The Moviegoer, Aug. 19-25

1968: Visions of Possibilities Yearlong series continues with Los Angeles premiere of the rare 1968 documentary Czechoslovakia: Portrait of a Tragedy, chronicling the historic nonviolent resistance known as the Prague Spring. Among those interviewed is a young Václav Havel who later became the last president of Czechoslovakia and a leader in the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Los Angeles Filmforum, Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City, (323) 377-7238. Aug. 19, 3 p.m. Free, RSVP required.

Moulin Rouge! Director Baz Luhrmann’s sweepingly romantic 2001 musical takes place in fin de siécle Paris and stars Ewan McGregor as a struggling writer and Nicole Kidman as the tragic courtesan Satine. Luhrmann anachronistically peppers the film with pop songs such as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the Police’s “Roxanne.” John Leguizamo co-stars as absinthe-addicted artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Melrose Rooftop Theatre, 603 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. Aug. 21, 8:30 p.m. $27.50. Dinner and movie, $65.

Dogs Days of Summer Writer-director Christopher Guest’s sly 2000 behind-the-scenes mockumentary Best in Show about a prestigious dog show with the dogs’ trainers and human companions played by Guest’s frequent collaborators Parker Posey, Michael McKean, Jennifer Coolidge, Catherine O’Hara and co-writer Eugene Levy. The pooches are cute, the humans hilariously neurotic. Series concludes with Turner and Hooch on Aug. 30. Hammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 443-7000. Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Highs and Lows The experimental series pairs pop culture comedies with arthouse classics. In this double, the raucous 1994 Jim Carrey superhero comedy, The Mask, and the haunting 1960 French horror classic Eyes Without a Face, the juxtaposition is clear. Both protagonists’ lives are changed and defined by the masks they wear in public. Arena Cinelounge, 6464 Sunset Blvd., lobby level, Hollywood, (323) 924-1644. Aug. 23, 8 p.m. $18.

Old Town Music Hall James Cagney’s knockout performance as a deranged ruffian with a bit of an Oedipus complex ignites director Raoul Walsh’s highly influential 1949 gangster classic White Heat. The terrific cast includes Edmond O’Brien, Margaret Wycherly as “Ma” and Virginia Mayo as Cagney’s femme fatale wife. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo, (310) 322-2592. Aug. 24, 8:15 p.m.; Aug. 25, 2:30 and 8:15 p.m. $10; $8 for ages 62+. No credit cards.

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