OCTOBER 23 & 26

From director Alfred Hitchcock, the "Master of Suspense," this psychological thriller continues to inspire film makers.  Janet Leigh plays a woman on the lam who checks into the mysterious Bates Motel.  The property appears to be deserted except for the proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his mother.  Psycho gave audiences a whole new perspective on taking showers, and became Hitchcock's biggest hit.  ("A boy's best friend is his mother.")

1960

OCTOBER 16 & 19

The original movie version of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book about a boy who wins a “golden ticket” to a mysterious and magical chocolate factory.  The Oscar-nominated score includes the hit song, “Candy Man.”   In one of his most beloved performances, Gene Wilder portrays the eccentric Wonka, a man whose confectionary imagination is matched only by his sense of mischief.   (“The suspense is terrible…I hope it’ll last!”)

1971
Rated G

OCTOBER 9 & 12

Follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in this classic musical from Hollywood's Golden Age.  Based on the children's book by L. Frank Baum, this groundbreaking Technicolor production won an Academy Award for best original song for Over the Rainbow. With Judy Garland in the role that made her a star and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West.  ("I’ll get you, my pretty…and your little dog too!") 

1939

OCTOBER 2 & 5

This movie set the standard for modern blockbusters based on comic book crime-fighters. The first big-budget depiction of the caped crusader, it opened amid a frenzy of publicity and marketing, and broke box office records. Tim Burton directed Michael Keaton in the title role, with original songs by Prince added to the score by Danny Elfman. Jack Nicholson steals the show as the Joker. (“Where does he get those wonderful toys?”)

1989
Rated PG-13
 

SEPTEMBER 25 & 28

Cary Grant is being pursued by a gang of murderous thugs and doesn’t know why, in this thriller from director Alfred Hitchcock.  Filmed in wide-screen Vista-Vision, the scene where Grant, alone on a rural highway, is chased by a crop-dusting plane is a classic. James Mason and Martin Landau co-star as the villains, and Eva Marie Saint plays a mysterious woman who Grant encounters on a train. (“How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?”)  

1959

SEPTEMBER 4 & 7

Where were you in ’62? Writer/director George Lucas was a teenager in Northern California, and his experiences inspired this coming-of-age comedy set at the end of the summer after high school graduation.  The stellar young cast includes Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, and newcomer Harrison Ford, and the soundtrack consists entirely of hit songs from the period. ("One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock, rock...”) 

1973
Rated PG

AUGUST 28 & 31

Mel Brooks directed this parody of the Star Wars films in which space mercenary Captain Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) battles the evil Lord Dark Helmut (Rick Moranis).  (“I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate!”)   John Candy plays Barf, who is half man and half dog.  (“I am my own best friend!”)  Joan Rivers voiced the droid Dot Matrix and Brooks is the Yiddish-speaking Yogurt.  ("May the Schwartz be with you!")

1987
Rated PG

AUGUST 21 & 24

Considered by many to be the best of the original Star Trek series, this movie revived interest in the franchise after the disappointing first film in 1979.  William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk leads the crew of the Enterprise and Ricardo Montalban plays the villain Khan, a part he originated in the TV episode “Space Seed.”   (“Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?”)

1982
Rated PG

AUGUST 14 & 17

This quintessential 80’s film is a celebration of the heroism of Navy pilots with some of the best aerial scenes ever filmed.  It also made Tom Cruise a star.  The killer soundtrack, with songs by Kenny Loggins and Berlin, including the Academy Award-winning “Take My Breath Away,” went platinum 9 times.  Kelly McGillis co-stars as a flight instructor romantically drawn to the reckless “Maverick” (Cruise).  (“I feel the need…the need for speed!”)

1986
Rated PG

JULY 31 & AUGUST 3

Grease is STILL the word, only now you can join John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in this sing-along version of the original high school musical.  One of the biggest films of the 70’s, Grease contributed to a wave of nostalgia for the 50’s.  The score included several original songs that were not part of the Broadway production, and produced what is still the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.  (“I’ve got chills…they’re multiplying…”)

1978
Rated PG

JULY 24 & 27

One of the most popular films of the 1980’s, this time-travel comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis stars Michael J. Fox as an average American teenager. Through a chance encounter with a mad scientist (Christopher Lloyd), Fox finds himself transported to the year 1955 with no means to get “back to the future.” Their time machine is a plutonium-powered DeLorean car. (“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!”)

1985
Rated PG

JULY 17 & 20

A man returns home with a gift for his son: a cute, cuddly creature that makes a great pet…so long as strict rules are followed.  They’re not, of course, and soon malicious “gremlins” are wreaking havoc.  Joe Dante (Twilight Zone: the Movie) directed from a script by Chris Columbus (The Goonies).  Billed as a comedy horror movie, some violent scenes prompted the creation of the PG-13 rating for future films.  (“Never feed him after midnight.”)

1984
Rated PG

JULY 3 & 6

A killer shark is terrorizing the vacationers at Amity Island in this adaptation of Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel. Jaws dominated the box office throughout the summer of ‘75 and made Steven Spielberg a household name. Composer John Williams turned two ominous notes into an Academy Award winning score. It’s been over 40 years and folks still think twice about going into the water. (“You’re going to need a bigger boat.”)

1975
Rated PG
 

Sunday, October 16 & Wednesday, October 19

When 10-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas) finds a creature from outer space in his backyard, he decides he’s found a new friend and declares, “I’m keeping him.” This heart-warming science fiction film touched audiences of all ages in the summer of ’82 and brought Steven Spielberg his third Oscar nomination for directing. It also featured a breakout performance by 6-year old Drew Barrymore as Elliott’s little sister. ("E.T. phone home.")

1982
Rated PG

JUNE 19 & 22

Maybe the greatest adventure movie ever made, directed by Steven Spielberg from an idea from George Lucas. This film introduced audiences to archeology professor/action hero Indiana Jones, and concerns the search for the legendary lost Ark of the Covenant. The Ark is said to contain enormous power, and “Indy” (Harrison Ford) and Marion (Karen Allen) must find it before the Nazis do. (“Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?”)

1981
Rated PG

JUNE 12 & 15

High school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) takes playing hooky to a whole new level in this classic 80’s comedy from writer/director John Hughes. Whether it’s singing from a float in a parade or crashing a fancy restaurant as Abe Frohman (“the Sausage King of Chicago”), Ferris knows how to show his friends a good time. (“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”)

1986
Rated PG-13

JUNE 5 & 8

One of the most quotable comedies ever made. Our hero Westley (Cary Elwes) is intent on rescuing the lovely Buttercup (Robin Wright) from an unhappy fate as the bride of Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Mandy Patinkin co-stars. (“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”) Not a big hit when it first played in theatres (“Inconceivable!”), this film became a cult classic. (“Have fun storming the castle!”)

1987
Rated PG

MAY 29 & JUNE 1

This politically incorrect 70’s comedy, directed andco-written by Mel Brooks, stars Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart and Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid. Madeline Kahn plays saloon singer Lili von Shtupp (“Ooh…a wed wose…how womantic!”). Brooks managed to make fun of every western movie cliché, including the fact that everyone in the small frontier town seems to have the same last name. (“Howard Johnson is right!”)

1974
Rated R

MAY 22 & 25

Andie (Molly Ringwald) is a blue collar girl in love with rich kid Blane (Andrew McCarthy) in this high school romance written by John Hughes. Jon Cryer completes the triangle as Duckie, the lovable “best friend” who wishes he were more. Featuring a killer soundtrack with songs by The Psychedelic Furs and Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark, this film helped define 80’s teen angst. (“Blane?...that’s a major appliance, that’s not a name!”)

1986
Rated PG-13

SEPTEMBER 11 & 14

Directed by John Hughes, this comedy stars Molly Ringwald as a teenager with problems.  She can’t shake an annoying geek (Anthony Michael Hall) while the cool senior she likes doesn’t seem to know she’s alive. As if that weren’t enough, her family has forgotten her 16th birthday. (“This is the single worst day of my entire life.”)

1984
Rated PG (the PG-13 rating didn’t exist when this film was released; today it would be rated PG-13 for brief nudity and language.)