KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The esteemed Polish filmmaker, Krzysztof Kieślowski will be honored with a tribute by the American Cinematheque with a screening of his best known works which includes his celebrated "Three Colours" trilogy. The retrospective will begin on May 3rd and running through July 12th with screenings held at the Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatre.

Kieślowski, who passed away in 1996 at the age fifty-four during open-heart surgery following a heart attack, had been awarded numerous prizes throughout his career that included a 1988 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion in 1993, the Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear as well as receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay in 1995.

Born in Warsaw, Kieślowski had no real career goals, briefly attending firefighters' training school and then wanted to become a theatre director but lacked the proper education and settled on cinema. He applied to the Łódź Film School and was rejected three times before finally being accepted. After making several short films, Kieślowski's first major project was a documentary and his first film for television, "Workers '71: Nothing About Us Without Us" in 1972 which focused on workers discussing the reasons for the mass strikes of 1970. Frustrated by the censorship of his film by the government when it aired, Kieślowski decided to focus largely on fiction which would allow him more artistic freedom and control over his work.

His first feature film was "Personnel", a 1975 television drama about a young man who finds work as a tailor at an opera and becomes disillusioned by the harsh realities of stage productions, that would win numerous awards at national festivals including the Grand Prize at the Mannheim International Film festival. Kieślowski's work during his early period were shot in a documentary style with many nonprofessional actors which includes "Blizna (The Scar)", "Przypadek (Blind Chance)" and No End "Bez końca (No End)". This lead to the 1988 television movie, "Dekalog" which featured a series of ten hour-long episodes set in a Warsaw tower block, each loosely based on one of the Ten Commandments. The program helped Kieślowski attract foreign financing for his next films, mainly from France, which allowed him to have a bigger budget and expand his vision to create his work.

The first was "The Double Life of Veronique" in 1990 which starred Irène Jacob as two women, one Polish and the other French that do not know each other, who share a deep, emotional bond that transcends language and geography. This film became internationally acclaimed, winning the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Best Actress award for Jacob.

His next project was the ambitious feature film trilogy, "Three Colours (Blue, White, Red)", which explores the virtues symbolized by the French flag. "Blue" (which symbolizes liberty) starred Juliette Binoche as a woman whose husband and daughter are killed in a car accident and then tries to isolate herself from life. "White", about equality, is a psychological comedy involving a Polish man (Zbigniew Zamachowski) living in Paris that suffers several humiliating circumstances after being left by his French wife (Julie Delpy). And Irène Jacob starred in "Red" (which represents fraternity) with her playing a model whose life dramatically collides with a bitter retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Despite the critical acclaim for these films, Kieślowski announced he was retiring in 1994 following the premiere of "Red" at the Cannes Film Festival. He had become physically and emotionally exhausted from the process of filmmaking as well as claiming to really never enjoyed making movies.

Whether this was true or not, Kieślowski revealed himself to be a true cinematic visionary, leaving behind an indelible collection of films ranging from the social realist examinations of life under communism to the universal complexities of the human condition.

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Krzysztof Kieślowski: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

GUS VAN SANT: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will honor Gus Van Sant with a career retrospective beginning on December 4th through December 13th with screenings held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Los Feliz 3 Theatres in Los Angeles. This master filmmaker of independent and mainstream cinema will have screened some of his best known and critically acclaimed works made early in his extraordinary career. The fest will end with an advance screening of his newest film, "Dead Man's Wire", a crime caper based on a true story set in the '70's involving a disgruntled customer who kidnaps his bank mortgager, then demands hostage money and an apology. Van Sant and screenwriter Austin Kolodney will be in person for a Q&A at the Aero, followed by a screening of the director's acclaimed 1989 dark comedy, "Drugstore Cowboy" that starred Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch.

With an interest in the visual arts as a young man, Van Sant attended the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied various avant-garde directors and began making Super-8 short films. Moving to Los Angeles in 1976, Van Sant found work as a production assistant while trying to break into the film business. During this period, he began to observe the colorful denizens living in the rougher sections of Hollywood. 

After moving to Portland, this experience helped inspire him to adapt Walt Curtis' autobiographical novel, "Mala Noche" as his feature film debut in 1986. Shot in 16mm black & white film and a budget of $25,000, the story follows the relationship between Walt, a gay store clerk, and two younger Mexican boys. "Mala Noche" was well received in the film festival circuit, helping to kick off the new queer cinema movement, and Hollywood took interest in the young filmmaker. But the studios were not receptive to his non-mainstream ideas, so Van Sant went back to develop his own indie projects. "Drugstore Cowboy" became a critical hit and would be followed by "My Own Private Idaho", loosely based on Shakespeare's "Henry V" that featured stars, River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, receiving wide praise, awards and moderate financial success.

Now the studios were more interested in what Van Sant had to offer. But his next film, a 1993 adaptation of Tom Robbins' "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" was considered a flop but his follow-up, the 1995 black comedy, "To Die For" was received as a great achievement and was the first film to properly showcase what Nicole Kidman, a rising performer at the time, could really do as an actor. 

Van Sant would continue on making films his way, encountering major triumphs ("Good Will Hunting", "Milk". "Elephant", "Last Days") or less than stellar receptions ("Gerry", "Restless", "The Sea of Trees" and the still puzzling shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho") in the process.

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Gus Van Sant: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

PARK CHAN-WOOK: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker widely regarded as a leading figure in current world cinema, is having a retrospective at the American Cinematheque that will feature some highlights from his storied career. Many of Park's films, largely rooted in the crime-thriller genre, have become celebrated for their stylized camerawork, black humor, and brutal violence. 

Beginning November 16th, there will be an advance screening of his latest feature, the dark comedy-thriller, "No Other Choice", which will be followed by an in-person Q&A with Park and star, Lee Byung Hun at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The other screenings, which will be held at the Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatres through December, will include his unofficial Vengeance Trilogy: "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", "Lady Vengeance" and "Oldboy", which is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made and helped introduce Park to a wide global audience. 

Originally intending to be become an art critic, Park decided to move into filmmaking after viewing the Alfred Hitchcock classic, "Vertigo". His feature film debut, "The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream" in 1992 and his follow-up five years later, "Trio" were not well received, and he has since tried to distance himself from these works. His breakthrough came (and what he considers his "first" film) with "Joint Security Area" in 2000, a riveting thriller involving deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war (screening on December 6th at the Egyptian with Park in-person) which became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean history. This was followed by other acclaimed works that include "Thrist", "I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK", the English-language film, "Snowpiercer", "Decision to Leave" (winning Park the 2022 Best Director prize at Cannes) and the celebrated erotic-thriller, "The Handmaiden" which be screened during this festival on December 5th. 

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Park Chan-wook: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

CHANTAL AKERMAN: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will present a thorough retrospective of the renowned Belgian filmmaker, Chantal Akerman. The film that this bold and visionary artist is best known for is "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" from 1975 which found its way to be ranked "the greatest film of all time" in Sight & Sound magazine's 2022 critics poll. This film will be screened to start the festival on November 2nd and will feature several of Akerman's early short films, her first feature film and first documentary on various dates through December.

A pioneer of cinematic modernism, Akerman's filming style focused on capturing ordinary life which tends to move at an unhurried pace. And while she didn't regard herself as a "feminist", Akerman always tried to transcend female aesthetics of the cinema in her work.

Born in Brussels, Belgium, Akerman enrolled in INSAS, a Belgian film school, but dropped out during her first semester to make a short film, "Saute ma ville" in 1968. Akerman moved to New York City in 1971, staying for about a year, where she was exposed to the vibrant art scene that was happening during this period. She also met and began her long collaboration with French cinematographer, Babette Mangolte, who was living in the US at the time, making the documentary, "Hotel Monterey" and some short films.

Once back in Belgium, Akerman began working on her first feature film, "Je, Tu, Il, Elle" that focused on a young woman's unconventional sexuality which was a daring statement at the time. She would go on to make twelve feature films and sixteen documentaries and short films.

Sadly, Akerman ended her own life on October 5, 2015 in Paris, at the age of 65. Her last film prior to her passing was "No Home Movie", a documentary that featured a series of conversations she made with her beloved mother shortly before she died.

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Chantal Akerman: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

DIANE KEATON (1946 - 2025)

I am shocked and sadden about the passing of Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress who dazzled audiences with her many screen performances. It was announced that the Los Angeles born and raised actor had died on October 11th at the age of seventy-nine with no cause disclosed to date. With a charming quirkiness, self-deprecating wit and an eccentric, spontaneous spirit, Keaton brought to mind the classic screwball movie comedian while still capturing a unique modern sensibility. And the distinctive wardrobe she wore off screen which usually consisted of tailored menswear, extra wide belts and a bowler hat made Keaton become a style icon. 

Born Diane Hall, she had gotten into theater during high school which sparked her interest in pursuing acting as a career. She briefly attended college in Santa Ana before dropping out and heading to New York. Discovering there was already a "Diane Hall" in the Actors' Equity Association, she took her mother's maiden name of "Keaton" as her stage name. Her first stage opportunity came when she was cast as part of the ensemble in the original Broadway production of "Hair" with Keaton famously declining to appear nude on stage even with the offer of a fifty dollar bonus. But Keaton's career would take off in 1969 after meeting Woody Allen and being cast in his play, "Play it Again, Sam". The comedy would earn Keaton a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Heading back to Los Angeles, she would appear in several television sitcoms, dramas and commercials.

Keaton's first significant film role was as Kay Adams-Corleone in "The Godfather" with director, Francis Ford Coppola casting her after noticing the actress in her 1970 film debut, "Lovers and Other Strangers". The film was a critical and box-office success, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Keaton would appear in the film's sequel two years later (also winning Best Picture) with her role far more substantial.

In 1972, Keaton co-starred with Allen in the film version of "Play it Again, Sam", directed by Herbert Ross. Once Allen decided to begin to direct his screenplays, he cast Keaton (who had a brief romantic relationship with him and remained life-long friends) in many of his features beginning with "Sleeper" in 1973 and "Love and Death" two years later. Allen has said that the character of "Annie Hall" was inspired by Keaton and the film would become a big box-office hit and received wide critical acclaim, winning four Academy Awards including Best Actress for Keaton and Best Picture. She would appear in his other films, "Interiors", "Manhattan" and "Manhattan Murder Mystery".

Other notable films that starred Keaton include the dramas, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (where she played against type as a schoolteacher for deaf children who at night hung out at bars to pick-up men), "Reds" (receiving a Best Actress Oscar nomination), "Shoot the Moon" and comedies, "Crimes of the Heart", "Baby Boom", a remake of "Father of the Bride" and the sequel. Keaton soon turned her attention to directing, first music videos, episodes of drama series and two films for television before making a documentary feature, "Heaven" in 1987 about the possibility of an afterlife. Her first feature film as a director was in 1995 with "Unstrung Heroes", a '60's set comedy-drama about a boy dealing with his mother struggling with cancer with Andie MacDowell and John Turturro. She would also direct and co-star in the 2000 comedy (featuring a screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron), "Hanging Up" with Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow.

Keaton continued to perform as an actor appearing in "The Godfather Part III", "Marvin's Room" (where she received another Best Actress Oscar nomination), "The Family Stone", "Mad Money", "Book Club", "Something's Got to Give" (receiving her final Best Actress Oscar nomination) and "The First Wives Club", the popular box-office smash with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler which has developed a cult following. Keaton's final screen appearance was last year in the comedy, "Summer Camp" which she co-starred with Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard.

Keaton was actively involved in the art scene in Los Angeles, particularly photography, and restoring then selling landmark homes throughout the area. And while she was involved in several high profile romances which included Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty, Keaton was never married. She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke Keaton who were adapted when she was in her 50's.

Not all of the movies that Keaton appeared in were well received or memorable but the actress was consistently pointed as the highlight of any given film, praising her gift for an offbeat approach to her characters while remaining authentic with every performance. Diane Keaton was a true original and her remarkable artistry will absolutely be missed.

ROBERT REDFORD (1936 - 2025)

Robert Redford, the handsome and charismatic actor who moved behind the camera to become an Oscar-winning filmmaker, has passed away in his sleep on September 16th at the age of eighty-nine. Not only did Redford become one of the biggest movies stars on the planet but he was a political activist who used his fame to bring attention to several causes that were important to him like environmentalism and indigenous people's rights. He also went on to help create the Sundance Film Festival which became one of the first and largest festivals that focused on independent cinema.

From the beginning after deciding to become an actor, Redford sought out roles that would challenge him, never wanting to be typecast in parts that focused on his looks. He appeared in numerous television dramas and small roles in feature films before getting his first big break on stage in 1963 after being cast in Neil Simon's latest Broadway show, "Barefoot in the Park", a romantic-comedy directed by Mike Nichols. The show was a hit, helping to create some buzz around the fledgling actor. In 1965, Redford was given a supporting role in "Inside Daisy Clover", a Hollywood-set drama starring Natalie Wood. It wasn't much of a critical or box-office success but they appeared together again the following year as co-stars in "This Property Is Condemned", directed by Sydney Pollack, that managed to achieve some acclaim. Redford also appeared for the first time with Jane Fonda that year in the all-star flop, "The Chase" (that included Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Angie Dickinson in the cast) before they starred together in the film version of "Barefoot in the Park" in 1967. This became a smash hit, helping to create Redford as a true film star.

But what made Redford go from a popular movie actor to an international cinema superstar began with George Roy Hill's western, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in 1969. Paired with another major star, Paul Newman, the film followed these Wild West outlaws on the run from a posse after their string of train robberies. The film went on to earn over one hundred million dollars at the box-office and won four Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay for William Goldman and Best Original Song for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head". This was followed by a string of popular films starring Redford: "The Way We Were" (with Barbra Streisand), "The Sting" (which reteamed him with Newman), "Jeremiah Johnson", "The Great Waldo Pepper", "Three Days of the Condor" and "All the President's Men"

Redford soon began to look for a new challenge which lead him to sit in the director's chair. The 1980 drama, "Ordinary People", based on the novel by Judith Guest, follows the disintegration of a wealthy family following the accidental death of one of their two sons and the attempted suicide of the other. Another box-office hit, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards, taking home four which included Best Director and Best Picture. Redford would go on to direct "The Milagro Beanfield War", "A River Runs Through It", "Quiz Show", "The Legend of Bagger Vance", "Lions for Lambs" "The Horse Whisperer" and "The Company You Keep"

He was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18th in Santa Monica, California of Irish, Scottish, and English ancestry. He had suffered from a mild case of polio when he was eleven but recovered and excelled in sports during high school. But Redford also had an interest in the creative arts. After graduating from high school in 1954, he attended the University of Colorado but spent too much time partying and ended up getting expelled from the school. He then went off to Europe to travel for a period before coming back home with a clear focus on trying to become an actor.

Redford remained a sought after performer throughout the 1980's to well into the twenty-first century. He would appear in the baseball drama "The Natural", the 1985 Best Picture winner, "Out of Africa", "Indecent Proposal", "Up Close & Personal", "Sneakers" and Marvel superhero film, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". The last major film Redford starred in before retiring in 2018 was "The Old Man & the Gun", a crime-drama directed by David Lowery.

TERENCE STAMP (1938 - 2025)

Terence Stamp, the handsome British actor who broke through with his first film, "Billy Budd" and went on to have significant career including appearances in "Superman" and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", has died on August 17th at the age of eight-seven.

Born and raised in East London, Stamp became enamored with acting when he was a child after seeing Hollywood movies. Growing up during World War II, he enduring the constant blitz in London which did leave a traumatizing effect upon him. Stamp won a scholarship to study acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and performed in many theatrical productions. During this time, he became friendly with fellow aspiring actors, Peter O'Toole and Michael Caine, who Stamp would later share a flat.

Stamp got his first major break in 1962 with actor, Peter Ustinov's fifth feature as a director, "Billy Budd" which he also wrote the screenplay and co-starred. This British historical adventure, based on the novella by Herman Melville, has Stamp playing Budd, a young sailor who is falsely accused of attempting a mutiny by the cruel master-at-arms and accidently kills him, leading to his court-martial. The film was not a big hit but did earn Stamp a Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and winning him a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer (Male).

He would go on to work with several notable filmmakers throughout the rest of the '60's: William Wyler with "The Collector"; John Schlesinger's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Far from the Madding Crowd"; Ken Loach in "Poor Cow"; Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema" and co-starred in the spy comedy, "Modesty Blaise" with Monica Vitti. Stamp was even considered for replacing Sean Connery as James Bond after his departure from the role but apparently his ideas for the dashing spy character made the producers uncomfortable.

During this time, Stamp became a popular fixture of the swinging London party scene and renowned for his high-profile romances with two of the celebrated women of that era; supermodel, Jean Shrimpton and actress, Julie Christie who co-starred with Stamp in "Far from the Madding Crowd".

Stamp would make his mark again by appearing in the 1978 big-screen version of "Superman" playing the Kryptonian villain, General Zod and would play the character again in the sequel. He would also been seen in a variety of films throughout the '80's like "The Hit", "The Sicilian", "Legal Eagles", "Young Guns", and "Wall Street".

Stamp would surprise viewers with his sensitive yet hilarious turn as a transgender woman in the 1994 Aussie indie, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" by director, Stephan Elliott. This road-trip comedy on a tour bus across the Australian Outback along with their two drag-queen friends (played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) would win the Oscar for the outrageous costumes and this campy farce has gone on to become a popular cult classic. Three years later, Steven Soderbergh (a fan of the actor) gave Stamp a lead role in his crime drama, "The Limey". This critically acclaimed film did poorly at the box-office upon it's initial release but has since been found by more appreciative modern audiences. Stamp's last screen appearance was in Edgar Wright's (another big fan of the actor) psychological horror drama, "Last Night in Soho" in 2021.

Stamp also found some success as a writer, having written three memoirs, a novel and co-writing a cookbook that featured alternative recipes for those who are lactose-intolerant.

MONICA VITTI: LA MODERNISTA

Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà have teamed-up for a special presentation to bring long overdue recognition to one of the great performers of Italian films and world cinema: Monica Vitti. A striking beauty with a magnetic presence, Vitti has been hailed as an actor who transformed the screen with a modern sensibility as film shifted from glossy spectacle to gritty realism during the 1960's. 

Born in Rome in 1931 as Maria Luisa Ceciarelli, she took her mother's maiden name when deciding to become an actress, getting bit parts on stage and in films before earning a significant role in "Le dritte", directed by Mario Amendola in 1958. Two years later, Vitti met filmmaker, Michelangelo Antonioni who cast her in "L'Avventura". This film about the disappearance of a young woman during a boating trip in the Mediterranean with the woman's lover and her best friend (played by Vitti) coming together to search for her went on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and would make Vitti an international movie star. From this notable success, an artistic partnership began between Antonioni and Vitti with them going on to make three more groundbreaking films together: "La Notte", "L'Eclisse" and "Il deserto rosso (Red Desert)". 

This is the first North American retrospective dedicated to the remarkable career of Vitti with fourteen of her essential films to be screened, several with new 4K restorations.

Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:

Film at Lincoln Center: Monica Vitti: La Modernista

CLAIRE DENIS: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

Claire Denis, the distinguished French filmmaker, will be honored with a celebration of her work and career with an American Cinematheque retrospective beginning on June 4th through 7th which is also part of the Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair film festival.  

While she was born in Paris, Denis was raised during her formative years in colonial West Africa as her father was a civil servant which he moved the family around every two years across the area. This experience would have a profound influence on her future career as a filmmaker as well as the old American films she would watch as a child.

By the time she returned to France as a teenager, Denis felt disconnected to her birth country. As as young woman, she searched for direction. She was briefly married to a photographer and studied various subjects before attending the prestigious film school, IDHEC (which is now La Fémis). After graduating in 1971, Denis would go on to be the assistant director for many acclaimed filmmakers which included Wim Wenders with Denis traveling to the US with the German director to film "Paris, Texas" and his return to Germany to make "Wings of Desire".

At this point, Denis was ready to call her own shots behind the camera and made "Chocolat" in 1988. This semi-autobiographical drama looks at a French woman reflecting on her childhood in Cameroon and her relationship with her family's African servant. This film, nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, brought her immediate acclaim.

Denis would go to have an extraordinary career with the now seventy-nine year old director having made sixteen feature films to date as well as numerous short films and documentaries. American Cinematheque will spotlight six of her movies which includes Denis' most acclaimed film, "Beau Travail", a 1999 drama loosely based on Herman Melville's novella, "Billy Budd". The other films featured are "35 Rhums (35 Shots of Rum)"; the erotic-horror drama, "Trouble Every Day"; "Les Salauds (Bastards)", an homage to film noir starring Vincent Lindon and Chiara Mastroianni; her first English-language film, "High Life", a sci-fi horror with Robert Pattinson and "White Material" which has Denis returning to Africa with Isabelle Huppert as the owner of a struggling coffee plantation trying to hold on to it during the eruption of a civil war.

Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:

American Cinematheque: Claire Denis Retrospective

VAL KILMER (1959 - 2025)

Val Kilmer, a gifted yet volatile performer who appeared in "Top Gun", "The Doors", "Heat" and "Batman Forever", has passed away on April 1st at the age of sixty-five. Kilmer had been struggling with throat cancer since 2015 and died from complications from pneumonia.

Born in Los Angeles, Kilmer was accepted into Juilliard School in drama and later appeared Off-Broadway in 1983. The following year he broke through after being cast as the lead in the latest comedy spoof by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker (the men behind "Airplane!") with "Top Secret!". Kilmer followed this up with "Real Genius", another comedy set in the world of science, directed by Martha Coolidge in 1985.

Kilmer shifted gears by appearing in "Top Gun", the military action-drama that help cement Tom Cruise as a movie star, in a supporting role that displayed the actor's dramatic intensity. The film was a huge success, helping Kilmer land other interesting roles. He starred in Ron Howard's fantasy-adventure, "Willow" where he co-starred with his future wife, Joanne Whalley in 1989 and then in the following year, Oliver Stone would have him portray the rock musician, Jim Morrison in the biopic, "The Doors" with the actor impressively singing the band's music. Other noteworthy films he appeared include "Thunderheart", "True Romance", the western, "Tombstone" (where he played Doc Holliday and received critical acclaim) and a supporting role in "Heat", the Michael Mann crime drama which paired Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for the first time on screen.

After Michael Keaton, who played the role for two films, dropped out of playing Batman, Kilmer was cast for the next adventure, "Batman Forever" with Joel Schumacher as the new director in 1995. The actor and the director clashed during the making of the film which began Kilmer's a reputation as "difficult". The reviews of "Batman Forever" (which also starred Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones and Nicole Kidman) were mixed but was still a box-office hit. Unhappy with the direction of film, Kilmer did not reprise his role in the follow-up feature (with George Clooney putting on the Bat-suit) although it doesn't seem he was encouraged since Schumacher was returning as director. He went on to star in "The Saint", "The Ghost and the Darkness", "At First Sight" and a remake of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Marlon Brando. This film was a very difficult production with the actors having personal issues, problems with each other and the original director, Richard Stanley who was fired and replaced with John Frankenheimer. Not surprisingly, the film would turn out to become a critical and box-office failure.

Kilmer would continue to do great work in film and on stage, creating a one-man show on writer, Mark Twain called "Citizen Twain" he began in 2012. During his treatment for cancer, he underwent chemotherapy and two tracheotomies which left him with a very raspy voice. For the long-awaited sequel to "Top Gun" released in 2022, Cruise insisted that Kilmer appear in the film as his character, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky although his voice would need to be enhanced somewhat with AI. Kilmer was married to Whalley for nine years, divorcing in 1996 and they had two children, Mercedes and Jack who are both working actors.

WHY NOT CINEMA?!

With "Emilia Pérez" collecting thirteen Academy Award nominations, producers, Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat continue with their winning streak of supporting provocative and innovative indie cinema through their company, Why Not Productions over the last thirty years. Their critically acclaimed films have had an undeniable global impact on the art of cinema.

To celebrate these producers and their works, "Why Not Cinema?!" is a retrospective that will feature films by a collection of international auteurs including Gregg Araki ("The Doom Generation"), Claire Denis ("White Material"), Ken Loach ("I, Daniel Blake"), Lynne Ramsay ("You Were Never Really Here"), Christian Mungiu ("Beyond the Hills"), Armaud Desplechin ("My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument", "Kings and Queen"), Alexandre Rockwell ("In The Soup"), Andrey Zvyagintsev ("Loveless") and Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez".

This series will run in New York at Netflix's Paris Theater from February 1st through February 12th and in their Los Angeles location at the Egyptian Theater February 6th to 10th.

For screening dates and to purchase tickets, please click below:

Why Not Cinema?!: Paris Theater

Why Not Cinema?!: Egyptian Theater

DAVID LYNCH (1946 - 2025)

David Lynch, the visionary filmmaker who utilized provocative style and surreal imagery to create some of the most memorable and influential cinema, has passed away on January 15th. He had recently been diagnosed with emphysema after smoking heavily for most of his life. Lynch was seventy-eight.

He began studying art at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington, D.C., later transferring in to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Lynch left after a year, deciding he wasn't getting much out of academia, and set about traveling Europe with friend, Jack Fisk who would later become a production designer and director. Upon his return, Lynch enrolled to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where Fisk was attending. This was when he became interested in filmmaking and made his first short. Lynch applied for a grant with the recently formed American Film Institute to help him finance another short film. He was accepted and made "The Grandmother" in 1970.

Later that year, Lynch moved to Los Angeles to begin studying with AFI Conservatory, making more short films before attempting his first feature film. After several production problems and having to take a loan from his father to help finish the film, "Eraserhead", a bewildering yet intriguing, black & white body horror drama, was completed in 1977. This low-budget indie was initially met with viewer disinterest and negative reviews. But a successful midnight screening run in New York, spreading to San Francisco and Los Angeles, turned "Eraserhead" into a popular cult film.

The comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks saw "Eraserhead" and loved it. He offered Lynch an opportunity to direct "The Elephant Man", an adaptation of the successful Broadway production which Brooks held the film rights, based on the real-life story of a severely deformed man in Victorian London saved from a life in a freak show by a sympathetic doctor. The film was a critical and box-office hit, earning eight Academy Award nominations including Best Director.

Following this achievement, Lynch was offered a chance to turn Frank Herbert's science fiction novel, "Dune" into a movie. Since the film was set in the distant future, the director decided to add more eccentric touches to the screenplay and production design. However the producer, Dino de Laurentiis was not at all happy with the results, deciding to remove footage from the final cut which dramatically altered the plot. Despite these changes in an ill-fated attempt to salvage the film, "Dune" was a commercial failure upon it's release.

Lynch was still contractually obligated to make another film for De Laurentiis. This lead to an original work from Lynch: a strange, mystery thriller called "Blue Velvet". Set in quiet, small town, a college student discovers a severed human ear in a field which leads him deep into a criminal conspiracy and a romance with a troubled lounge singer. "Blue Velvet" became a critical sensation at the time and now considered a cinematic masterpiece, earning Lynch another Oscar nomination for Best Director.

After his dark romantic-comedy, "Wild at Heart" with Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern (which won the Palme d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival), Lynch decided to explore television and created "Twin Peaks", a dreamlike, murder-mystery drama. The show only lasted two seasons but has since become a cult classic and had a feature film in 1992, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walks With Me" which served as prequel to the series. His next two films, a surreal neo-noir drama, "Lost Highway" and "The Straight Story", a true story of an eighty year old man traveling across states only on a lawn mower, received largely mixed reviews.

But it would be his next film that would go on to be thought of as the finest in his illustrious career. Described as "A love story in the city of dreams", "Mulholland Drive" had originally been conceived as a television pilot. But after executives rejected the program, Lynch set about turning it into a feature film. This Los Angeles set story involves a struggling actress (in a career breakthrough for Naomi Watts) who finds a dazed woman (Laura Harring), suffering from amnesia, living in her home and in grave danger. Mesmerizing, atmospheric and sublimely odd, "Mulholland Drive" was very well received (later considered by many films groups to be one of the greatest films of all-time) and won Lynch the Best Director award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and received his final Best Director Oscar nomination.

Despite this incredible success, Lynch struggled to get another movie made. It would take six years later for him to complete "Inland Empire" with Laura Dern, a one hundred and eighty minute mystery-thriller shot entirely on digital video that is more dense, fragmented and experimental than "Mulholland Drive". This film would sadly end up being the final feature film Lynch would make.

What I have admired about Lynch is that he had always refused to offer explanations about his intentions with each of his films, preferring to let the work speak for itself and enjoying the various interpretations that have been expressed. He boldly created dark edged cinema that challenged and provoked yet still featured an optimistic undercurrent that was also an undeniable part of his work. Lynch was a singular artist whose transcendent films will continue to fascinate and inspire.

TERI GARR (1944 - 2024)

Teri Garr, the offbeat character actor who made her name with hilarious comic turns in films and television shows throughout the 1970's and 1980's, has passed away at the age of seventy-nine. In 2002, she publicly announced that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis and having to retire from performing nine years later when it became too difficult for her to continue. Garr died from complications from this autoimmune disease on October 29th.

Born in Los Angeles, Garr came from a family of entertainers with her father, Eddie was a performer in vaudeville and her mother, Phyllis was a model and dancer. So it's not really surprising that their offspring would follow them into show business. After finishing high school and attending Cal State Northridge for two years, Garr dropped out and went to New York to study acting at the Actors Studio.

Back in Los Angeles, she began her professional career as an uncredited extra and performing as a background dancer in many television shows and films which included six Elvis Presley movies. One of her first major roles as an actor came in 1968 in "Head", a musical-comedy featuring the fictional-turned-real-life musical group, The Monkees that was directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Jack Nicholson. Another important appearance came in a episode of the sci-fi series, "Star Trek". In 1972, Garr became a regular cast member on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour"

Around this time, she would begin making her mark in feature films, working with many of the big-name directors of this era. She first appeared in a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" in 1974 and would later get her first starring role ten years later in his musical-drama, "One From The Heart" (which was recently restored in 4K and re-released earlier this year); the outrageous comedy, "Young Frankenstein" with Mel Brooks; Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi drama, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"; Martin Scorsese's black comedy "After Hours" and "Tootsie" from Sydney Pollack where this romantic-comedy would earn the actress her only Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1982. Garr would also make memorable appearances in "Oh, God", "The Black Stallion", "Mr. Mom", "Dumb and Dumber", "Prêt-à-Porter" (with director, Robert Altman) and "Ghost World".

Garr became a staple on television, making guest spots on numerous sitcoms and dramas. She would become a popular guest on several talk shows due to her charming, quick witted banter, first making regular appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and later on "Late Night With David Letterman". One of her last prominent roles before her medical diagnosis was playing Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) estranged mother on the popular sitcom, "Friends" in 1997.

MAGGIE SMITH (1934 - 2024)

Maggie Smith, the highly honored British actor who found great success on screen and stage for over sixty years, has passed away on September 27th at the age of eighty-nine. She gained further international attention and acclaim during this century for her appearance in the Harry Potter film series and later for her sly performance playing the Dowager Countess of Granthamher in the beloved British television series, "Downton Abbey". The two-time Academy Award winning performer was still working having recently appeared in the drama, "The Miracle Club" with Laura Linney and Kathy Bates released in theaters last year. An accomplished and versatile performer, Smith could enliven anything she would appear in by creating rich, indelible characters. With an acerbic wit, razor-sharp tongue and undeniable charm, the actress could effortlessly decimate someone with a clever one-liner.

Smith left high school at sixteen in order to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse. During her time there, she appeared in numerous productions, delivering impressive performances. American producers took notice of her budding talent, casting her in "New Faces of '56" where she played several roles and made her Broadway debut. Smith would make her feature film debut two years later co-starring in the British crime drama, "Nowhere To Go". She also caught the attention of the theater legend, Laurence Olivier who invited her in 1962 to join the National Theatre Company which he had just founded and included in the company, Peter O'Toole, Michael Redgrave, Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen. And while she was with the National throughout the rest of the 1960's, a tense yet professional rivalry would develop between the formidable Olivier and the tenacious Smith.

She would began to do more film work at this time as well, appearing in "The V.I.P.s" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; "The Honey Pot", "The Pumpkin Eater" and the film version of "Othello" which was adapted from the well-received Olivier staging for The National. Smith would receive her first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for playing Desdemona.

Smith's major breakthrough came with the film adaptation of the successful play, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in 1969. This story of an effusive teacher at an Edinburgh all-girls school with a tendency to create her own curriculum to mold select students into her worldview would win Smith an Academy Award for Best Actress. Other film roles followed that included George Cukor's "Travels With My Aunt" (which earned Smith another Best Actress Oscar nomination); "Murder By Death"; two Agatha Christie murder mystery adaptations, "Death on The Nile" and "Evil Under The Sun"; "Clash of The Titans" and "Neil Simon's California Suite" with Smith winning another Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Smith would continue to be an in-demand performer, appearing in filmed dramas and comedies, "A Room with a View", "Sister Act", "Richard III", "The First Wives Club", "Tea with Mussolini", "Gosford Park", "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "The Lady in the Van".

But Smith did not ever abandon the stage throughout her time doing acclaimed film work. She appeared in numerous productions of works by Shakespeare and plays by Anton Chekov, Noël Coward, Edward Albee, and Tom Stoppard. Smith received six Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her theatrical performances and won the Tony Award in 1990 for the comedy, "Lettice and Lovage".

JAMES EARL JONES (1931 - 2024)

James Earl Jones, the highly regarded actor with a very distinctive voice, passed away on September 9th at the age of ninety-three. He made a great impact on the stage and screen throughout his long career but it was his voice work he provided for the villainous character, Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” film series that he will probably be best remembered.

Born in Mississippi, he was the son of Robert Earl Jones, who left the family when he was child and went on to have an acting career during the Harlem Renaissance and worked with Langston Hughes. Jones would not reconnect with his father until he was in his twenties when they reconciled their relationship. Jones had ended up going on to live with his grandparents on a farm in Michigan shortly after his father left. These traumatic events caused the young Jones to develop a stutter. While in high school, an English teacher encouraged Jones to read poetry aloud in class which helped cure him of his stuttering.

He attended the University of Michigan and initially had a pre-med major. But soon discovered he was not cut out to become a doctor, shifting his focus on the theater. After serving in Korea, Jones headed to New York to attempt a career as an actor and studying at the American Theatre Wing. He soon found work, appearing on Broadway and becoming well known as an accomplished Shakespearean performer. Jones made his film debut in 1964 in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb". But his major breakthrough came through the play, "The Great White Hope" where he played a fictionalized version of Jack Johnson who became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion. The play went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Jones won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He went on to recreate the role for a film adaptation of the play, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Jones' career would take off, appearing in the films, "The Man" (about a senator who unexpectedly becomes the first African-American president of the United States), "Claudine" with Diahann Carroll, "The River Niger", "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" and "The Greatest". He was hired to do a voiceover for Darth Vader in "Star Wars" after director George Lucas decided the voice of actor, David Prowse, who appeared on screen as the character, was not suitable. Jones had initially declined to be acknowledged for his role but by the third movie, he received a screen credit.

Another film that utilized Jones' iconic voice was in Disney's 1994 animated blockbuster, "The Lion King" with the role of Mufasa, Simba's father. Other screen highlights include "Matewan", "Field of Dreams", "Coming to America", "The Hunt for Red October", "Sneakers" and "Clear and Present Danger". One of Jones' last film performances was in the sequel to "Coming to America", "Coming 2 America" in 2021. Jones also continued to do stage work throughout his career with his final appearance was in "The Gin Game" with Cicely Tyson in 2015. The Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 in his honor.

ALAIN DELON (1935 - 2024)

Alain Delon, the French actor who was considered by many to be one of the most handsome men to appear in cinema, died on August 18th at the age of eighty-eight. On screen, he could be remote and vacant yet smoldering and magnetic. His considerable looks certainly brought him plenty of attention but Delon was also a talented performer, helping him become popular and recognized as an international film sensation. No cause of death has been revealed to date but the actor had been in poor health recently, suffering a stroke in 2019 and treated for lymphoma three years later.

He was born to a lower-middle class family but his parents separated when he was four. His mother and father both remarried and had other children, leaving Delon with a foster family for a number of years. But he was eventually returned to his parents, who shared custody, and was shuttled back and forth between his second families. This lead him to become rebellious, misbehaving and disrespectful to his teachers which caused him to be expelled from his schools more than once. At seventeen, he joined the Navy and sent off to fight during the French-Indochina War. Near the end of his service, he was arrested for stealing a jeep and going on a joyride which caused damage to the vehicle. After being sent to prison for a short time, Delon was expelled from the Navy. 

Returning to France, Delon had to fend for himself, doing several odd-jobs and began to get more involved in the darker and seedier side of life. He became romantically involved with Brigitte Auber, an actress who recently had appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". This brief relationship introduced Delon to other possibilities for his future. They attended the 1957 Cannes Film Festival together which lead him to met his future agent and get discovered by a talent scout.

The inexperienced Delon got a small part in the film, "Quand la femme s'en mêle (Send a Woman When the Devil Fails)" in 1957 where he learned on the job how to act with the help of the director, Yves Allégret. His next major break came when he was cast opposite the German actress, Romy Schneider (who had selected him herself) in the 1958 period drama, "Christine". They began a romance, with neither able to speak the other's language initially nor not particularly liking each other while onset, and became a celebrated couple for six years. After their relationship ended, Delon and Schneider remained friendly, even working together on screen again a couple of times, most notably in "La Piscine (The Swimming Pool)" in 1968.

Delon followed "Christine" up the following year with the comedy, "Faibles femmes (Women are Weak)" which became a big hit in France and was the actor's first movie to be released in the US. But what made audiences really take notice of Delon was his appearances in two films released in 1960; "Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers)", Luchino Visocnti's drama about a poor family from Southern Italy and their struggles to achieve a better life up north in Milan. "Rocco" won a Special Jury Prize during the 21st Venice International Film Festival. And a leading role in the first screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" called "Plein soleil (Purple Noon)" from René Clément. Together, these films helped make Delon a movie star.

He would go on to star in Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'Eclisse (The Eclipse)" with Monica Vitti; teamed with Visconti again for "Il Gattopardo (The Leopard)", a historical drama with Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale; and worked again with Clément for "Les félins (Joy House)" with Jane Fonda, shooting French and English language versions. Hollywood certainly became intrigued with the actor and after working on his English, Delon made a few movies stateside for about three years beginning in 1964. But his accent limited what roles he could play and the movies he did make never made much headway with American audiences.

However, Delon remained very popular in France and eventually he returned to his home country where he could feel more comfortable and had plenty of more options for film roles. Some notable films he made include "Histoires extraordinaires (Spirits of the Dead)", a 1968 all-star horror anthology, from directors, Roger Vadim, Louis Malle and Federico Fellini, based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. And his work with Jean-Pierre Melville in three crime dramas: "Le Samouraï", "Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle)" and "Un flic (A Cop)" all became classics and cemented Delon as an actor who could convey so much emotion and intensity without uttering a word.

Delon made over ninety films throughout his career and later going on to receive many honors and accolades. He won the César Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Notre histoire" in 1985, became a member of France's Legion of Honour in 1991, received an Honorary Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival in 1995 and the Honorary Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.

GENA ROWLANDS (1930 - 2024)

Gena Rowlands, an actress best known for her brilliant and unique screen performances, many of her most notable are in collaboration with her actor/director husband, John Cassavetes, has passed away on August 14th at the age of ninety-four. No specific cause of death has been given but she had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for the last five years.

She was born Virginia Rowlands in Cambria, Wisconsin, one of two children to Wisconsin State Senator, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands and Mary Allen Neal who later became an actress known as Lady Rowlands. After college, Rowlands went to New York to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began her professional career performing in repertory theatre companies before making her Broadway debut in "The Seven Year Itch" as a replacement cast member and later toured in a national production of the play. She went on to do several live television programs and made guest-starring roles in many drama and western series. Rowlands made her film debut in 1958 with "The High Cost of Loving", co-starring with Jose Ferrer who also directed the film. But it would be her work with Cassavetes, whom she married in 1954, that would give her a greater opportunity to display all she could do as an actor.

While she had a supporting role in the 1963 Hollywood feature that he directed, "A Child Is Waiting" with Judy Garland and Burt Lancaster, it was six years later with "Faces", a cinéma vérité-styled drama that was entirely self-financed by the couple, when she and Cassavetes began to receive widespread critical acclaim for their work. The film about the final stages of the marriage between a middle-aged couple went on to receive three Academy Award nominations including Best Original Screenplay for Cassavetes. She would make ten films together with her husband who helped guide his wife to some of her most memorable roles. Her two Oscar nominations came from films directed by Cassavetes; "A Woman Under The Influence" in 1974 about a woman's strange behavior creating conflict with her spouse (Peter Falk) and "Gloria" from 1980 where she plays a gangster's former girlfriend who tries to protect a young boy (John Adames) being hunted by the mob for information. Rowlands went on to receive an Honorary Academy Award in 2015.

Some highlights of her later screen performances includes "An Early Frost", a 1985 made-for-TV movie that was one of the first to deal with the subject of AIDS. She played the former First Lady, Betty Ford in the 1987 television film, "The Betty Ford Story" where she won her first Emmy Award. Rowlands made appearances in the movies, "The Brink's Job", "Another Woman", "Something to Talk About", "Hope Floats", the drama, "Unhook The Stars" from 1996 and the 2004 romantic drama based on the best-selling novel, "The Notebook" both directed by her son Nick Cassavetes.

Rowlands is survived by her three children with Cassavetes (who passed away in 1989); Nick, Alexandra and Zoe who all have followed their parents to have careers in the performing arts and filmmaking.

SHELLEY DUVALL (1949 - 2024)

Shelley Duvall, one of the alluring talents to emerge during the New Hollywood era of the 1970's, has passed away on July 10th at the age of seventy five. The filmmaker Robert Altman was the first to recognize her unique presence, casting Duvall in her first film and going on to have a thriving acting career where she memorably captured on screen the inner lives of offbeat and alienated characters. 

Born on July 7th in Fort Worth, TX, Duvall stumbled into a movie career purely by chance. Altman was in Houston filming scenes for his wacky, black comedy, "Brewster McCloud", his follow-up to his hit film, "M*A*S*H*", when he noticed a twenty-one year old Duvall, living in the city at the time, at a party. Fascinated by her striking appearance, kooky style and gregarious personality, the director offered her a role as the love interest to the title character, played by Bud Cort.  

This would began their long professional relationship with Duvall performing in several of Altman's films which include "McCabe & Mrs. Miller", "Thieves Like Us", "Nashville" and "Buffalo Bill & The Indians or Sitting Bull's History Lesson". He gave Duvall one of her first major lead roles in "3 Women" with Sissy Spacek in 1977. This psychological drama earned her the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival and a nomination from BAFTA. She would appear in one final film with Altman in "Popeye", the live-action, musical-comedy based on the animated, spinach loving sailor man (played by Robin Williams) with Duvall appearing in the role she seemed born to play: Popeye's long suffering girlfriend, Olive Oyl.

Duvall would follow this up with one of roles she is probably best known for due to her solid performance and all of hardship she endured during the filming; Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "The Shining". It is well documented that this year long shoot was extremely difficult for Duvall, particularly dealing with the mercurial Kubrick who apparently seemed to get pleasure from antagonizing the actress. Yet despite this, Duvall has since been praised for her work in "The Shining" as the suffering wife of a writer (played by Jack Nicholson) who loses a grip on reality and has been viewed as the heart of this horror film.

She would continue to work as an actress but she decided she wanted to get more involved behind the scenes in creating a project. In 1982, Duvall put together with the new cable channel at the time, Showtime, a children's television program called "Faerie Tale Theatre" where she hosted, narrated each episode, occasionally performed and executive produced the show. This popular series, which ran for six years, brought to life classic fairy tales which featured many well-known actors of the day performing in these short live-action episodes.

Over the later years, Duvall had begun to struggle with some mental illness and other health issues including diabetes. She had left Los Angeles and moved to the small community of Blanco, TX in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake. She would retire from acting seven years later but had recently returned to perform in the indie horror film, "The Forrest Hills" two years ago.