Weird, Wonderful Films of UCI Series

UC Irvine has decided to start its fall film series Sept. 30 with “Angel Heart,” the weird Alan Parker flick starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro and Lisa Bonet of TV’s “Cosby” fame.

The 1987 thriller about a low-rent private eye (Rourke) and a murder investigation that leads him into voodoo was supposed to be Bonet’s step into the big leagues of Hollywood. Instead, the television star showed off much of her body and not much acting talent and has rarely been heard from since.

Fortunately, “Cinema Paradiso,” scheduled next on Oct. 7, takes up any slack left by “Angel Heart.” Director Giuseppe Tornatore’s splendid picture centers on the old movie theater in an Italian village and the lives of those who revere the films shown there. The sentimental 1988 release won both the best foreign film Oscar and the top award at the Cannes Film Festival.

“The Last Temptation of Christ” screens Oct. 14. Martin Scorsese’s 1988 retelling of the life of Christ proved one of the more controversial films in recent years. His depiction of Christ in a more humanistic, less miraculous way angered some religious groups. The film stars Willem Dafoe as Christ.

On Oct. 21, “Love in the City” will be presented. The film features five separate tales by respected Italian directors, including Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Cesare Zavattini. Fellini’s “Love Cheerfully Arranged,” depicting the strange world of matrimonial agencies, is a highlight, as is Antonioni’s “Love Fails,” which reconstructs three suicide attempts.

“Entre Nous” is set for Oct. 28. Diane Kurys’ movie follows the lives of two women in France during the ‘50s as they come to terms with their feelings of love and sexuality. The 1983 release is partially based on the life of Kurys’ mother.

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” will screen Nov. 4. The winner of the 1940 Oscar for best film, it stars Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in a melodrama about a young bride trying to replace her husband’s widow, the enigmatic Rebecca. This was Hitchcock’s first American film.

UCI continues its fascination with Pedro Almodovar on Nov. 11 with his 1991 release, “High Heels.” Described as “a racy comedy drama about a mother and daughter who share more than family ties,” the picture stars one of Almodovar’s favorite actresses, Victoria Abril, as a young woman who becomes closer to her mom after their mutual lover is killed.

On Nov. 18, 1980’s “Loulou” (not to be confused with the much earlier Josephine Baker vehicle) is offered. The French movie by Maurice Pialat focuses on an upper-class woman who begins an unpredictable relationship with a less-refined stud played by Gerard Depardieu.

The series closes Dec. 2 with an Ingmar Bergman classic, “The Seventh Seal.” The 1957 film presents the fantastic odyssey of a knight returning from the Crusades as he struggles with the meaning of life while playing a very long game of chess with Death.

* What: The UC Irvine fall film series.

* When: Beginning Sept. 30 (with Alan Parker’s “Angel Heart) at 7 and 9 p.m. and continuing every Friday through Dec. 2.

* Where: The UCI Student Center Crystal Cove Auditorium, except for “Rebecca,” which will screen in the Student Center’s Emerald Bay room.

* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway to Jamboree Road and head south to Campus Drive and take a left. Turn right on Bridge Road and take it into the campus.

* Wherewithal: $2 to $4.

* Where to call: (714) 856-5588.

MORE SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Old Treasures From New China

(NR) Artwork from China, discovered during an archeological dig, relays the technological and artistic accomplishments of that nation in this film, which screens today, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2002 Main St., Santa Ana. Included with museum admission: $1.50 to $4.50. (714) 567-3600.

Driving Miss Daisy

(PG) Morgan Freeman plays an easygoing man who befriends a difficult old Southern woman, played by Jessica Tandy, after he is hired by her son (Dan Aykroyd) to be her chauffeur. This 1989 film, directed by Bruce Beresford, won Oscars for best screenplay, best actress and best picture. It screens Friday, Sept. 9, at 12:45 p.m. in the Cypress Senior Center, 9031 Grindlay St. Public welcome. FREE. (714) 229-6776.

Girl of the Golden West

(NR) Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald play a mismatched pair falling in love in this 1938 film that features Buddy Ebsen as the comic sidekick. The film, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, screens Wednesday, Sept. 14, and again Sept. 16, at 12:45 p.m. in the Cypress Senior Center, 9031 Grindlay St. Public welcome. FREE. (714) 229-6776.