Landmark’s Magnolia Theatre shows its commitment to classic film (and not just the hottest new Hollywood releases) with its weekly Big Movie New Classic Series. Each Tuesday night at 7:30 and 10 p.m., the Uptown arthouse screens a different film with contemporary appeal, from modern comedies to Golden Age epics to camp classics and more. The lineup, released quarterly, helps movie buffs plan their Tuesdays all the way from now through Thanksgiving.
Here, then, is this quarter’s lineup, sponsored by Dallas Voice.
Sept. 22: To Kill a Mockingbird. Before we knew Atticus Finch would become a virulent racist, he was this upstanding, stalwart man of justice in Harper Lee’s classic novel rendered exquisitely onscreen.
Sept. 29: The Andromeda Strain. Robert Wise directed the first film adapted from a Michael Crichton novel that, despite being slightly dated, is still eerie and thrilling.
Oct. 6: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee’s masterpiece of psychological drama, with Liz Taylor delivering her best (and Oscar-winning) performance ever.
Oct. 13: Hannah and Her Sisters. Woody Allen’s biggest financial successful is this thoughtful comedy, with brilliant work from Oscar winners Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine.
Oct. 20: The Seventh Seal. Bergman’s oft-lampooned but rarely equaled reverie on death.
Oct. 27: The Shining. Just in time for Halloween, Stanley Kubrick’s unnerving horror with Jack Nicholson and a perfectly-cast Shelley Duvall.
Nov. 3: The Adventures of Robin Hood. Few men have looked as beautiful and manly in tights as the vastly underrated Errol Flynn does in this swashbuckling Golden Age classic.
Nov. 10: On the Waterfront. Wrenching drama with Marlon Brando at his Methody best.
Nov. 17: Lawrence of Arabia. Simply one of the greatest films of all time, with a subtle but unmistakable gay subplot. (Noel Coward once said of star Peter O’Toole, pictured, “If he’d been any more beautful, they’d have had to rename it Florence of Arabia.”)
Nov. 24: Mary Poppins. A childhood essential, with Julie Andrews winning an Oscar in his feature film debut as the practically perfect nanny.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 18, 2015.