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Lafayette Science Fiction Spectacular 2008 Begins 10/31
posted by
PeterApruzzese
on
October 30, 2008 at 7:57 am
SUFFERN, NY — On Friday, October 31, the Lafayette Theatre SCIENCE FICTION SPECTACULAR begins!
Here’s the complete SCIENCE FICTION SPECTACULAR 2008 line-up:
Friday, October 31 – War of the Worlds Tribute Night!
7:30pm – “The War of the Worlds” – LIVE ON STAGE & ON THE AIR! Our tribute begins with a 70th Anniversary live presentation of the 1938 Orson Welles ‘panic broadcast’, performed by a 5-person professional cast along with chilling sound effects using the original 1938 Howard W. Koch script. This special once-in-a-lifetime event will also be broadcast live on WRCR, Rockland County Radio, AM1300, or streamed on the internet at www.wrcr.com beginning at 8:07 pm (after the national news).
9:45pm – “The War of the Worlds” S – The 1953 film will be shown, in tribute to the Centennial of the birth of its visionary producer George Pal. Presented in an archive vault print from Paramount Pictures.
(separate admission required for each event)
Saturday, November 1
1:30pm – “Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers”, featuring special visual effect by Ray Harryhausen, print courtesy Sony Pictures.
3:45pm – “The Man from Planet X”, starring Robert Clarke and directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, rare showing of MGM’s vault print.
7:45pm – “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, starring James Mason and Pat Boone. Presented in CinemaScope & stereophonic sound via the East Coast premiere of a new vault print from 20th Century Fox!
Sunday, November 2
1:30pm – “Roadan: The Flying Monster”, presented in its original American release version and in Technicolor.
3:45pm – “The Creeping Unknown” (aka “The Quartermass Xperiment”) starring Brian Donlevy – uncut British version.
7:30pm – Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” this silent science fiction epic will be presented in its 2002 restored version and feature LIVE musical accompaniment by John Baratta on the Mighty Wurlitzer!
All tickets – $9 per show. Separate admission required. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each showtime and you can buy your tickets at the door. Go to: Big Screen Classics for more information.
Comments (7)
What an awesome lineup! If anything at all-if you haven’t experienced this theatre-go! It’s probably the best movie palace left in New York State.
Just noticed an embarrasing typo I made – that should be “Rodan”, not ‘Roadan’. Too many late nights getting everything ready ;)
Finished inspecting the films for the weekend tonight – we’ve got some real beauties. The War of the Worlds is virtually brand new (fantastic color), the Journey to Center of the Earth is amazing with a really big-sounding stereo track. The Creeping Unknown is the longer British version, the Rodan is genuine Technicolor, the Man from Planet X is in excellent shape and almost never shown anywhere, the Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is an original release print as approved by Ray Harryhausen, and the Metropolis is Kino’s best print and the longest version currently available.
Hope to see you there – or make sure to listen in on the radio Friday night at 8pm: 1300AM or www.wrcr.com
Those are great movies, Pete! I wish you had announced your film line up like a week or two ago so I could have made plans to come up. A one day notice is too little notice for me.
Do you think you’d ever run a Star Trek movie in your next marathon or maybe a Trek movie marathon by itself sometime before the newest one comes out next Spring, or even after?
It’s always possible, though the studios are strange sometimes with older films in a series. This year they withdrew from theatrical showings the first three Indiana Jones films with the new one coming out, which seems backwards to me. Although that might have been Lucas.
For Trek, I’d love to show the first one as it’s the ‘biggest’ of all the films. But I’d want to show the Director’s Cut and I’m not sure they made 35mm prints of it. A marathon of all would be fun, that’s certain, although I think everyone would fall asleep during Nemesis :)
If you ever get your hands on a director’s cut of TMP and can show it, I’ll be the first in line. As you’ve stated, I don’t think a film print has been shown anywhere at anytime. I bet the showing they had at Paramount when they screened it for the ‘premiere’ with Wise and some of the cast was just the video, itself. As far as Paramount warming up to releasing the older titles, maybe they’ll change their attitude soon.
Earlier in the year, I caught the original movie at a theater in WV but it was badly scratched up and a lot of the color had faded. I’m surprised they even let bad prints like that out in circulation.
Peter, you have to have some pull now with the powers that be. You and your theater have quite a reputation for film exhibition and the classics. If anyone can do it, its you!
I’ll certainly try, JMF.
I’m off for the show – everyone please tune in tonight! 8:00 pm at www.wrcr.com or 1300AM in the Rockland County area.
That’s great! I’ll be tuning in on the Internet!!