The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus.
Thursday, August 1 (7:30 p.m.)
King Kong (RKO, 1933)
In this classic, filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), recent discovery Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and his team discover a giant prehistoric ape, dubbed Kong, while searching for locations on an uncharted jungle island. The crew manages to subdue the primate and bring Kong back to New York to exploit him in a stage show from which he promptly escapes, spreading mayhem. Willis O’Brien’s special effects and animation of the monster ape are still amazing on the big screen and the final sequence atop the Empire State Building is now cinema folklore. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack directed this timeless beauty-and-the-beast adventure, which was added to the National Film Registry in 1991. 35mm archival print, 100 min.
Friday, August 2 (7:30 p.m.)
Skatetown U.S.A. (Columbia, 1979)
The short-lived fad of roller disco provides the backdrop for this comedy in which two rivals find themselves becoming good friends while competing for a prize of one thousand dollars in cash. The film marks the film debut of Patrick Swayze who did his own skating and stunts in the film. The cast includes a number of stars from popular 1970’s shows and sitcoms including Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, Maureen McCormick, Ron Palillo and Ruth Buzzi while the soundtrack features several popular disco hits such as “Shake Your Body” (by The Jacksons), “Boogie Nights” (Heatwave) and “Feelin’ Alright” (Dave Mason).There have been no known licensed home video releases of this rarely screened film. 35mm archival film print, rated PG.98 min.
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