New Mexico filmmaker Joel Vallie will unveil his newest film, Beautiful Prison, in a special screening at Guild Cinema (3405 Central NE) this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 17 and 18), beginning at 10:15pm each night. All seats are $8, and a portion of the proceeds will go toward recouping the cost of replacing the Guild’s marquee sign. Beautiful Prison tells the story of a brain-damaged man, who after a violent accident has his intellect restored and gains a supernatural ability to control the happenings of his world. According the the filmmaker, this genre-bending tale filled with romance, intrigue, comedy and demons was “made by cinephiles for cinephiles.” Vallie will introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Reel World: Season 4 Is Coming Season 4 Is Coming
George R.R. Martin, noted fantasy author and owner of the recently renovated Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe (418 Montezuma Ave.), has begun screening each and every episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” at the theater. The screenings happen every Monday through March 24 (with a handful of February dates shifted to Tuesdays to accommodate Martin’s schedule). This epic marathon, which will encompass all 3 seasons of the series, is expected to end just in time for the premiere of the new 4th season. Each screening will feature three complete episodes. And if the idea of watching “Game of Thrones” with the author isn’t exciting enough for you, you should know that Martin has thrown his weight around a bit and is bringing in all sorts of special guests from cast and crew. Some will appear via Skype. Others will be live in the theater itself. This Monday, Jan. 20, for example, you’ll get behind-the-scenes dirt from Arya Stark herself, actress Maisie Williams. Screenings start at 7pm. Tickets are free, but this is a first-come, first-served event. The Cocteau has just over 100 seats, so expect to fight (preferably not to the death) for these tickets.
Reel World: Critics’ Choice Critics’ Choice
The KiMo Theater (423 Central NW) is launching yet another movie series. This one is the prestigious New York Film Critics Series. It will feature preview screenings of groundbreaking independent films before they hit mainstream theaters. The first screening will take place Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 6 to 8pm. The film will be Adam Rodgers’ At Middleton, starring Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven). Farmiga stars as a strong-willed, free-spirited businesswoman who is taking her hyper-achieving 19-year-old daughter on a tour of college campuses. Along the way the ladies cross paths with a buttoned-up heart surgeon (Garcia) and his not-so-motivated son. How long before romance breaks out? The event is being simulcast live from the AMC Empire Theater in New York City and will be hosted by critic Peter Travers (Rolling Stone, ABC-TV). Farmiga and Garcia will be there (in New York) to participate in a live, interactive discussion. Tickets are $7 general admission, $5 seniors.
