PRESIDENTS DAY, BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND A BIT OF POTPOURRI
The Packard Campus Theater will honor the two Presidents whose birthdays led to the national holiday Presidents Day with screenings of LINCOLN (2012) and GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE (1942). Also during February a number of films highlighting the annual celebration of Black History Month will be shown including HALLELUJAH (1929), SHAFT (1971) and THE BODYGUARD (1992). Other screenings during the month will cover a wide variety of fan favorites and just some good films that need to be seen.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 @ 7:30 p.m.
Lincoln (Disney, 2012)
Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in this well-received film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film recounts the final four months of Lincoln’s life as he struggled to free the slaves and end the Civil War. Also stars Sally Field, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones. Color, 150 minutes.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 @ 7:30 p.m.
My Favorite Year (MGM-UA, 1982)
The early days of television are revisited in this comedy about a young man that works on a variety show broadcast from Lincoln Center. He is tasked with babysitting the over the hill (and drunk) actor that has been booked for the show. Peter O’Toole, in an Academy Award nominated role, plays the tipsy star. Also on the program a selection of skits from “Your Show of Shows,” the TV program that inspired the film. Color, 92minutes plus Black and White, 45 minutes.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 @ 7:30 p.m.
Shaft (MGM, 1971)
Who is the man that would risk his neck for his fellow man? Shaft, can you dig it? Richard Roundtree stars as private detective John Shaft who goes up against a bunch of gangsters, and shows that Dirty Harry has nothing on him. The film led to a number of sequels and a TV series all starring Roundtree who passed away this past October. Isaac Hayes provided the music, and Gordon Parks directed. Color, 100 minutes. Rated R. Added to the National Film Registry in 2000.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9 @ 7:30 p.m.
Akahige [Red Beard] (Toho, 1965)
Director Akira Kurasawa and actor Toshiro Mifune made 16 films together, this being the last. Mifune plays an aging town doctor that must reign in his rough temper in order to train a young intern. Japanese with English subtitles. Black & White, 185 minutes.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 @ 7:30 p.m.
The Gay Divorcee (RKO-Radio, 1934)
A tale of romance, divorce, and more romance that we would need a road map to explain. However, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and the always enjoyable Edward Everett Horton create a clear path for fun… with plenty of singing and dancing thrown in. Black and White, 107 minutes. Plus a selected short subject.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 @ 7:30 p.m.
The Bodyguard (Warner Bros, 1992)
Gone too soon Whitney Houston made her film debut as an actress that is being sent death threats. Kevin Costner plays the title character who protects her, and falls in love with her. Houston’s performance of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” become an international hit. Color, 129 minutes.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 @ 7:30 p.m.
George Washington Slept Here (Warner Bros, 1942)
A young couple (Ann Sheridan and Jack Benny) are forced out of their Manhattan apartment and into a less than favorable house in rural Pennsylvania. The fact or rumor that the first President once slept in the house does little to improve the situation. Black and White, 93 minutes. Also a selected short subject.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 @ 7:30 p.m.
North By Northwest (MGM, 1959)
Alfred Hitchcock, need more be said? The master was on a roll, this film was made after Vertigo and before Psycho and just might be his best. Cary Grant stars in this story of political intrigue mixed with mistaken identity. From crop duster to Mt. Rushmore, the film does not disappoint. Eva Marie Saint is beyond great, and James Mason is appropriately menacing. Color, 136 minutes. Add to the National Film Registry in 1995.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 @ 7:30 p.m.
Hallelujah (MGM, 1929)
One of the first film featuring an all-Black cast made by a major film studio. The life and loves of a sharecropper are depicted. Daniel L. Haynes portrays Zeke, who id good hearted and morale but who ends up paying for others’ sins. Black and White, 100 minutes. Added to the National Film Registry in 2008. Also a selected short subject.
Please note: Due to necessary electrical maintenance to the NAVCC facility, the film screening schedule for the next few months will be altered. The Packard Campus Theater will be screening films on Thursday and Friday nights . Programs are free and the matinee show will be family friendly. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted.
Patrons must go through an “airport style” security check upon entering and no large parcels, purses or backpacks are permitted.
Federal law (18 U.S.C. 930) prohibits the possession of any firearm or other dangerous weapons on this Federal facility. This includes in the parking lot, on all roads, trails, and grounds as well as inside the building. This also applies to off-duty law enforcement officers (LEO) and concealed-carry permit holders.
The Packard Campus is located at 19053 Mount Pony Road in Culpeper, Virginia. Access to the campus parking lot begins one hour before show time, entrance into the building begins 45 minutes before the show, and the theater opens for seating 30 minutes before the curtain. Please do not arrive early and queue at the Packard Campus gate.
The Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center oversees one of the largest collections of motion pictures in the world. Acquired primarily through copyright deposit, exchange, gift and purchase, the collection spans the entire history of the cinema. Since 2008, the art deco theater located at the Packard Campus has shown films each week and screened more than 2,500 titles. The programs highlight the best in cinema, including silent films, Hollywood classics, kids’ cartoons and foreign films.
For more information on LC screenings, see this link.