Film Independent at LACMA celebrates ‘Valley Girl’

Film Independent at LACMA is holding a 1980s costume contest after the 30th anniversary screening of Martha Coolidge’s endearing comedy “Valley Girl” on Thursday evening at the Leo S. Bing Theater.

The romantic comedy was inspired by Frank Zappa and his daughter Moon Unit’s 1982 hit song spoofing the stereotypical “Valley Girl” who lived in bedroom communities in the San Fernando Valley in the early 1980s.

The film made a star out of a young Nicolas Cage as Randy, a young punk who falls for Valley Girl Julie (Deborah Foreman) after he and his best friend (Cameron Dye) crash a party in the San Fernando Valley.

Coolidge will be on hand to talk about the film.

The American Cinematheque kicks off its new “The Great Movies: A Tribute to Roger Ebert” on Monday at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with Terrence Malick’s 2011 drama “The Tree of Life.”
Screening Friday at the Egyptian in Hollywood on Friday evening is a 70 mm print of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic “Vertigo” with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, with Orson Welles’ seminal 1941 “Citizen Kane” set for Saturday.

The homage to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Sun-Times and TV film critic, who lost his battle with cancer recently, will continue for the rest of the year.

Shirley Clarke’s 1967 documentary “Portrait of Jason,” which was just restored by the Academy Film Archive, Milestone Films and Modern Videofilm, kicks off a one-week engagement Friday evening at the New Beverly Cinema.

“Ed Wood” scribe Larry Karaszewski will chat with actress Sally Kellerman on Thursday evening at the Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre between screenings of the 1986 comedy “Back to School,” in which she plays Rodney Dangerfield’s love interest, and Robert Altman’s seminal 1970 comedy “MASH,” for which she earned a supporting actress Oscar nomination as Hot Lips. Kellerman will also sign copies of her new book, “Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life” before the screenings.

The Aero also presents an evening of silent comedy shorts from the DVD company Flicker Alley on Friday. Titles include 1924’s “The Cartoon Factory,” Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 comedy “The Immigrant” and Buster Keaton’s 1923 film “The Love Nest.” Cliff Retallick supplies the live piano accompaniment.

The Cinematheque and the Art Directors Guild Film Society presents “The X-Files: The Truth Is Out There,” a 20th anniversary celebration Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre that features creator Chris Carter, writer/director Vince Gilligan and production designer Corey Kaplan and two episodes from the Fox series.

Film Independent at LACMA presents a special double bill Friday evening at the Leo S. Bing Theater of Richard Linklater’s 1995 “Before Sunrise,” with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and his 2004 sequel “Before Sunset.” The final entry in the trilogy, 2013’s “Before Midnight,” screens Tuesday. However, that screening is only for members of the LACMA Film Club, Film Independent and the New York Times Film Club. This screening is full, but there will be a stand-by line.

Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre presents “Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Matinee: Technicolor Toons” on Saturday. The animation historian will present an array of 35 mm Technicolor cartoons from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s.

UCLA Film & Television Archive presents “An Evening With Quentin Lee” Saturday at the Billy Wilder Theater. The Hong-Kong born director will discuss his career at the screening of his 1998 debut feature, “Flow,” and his 2002 production, “Drift.”

The archive’s “Burt Lancaster: A Centennial Celebration” continues Sunday evening with Richard Brooks’ 1960 drama “Elmer Gantry,” for which Lancaster and Shirley Jones won Academy Awards.

Experimental filmmaker Phil Solomon will appear Monday at REDCAT for the program “The Elegiac Visions of Phil Solomon” and present two films, 1983’s “What’s Out Tonight Is Lost” and 1999’s “Psalm I: The Lateness of the Hour,” and four digital works.

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