In his commentary track on the Casablanca DVD and Blu-ray (recorded in 2003), Roger Ebert hits the nail on the head, to wit:
"We're living in a time when, for a lot of people, cinema history begins with Star Wars. A lot of younger viewers are not too interested in old movies, they aren't interested in silent movies, they don't like black and white movies, and yet...they make an exception for Casablanca."
That, better than anything I could come up with, is why the movie is always a good way to start a Summer Film Series.
I've agreed to contribute some regular column inches to the Summer Film Series held annually at the historic Paramount Theatre here in Austin.
My payment is being remitted in the form of a summer-long, all-access pass and complimentary soda/popcorn for myself and a guest. Don't tell anyone at the Paramount that I was planning to do this anyway, but the comped admission and cinema staples make it more financially feasible to spend as much time at the Paramount as I'd really like to this summer.
The style of the programming is predominantly double features running two days apiece, reversing order the second night. The 2010 lineup has great movies coming out of its ears. Here's a taste of some must-sees from now until early September:
Another Thin Man
The Thin Man Goes Home
On the Waterfront
Frenzy
Batman (1966) with Adam West in-person
The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
Goodfellas
Raging Bull
Giant
The Last Picture Show
Lone Star
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Shane
The Searchers
Freaks
Alien - The Director's Cut
All That Heaven Allows
Rebecca
All That Jazz
Showgirls
Valley of the Dolls
Mutiny on the Bounty
Captain Blood
Bride of Frankenstein
A Night at the Opera
Badlands
The Red Shoes
Ran
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Breathless
Sunrise
M. Hulot's Holiday
West Side Story
Lawrence of Arabia (in 70mm)
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Vertigo (in 70mm)
The Big Lebowski
There are even more wonderful titles peppered in there, so take a look at the full calendar and don't miss a chance to see classics the way they were meant to be seen.
"Film Fan" members of the Paramount get a sneak show of Casablanca tonight preceded by an opening party. Casablanca is tonight at 7pm, followed by The Maltese Falcon ay 9:20pm. They swap showtimes tomorrow night. They show again Sunday in a double-double as follows:
Casablanca
3:45pm & 8:20pm
The Maltese Falcon
1:30pm & 6:05pm
Whether you live in Austin or not, seek out your local summer retro film series and support it. These classics of various stripes are the backbone of the cinema world, and they need support.