Screening: Jaws (1975).

Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
Director of Photography: Bill Butler
Film Editor: Verna Fields
Music by John Williams

Cast: Roy Scheider (Brody), Robert Shaw (Quint), Richard Dreyfuss (Hooper), Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), Murray Hamilton (Vaughn)

Always try to see Jaws (1975) in a theater at least once every summer. Tonight’s the night, at the wonderful Graham Cinema in nearby Graham, North Carolina.

Of course, Jaws had one of the greatest ad campaigns ever. I especially like the rarely-used tagline “She was the first…”

Screening: The Who At Shea Stadium (1982).

This is a bit of a departure for this blog, but maybe not really. The Who has opened up their vault to put some old shows on their YouTube page — beginning with their show at Shea Stadium on October 13, 1982. It will stream on Saturday, August 8, at 1 PM EST in the States.

While watching the show on YouTube is free (click on the graphic above to get there), The Who is using the event as a way to promote some of the charities they support — the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. You can find out more at https://join-together.org.

This show is also available on Blu-Ray, and the Toronto show from the same tour (what was billed as their final show) is on DVD.

Screenings: Jaws (1975).

Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
Director of Photography: Bill Butler
Film Editor: Verna Fields
Music by John Williams

Cast: Roy Scheider (Brody), Robert Shaw (Quint), Richard Dreyfuss (Hooper), Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), Murray Hamilton (Vaughn)

I love the fact that Jaws (1975) turns up in theaters every summer. It’s here in the Raleigh area next week and I can’t wait. Watch for one in your area.

It’s usually not on film anymore, but the digital restoration from a few years ago was terrific. And, of course, on the big screen you can see “the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.”

Screening: Gone With The Wind (1939).

Directed by Victor Fleming
Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Haviland, Thomas Mitchell, Hattie McDaniel, Ward Bond, Yakima Canutt

The Graham Cinema in Graham, North Carolina is running Gone With The Wind (1939) at various times April 28 – May 2.

Sunday, April 28
2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Monday – Thursday, April 29 – May 2
7:00 PM

They ad above was run when the Graham Cinema featured Gone With The Wind back in 1969.

Screening: Detour (1945).

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
Starring Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake, Edmund MacDonald

Glenn Erickson’s CineSavant is one of my favorite movie blogs, and he recently pointed out that the restoration of Edgar Ulmer’s Detour (1945) will be shown next month at the Egyptian Theatre.

There’s some controversy about just how quick, and cheap, this picture was made. But regardless, Ulmer did his usual very much with very little. This is a terrific, crazy noir picture — and not to be missed.

Sunday, December 16, 7PM
Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood

A big fat thank you to the George Lucas Family Foundation for funding this restoration.

Screening: The ’68 Comeback Special.

It’s been 50 years since Elvis made his stunning “Comeback Special” — a long, long way from the Christmas special that was the original plan. If you haven’t seen it, I feel sorry for ya.

But all is not lost. It’s being shown in theaters to mark the anniversary. Click the King to find out more.

Screening: Piranha (1978) On Shout TV.

Directed by Joe Dante
Starring Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, Dick Miller

I love Piranha (1978), Joe Dante’s Jaws ripoff — produced by Roger Corman and written by John Sayles. I’ve seen it countless times.

Shout TV has a special event planned to celebrate the movie’s 40th anniversary — August 3 on Shout TV’s Twitch channel. To me, this is certainly a movie worth celebrating.

Screening: Dragnet (1954).

Directed by Jack Webb
Starring Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Richard Boone, Ann Robinson, Stacy Harris, Virginia Gregg, Victor Perrin, Georgia Ellis, James Griffith, Dub Taylor

Noir City: Hollywood – The 20th Annual Los Angeles Festival Of Film Noir is presenting one of my all-time favorite films on the 18th, Jack Webb’s 1954 feature version of Dragnet. I can’t tell you how much I love this movie. The DVD is a rather ugly, full-frame mess, making the chance to see it on the big screen, on film, an even greater treat. And Ann Robinson, who plays a lady officer, will be there for a discussion after the movie.

Wednesday, April 18, 7:30pm
Egyptian Theatre

6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028

And if Dragnet wasn’t cool enough, the festival’s also got Armored Car Robbery (1950) in its lineup on the 16th. Another one of those times when I live on the wrong side of the country.

Blu-Ray News #159: The Dam Busters (1955).

Directed by Michael Anderson
Starring Richard Todd, Michael Redgrave, Ursula Jeans, Basil Sydney, Patrick Barr, Ernest Clark, Derek Farr

To mark the 75th anniversary of the incredible WW2 raid it was based on, Michael Anderson’s The Dam Busters (1955) will come bouncing back to cinemas for a single day, May 17— in a new 4k restoration that will also make its way to Blu-Ray in June.

One of the out-and-out coolest war movies ever made, if The Dam Busters doesn’t make you hang the Union Jack on your front porch, nothing will. I love Richard Todd, and this might be his finest 124 minutes. Essential.

Screening: House On Haunted Hill (1959).

Directed by William Castle
Written by Robb White
Starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook, Jr.

The Graham Cinema in nearby Graham, North Carolina, is one of my favorite places to see a movie. So imagine how excited I was to find out one of my all-time favorites films, William Castle’s House On Haunted Hill (1959), will be playing there Friday night, October 20, at 11:30.

William Castle. Vincent Price. Robb White. Elisha Cook, Jr. Emergo. Even the Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (and just up the street from the infamous Ackermansion). There are a million reasons why this movie’s so wonderful.

Admission’s just $2 and benefits the Shriners Hospital For Children. If you’ve never been to the Graham Cinema, you owe it to yourself to check it out. And of you’ve never seen House On Haunted Hill, I pity you. I really do.

The Graham Cinema
119 N Main St, Graham, NC 27253

UPDATE: I get the supreme honor of introducing the movie Friday night.

Thanks to my daughter Presley for the tip.