March 23-26

Wednesday, March 23

The Illusionist

2010. UK/France. Dir: Sylvain Chomet. With Animated. 80 min.
The director of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE honors whimsical auteur Jacques Tati (PLAYTIME), animating his unproduced story about an old stage magician struggling to compete with the increasingly popular rock stars of 1950’s France. Their cinematic love-child is a vibrant, nostalgic Oscar nominee brimming with rich color and visual complexity.

Thursday, March 24

Pray the Devil Back to Hell

2008. USA. Dir: Gina Reticker. With Documentary. 72 min.
In honor of Women’s History Month, witness the remarkable non-violent role Liberian women played in ending their country’s second civil war. Amidst the power struggle between the President and rebel armies, a simple grass-roots demonstration grew into a multi-faith peace movement. Guest speaker: producer Abigail Disney.

Friday, March 25

The Fighter

2010. USA. Dir: David O. Russell. With Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale. 115 min.
The Pride of Lowell, Mass. boxes his way through familial hardships and in-ring opponents alike. Packing the powerful one-two punch of Wahlberg and Bale – along with the foxy Amy Adams, the profane Melissa Leo, and a gaggle of ugly sisters – this updated underdog story pushes, pulls, and pummels with brute cinematic force.

Saturday, March 26

The Black Camel (1931), Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938)

. USA. Dir: Dir. Hamilton MacFadden. With Warner Oland. With Dir: H. Bruce Humberstone. With Sidney Toler. 71 min., 67 min.
A double-dip into the fun B-movie escapades of crime-fighter Charlie Chan. Then on March 31, join author Yunte Huang at 4:30 in The Mansfield Freeman Center to hear about the character’s origins and development.