritarian government that highlights the power of documentary journalism. The film won the Hamptons Film Festival 2022 Best Documentary Audience Award. Guest speakers via Zoom will be Co-Directors Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo. 

■ Unfinished Business, the final film of the season, heads to Theatre Three on May 22. An intimate look at the formation and legacy of the WNBA, and its flagship team, the New York Liberty’s, dramatic 2021 season, as they play for acceptance, respect, and the future of basketball. The film is named for a song “Unfinished Business” written for the New York Liberty basketball team in 2001 by Joan Jett, a Liberty super-fan who appears in the film. Guest speaker is Director Alison Klayman.

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Fathom Event’s Big Screen Classics Series continues with an exclusive screening of the 1942 Best Picture-Winning WWII classic Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at select theaters nationwide on Sunday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 8.  Fans can experience the enduring romance and heart-rending drama of one of cinema’s most influential films.

Warner Bros. and Fathom Events will present a newly restored and remastered copy of the film in striking 4k digital. Taken from nitrate fine grain film elements, the 4k scanned digital images were put through an extensive digital restoration process by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, meticulously cleaning and repairing the picture to deliver an ultra-high-resolution presentation.

Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as an American expatriate whose world is turned upside down when his former flame, Ingrid Bergman, walks into his gin joint accompanied by her husband. As the conflict begins to brew on the warfront, Bogart is faced with a battle of his own—one that will force him to make a devastating choice between his own heart and the burgeoning war effort at large.

Though stars Bogart and Bergman were famously dubious about the quality of the film and its chances for success, the script ultimately won the Oscar® for Best Writing and was dubbed The Greatest Screenplay Of All-Time by the Writers Guild Of America in 2006—fueled by instantly-quotable lines such as “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “We’ll always have Paris,” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” and many more. Casablanca would go on to achieve unprecedented status among critics and viewers, alike, with many considering it to be the greatest film ever made. Don’t miss your chance to witness this masterpiece in all of its Golden Age glory.

The Fathom event also includes exclusive commentary from feature film historian and critic Leonard Maltin who will provide insights into the films, sharing his one-of-a-kind expertise with fans.

Locally, the film will be screened at AMC Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook, Island 16 Cinema De Lux, 185 Morris Ave, Holtsville and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas, 1001 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale on March 5 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and March 8 at 7 p.m.

For more information or to buy tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Scottish actor Alan Cumming launched to prominence with the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret. Having first played the role at London’s Donmar Warehouse, the Sam Mendes-directed production shifted Cumming from working actor to star. He returned to his award-winning role in the 2014 revival. In the course of a three-decade career, he has amassed a huge list of acting credits: onstage (everything from Noel Coward’s Design for Living to a one-person MacBeth), screen (Titus, GoldenEye, Spy Kids), and television (The Good Wife). 

In addition, Cumming is a director, an LGBTQ+ activist, and a gifted writer. Unlike many celebrities who have found their way onto the printed page via “as told to” or ghosted autobiographies, Cumming’s first work was the novel Tommy’s Tale (2002). The book was a darkly comic and highly revealing roman a clef. He followed this with a fascinating and complicated look at his relationship with his abusive father, Not My Father’s Son (2014), directly resulting from his appearance on the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? 

His next work, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: My Life in Story and Pictures (2016), presented a mediation on his life through his personal cache of photos. The book served as almost a sketch for his powerful memoir Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life (2021). 

In all his works, he is forthcoming about his struggles, triumphs, doubts, and desires. Baggage is a clear-eyed, sometimes outrageous but always honest account of a career with many highs but also an equal number of challenges. He is forthcoming about his substance use, his relationships, and his struggles. 

Unflinching accounts of partying are juxtaposed with revelations about his family and those closest to him. Whenever possible, he praises his artistic collaborators. He reserves overwhelming gratitude for friends who have stood by him in dark times. He shares his joy and appreciation for meeting his husband, Grant Shaffer. (Cumming discusses the difficulties of his first marriage to actor Hilary Lyon, with whom he planned on having children.) 

Throughout the book, his wit shines through, often in gallows humor when describing particularly difficult outings (such as his work as Nightcrawler in X2). The details in his stage and screen work beautifully portray a performer’s life, recounting and dissecting everything from  auditions to closings. He offers insight into film shoots, red carpets, and press junkets. 

Cumming balances self-deprecation with a sense of accomplishment. He reveals a strong survival streak in a man who has grappled with and overcome his demons. Even his meditation and views on the term “making love” are revelatory. “The more my life has changed, the closer I have come to a place of authenticity. Although I began this book by refuting the notion of having triumphed, I do see great victory in becoming yourself.”

Cumming will appear at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington on Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The sold-out event will include a screen of the documentary My Old School. 

A scene from ‘My Old School’

The 2022 documentary deals with the Brandon Lee scandal. In 1995, authorities discovered the supposedly seventeen year-old Bearsden Academy student, Brandon Lee, was actually a thirty-year-old former student, Brian MacKinnon. The film explores the bizarre story with a combination of present-day interviews with MacKinnon’s fellow students and teachers, animated recreations, and archival footage. While MacKinnon agreed to be interviewed, he declined to appear. Instead, Alan Cumming stands in for him, lip syncing the audio of the interviews. The film premiered virtually at the 2022 Sundance Festival. 

Following the film and a discussion, Cumming will sign copies of his book, Baggage, at a reception that includes a live jazz performance by guitarist Mike Soloway and drummer Mike Leuci.

For more information, call 631-423-7610.

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Brendan Fraser in a scene from ''The Whale' Photo courtesy of A24

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2012, Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. It won both the Drama Desk and the Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Play. Hunter has adapted his play for the screen in a compelling film directed by Darren Aronofsky.

The film opens with Charlie, a morbidly obese college professor, teaching online from his Idaho apartment. While Charlie urges his students to write from a place of truth and honesty, he leaves his camera off so they cannot see who he really is. His friend Liz, a nurse with personal ties to Charlie’s history, urges him to go to the hospital as he is bordering on congestive heart failure. Charlie refuses, citing a lack of health insurance and the fear of incurring huge debts.

Charlie spends his days grading papers, eating, and struggling with declining health. Thomas, a missionary from the New Life Church, visits, attempting to bring him to God. Charlie’s only other outside interaction is with the Gambino’s pizza delivery man, Dan, with whom he speaks through the closed door.

Knowing that his time is limited, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie. Charlie had not seen the girl since he left her and her mother, Mary, for Alan, one of his continuing ed students. 

A dysfunctional family drama ensues that touches on depression, suicide, religion, money, and homophobia. For the screenplay, Hunter hewed closely to his original work. The play was set entirely in Charlie’s living room, and Aronofsky wisely opts to keep most of the action in the dark, cluttered room, only opening up to the apartment’s additional rooms and the porch (though Charlie never goes beyond the threshold).

The film is not subtle in its storytelling and metaphors. The titular “whale” refers to Moby Dick—both Charlie and a student essay he rereads obsessively. Nevertheless, The Whale derives strength from exceptional performances from its ensemble cast. 

The connection between Liz and Charlie is central to his survival, and Hong Chau balances her love and frustration as Charlie’s only direct contact with the outside world. She frets over his health but is a not-so unwitting enabler. Sadie Sink brings multiple shades of anger and darkness to Ellie, showing her pain but also an almost sadistic need to manipulate. 

Ty Simpkins, as Thomas, avoids cliché and makes the later revelations valid and believable. Samantha Morton appears in one scene, imbuing Mary, the alcoholic ex-wife, with the right sense of hurt and damage. But, at the center of the film is Brendan Fraser as Charlie.

Fraser’s early career included Dogfight (1991), Encino Man (1992), and School Ties (1992). He is best known for The Mummy series (1999, 2001, 2008), with other movies ranging from Dudley Do-Right (1999) and Blast from the Past (1999) to Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) and No Sudden Move (2021). Certainly, none of these prepare audiences for the heartbreaking depth of this performance.

Going beyond the physical challenges, Fraser makes Charlie a complicated figure. He alternates between a resigned need to apologize—his litany of “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry …”—and a passionate desire to see the good in people (specifically, the mercenary Ellie, who may or may not warrant this faith). 

Harrowing moments include a choking fit and a pizza binge—each horrifying and gut-wrenching in its own way. But they are no more painful than Ellie’s malevolent, “I’m not spending time with you. You’re disgusting.” And his cry, “Who would want me to be a part of their life?” Even his struggle to stand and cross the room resonates with a deep hurt. Fraser never loses sight of Charlie’s humanity, creating a dimensional, unforgettable performance. 

Fraser has already won twenty awards, an equal number of additional nominations, and another dozen pending, including the Oscar for Best Actor.

However, the film has been in the crosshairs of two controversies. Fraser’s casting required him to wear nearly three hundred pounds of prosthetics. This raised questions about why a more appropriately sized actor was not selected. (Shuler Hensley, who appeared in The Whale off-Broadway, was also heavily padded for the role.)

In addition, the character itself has stoked ire in various sectors. “Some of the film’s critics believe it perpetuates tired tropes of fat people as suffering, chronically depressed and binge eating.” (Time Magazine, December 9, 2022) Appropriately, Aronofsky’s career has included a range of controversial films, including Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Noah, and Mother!

These challenges aside, the film and its key performance are more than worthy of viewing. At its heart, The Whale asks: Can anyone save anyone? The Whale is a disturbing, extraordinary exploration that leaves the question unanswered. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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In honor of its 30th anniversary, Groundhog Day returns to select theaters nationwide on Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, courtesy of Fathom Events and Columbia Pictures.

Bill Murray in a scene from the film.

Snowed in during a trip to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities, television weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself stuck in time, endlessly repeating February 2nd. His world is inhabited by the same people every day, but they don’t know Groundhog Day is repeating itself. That gives him a certain advantage: He can find out what a woman is looking for in a man, and then the “next” day behave in exactly the right way to impress her. Luckily there is a woman close by to practice on. She’s Rita (Andie MacDowell), Phil’s long-suffering producer, who has had to put up with his tantrums, demands and surliness. Gradually Phil is able to see the error of his ways and improve his behavior until, finally, a Groundhog Day dawns when she finally likes him.

Locally, the film will be screened at Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, AMC Stony Brook 17 and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. and on Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Tom Hanks and his furry costar Schmagel in a scene from the film. Photo by Niko Tavernise/Columbia Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove (2012) spent forty weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. First published in Swedish, the English version received almost unanimous raves. The author attributed his inspiration to a newspaper article about a man named Ove who had created a stir while purchasing tickets at an art museum. As a result, Backman created a series of blog posts: “I am a Man Called Ove.” Here, he vented about the world’s many minor aggravations. Eventually, this became the source of the book.

The novel’s Ove is a curmudgeon of the first order. A rule follower, he adheres with almost religious fervor to the letter of the law. He is also deeply mourning for his wife, who passed away six months before the story starts. Forced into retirement, he sees nothing to live for and is determined to end his life so that he may join her. However, a chance encounter with his new neighbors changes his entire course. Reluctantly, Ove becomes drawn into their day-to-day drama and becomes a hesitant but invaluable ally. This involvement shifts Ove’s view of life, and he finds new purpose, mending fences and making changes.

A Swedish film, adhering closely to the source material, was adapted and directed by Hannes Holm, and starred Rolf Lassgård as Ove. Released in 2016, the well-received film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and is now Sweden’s third-most-watched Swedish theatrical film of all time. 

In 2017, it was announced that Tom Hanks would star in an English-language remake. (He is also a co-producer, along with his wife, Rita Wilson, Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, and Gary Goetzman). The danger of the material is leaning into its sentimentality and eschewing the darker tones. 

Director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Christopher Robin) and screenwriter David Magee (Finding Neverland, Life of Pi) have marginally avoided too gooey a center. While maintaining the plot and most details, this incarnation is distinctly more emotional than the novel or the Swedish version. However, taken for itself, A Man Called Otto is a surprisingly fast-paced, heartfelt two hours and a worthwhile journey. If there are moments that might feel saccharine, the end is both rewarding and cathartic.

The story revolves around Otto, first seen buying five feet of rope sold by the yard. He argues that he does not want to pay the additional thirty-three cents. Even though planning on using the rope to end his life—and clearly, the change would not make a difference to his future—he obsesses on principle. The scene establishes the man and his views.

Each day, Otto makes his morning rounds of the community. Neighbors attempt to engage him, but he responds, “I have too many things to do.” (This mantra will eventually shift from the negative to the positive.) While Backman’s Ove is taciturn, Hanks’ Otto borders on chatterbox, with a running commentary muttered under his breath. Occasionally, his vocalizations conjure an irate Mr. Bean. 

A few changes bring the film into the present: A gay character is now transgender. Social media becomes a force for good. But, overall, the throughline remains the same. 

The major narrative shift is in the use of flashbacks of Otto’s life. The book and earlier film reveal Ove’s history as a series of bad breaks, hard work, and patience. Important is his particular hate for the bureaucratic “men in the white shirts” responsible for many of the worst events in his life. In Otto, the flashbacks are used almost exclusively for his courtship, marriage, and life with Sonya (Rachel Keller). This obscures much of the causality in the story that showed Sonya bringing him out of his misfortunes. (Tom Hanks’ son Truman plays the young Otto, but his work fails to link the two Ottos.) Ove is a man marinated in sourness. Conversely, one suspects Otto is a false Grinch, masking his too-large heart.

Of course, the film’s purpose is Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks is the great American Everyman, so his Otto becomes not a scarred survivor but a reflection of what anyone would become from this loss. Like Jimmy Stewart, Hanks is unique because he manages to be all of us but wholly himself. Different from Backman’s Ove, Hanks makes Otto his own. 

There is a wonderful eclectic nature to the neighborhood residents. In particular, Mariana Treviño brings humor and grounding to Marisol, the new neighbor. In addition, Treviño offers a warm but knowing presence, suspecting that there is more going on with Otto than he shows. 

The interactions between Treviño and Hanks are the highlights of the film. (Christiana Montoya and Alessandra Perez deserve special mention for playing her children with an energy that is neither precocious nor shrill.)

In the end, A Man Called Otto is a different, if gentler, take on a touching, tender, and uplifting tale. 

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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National Lampoon's Vacation returns to the big screen on July 16 and 19.
Fathom Events has  announced its slate of titles for the upcoming first-ever Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series. The series will run throughout 2023, celebrating the anniversaries of 11 of Hollywood’s most beloved motion pictures and the debut of a newly restored print of the enduring 1942 classic Casablanca.

Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series has something for everyone in 2023, from the 25th anniversary of The Big Lebowski to the 70th anniversary of the classic Roman Holiday – plus 10 films representing decades in between.

Leonard Maltin

This special series will also feature film historian and critic Leonard Maltin who will provide insights into the films, sharing his one-of-a-kind expertise with fans. After thirty years on television’s Entertainment Tonight, he’s a familiar face as well as a familiar name to the millions of people who still rely on his paperback reference Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, which was published from 1969 to 2015, and the still-popular Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide. His many other books include The Disney Films, Hooked on Hollywood, and his autobiography Starstruck. He hosts a weekly podcast called Maltin on Movies with his daughter Jessie, and teaches a popular course at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

The 2023 Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series includes (in order of screening date):

  • Roman Holiday 70th Anniversary
  • Groundhog Day 30th Anniversary
  • Casablanca newly restored presentation
  • The Big Lebowski 25th Anniversary
  • Grease 45th Anniversary
  • Hairspray (1988) 35th Anniversary
  • National Lampoon’s Vacation 40th Anniversary
  • Enter the Dragon 50th Anniversary
  • Rain Man 35th Anniversary
  • The Birds 60th Anniversary
  • Scarface 40th Anniversary
  • A Christmas Story 40th Anniversary

“We are so excited to bring this new slate of classics to theatres this year,” said Tom Lucas, VP of Studio Relations for Fathom Events. “Combining Maltin’s pedigree with this list of some of the greatest films ever made – and titles reflecting a wide mix of film genres, spanning six decades – is going to be an incredible experience for moviegoers. We hope audiences will love seeing these classics on the big screen again!”

Tickets for the Fathom’s Big Screen Classics 2023 series are on-sale now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of events in the series and to purchase tickets, visit the Fathom Events website. Please continue to check the Fathom Events website for updates and to sign up for alerts.

Roman Holiday 70th Anniversary (1953)
Date: January 22 & 25
Director: William Wyler
Writer: Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, John Dighton
Producer: William Wyler
Cast: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

Nominated for a total of 10 Oscars®, including Best Picture, it’s the story of a modern-day princess who, rebelling against the royal obligations, explores Rome on her own.

Groundhog Day 30th Anniversary (1993)
Date: February 2 & 5
Director: Harold Ramis
Writer: Story by Danny Rubin, Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis
Producer: C.O. Erickson, Trevor Albert, Harold Ramis
Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Snowed in during a trip to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities, television weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself stuck in time, endlessly repeating February 2nd.

Casablanca (1942)
Date: March 5 & 8
Director: Michael Curtiz
Writer: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
Producer: Jack L. Warner
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Academy Award® winners Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman light up the screen in one of the most enduring romances in movie history– Casablanca. The new 2022 4K digital cinema master was restored and remastered from a new 16bit film scan of the best-surviving source — the nitrate fine grain film elements. The 4K scanned digital images went through an extensive digital restoration process to clean and repair the picture for an ultra-high resolution picture presentation. This work was meticulously handled by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging.

The Big Lebowski 25th Anniversary (1998)
Date: April 16 & 20
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Writer: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore

From the Academy Award®-winning Coen brothers, The Big Lebowski is a hilariously quirky comedy about bowling, a severed toe, White Russians and a guy named…The Dude.

Grease 45th Anniversary (1978)
Date: May 14 & 17
Director: Randal Kleiser
Writer: Bronte Woodard
Producer: Allan Carr, Robert Stigwood
Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing

The kids are cool, the cars are hot, and the tunes are always rockin’ and rollin’ when one of the most beloved comedies of all time comes back to theaters to celebrate its 45th anniversary! Good girl Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) is new to school, but ready to join the Pink Ladies. Badboy Danny (John Travolta), the leader of the T-Birds, has just discovered their summer lovin’ wasn’t just a passing fling when they’re reunited at Rydell High School.

Hairspray 35th Anniversary (1988)
Date: June 11 & 14
Director: John Waters
Writer: John Waters
Producer: Sara Risher, Robert Shaye, Rachel Talalay
Cast: Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine

It’s Baltimore, 1962, and a rebellious teenager with the biggest bouffant on the block attempts to win the coveted “Miss Auto Show” crown as she fights against racial discrimination in this film created and directed by John Waters and featuring Divine in his/her last role.

National Lampoon’s Vacation 40th Anniversary (1983)
Date: July 16 & 19
Director: Harold Ramis
Writer: John Hughes
Producer: Matty Simmons
Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca

The all-American Griswold family just wants to go on an all-American vacation. Everyone is packed. The route is planned … And absolutely everything goes wrong as a simple trip quickly becomes a madcap cross-country odyssey and heroic quest in search of National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Enter The Dragon 50th Anniversary (1973)
Date: August 13 & 16
Director: Robert Clouse
Writer: Michael Allin
Producer: Fred Weintraub, Paul Heller
Cast: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

Recruited by an intelligence agency, martial arts student Lee (Fists of Fury, The Chinese Connection) participates in a brutal tournament at a remote island fortress in an attempt to gather enough evidence to convict the international drug-trafficker responsible for the murder of Lee’s sister.

Rain Man 35th Anniversary (1988)
Date: September 17 & 20
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Barry Morrow, Ron Bass
Producer: Peter Guber, Christine Peters, Jon Peters
Cast (max of 10): Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino

Charlie (Tom Cruise) just discovered he has an autistic brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and is taking him on the ride of his life. Or is it the other way around?

The Birds 60th Anniversary (1963)
Date: October 22 & 23
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Evan Hunter
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast (max of 10): Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds is an unforgettable masterpiece that is considered one of the most terrifying films from the Master of Suspense.

Scarface 40th Anniversary (1983)
Date: November 12 & 15
Director: Brian De Palma
Writer: Oliver Stone
Producer: Louis A Stroller, Martin Bregman
Cast (max of 10): Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer

Starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana along with Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Robert Loggia, Scarface has become a cultural phenomenon brilliantly directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone.

A Christmas Story 40th Anniversary (1983) 
Date: December 10 & 13
Director: Bob Clark
Writer: Leigh Brown, Bob Clark
Producer: Bob Clark, Rene Dupont
Cast (max of 10): Peter Billingsley Melina Dillon, Darren McGavin

It’s the final days before Christmas in early 1940s Cleveland, and 9-year-old Ralphie wants one thing from Santa more than anything else: a Red Ryder Carbine Action Air Rifle. Based on stories by Jean Sheppard.

For artwork/photos related to the Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series, visit the Fathom Events press site.

“Academy Award®” and/or “Oscar®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

About Fathom Events

Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L)., Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

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In honor of its 70th anniversary, the classic William Wyler film Roman Holiday returns to select theaters nationwide on Sunday, Jan. 22 and Wednesday, Jan. 25, courtesy of Fathom Events and Paramount Pictures. 

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in a scene from the film.

The film, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, won three Academy Awards® — Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Costume Design and Best Writing. 

In this timeless classic, Hepburn stars as a modern-day princess who, rebelling against the royal obligations, explores Rome on her own. She soon meets an American newspaperman (Gregory Peck) who pretends ignorance of her true identity in the hopes of obtaining an exclusive story. Naturally, his plan falters as they inevitably fall in love. The film also features Eddie Albert as a carefree cameraman pal.

Fathom’s exclusive celebration of this film includes special insight from film historian and critic Leonard Maltin who takes a look at the multiple Academy Award® winning director William Wyler’s style and approach to what is considered one of the greatest films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Locally, the film will be screened at Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, AMC Stony Brook 17 and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas on Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Trinity Bliss, as Tuk, in a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Released in 2009, Avatar took in over $2.9 billion, making it the highest-grossing film of all time. The brainchild of James Cameron, who wrote, directed, and produced, Avatar received nine Academy Award nominations and won three: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. It won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and Best Director, and garnered other major awards and nominations.

Over a decade later, Avatar: The Way of Water arrives in theaters with many of the same strengths: exceptional visual artistry, extraordinary special effects, and thrilling action sequences. This time, Cameron collaborated with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver on the screenplay (with “story by” credits adding Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno). 

Avatar: The Way of Water, a spectacle of the first order, is many things. It is also too long. Whether by twenty minutes or an hour and twenty minutes, this epic desperately sags in the middle. The original Avatar is a long film that runs two hours and forty-two minutes. Avatar: The Way of Water clocks in at three hours and twelve minutes. Is this too much of a good thing or just too much? The reality is that it is an unnecessarily extended three hours. That said, for the pure beauty of vision, it lands in the win column.

Much of the film plays like a reboot of Avatar, except this time underwater. As a result, it plays the assumption of an audience familiar if not fully aware of the background. (To a certain extent, the history is referenced and recapped in the first thirty minutes.) 

The story picks up fifteen years following the end of the first film. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is now chief of the Pandora tribe Omaticaya, raising a family with his wife, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). They have two sons, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), daughter Tuk (Trinity Bliss), and adopted daughter Kiri. The latter was born from Grace Augustine’s (Sigourney Weaver) inert avatar. Added to the family mix is a human boy, Spider (Jack Champion), who is the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).

The Resources Development Administration (RDA) has returned to Pandora to pave the way for human colonization for a dying Earth. Na’vi avatars have been implanted with the minds and memories of deceased soldiers, with Quaritch ruthlessly leading the group. After Sully leads an attack on the RDA, Quaritch captures Jake’s children. Sully and Neytiri rescue them, but Quaritch realizes that Spider is his son and draws him in to help with his knowledge and navigation of the Na’vi. 

Meanwhile, Sully and his family flee the Omaticaya forest and hide with the Metkayina, a clan spiritually connected to the sea. While initially rejected by the Metkayina, the family eventually integrates. After a series of adventures and clashes, the film builds to a staggering thirty-plus-minute climax of jaw-dropping action. 

Thematically, like its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water addresses larger issues. While not approached with any subtlety, the concept of wanton plundering of natural resources and the callous destruction of an indigenous people play clearly. 

Likewise, the unwelcome and unwanted outside force annihilates for commercial gain. Embodied by the RDA’s almost carelessly sadistic General Ardmore (Edie Falco), the military destroys everything in its path. Whether devastating wildlife or destroying homes, the overwhelming and relentless insensitivity is always at the center.

The acting is fine—neither terrible nor remarkable. While the Na’vi are CGI-ed, the characters relate a range of expressions matching the vocalized emotions, allowing the viewer to believe them to be as real as their human counterparts. In addition, the meticulous detail accomplishes more than just ciphers but individuals with drive, humor, fears, and desires. 

Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) with Payakan. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

The filmmakers have done miraculous work in the creation of sea creatures. Particularly wonderful is Payakan, who rescues one of Sully’s children. Payakan is a Tulkun, an intelligent aquatic mammal (resembling a whale). The creators have embodied this creature with a reality that makes it noble and sympathetic. Again, the film’s strength is in imaginative world-building.

At its heart, Avatar: The Way of Water wants to celebrate family and community and the ends to which we go to protect those we love. The story strives for honesty and integrity, enhanced by astonishing visuals. And while the running time is excessive (and perhaps off-putting), the final film is still a work of art. And if not great art, the film is spectacular craft. 

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Audience at the CAC. Photo by Nate Close
'Casablanca'
'King Kong'
'The Godfather Part II'
'The Goonies'
'The Never Ending Story'

During 2023, Huntington’s beloved arthouse community theater, the Cinema Arts Centre, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. In celebration of its decades-long tenure as Huntington’s premier destination for independent film, the Cinema will show a number of universally acclaimed classic films, as well as many audience favorites from its long history as one of Huntington’s main destinations for the arts.

After a turbulent few years coping with a temporary closure due to COVID, and then a major restoration of its three theaters, the theater reopened in Spring 2022, and has seen success screening highly acclaimed classic films – many of which audiences rarely have the opportunity to see on the big screen.

From its earliest history, the Cinema Arts Centre, also known as CAC by many of its followers, has relied upon its dedicated legion of members and supporters in the Huntington and Long Island communities. Long-time patrons often reminisce about the early days when films were projected on a sheet hung on a wall in a friend’s dance studio. Today, in large part due to the support of the local community, the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, and the New York State Council on the Arts, the theater shows a diverse selection of film, 365 days a year in its three, newly renovated theaters.

Collaboration with other local businesses has also been a fundamental piece of the Cinema’s success. The Folk Music Society of Huntington, The Next Chapter, Huntington’s new independent bookstore, and local comic shop, Escape Pod Comics, have all partnered with the Cinema to present special events this year. This January, CAC will be partnering with Butera’s Restaurant for a special brunch screening of the Academy Award winning Italian classic Cinema Paradiso.

In recent years, the theater has placed a greater focus on hosting events that appeal to all corners of the community. With the introduction of weekly screenings of treasured family-friendly films, as well as screenings of offbeat horror and cult films, concert films, and critically acclaimed classics; the Cinema has been able to round out its program schedule – which still affords audiences unparalleled access to both new and old independent and international cinema.

“This has been a transformative year for the Cinema Arts Centre,” said Nate Close, Director of Marketing and Communication. “50 years in business is a huge achievement for any organization. We believe that it’s the special, and intimate, relationship that we’ve fostered with our community that has allowed us to remain part of the fabric of Huntington for so long. Whether that means showing nostalgic favorites, or things that you can’t see anywhere else, or just offering a place where everyone is welcome and people can come together. Community is everything to us and we look forward to the showing movies here in Huntington for the next 50 years.”

2023 film schedule will include screenings of the 1942 classic Casablanca, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II (1974), Cinema Paradiso (1988), family favorites such as The Goonies (1985), The NeverEnding Story (1984), and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971), along with a 90th anniversary screening of King Kong (1933), and even some recent cult favorites such as Twilight (2008), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 631-423-7610 or visit www.cinemaartscentre.org

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