French noir revisited
Though Hollywood cinema is best known for producing some of the greatest dark, dank and atmospheric examples of film noir, the French have never been far behind. The new Los Angeles County Museum of Art retrospective “French Crime Wave,” which begins Friday and continues weekends through June 20, will highlight just that fact.
Opening the Gallic festival are Alain Corneau’s 1979 thriller “Serie Noire,” starring the late, great Patrick Dewaere, and Bertrand Tavernier’s 1974 suspenser “The Clockmaker,” with Philippe Noiret. In addition, Corneau will do a Q&A; on Saturday after a screening of his gripping 1976 noir “Police Python 357,” with Yves Montand and Montand’s wife, Simone Signoret. www.lacma.org
Starry ‘Sleeper’
For those who enjoy watching films under the stars, Cinespia’s screening series returns to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. On tap for Saturday is one of Woody Allen’s early funny ones: 1973’s futuristic romp “Sleeper,” which also features Diane Keaton. www.cinespia.org
Horror night
The Steve Allen Theater and Hollywood MobMov will offer the “Masters of Horror Drive-In Series” on Friday nights in the theater’s parking lot. This week: the creepy “Phantasm II,” plus a Q&A; with writer-director Don Coscarelli and actor Angus Scrimm. www.steveallentheater.com
Festivals and more
Larry Blamire, the writer-director-star of 2001’s ‘50s creature-feature spoof “Lost Skeleton of Cadavra,” has fun with the 1930s old-dark-house horror genre in “Dark and Stormy Night,” Friday at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre ( www.americancinematheque.com). . . . The 10th annual Hollywood Black Film Festival starts Tuesday and runs through June 7 ( www.hbff.org). . . . Writer-director Rian Johnson will screen and discuss Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1970 “The Conformist,” Tuesday at the Skirball Center ( www.skirball.org). . . . The 24th annual Israel Film Festival starts Wednesday at the Egyptian Theatre with “Lost Islands’ ” West Coast premiere ( www.israelfilmfestival.com)
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