AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring,
MD
20910
8633 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring,
MD
20910
27 people
favorited this theater
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Rivjr, the “A” in AFI should NOT mean that American films are to be shown exclusively…any more than the Paris Cinémathèque Française should be showing French films to the exclusion of others. They DO show plenty of American films in all genres from many eras. They are cinémathèque/archival houses that are SUPPOSED TO BE concerned with film as an art form and an international entertainment medium. Others like them include the Harvard Film Archive, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Pacific Film Archive and a few more.
How can you say that “they specialize in non-very-good- foreign product”? This current calendar lists films by Luis Buñuel (“The Miky Way” and “Viridiana.”) They have upcoming programs of works by Tavernier, Tarkovsky, Demy. In the past year or so they have shown films by Truffaut, Olmi, Godard. Hardly minor. Anyway, even if they were showing some not-very-good foreign product, that too is the mission of showcases like this place, that is, to display a catholicity in programming with the flawed along with the famous. One person’s turkey may be another person’s masterpiece. Henri Langlois of the Cinémathèque Française understood this when he opted to preserve EVERYTHING, to show EVERYTHING…not just the “known masterpieces.”
“Lefty-tilt?” I see some left-oriented documentaries on past programs, but I also see right-leaning Sam Fuller’s “The Big Red One” praising the American soldier in the hell of combat. I’m from Providence. I wish I had easy access to a fantastic movie facility of this type with its enormously varied, informed, and vital programming. Treasure it, value it, don’t trash it. Pray for more of them. Indeed, crusade for a proliferation of them! We sorely need an AFI Silver Theatre in every city across our nation.
The SILVER has undergone a stunning resurection from being boarded up many years. I saw over 2000 movies at the SILVER. Mr. Land, the long term manager, told me years later the house record was set by the 1st reissue of Walt Disney’s PINNOCCHIO. Not talking dollars he said 5900 people saw the film that day, every seat, every show. My Mom and I failed to endure the long lines. The AFI, unfortunately, are poor custodians. A strange group, they’ve forgotten that the A in AFI is for “American” and they specialize in not-very-good foreign product. The lefty tilt is painfully obvious; no diversity of viewpoint can be seen here.
Excellent exterior/interior photos & history here:
View link
I saw two movies this week at the AFI: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the digitally restored THX1138.
I caught a sneak preview screening of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, in Auditorium 1, the Historic Theater, on Tues., 9-14 and enjoyed the presentation of the movie but still don’t understand why they don’t play the THX trailer before the movie starts! It is THX certified, according to the THX website. My only minor quibble was that the projection of the film went a bit off the upper left edge of the screen. Since this film has digital composites, I’m surprised that there isn’t a digital presentation anywhere.
Now, THX1138 I saw in Auditorium 2, which was my first experience in this newer theater. The presentation was DLP, which showcased the restoration efforts of this 32 year old film quite well. And, surprise, they did show the THX and DLP trailers! The THX trailer was the older Terminator one, which did show off the auditorium’s sound system.
If only the programming included more 70mm films other than 2001 and Lawrence of Arabia. sigh
The AFI has done a terrific job with the Silver Theatre. There are now three auditoriums now as opposed to the single one that was there. I have to admit that I’ve never been to the old Silver theater even though I’ve lived in the area for all of my life. This is probably because this theater didn’t have 70mm projection capabilities and I always made the effort to see films in the best format, in any part, in and around the area.
What is nice about the largest auditorium is how wide the seating areas are where I caught a screening of a 70mm print of “Lawrence of Arabia.” You don’t feel claustrophobic as you might feel in other theaters. There is an organ, in this theater, that I’m sure is used to accompany the silent films when they are shown there. All three of the auditoriums are THX certified, but they don’t play the THX trailer before each show.