2000 Cinema Rex Playlist

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (widescreen) NR / 1954 / 127 min.: dir. Richard Fleischer / stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre.; Come see this masterpiece version of Jules Verne's classic tale in its rarely seen, full CinemaScopic glory. Try to find THAT on DVD or VHS! Afterwards, go to the "Read the Book, See the Movie" discussion.
The Andromeda Strain (widescreen) G / 1970 / 130 min.: dir. Robert Wise.; We'd like to just make a witty and funny joke about 'space ebola', but this film's well thought out treatment of a governmental response to a dangerous virus from outer space is too good for us to engage in such cheap shenanigans. This high quality widescreen version is much superior to the partially cropped, grainy DVD print. So there!
The Crow (widescreen) R / 1994 / 97 min.: dir. Alex Proyas / starring Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson.; How often have you said to yourself, 'Gosh, self, I wish there was a midnight showing of The Crow somewhere; wouldn't that be awesome?' Well, now there is. FIRE IT UP! FIRE IT UP!
Dragonslayer (widescreen) PG / 1981 / 110 min.: dir. Matthew Robbins / stars Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson.; Bring your Player's Handbook and Monster Manual to our screenings of what is quite possibly the best live action dragon movie ever made. To whom it may concern, the dragon is an Ancient Red Dragon (with 8 hit points per hit die). For more information, see the AD&D first edition Monster Manual, pp. 33-34. Be the first among your friends to recognize such spells as: 'Enchant an Item', 'Lightning Bolt', 'Trap the Soul' and more! And remember, this film is from 1981, so please only bring first edition AD&D tomes.
Gattaca (widescreen) R / 1997 / 106 min.: dir. Andrew Niccol / stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, Jude Law, Gore Vidal.; For some reason, nobody seems to have seen this quality film, which is good science fiction focused on plot and character, instead of laser beams, battles, and aliens. It harkens back to the good old days of pensive 70's SF depictions of a bleak, moody future gone horribly wrong through the subjugation of the human spirit by the misuse of power and technology. Genetics is people!
Go To Hell NR / 1999 / 90 min.: dir. Michael Heagle / stars Rock & Roll Ray; This was the best low budget action-comedy film about religion, tabloid journalism, wrestling, assassination, and the Marquis de Sade to come out of the Twin Cities in 1999.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (widescreen) NR / 1957 / 81 min.: dir. Jack Arnold / screenplay Richard Matheson / stars Grant Williams.; Richard Matheson transformed his book into a great screenplay for this quality film. Though less frequently seen than films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still and War of the Worlds, it deserves a place in the pantheon of first-rate 50's SF. Rare, letterboxed print, courtesy of Rex.
John Carpenter's The Thing (widescreen) R / 1982 / 108 min.: dir. John Carpenter / stars Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley.; Following up last year's presentation of the 1951 version of The Thing, John Carpenter's The Thing more closely follows the book. We know you've seen it, but was it letterboxed? Was it in surround sound? And how did you get 50 or 60 people into your living room?
Kingdom of the Spiders (with William Shatner!) PG / 1977 / 94 min.: dir. John 'Budd' Cardos / stars WILLIAM SHATNER!!; See Captain Kirk pretend he is a simply country veterinarian while duking it out with a horde of hungry tarantulas in this year's installment of Star Trek Actor Theater.
The Matrix (widescreen) R / 1999 / 136 min.: dir. Larry & Andy Wachowski / stars Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss; Last year's best sci-fi film and the inspiration for CONvergence 2000's theme. We just had to show it. If you never experienced it in a theater, you never experienced it. (Psssst, if you still haven't seen it, slip in quietly. We won't tell.)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (widescreen) G / 1993 / 75 min.: dir. Henry Selick / producer Tim Burton; Come see Tim Burton's dark, yet charming Gothic Christmas fairy tale with all your dark, yet charming Gothic friends! Remastered DVD version, of course.
The Omega Man (widescreen) PG / 1971 / 98 min.: dir. Boris Sagal / stars Charlton Heston.; Remember back in 1975, when Charlton Heston was the last normal human being left on Earth? This, the second film adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I am Legend, is one of those films from the good old days of pensive 70's SF depictions of a bleak, moody future gone horribly wrong through the eradication of the human race by the misuse of power and technology. Zombies is people!
Things to Come NR / 1936 / 92 min.: dir. William Cameron Menzies / screenplay H.G. Wells and Lajos Biro / stars Raymond Massey, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Richardson.; Here's this year's "I've never seen it, but I should!" selection. Based on his book, The Shape of Things to Come, H.G. Wells personally oversaw the making of this vision of the future. Rex, of course, was at the 1936 premiere, and was the life of the party.