The highlight of Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony was Troy Kotsur's win for Best Supporting Actor in CODA. His win - and heartfelt acceptance speech - also made Oscar history; the first Deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting. This milestone comes 35 years after his CODA co-star, Marlee Matlin, became the first Deaf performer ever to win an Oscar for her performance in CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD. CODA, which also won Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, opens in the Rose this Friday. "Grounded and sweet, delicately bawdy, and decidedly hilarious, 'Coda' puts an effervescent original spin on the coming-of-age comedy-drama." -Austin Chronicle
THE AUTOMAT is not only an engaging film, but it's very much a homegrown story. Director Lisa Hurwitz's fascination with cafeterias dates back to her student days at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. "I was a newcomer to that kind of restaurant, and I loved the Greenery, the college's cafeteria," explains Hurwitz, "so I went to the school library and started doing research on cafeteria history, just for my own interest."
THE AUTOMAT opens in the Starlight Room this Friday, April 1st. "'The Automat' taps into so many resonant aspects of what America used to be that to watch it is to be drawn into an enchanting and wistfully profound time-tripping reverie." -Variety. Trailer
Tickets are selling fast for this weekend's Starlight film series with my friend and Los Angeles film scholar and teacher Ted Walch. But Ted will no longer be presenting in-person. He will be live via Zoom due to a positive Covid test. "Movies and Journalism: From Yellow to Red" features CITIZEN KANE, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and REDS. Ted's shows in the Starlight are always fun and enlightening.
WRITING WITH FIRE is holding over for another week, and after three Saturday night showings in the Rose, DAVID BYRNE'S AMERICAN UTOPIA will be playing in the Rosebud and the Starlight for a full week beginning Friday.
March is Women's History Month and the theme this year is Providing Healing, Promoting Hope. From out streaming Film Library we recommend the following movies about remarkable, inspiring women: BARBARA LEE: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, BEYOND THE VISIBLE - HILMA AF KLINT, BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS, EVA HESSE, THE GLEANERS AND I, IRIS, LOUISE BOURGEOIS: THE SPIDER, THE MISTRESS AND THE TANGERINE, MAIDEN, MAIDENTRIP, WOMAN AT WAR
Cinematically yours,
Rocky