Two films just named by the Library of Congress to is National Film Registry are being shown this week and they take us from the hopeful streets of New York City to the far reaches of space.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 @ 7:30 p.m.
Fame (United Artists, 1980)
***NEW TO THE REGISTRY***
Alan Parker’s teen musical drama follows the lives of students at New York City’s High School of the Performing Arts as they tackle the demanding environment and the issues young students face. The musical numbers stylistically often resemble music videos in a pre-MTV world, and “Fame” influenced other classic 80’s musicals like “Footloose,” “Flashdance” and “Dirty Dancing.” Irene Cara belts out the rousing title song. The 1980s produced many classic movies on teen life, and “Fame” was a worthy prelude of great films to come. Color, 133 minutes.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 @ 7:30 p.m.
Apollo 13 (Universal, 1995)
***NEW TO THE REGISTRY***
The extreme challenges involved in space travel present compelling cinema storylines, and one cannot imagine a more harrowing scenario than the near tragic Apollo 13 space mission. Director Ron Howard’s retelling is equally meticulous and emotional, a master class in enveloping the audience into a complicated technological exercise in life-and-death problem-solving. The talented cast includes Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan. Color, 140 minutes.
For more information on LC screenings, see this link.