Columbia Pictures in the 1970s
Programmed by: Olivia Hunter Willke and Brian McKendry
For the 100th anniversary of the founding of Columbia Pictures, this program highlights some of the studio’s most groundbreaking productions from one of cinema’s defining eras. This diverse collection of 70s films articulates the political undercurrents abundant at that time as well as the cultural aesthetic. Experimentation was plentiful in major studio films as the 70s were still the adolescence of the art form. Enjoy this curated list of Columbia’s eclectic output from the 1970s.
California Split (1974)
Robert Altman · 108m · 35mm
Bill (George Segal) meets carefree career gambler Charlie (Elliott Gould) and develops a fondness for him. After falling into debt while emulating his new friend Charlie's lifestyle, Bill decides to try to hit it big in Reno. Originally meant to be directed by Steven Spielberg, this Altman picture was the first feature film to use an eight-track sound system and helped develop Altman's trademark of overlapping dialogue.
Monday, September 30th 7:00 PM · Saturday, October 5th 4:00 PM
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Steven Spielberg · 135m · DCP
Roy Neary's (Richard Dreyfuss) Midwestern, blue-collar life is changed forever after a close encounter with a UFO. Plagued by strange visions, he becomes increasingly obsessed and begins a cross-country quest for answers. With a tumultuous production under the perfectionist direction of Steven Spielberg and the precise eye of legendary cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, Close Encounters remains a larger-than-life work.
Monday, October 7th 7:00 PM
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Peter Bogdanovich · 119m · DCP
Based on Larry McMurthy's novel, The Last Picture Show is the story of three high school seniors, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms), Duane (Jeff Bridges), and Jacy (Cybill Shepherd). Itching to escape their tiny north Texas oil town, they spend their last year of school weaving in and out of relationships with the few others around them. Peter Bogdanovich's depiction of aching emotional isolation and longing has stood the test of time as a masterpiece of small town cinema.
Monday, October 14th 7:00 PM
Watermelon Man (1970)
Melvin Van Peebles · 100m · 35mm
In Melvin Van Peebles's only Hollywood film, a bigoted white insurance salesman, Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge in whiteface), wakes up one day to find himself with the appearance of a Black man. Inspired by Kafka's Metamorphosis and John Howard Griffin's autobiography Black Like Me, Gerber must learn to accept his new life and grapple with the realities of what his identity in society now entails.
Monday, October 21st 7:00 PM
Hardcore (1979)
Paul Schrader · 108m · 35mm
Like Taxi Driver, Hardcore is appealing in its ability to portray characters that feel disconnected from society. Jake is a conservative midwestern businessman and Niki is a sex worker in California. This unlikely pair are brought together by Jake's search for his missing daughter, and they embark on a tour of the porn industry in 70s California: massage parlors, motels, and private screenings, all while discussing religion and morality.
Monday, October 28th 7:00 PM · Saturday, November 2nd 9:30 PM
Shampoo (1975)
Hal Ashby · 110m · 35mm
On Election Day 1968, Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) struggles to juggle his womanizing ways along with his professional endeavors. Shampoo functions both as a satire of "free love" politics and a lampooning of private indulgence at the expense of the collective. Directed by Hal Ashby and featuring music by Paul Simon.
Monday, November 4th 7:00 PM · Friday, November 8th 9:30 PM
The Last Detail (1973)
Hal Ashby · 104m · 35mm
When two naval officers, "Bad-Ass" Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and "Mule" Mulhall (Otis Young), are assigned to escort a young offender, Meadows (Randy Quaid) to the brig, they decide to show the withdrawn Meadows one last good time. With 65 uses of "fuck," the film broke the record for most uses of the word in a motion picture at the time of release. Screenwriter Robert Towne commented, "This is the way people talk when they're powerless to act; they bitch."
Monday, November 11th 7:00 PM
Fat City (1972)
John Huston · 97m · 35mm
In John Huston's Fat City (adapted from Leonard Gardner's novel of the same name), former boxing champion Billy Tully (Stacy Keach) develops a rivalry with up-and-coming fighter Ernie Munger (Jeff Bridges) during training. The film marked the beginning of a late career resurgence for the director, and after a screening of the unsentimental, understated film, Muhammad Ali reportedly said to Huston: "Man that's for real, that's me talking up there."
Monday, November 18th 8:00 PM · Saturday, November 23rd 4:00 PM
Remember My Name (1978)
Alan Rudolph · 95m · 35mm
Fresh out of prison, Emily (Geraldine Chaplin) arrives in town to start a new life, but becomes consumed with stalking construction worker, Neil Curry (Anthony Perkins). As Emily's obsession continues, her actions become more extreme. Directed by Alan Rudolph and produced by Robert Altman, Rudolph once stated that Remember My Name was "an update on the themes of the classic woman's melodrama..."
