SCREENING ROOM

Not only did the French coin the phrase “film noir,” but they also made some extraordinary examples of the genre, several of which are screening during the American Cinematheque’s Crooks in Clover: Noir, French Style series opening Friday at the Egyptian Theatre. The two-week festival includes 11 films not on DVD, including Costa-Gavras’ debut film, “The Sleeping Car Murder,” with Yves Montand and his wife Simone Signoret; Claude Chabrol’s “The Champagne Murders”; and Alain Corneau’s “Serie Noire.” The master of French film noir, Jean-Pierre Melville, is represented with his rarely seen “Second Breath” (americancinematheque.com). . . . Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins will chat about his new film “Slipstream,” in which he stars (with Christian Slater, above left), wrote and directed, Monday at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood (www.cinema.ucla.edu). . . . The film academy’s Oscar’s Docs screening series continues Monday at the Linwood Dunn Theater with two films dealing with dance from 1983: “Flamenco at 5:15” and “He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’,” the latter of which follows former New York City Ballet star Jacques D’Amboise as he teaches schoolchildren (oscars.org). . . . The 11th annual Hollywood Film Festival now at the ArcLight features 75 films, including the U.S. premiere Sunday of Uwe Boll’s uncensored cut of “Postal.” Awards come Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton. (hollywoodawards.com)

-- Susan.King@latimes.com