First of all we want to thank all our horror fans for a stellar October… and apologies to those who don’t find the scary stuff as essential as we do this time of year! To make up for it we’ve decided to do something special for November as well, drawn from a consistent request we’ve gotten over the past year: November is NOIRVEMBER at Central Cinema!
As originally defined by French film critics, film noir most specifically refers to a loose canon of postwar American dramas that blended a stark, shadowy aesthetic with seedy stories of moral terror, usually involving a regular guy getting caught up in trouble beyond his control or comprehension.
From this original school of films noir we’ll be presenting featured runs of Billy Wilder’s noir textbook DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944), Edgar J. Ulmer’s down-and-dirty indie DETOUR (1945) and Orson Welles’ era-capping masterpiece TOUCH OF EVIL. We’ll also be peppering in a number of other noir highlights with special screenings of Fritz Lang’s SCARLET STREET (1945), Rudolph Maté’s D.O.A. (1949) and Welles’ THE STRANGER (1946) throughout the month.
We’ve also gathered some (relatively) newer favorites offering a look at how film noir reverberated through the second half of the twentieth century. Dario Argento’s giallo classics THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970) and DEEP RED (1975) brought noir’s heightened style and unraveling leads to European horror. Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER (1982) redefined screen science fiction using film noir as its muse. And THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) brought the Coen Brothers’ noirish tendencies to a stoned, sunny peak.
DETOUR RUNS NOVEMBER 1-4, FIVE BUCKS OR FREE
Though less widely-known than our other featured bookings, Ulmer’s 68-minute cheapie is an ideal film noir primer, and we want to make sure you get a chance to see it! Thursday, November 1 we’ll be screening a $5 DETOUR / D.O.A. double feature at 7pm. Friday, November 2 we’ll be hosting our monthly First Friday Open House from 5:30-7:30pm, which will include a FREE screening of the film starting at 6pm. And we’ll offer 12:30pm $5 matinee screenings on Saturday and Sunday.
OTHER NOVEMBER PROGRAMMING
Less interested in film noir than we are? Don’t worry: unlike October’s horror blitz, we’ll be offering a variety of alternatives. THE HAUNTING (1963, November 2-3) presents Netflix enthusiasts an opportunity to visit Hill House on the big screen. BULLITT (1968, November 3-4) showcases the glorious trio of Steve McQueen, his Mustang, and the streets of San Francisco. Central Cinema Martial Arts Theatre returns with THE 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1983, November 7). Danish sensation THE GUILTY (2018, November 8-11) and Knoxville Horror Film Fest grand prize-winner THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER (2018, November 16-18) are first-run thrillers with little in common but critical acclaim. IFC Midnight’s WELCOME TO MERCY (November 14) brings holy terror to our screen for two exclusive showings. Over Thanksgiving weekend (November 22-25) we’ll offer two 1987 holiday classics: family favorite PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES and cult slasher flick BLOOD RAGE. And on November 28 we’ll be one of a handful of theaters in the country to host a screening of the director’s cut of Lars Von Trier’s new serial killer saga THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT!
We’ll also be announcing more specialty programming in the days to come, including the return of Enjoy The Silents, TAMIS Presents and Record Store Night plus the first rounds of a new series or two. So stay tuned, and thanks as always for your support!
