 Movie legends Paul Newman and Robert Redford are back on the big screen for the first time in 35 years at the Magic Lantern this week. |
For the first time in decades, moviegoers will have the chance to see the film that launched the career of Robert Redford and set the standard for shirtless men on the big screen for years to come.
On Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. Movie Club at The Magic Lantern Cinemas will present the classic American Western film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” which was directed by the late George Roy Hill and written by Oscar winner William Goldman, and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford. In 2003, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” won four Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Song (Burt Bacharach and Hal David for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”) and Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Sound.
The Magic Lantern Cinemas present the return of Movie Club as part of the ongoing cinema series. For $5, Movie Club provides an opportunity to experience classic films restored or remastered in the theater on the big screen. Movie Club encourages suggestions from the community to view the films they love the most.
The Magic Lantern Cinemas owner Rick Kessler said he believes the digital cinema makes theatrical screenings of classic, cult and just plain-old favorite films once again a regular possibility. He said experiencing films in a movie theater is indescribable compared to home viewing, no matter the size of one’s television.
“Televisions, computers, iPads and Smartphones are isolating,” Kessler said. “Watching movies in a theater is social experience that is more involving and more stimulating and cannot be replicated on those devices. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen ‘Butch Cassidy,’ but when I was testing the film for the Movie Club screening, I realized that I had not experienced it in a theater since the late 1970s, and that I could not pull myself away from watching it. My staff had to get me out of the theater so we could put on our scheduled movie.”
Avid filmgoers can enjoy a different cinema experience as the Magic Lantern Goes “Live” presents HD versions of major theatrical events, opera and symphony productions. On select Thursdays in March, April and May, The Sun Valley Center for the Arts will present cutting-edge independent dramatic and documentary films.
This series will occasionally present guest speakers after a film, may link to The Center’s multi-disciplinary exhibitions or expose the community to live film experiences only found in major cities around the country featuring opera, Broadway shows, concerts and other live performances.
After Butch and Sundance ride off the Magic Lantern Cinemas screen:
Where: Magic Lantern Cinemas, Ketchum.
Tickets: Magic Lantern Goes “Live” and The Center film series screenings are $10 for Center members and $12 for nonmembers. Movie Club tickets are $5. All tickets will be available starting at 4:30 p.m. on the Monday of the week of the 7 p.m. screening at the cinema box office.
Films: Thursday, March 28: Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” which explores the true meaning of being in a relationship through a series of vignettes. Neil Patrick Harris leads a star-studded cast that includes Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Craig Bierko and Martha Plimpton.
Sunday, April 7: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Pyscho.” This 1960 classic Hitchcock thriller is one of the most highly acclaimed films of all time and considered Hitchcock’s best work. Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh, it’s a seminal film in the history of cinema.
Thursday, April 11: The Center presents the fascinating and ongoing documentary “56 Up.” Starting in 1964 with “Seven Up,” The “UP Series” has explored this Jesuit maxim. The original concept was to interview 14 English children from diverse backgrounds every seven years, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Director Michael Apted examines the progression of their lives at 56.
Thursday, April 18: The Magic Lantern Goes “Live” presents “Great Expectations.” For the first time, the Dickens classic “Great Expectations” will be staged in London’s West End. This Jo Clifford adaptation has been universally acclaimed as a triumph on its sellout tour of the UK ahead of its West End debut. The event will form part of the global celebrations surrounding the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth.
