Cinefamily in Los Angeles presents TRUTH AND SOUL INC., a celebration of the films of Robert Downey Sr. starting this weekend December 5 through December 8.
Special guests include Paul Thomas Anderson, Louis C.K., and Robert Downey Jr., who will conduct an intimate conversation with Robert Downey Sr.
Fans of Robert Downey, Sr. are in for a treat this December as Cinefamily in Los Angeles presents a series of events honoring the career and cinema of the respected filmmaker.
The event, TRUTH AND SOUL, INC., is a fundraiser for The Cinefamily, LA's premiere cinemateque for first-run arthouse and repertory films.This inaugural fundraiser, presented by the newly formed FRIENDS OF CINEFAMILY, will include never before seen rarities, new prints, special appearances, and newly restored versions of his most acclaimed films.
Events include a career spanning conversation between father and son, Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. with a 35mm restoration screening of his breakthrough underground hit, CHAFED ELBOWS; an intimate Q&A with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and screening of a new 35mm print of GREASER'S PALACE that will include a cast & crew reunion and tribute to the music of Robert Downey Sr., Charlie Cuva, and Jack Nitzsche; and a new DCP screening at the Ace Hotel's United Artist Theatre of his crossover cult comedy classic PUTNEY SWOPE, hosted by Louis C.K.
"Our idea for an annual fundraiser was to do the best damn retrospective we can for someone we love, because CInefamily's mission is about getting people excited about movies," The Cinefamily's Executive Director Hadrian Belove stated. "We wanted to show the world how exciting it can be to learn about and dig deeply into a great filmmaker--and one that's not in the mainstream, necessarily. I can't think of a better first person to celebrate in a Friends of Cinefamily Weekend than Robert Downey Sr--he's an artist who represents our core Cinefamily values: a contagious passion for films and filmmaking, and an independent spirit that's totally singular to him. And he's awesome."
Robert Downey Sr. is a trailblazing underground filmmaker, midnight movie darling, existentialist cosmic joker, and surrealist film freak extraordinaire. He was considered the clown prince of the beat cinema scene in its golden age. Inspired equally by the Marx Brothers and Samuel Beckett, Downey's absurdist wit and jazzy film style made him a critics' darling and audience favorite in the '60s New York arthouse scene, but no one could have predicted the wild mainstream success of his independently produced, surreal and hilarious black-power-meets-Madison-Avenue satire Putney Swope. In a mere matter of months, Downey went from Greenwich Village bohemia to The Tonight Show, but he has always maintained his off-the-beaten-path vision. From cult classic "acid" westerns like Greaser's Palace to the loosely funky and surprisingly personal experimental sketch movie Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight, his films defy all easy descriptions except one--they are pure Downey.
TRUTH AND SOUL INC. screenings will take place at the Silent Movie Theatre and The United Artist Theatre at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
For tickets and more information please visit below websites.
More information at:
cinefamily.org/truth-and-soul
Ticket information / membership info at:
cinefamily.org/friends-of-cinefamily
Schedule
Friday, December 5th - Monday, December 8th
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5th, 7:30 pm
An Evening With Robert Downey, Sr.
Hosted by ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
Downey By Downey: A Conversation between Sr. and Jr.
35mm archival screening of CHAFED ELBOWS
Tribute to Elsie Downey, followed by a screening of TWO TONS OF TURQUOISE TO TAOS TONIGHT
Join us for an intimate, career-spanning conversation between father and son, touring the early life and work of Robert Downey Sr. The evening will feature never-before-seen rare clips, ephemera, and other surprises, along with screenings of some of Downey's best work. The night includes a beautiful 35mm restoration by Anthology Film Archives of his breakthrough underground hit, CHAFED ELBOWS, and a rare screening of TWO TONS OF TURQUOISE TO TAOS TONIGHT, Robert Downey Jr's personal favorite of his father's work.
Location: The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave, LA 90036
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6th, 7:30 pm
Downey and The Midnight Movie
Hosted by PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
A conversation between Paul Thomas Anderson and Robert Downey Sr.
35mm screening of GREASER'S PALACE (new print!)
Tribute to the music of Robert Downey Sr, Charlie Cuva, and Jack Nitzsche
Q&A with Downey's cast and crew
Rare screening of POUND
For lovers of all things Downey, this is the night of deep cuts--not only have The Friends of CInefamily struck a brand new 35mm print of Downey's, "acid western", GREASER'S PALACE--a classic of the 1970s midnight movie circuit (named by the Coen Brothers as one of their favorite films of all time) that's been out of theatrical circulation for decades. Following is a celebration of the music Robert Downey Sr. made with Charlie Cuva and Jack Nitzsche, a reunion of his extended family of cast and crew, and a rare screening of his never-on-DVD, heck, never-even-on-VHS, POUND.
Location: The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave, LA 90036
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7th, 2:30pm
Downey, Clown Prince of the Underground
Hosted by LOUIS C.K.
Screening of PUTNEY SWOPE followed by a Q&A with Louis C.K.
The Coen Brothers, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Paul Thomas Anderson are all known to be big fans, Jane Fonda declared it a masterpiece on The Tonight Show in 1969, De La Soul sampled it and the Beastie Boys rapped about it, and Louis C.K. cites it as "the first film that inspired me as a filmmaker." For the the third day of The Friend of Cinefamily's Downey weekend, we share with you the film that made him famous--his funniest and most irreverent film, and his crossover hit--the one-and-only PUTNEY SWOPE. See this legendary cult comedy classic with a huge appreciative audience, at the Ace Hotel's gorgeous United Artists movie palace.
Location: The United Artist Theatre / Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, LA 90015
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 7:30pm
Robert Downey Sr. Show & Tell
(members only event)
Screening of RITTENHOUSE SQUARE, NO MORE EXCUSES, and more
A conversation with Robert Downey Sr.
For the final night of our Downey retrospective, we have a special evening just for our Cinefamily members; an evening of conversation and rarities, odds and ends, and bits and pieces - with Robert Downey Sr. Not only will he present rarely screened films like RITTENHOUSE SQUARE, his 2005 impressionistic, music-filled documentary about a small Philadelphia park, and the Anthology Film Archives restoration of NO MORE EXCUSES a hilarious jazzy semi-documentary on the singles scene in 60's New York - but also various films he loves and films he's working on, and maybe a couple of surprises.
Location: The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave, LA 90036
About The Friends of Cinefamily
The Friends of Cinefamily are a circle of passionate and engaged film lovers dedicated to supporting the most innovative and influential non-profit cinematheque in America. Once a year, to raise funds for The Cinefamily's annual budget, The Friends of Cinefamily gather for a celebratory weekend to showcase an artist who whose contagious passion for films and filmmaking continues to inspire us. This inaugural year, The Friends of Cinefamily name visionary filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.
About The Cinefamily
The Cinefamily is one of Los Angeles' premiere nonprofit cinematheques, with a mission to revitalize the filmgoing experience by fostering a sense of disovery, and building a community around its exceptional, weird and wonderful cinematic events. With a daily line-up that is "breathtaking in its scope and ambition" (Peter Martin, Cinematical), The Cinefamily is transforming the landscape of first-run arthouse and repertory cinema through distinct programming, unusual events, and vital cultural collaborations. The L.A. Weekly described its opening in 2007, as "a climate-altering event for Los Angeles moviegoers." In 2013, Executive Director Hadrian Belove was named as one of Indiewire's top 40 Influencers in the world of independent film. Memorable events include the L.A. premiere of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, done as a pop-up 3-D screening inside the Natural History Museum with speaker Werner Herzog and a 5000 person after-party, the LA cast and crew sneak preview of Boyhood, reunion events (Space Ghost, Party Down, The Adventures of Pete and Pete), and musical performances by artists including Stephin Merritt, No Age, and Tenacious D.
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Raymond Lo
