DECEMBER 11 & 14

The third in the popular vacation series finds Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) determined to a have a “good old fashioned family Christmas.’’ But Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and a house full of wacky relatives don’t make it easy. Chase and Quaid are joined by fellow Saturday Night Live alumni Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brian Doyle-Murray.  Beverly D’Angelo is Clark’s always supportive wife, Ellen.  (“We checked every bulb, didn’t we?”)

1989
Rated PG-13

DECEMBER 4 & 7

Bing Crosby’s recording of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas was already the #1 record of all time when this film was made.  Crosby and Danny Kaye star as World War II vets and Broadway performers who stage a show at a Vermont inn run by their former commanding general (Dean Jagger). Edith Head designed the colorful costumes worn by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen as the Haynes Sisters.  (“Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister…”)

1954

NOVEMBER 27 & 30

On Christmas Eve a boy boards a mysterious train filled with children, bound for the North Pole. Based on the popular children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, and with a score by Alan Silvestri that features original songs plus classic holiday recordings from the 1940’s. The “performance capture” animation used by director Robert Zemeckis made it possible for Tom Hanks to play six roles, including Santa.  ("The true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.”)

Rated G
2004

NOVEMBER 13 & 16

This classic love story set during World War II has 6 lines on the AFI list of “Top 100 Movie Quotes,” more than any other film.  Ingrid Bergman gives the most famous song cue in movies (“Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By’”), and Claude Rains describes his unique brand of law enforcement (“Round up the usual suspects”).  Humphrey Bogart is the film’s reluctant hero, a cynical café owner who is more of a romantic than he lets on. (“Here’s looking at you, kid.”)

1943

NOVEMBER 6 & 9             

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 has become a cult classic.  (“Have fun storming the castle!”)

Rated PG
1987

OCTOBER 30 & NOVEMBER 2

“The Night HE Came Home!” 

“HE” is Michael Myers, who returns to his home town 15 years after committing a grisly murder…just in time for Halloween.  This horror classic, starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, is one of the most successful independent movies of all time.  Presented with an onscreen interview and retrospective with director John Carpenter, who also composed the film’s eerie music. (“You can’t kill the boogeyman.”)

1978
Rated R

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