Admittedly, this may seem like an inopportune time to begin such a featurette. With the news last week that both the Angelika Plano location and all Alamo Drafthouse cinemas in the DFW area are shuttering, the chances of seeing older films and classic revivals have effectively been cut in half.
On the other hand, maybe such a dire time calls for activism. That’s my humble intention going forward… to spotlight the few remaining movie palaces in the area devoted to partial remembrances of cinema past. There is room for both mainstream, blockbuster fare and revivalism in the projected dark. If anyone knows of other locations or events than the ones tallied here periodically, please let me know and I’ll be overjoyed to include them.
The Texas Theater
231 West Jefferson Blvd, Dallas TX 75208. For all showtimes, events, and tickets, visit https://thetexastheatre.com/calendar/
Ginger Snaps (2000) – The teen vampire film that’s become a bit of an outsider/independent classic over the past 20 years with its themes of pubescent confusion mixed up with bloodletting that’s become de rigeur in the genre these days.
Screens on Thursday June 27th.
The Truman Show (1998) – One of the best films of the 1990’s, period. During this time, my friends and I were going to the movies every opening weekend on Friday and Saturday nights. We went in expecting a weird Jim Carrey comedy, and came out transported by Peter Weir’s haunting, humane treatment of our burgeoning addiction to reality television and the place of individualism in a society increasingly dependent on the world wide web. And ohh that ending! A tour de force that’s only improved in the 25+ years since its release.
Screens on Friday June 28th, with an intro by writer and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz.
The Parallax View (1974) – Another trendsetting masterpiece, this time in the paranoid thriller genre (and wouldn’t this be awesome in a double feature with Winter Kills released a few years later). Starring Warren Beatty as a reporter caught up in a political murder, I recently saw this in a pristine version aired on Turner Classic Movies and, wow, does it hold up. Should look incredible on the big screen.
Screens on Saturday June 29th also with an introduction by Seitz.
American Movie (1999) – The comic documentary phenomenon gets a revisit to help create more modern memes as part of the Class of 99 series.
Screens on Saturday June 29th
Magnolia at the Modern, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell St, Fort Worth, TX 76107. For all showtimes, events, and tickets, visit https://www.themodern.org/films
The Long Hot Summer (1958) – Martin Ritt’s classic stars a young Paul Newman. Perfect to cool off on a hot Texas summer day.
Screens as part of the My Favorite Films series on Wednesday June 26th at 2pm.
Primary Colors (1998) – Mike Nichols’ late career political commentary/quasi comedy film stars John Travolta and Emma Thompson as a Bill and Hilary Clinton power couple and their run to the White House. And Billy Bob Thornton steals every scene he’s in!
Screens as part of the My Favorite Film series on Wednesday July 3rd at 2pm.
Historic Palace Theater in Grapevine
300 S. Main St. Grapevine, TX 76051. For all showtimes and events, visit https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/palace-arts-center/
Centered in the wonderful downtown Grapevine area, the Palace Theater focuses mostly on family-friendly entertainment.
The Litte Rascals (1994) – Update of the comedy short classic films of the 30’s and 40’s.
Screens on Wednesday June 26th
Dinosaur (2000) – Disney’s animated effort should look wonderful again on the big screen.
Screens Thursday June 27th
Roman Holiday (1953) – Classic Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck rom-com that gets alot of play during all classic film events throughout the year.
Screens on Friday June 28th
Jurassic Park (1993) – Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking summer blockbuster (sounds familiar with him, right?) that’s always a welcome sight. Amazingly, this film’s technicality and visual aesthetic still looks incredible after 30 years.
Screens on Saturday June 29th
Dirty Dancing (1987) – Ok, scratch that family friendly comment. The film that launched a whole new dance style and has become a pop culture hallmark returns to the big screen.
Screens on Sunday June 30th
A Goofy Movie (1995) – Disney animated effort. Hopefully Disney+ hasn’t ruined this for kids yet.
Screens on Tuesday July 2nd
The Sandlot (1993) – Another kid’s classic that gets alot of play in the area, but always a fun watch.
Screens on Wednesday July 3rd
Top Hat (1935) – I highly recommend everyone see at least one classic musical in the theater. The sound…. the colors…. the choreography are amplified beautifully for such a unique experience.
Screens on Friday July 5th
Dallas Angelika
5321 E. Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX 75206. For all showtimes, events, and tickets visit https://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/dallas
Ponyo (2008) – Part of the summer Studio Ghibli event. If it’s true and Hayao Miyazaki has crafted his final film, this series is an instrumental way to breathe in Studio Ghibli’s magical explorations of animation over and over.
Screens Wednesday June 26th
Jaws (1975) – Spielberg is getting a lot of love this season. Here’s the chance to see the film that kickstarted the term “summer blockbuster”.
Screens on Monday July 1st
Whisper of the Heart (1995) – Second film in the Studio Ghibli event.
Screens on Wednesday July 3rd
Spacy
1300 S Polk St #160a, Dallas, TX 75224 (located inside Tyler Station).
Please follow signs to Spacy after entrance next to Oak Cliff Bike Synergy. For information and events, visit https://www.spacydtx.com/
I love what this spot is doing. From its website: “Spacy is a 35 seat microcinema inside Tyler Station aiming to foster connections and collaborations among artists and audiences across a variety of ideas, art forms, and disciplines, all through the medium of moving images.”
Recent screenings include Handgun, aka Deep in the Heart (1984) which has been a revelation of locally made/independent cinema for me so far this year, Claire Denis’ Beau Travail (1999), and the crazy Damon Packard opus Reflections of Evil (2002). Please visit and support! We need more avenues of film reflection like this now more than ever.
Querelle (1982) – Recently in the midst of showcasing several Rainer Werner Fassbinder films (which screen this week, alas), perhaps the most divisive, lurid, and fascinating is this, his final film. No description does any justice. See it.
Screens on Tuesday July 2nd and Friday July 5th
Please drop me a comment or find me on X.com for any I’ve missed. I intend for this to be an ongoing featurette to promote and amplify the local repertory film scene in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Dallas Film Now. 