In Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 French New Wave masterpiece Breathless, Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a young thug who romantically models himself on Humphrey Bogart. While driving a stolen car, Michel shoots a policeman who follows him onto a country road. Penniless and on the run from the police, he turns to his American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg), a student and aspiring journalist. Patricia agrees to hide him and the two spend their time evading the police, making love and stealing cars to raise money for a trip to Italy. As the police net tightens, Michel's bravado and desperation grow.  

The Robinson Film Center will be screening a new edition of the film, restored for the 50th Anniversary of its original release.  This restored edition premiered in May 2010 in New York City.

There's nothing like a classic art film on a hot Summer night.  The Arthouse Icons series presents the work - sometimes well known, as in Breathless, and sometimes lesser-known, as in Monsieur Verdoux - of master filmmakers whose contributions to cinema as an artform deserve to be experienced on a big screen in a room full of film afficianados.  All of these screenings will be presented in HD on on our largest screen for one night only.  In the case of Godard's Breathless, the film has been newly-restored and the Robinson Film Center is lucky enough to be among a small handful of theaters hosting the new restoration. 

Jean-Luc Godard's BREATHLESS
Tuesday, August 3 - 7:30 PM
Watch the trailer

In the new SyFy original film Mandrake (formerly titled Unearthed), a group of adventurers searching for a Spanish conquistador artifact find that the jungle around them is a single living being - and it's not happy they're there.  This made-for-television movie was filmed in Shreveport-Bossier City and made prominent use of Shreveport's C. Bickham Dickson Park, shooting extensively in the park and using it in the film as a stand-in for a South American jungle. 

Join us for this one night-only sneak preview of the film, which will premiere on SyFy in August.

Starring Betsy Russell (the Saw films), Max Martini (CSI: Miami, The Unit, 24), Benito Martinez (The Shield, The Unit) and Nick Gomez (Treme, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans).

Friday, 7/30 - 7:30 PM

17 year—old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin’s code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth. Based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell, Winter's Bone is one of the best-reviewed films of 2010, and is generating heavy awards-season buzz already.  The film has also claimed top prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.  Highly recommended.

"Spectacular for its humanity, austere beauty and heart-stopping urgency."
-Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

"It's been a long time since a film has conveyed a culture, and a sense of place, with such telling precision. At the same time, Winter's Bone thrums with suspense."
-Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

"Every so often a film gets under our skin with its haunting authenticity, reinforcing our faith in the wonderfully transporting power of cinematic storytelling. Winter's Bone is unquestionably that film."
-Claudie Puig, USA Today

Show Times:
7/30 - 3:15 PM, 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM, 10:00 PM
7/31 - 1:00 PM, 3:15 PM, 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM, 10:00 PM
8/1 - 1:00 PM, 3:15 PM, 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM
8/2 - 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM
8/3 - 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM
8/4 - 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM
8/5 - 5:45 PM, 7:50 PM
More show times coming soon.

In Solitary Man, car magnate Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) watches as his life hits the skids, a lifetime of business and romantic indiscretions having all caught up to him at once.  As he struggles to put his life back on track, he finds an unusual accomplice and friend in college freshman Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg), taking the awkward young man under his wing while also working to mend relationships with his children, grandchildren, and ex-wife.  Can the man who was once known as "New York's honest car dealer" regain his business and his self-respect?  Michael Douglas’ critically-acclaimed performance anchors a star-studded cast.

"Michael Douglas surges ahead in Solitary Man with the best work he's done in decades."
-Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

"A sharp, small-scale comedy of male misbehavior that turns out to be one of this season's pleasant cinematic surprises."
-A.O. Scott, New York Times

"It’s smoothly written and smartly paced, and Michael Douglas is riveting."
-David Edelstein, New York Magazine

Show times coming soon.

Louisiana filmmaker Zack Godshall joins The Robinson Film Center for a special presentation of his most recent film, God's Architects on Wednesday, August 11 at 7:30 PM.  God’s Architects is a documentary that tells the stories of five divinely inspired artist-architects and their enigmatic creations.  The film details how and why these oft-marginalized creators, with neither funding nor blueprints, construct their self-made environments. Beyond the builders and their work, the film functions as a personal essay that explores the nature of inspiration and one's dedication to a creative project, no matter how absurd or mysterious the circumstances may seem.

Learn more about the film at www.godsarchitects.com.

Godshall was recently named the Louisiana Filmmaker of the Year by the New Orleans Film Festival for his new documentary God’s Architects. Godshall’s first film, Low and Behold, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won numerous awards at film festivals around the country. He currently lives in Baton Rouge where he is the Screenwriter-In-Residence at LSU. 

8/11 - 7:30 PM (Filmmaker in attendance)

Update:
"TROLL 2" - One Night Only!
Friday, August 13, 9:30 PM
Following the 7:45 PM screening of Best Worst Movie - tickets coming soon!

One of the most talked-about documentary films of 2010, Best Worst Movie is an offbeat portrait of the undisputed "worst movie in cinematic history," Troll 2, in which director Michael Stephenson starred as a child. In 1989, Italian director Claudio Fragrasso cast small-town dentist Dr. George Hardy and a group of unwitting Utah actors, including Stephenson, in the ultra-low budget horror film. Soon after Troll 2’s disastrous release, Dr. Hardy retired from acting and returned to dentistry in his Alabama hometown, unaware of the legions of fans that would one day recognize him as a cult movie luminary. Twenty years later, Dr. Hardy’s days of drilling cavities are met by nights of signing autographs at sold-out revival screenings around the world. Best Worst Movie unravels the improbable, heartfelt story of the Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and the Italian filmmaker who come to terms - or not - with this genuine, internationally revered cinematic failure. The result is a hilarious and tender offbeat journey that pays homage to lovers of bad movies and the people that make them.

Listen to a story about Best Worst Movie from NPR's All Things Considered. 

"The most enjoyable documentary you'll see all year."
-Christian Toto, The Washington Times

"A strangely moving, insightful and entertaining documentary."
-John Anderson, Variety

"Outrageous fun."
-Frank Schenck, The Hollywood Reporter

Show times coming soon.

Jack Rebney is the most famous man you’ve never heard of — an RV salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the 90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon, seen by more than 20 million people worldwide. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney — and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man’s response to unintended celebrity.  The film has claimed top prizes at Cinevegas International Film Festival, HOT DOCS, Sarasota and more, and was an official selection of the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.  Highly recommended for fans of last year's similarly hilarious, touching documentary ANVIL: The Story of Anvil.

"Rebney's is a story with shades of sadness, hilarity and, of course, spectacular anger."
-Washington Post

"An uplifting meditation on redemption, privacy, aging, self-expression and humanity."
-Las Vegas Weekly

"Prepare to laugh hard!"
-San Francisco Chronicle

"Ridiculously entertaining...Viewing with a crowd is highly recommended!"
-Filmcritic.com

Show times coming soon.

First it was a mine that exploded in the middle of the Moroccan desert. Years later, it was a stray bullet that lodged in his brain... Bazil doesn't have much luck with weapons. The first made him an orphan, the second holds him on the brink of sudden, instant death. Released from the hospital after his accident, Bazil is homeless. Luckily, our inspired and gentle-natured dreamer is quickly taken in by a motley crew of junkyard dealers living in a veritable Ali Baba's cave. The group’s talents and aspirations are as surprising as they are diverse: Remington, Calculator, Buster, Slammer, Elastic Girl, Tiny Pete and Mama Chow. Then one day, walking by two huge buildings, Bazil recognizes the logos of the weapons manufacturers that caused all of his misfortune. He sets out to take revenge, with the help of his faithful gang of wacky friends. Underdogs battling heartless industrial giants, our gang relive the battle of David and Goliath, with all the imagination and fantasy of Buster Keaton...

"Micmacs is like a Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd movie where everybody is Buster or Harold, yet they all work in harmony."
-Peter Howell, Toronto Star

"Strip away all the oddball touches and visual splendor and what is left may be Jeunet's most compelling movie yet, witty, poignant, and altogether magical."
-Pam Grady, Box Office Magazine

"Packed with great little touches and surreal flights of fancy, this is witty, wonderfully inventive as well as a visual joy."
-Birmingham Post

Show times coming soon.

In The Girl Who Played with Fire – the second installment in the “Millennium” trilogy following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – controversial journalist Mikael Blomkvist is about to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society. On the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander, the fierce young computer hacker who aided Blomkvist in uncovering the truth behind a missing heiress in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  As the police mount a massive hunt for Salander, Blomkvist sets out to identify the real killers of the two young journalists. 

As anyone who saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo knows, these films are high-octane thrillers that will pin you to your seat.  Highly recommended!

"Relentless suspense! Holds you in a vise-like grip. Noomi Rapace is spectacular."
–Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"More gripping than Dragon Tattoo, because this one doesn’t just play with thriller conventions — it puts them to work."
–Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"3 1/2 stars (out of four)...If you saw the earlier film, or have read the novels, you'll recognize some of the key players here. But you can walk in as a first-timer and understand."
-Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times

Show times coming soon.

SPECIAL GUEST - Friday Night ONLY!
An Elvis Presley impersonator will welcome guests to the Friday, August 27 screening.

The Freak-Out! presents everyone’s favorite big-chinned “b”-movie bad boy, Bruce Campbell, in the hit 2002 comedy that finally answers the age-old question: “What would happen if Elvis Presley were alive, and living in a nursing home with a reincarnated JFK, and the nursing home was attacked by an ancient mummy?”  One of the most original and unique hybrids of horror, fantasy, comedy, and action we’ve ever seen.  Abby Singer's Bistro gets in on the action with Elvis-themed drinks and specials.  Arrive 15 minutes early for a very special pre-show!  We'll also have our popular "I Voted for Bruce Campbell" bumper stickers on-sale at this event!

"Fry up a peanut butter and 'nana sandwich, hop in your Cadillac and take one last ride with the King."
-Michael Senft, Arizona Republic

"In the end, what keeps it going is not the story but the delicious relationship between Elvis and JFK."
-Desson Thompson, Washington Post

"It has the damnedest ingratiating way of making us sit there and grin at its harebrained audacity, laugh at its outhouse humor, and be somewhat moved (not deeply, but somewhat) at the poignancy of these two old men and their situation."
-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

8/27 & 8/28 - 10:00 PM (Pre-show at 9:45 PM)

For years, townsfolk have been terrified of the backwoods recluse known as Felix Bush (Robert Duvall). People say he’s done all manner of unspeakable things —— that he’s killed in cold blood; that he’s in league with the Devil; that he has strange powers —— and they avoid him like the plague. Then, one day, Felix rides to town with a shotgun and a wad of cash, saying he wants to buy a funeral. It’s not your usual funeral for the dead Felix wants. On the contrary, he wants a “living funeral,” in which anyone who ever had heard a story about him will come to tell it, while he takes it all in. Sensing a big payday in the offing, fast—talking funeral home owner Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) enlists his gentlemanly young apprentice, Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black), to win over Felix’s business. Buddy is no stranger to Felix’s dark reputation, but what he discovers is that behind Felix’s surreal plan lies a very real and long—held secret that must get out. As the funeral approaches, the mystery- which involves the widow Maddie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), the only person in town who ever got close to Felix, and the Illinois preacher Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), who refuses to speak at his former friend’s funeral - only deepens. But on the big day, Felix is in no mood to listen to other people spinning made—up anecdotes about him. This time, he’s the one who is going to do the telling about why he has been hiding out in the woods.

"Get Low, starring Bill Murray and Robert Duvall, shows off the lost art of storytelling. Wry, funny, and poignant -- Get Low is a treat."
-Laremy Legel, Film.com

"There's a lot more to like about Get Low than just another fantastic Robert Duvall performance."
-Scott Wineberg, Cinematical.com

Show times coming soon.

Racing Dreams is an award-winning coming-of-age story about three kids who dream of one day racing in NASCAR.  Academy Award® nominated documentary filmmaker, Marshall Curry, takes us into the lives of Annabeth (11 years old), Josh (12), and Brandon (13) as they compete for the championship in the World Karting Association’s National Series — widely considered the Little League for professional racing.  Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph, these young drivers race their way through the year-long National Series that spawned many of NASCAR’s top drivers.  Inspiring and family-friendly, Racing Dreams won Best Documentary at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

Watch this space for updates on special guests after select screenings as well as Supporting Cast Members-only perks associated with this film.  Learn more about the Supporting Cast Membership program.

“Four Stars: Marshall Curry’s outstanding documentary won’t just entertain your family for a little while. It’ll also inspire everyone to find a new passion.”
-Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

"The best film of the year so far… an instant classic.”
-Scott Feinberg, Los Angeles Times

“Absorbing…Racing Dreams is one of the rare documentaries you leave wishing it was a little bit longer.”
-Stephen Holden, The New York Times

Show times coming soon.