Calendar – Past Event

American Cinematheque at the Egyptian
Sept 30 - Oct 3

John Lennon loved movies. It was in a Liverpool cinema that he first encountered Elvis Presley onscreen. It led to John taking up music as his rock 'n' roll ticket-to-ride out of the nowhere that was post-war Liverpool. One year later he was playing live to 400 villagers at a church garden party when he met Paul McCartney - the Big Bang that led to the Beatles. And exactly 10 years after that, he and Paul (together with George and Ringo) were playing live to 400 million members of the global villa e as they performed "All You Need Is Love." No scriptwriter would have dared to write such an implausible scenario. Yet it all happened in what Derek Taylor rightly described as the 20th century's greatest romance. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth with a rich mix of features and documentaries that capture the insouciant charm, biting wit and inspiring music that has endeared Lennon to every generation to encounter his unique genius. And under it all, the films also show the emotional scars and pain that he channeled into his music and activism. From the exuberant lightning-caught-in-a-bottle of WHAT'S HAPPENING! to the giddy pop art of HELP! ... From the insightful IMAGINE to the heart-breaking mind games played on him revealed in THE US VS JOHN LENNON - his fearless honesty and passion shine like a beacon. TWO OF US poignantly captures the last time John and Paul met, while our L.A. premiere of NOWHERE BOY portrays their first meeting, the evolution of the Beatles and the entire backdrop of John's complex childhood in a way that helps the audience "understand the little child inside the man." And we're truly blessed to have his original band mates the Quarrymen performing a full concert on opening night (after NOWHERE BOY). A splendid time is guaranteed for all!

Friday, October 1 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: Ultra-Rare Documentaries! WHAT'S HAPPENING! THE BEATLES IN THE USA, 1964, Maysles Films, 81 min.
MIGHTY GOOD! THE BEATLES 1976, Isolde Films, 60 min.
"Things They Said Today: Reflections on A Hard Day's Night", 2002, Shenson Films, 35 min. Dir. Martin Lewis.

Saturday, October 2 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: Ultra-Rare L.A. Screening of the Digitally Restored 1965 Classic! HELP!, 1965, Apple, 81 min. Dir. Richard Lester.
L.A. Premiere! TWO OF US, 2000, Aaronson/Falk Prods, 89 min. Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Sunday, October 3 - 7:30 PM
Double Feature: IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON, 1988, Warner Bros., 100 min. Director Andrew Solt
THE U.S. VS JOHN LENNON, 2006, Lionsgate, 99 min. Dirs. David Leaf & John Scheinfeld.