American Cinematheque serves up spaghetti westerns

The genre known as spaghetti westerns featured more than just actor Clint Eastwood and director Sergio Leone. There were numerous directors and actors who appeared in these 1960s-era films. And the American Cinematheque’s “Spaghetti Westerns Unchained” series serves up treats from such masters as Sergio Corbucci and Carlo Lizzani.

The fun begins Thursday at the Egyptian Theatre with 1966’s “The Big Gundown,” directed by Sergio Sollima, with Lee Van Cleef, and Lizzani’s 1966 “The Hills Ran Red,” with Henry Silva and film noir icon Dan Duryea. Friday’s feature, 1966’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” is the only Leone/Eastwood collaboration in the retrospective.

On tap for Saturday is a new 35-millimeter print of Corbucci’s “The Mercenary” from 1968 with Franco Nero and Tony Musante. Van Cleef is back with John Philip Law in 1967’s “Death Rides a Horse,” directed by Giulio Petroni. And rounding out the weekend on Sunday is Gianfranco Parolini’s 1969 “Sabata,” with Van Cleef, and the filmmaker’s 1968 entry, “If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death,” with Gianni Garko and Klaus Kinski. https://www.americancinematheque.com

Film Independent at LACMA’s “French Film Fridays” at the Leo S. Bing Theater comes to a close with two classics. Jean Gabin plays a tugboat captain in the 1941 drama “Remorques,” directed by Jean Gremillon, and singer/actor Yves Montand headlinesHenri-Georges Clouzot’s nail-biting 1953 nitro thriller, “The Wages of Fear.” https://www.lacma.org

The New Beverly Cinema this weekend offers a “Glorious IB Tech Tribute,” which features original Technicolor 35-millimeter prints. It begins Friday and Saturday with the 1972 animated children’s film “Snoopy, Come Home” and 1956’s “Hollywood or Bust,” the last comedy starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Other highlights include Michael Winner’s seminal revenge thriller, 1974’s “Death Wish,” with Charles Bronson.

The Bev’s “Grindhouse Film Festival” gets into the Technicolor mind-set Tuesday with 1971’s “Psychomania” and 1969’s “The Witchmaker.” Wednesday’s offerings are 1972’s “Fear Is the Key,” which features a very young Ben Kingsley, and the 1971 drama “Man in the Wilderness,” with Richard Harris. https://www.newbevcinema.com

Jennifer Hudson earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her memorable turn in “Dreamgirls,” Bill Condon’s 2006 adaptation of the Broadway musical about the rise of a Supremes-like group in the 1960s. The film, which also stars Beyonce and Eddie Murphy, in his Oscar-nominated dramatic turn, screens Friday evening at dusk at Oscars Outdoors in Hollywood. https://www.oscars.org

The Alex Film Society has lined up some special guests for its matinee and evening screenings Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece “Jaws.” Production designer Joseph Alves Jr. will talk about the classic thriller at the 2 p.m. matinee, while screenwriter Carl Gottlieb will be on hand for the 8 p.m. screening. https://alexfilmsociety.org

UCLA Film & Television Archive’s “Ride Lonesome: The Films of Budd Boetticher” at the Billy Wilder Theater presents the rarely screened 1953 western “The Man From the Alamo” starring Glenn Ford on Sunday evening. Julia Adams, Chill Wills and Hugh O’Brian also star in this tale. https://www.cinema.ucla.edu

The Skirball is presenting two documentary shorts Sunday afternoon -- “The Valderama Sisters” and “My Own Telenovela” -- that offer different views on the relationship between Israel and Latin America. https://www.skirball.org

The Cinefamily’s “The Silent Treatment” series Wednesdays at the Silent Movie Theatre presents one of Louise Brooks’ strongest Hollywood dramas, 1928’s “Beggars of Life,” directed by William Wellman. https://www.cinefamily.org

Related:

“‘Ride Lonesome: The Films of Budd Boetticher”