NARROWSBURG — WHAT: Retro Cinema Film Series

WHEN: Beginning Thursday, July 3rd at 7 PM

Monthly screenings through November 6th

Doors open at 6:30 PM

WHERE: Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge St. Narrowsburg, NY

NOTES: Tickets, $15 and include a complimentary beverage 

DVAA and Bar Veloce are delighted to announce the new season of Retro Cinema at the Tusten Theatre. This monthly cinematic celebration will commence on Thursday July 3rd and run through November 6th. This year’s theme is ‘Odd Couples’ and boy do we have some unusual duos for you to enjoy!

Movie tickets are $15 and include a complimentary beverage.

After the show, stroll over to Bar Veloce for wine and cheese, chat with your fellow moviegoers and feel a little more connected for having experienced the film together. 

ODD COUPLES

Not every movie about a duo is a love story. In this year’s Retro Cinema line up, we explore multi-generational relationships, multi-species relationships, classic frenemies, and the mother of all sibling dustups. 

Thursday, July 3rd: Harold and Maude (1971)

The ultimate May-December romance

Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actor, Bud Cort and Best Actress, Ruth Gordon) and featuring original music by Cat Stevens, Harold & Maude is one of the defining cult films of the 1970s. This romantic dark comedy tells the story of Harold Chasen (Cort), a young man obsessed with death, and 79-year-old Maude (Gordon), who is determined to live life to the fullest. A seemingly unlikely duo, they are two people who deeply understand one another and whose friendship blossoms into something more. Writer Colin Higgins wrote the screenplay as part of his master’s thesis while a film student at UCLA. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked Harold & Maude number 86 on its list of the “101 Greatest Screenplays” ever written.

Saturday, August 2nd: Pete’s Dragon (1977)

A boy and his not-so-imaginary friend

10am: Family Screening, free entry for children under 12!

There’s no bond like that between an orphan boy and his magical dragon. This Disney-produced fantasy musical features both a live-action and animated protagonist, Pete, a kid on the run from his abusive foster family, and his best friend Elliot, a green dragon who can breathe fire and become invisible at will. As much as Elliot wants to be helpful, he is out of place in the small town of Passamaquoddy and his presence quickly becomes a source of conflict among the locals. Pete’s Dragon received two Oscar nominations, for musical scoring and original song (“Candle On the Water,” performed by Helen Reddy), and features performances by Mickey Rooney and Shelley Winters.

Thursday, August 7th: Laurel & Hardy Double Feature (1930s)

“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into...”

Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy were cornerstones of 1930s and 40s American comedy films, as famous for their slapstick, stylized physical comedy as they were for their signature bowler hats and opposing physiques. They appeared in 107 films together over three decades, successfully making the jump from silent films to “talkies,” in part because the actors’ theatrical backgrounds meant they were already comfortable with spoken dialogue. Laurel and Hardy utilized catchphrases, the best-known being, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” and “Why don’t you do something to help me?” 

Thursday, September 4th: The Defiant Ones (1958)

They couldn’t like each other less. They couldn’t need each other more.

Nominated for eight Academy Awards – including Best Picture and Best Actor for both Poitier and Curtis – The Defiant Ones stars Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis as two escaped prisoners in the American South who are shackled together and must cooperate to survive. Director Stanley Kramer was a liberal movie icon, making many of Hollywood’s most famous “message films,” including Inherit the Wind. The Defiant Ones premiered at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival, where Poitier took home the Silver Bear for Best Actor. At the time, Variety wrote, “The theme of The Defiant Ones is that what keeps men apart is their lack of knowledge of one another… The performances by Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier are virtually flawless.”

Thursday, October 16th: The Fly (1958)

“There are things man should never experiment with”

When scientist André Delambre is found dead, his wife Hélène confesses to the crime but refuses to provide a motive and is suddenly obsessed with flies. Based on the 1957 short story of the same name by George Langelaan, The Fly tells the story of a scientist who is transformed into a grotesque human-fly hybrid after a housefly mistakenly flies into his molecular transporter experiment. Featuring performances by Patricia Owens and horror film legend Vincent Price, The Fly was praised by The New York Times, saying, “It holds an interesting philosophy about man’s tampering with the unknown,” and adding, “it does indeed contain, briefly, two of the most sickening sights one casual swatter-wielder ever beheld on the screen.”

Thursday, November 6th: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Never were there such devoted sisters...

Ah, the joys of family. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was released in theaters on October 31, 1962, becoming a critical and box office success. The film stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, two powerhouse actresses whose off-screen feud was the stuff of Hollywood legend. Their rivalry added fuel to the film’s success and helped revitalize the careers of both actresses. Based on the 1960 novel by Henry Farrell, the film follows aging former child star “Baby Jane” Hudson (Davis) as she torments her paraplegic sister Blanche (Crawford), also a former child star, in their old Hollywood mansion. It is credited with the creation of the “psycho-biddy” subgenre, aka “hagsploitation,’ a genre of film that features a formerly glamorous older woman who becomes increasingly mentally unbalanced as she terrorizes those around her.

Whether you’re a cinema aficionado or just looking for a fun night out at the movies, the Retro Film Series at the Tusten Theatre promises something for everyone. 

TICKETS & LOCATION

Screenings take place at the Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street in Narrowsburg, NY.

Tickets $15 and include a complimentary beverage.

Box office/concession opens 30 minutes before showtime.

Tickets may be purchased online at delawarevalleyartsalliance.org. 

SUPPORT

DVAA’s programs are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Nancy Stevenson Memorial Fund, the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fair Game Grant Program, DVAA members, Business Sponsors, and individuals like you!