The lovely thing about slack time isn’t just the lack of crowds, but the options afforded at the annual Magic Lantern Spring Film Festival in the coming weeks starting Friday, April 19.
The 2013 season includes “Not Fade Away” directed by David Chase, creator of “The Sopranos.”
“Not Fade Away” is Chase’s feature film directorial debut set in 1964 and featuring Tony Soprano, aka actor James Gandolfini.
The simple story is launched with the first appearance of The Rolling Stones on television, inspiring three best friends from the New Jersey suburbs to form a rock band. Critics love the “gem of a film,” and its killer soundtrack.
Girl vampire Kristen Stewart is taking a risk as the girl in the middle of “On the Road.”
This film, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles, director of “Central Station” and “The Motorcycle Diaries” is based on the Jack Kerouac novel and tells the timeless story of a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by a free-spirited, fearless, fast-talking Westerner and his girlfriend. Traveling across the country on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search for the pure essence of experience, the duo encounter an eclectic mix of men and women each impacting their journey indelibly.
The film also stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga, Elizabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen.
“Sound City,” the directorial debut of Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, was a hit at Sundance this winter. Grohl created a documentary about the analog recording studio in Van Nuys, Calif.
Rolling Stone wrote, “The film’s genius is the way it applies the lessons of Sound City to any job. ‘The human element,’ says Grohl, ‘that’s what makes the magic.’”
“The Company You Keep,” directed by Robert Redford, tells the story of a public-interest lawyer who is a single father raising his daughter in the tranquil suburbs as their world is turned upside down when a reporter exposes his true identity as a former 1970s antiwar radical fugitive wanted for murder. After living for more than 30 years underground, he sets off on a cross-country journey to track down the one person that can clear his name. The film stars Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Nick Nolte, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Sam Elliott, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins and Anna Kendrick.
Also slated for screening at the fest is “A Place Beyond the Pines,” a new movie from Derek Cianfrance, director of “Blue Valentine.”
Motorcycle performer Ryan Gosling learns that a former lover, played by Eva Mendes, has given birth to their son. He decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family. His employer proposes to partner in a string of bank robberies, which will place him on the radar of an ambitious rookie cop, Bradley Cooper. The consequences of their confrontation reverberate into the next generation when their two sons must face their fateful, shared legacy.
One of the most popular films from this year’s Sun Valley Film Festival, “The Sapphires,” takes place in 1968 when four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam. Entertainment Weekly wrote, “The Sapphires is a movie for your heart (and your ears and moneymaker), not your head.”
Also showing
The Magic Lantern Cinemas in conjunction with The Sun Valley Center for the Arts continues its Thursday evening film series.
April 18: “Great Expectations,” the Dickens classic staged in London’s West End. This Jo Clifford adaptation has been universally acclaimed as a triumph and the event will form part of the global celebrations surrounding the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth.
April 25: “Out of Africa” at
7 p.m. Based on the writings of Isak Dinesen, the film was directed and produced by Sydney Pollack and stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep.
May 2: “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” A selection for the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, the film tells the story of 85-year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. A thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection.
l Tickets for Magic Lantern Goes “Live” and The Center film series screenings are $10 for Center members and $12 for nonmembers. Movie Club ticket events are $5. Tickets are available at the cinema box office. All films begin at 7 p.m.
l For details, e-mail film@sunvalleycenter.org or visit www.sunvalleycenter.org/performances or www.magiclanterncinemas.com.
