Do It. Edgar Wright at the New Beverly.

I've already professed my love for Edgar Wright here before, but I'm not ashamed to say again that the man knows how to make great movies. And if you need a refresher, here it is:

The New Beverly will be screening Wright's three great features -- Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World -- on Friday and Saturday, with Wright and other special guests scheduled to make appearances (previous screenings of Scott Pilgrim at the New Bev have yielded nearly the entire cast). Understandably, the screenings have sold out of advance tickets, but this one is sure worth waiting in the standby line for -- but be sure to get there way before the 7:30pm start time.

But if you're awesome and have already seen all these films, you can still support Wright by seeing the rest of his curated series -- The Wright Stuff II -- at the New Bev. From Jan. 16-31, Wright is sponsoring screenings of awesome (and assumingly inspiring) films like Brazil, American Graffiti, Dirty Harry, Run Lola Run and The Warriors. He'll even be on hand the first week to introduce some of them. There are definitely some great double features he's put together that are worth seeing even if you aren't particularly a Wright fan. Check them out here.

Edgar Wright's screening series "The Wright Stuff II" is taking place Jan. 14-Jan. 31 at the New Beverly, located at 7165 W. Beverly Blvd. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. 'House' at the New Beverly [Guest Post].

As someone who frequented the New Beverly Cinema during the six years I lived in L.A., I was surprised to learn that the theatre nearly closed late last decade. Luckily for movie lovers, Quentin Tarantino came to the rescue of the ailing revival house. So why not show Tarantino some gratitude by catching a showings of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s classic 1977 Japanese “horror” film House (or Hausu, as the cool kids are wont to call it) this weekend?

I put “horror” in quotes, because House isn’t a particularly scary movie. It’s definitely spooky, eerie and unsettling at times, but the film’s more surreal than anything else. That’s what happened when Obayashi, who made his name directing Charles Bronson-starring deodorant commercials, chose to base the film on a story concocted by his eleven-year-old daughter.

Six school girls (with names like Gorgeous, Fantasy and Kung-Fu) journey to the country for a quick vacation, but instead happen upon a haunted house that has no intention of letting them escape alive. Not exactly anyone’s idea of a relaxing time, but it is a perfect example of how strange Japanese pop culture can be. You’d be hard pressed to find an American film that features a bloodthirsty piano, a demonic (but still kind of cute) cat, and random but hilarious bits of nudity.

It sounds weird—and it definitely is—but the film is more than just another crazy Japanese genre flick. House is a truly beautiful film, each frame a perfectly designed and lushly colored sight to behold. The whole thing brings to mind the work of Michel Gondry, a short form auteur who also successfully made the transition to feature length director. It’s not that the work of the two is that similar, but there is a shared sensibility to it. Like the Frenchman, Obayashi is a director determined to put his imagination to celluloid, no matter how odd it may turn out. And as with Gondry, the result is exuberant film making at its best.

Despite being over 30 years old, and having developed quite the cult following, House has never made it to the United States until now. So seize the opportunity and see it this weekend.

House will be showing at the New Beverly Cinema from March 12-17.

-- Bryan Hood

Bryan Hood is a graduate journalism student who traded in the gold-soaked highways of Los Angeles for the frigid hellhole that is Syracuse, NY. He likes his mustache, misses good Mexican food, and is internationally known for being awesome. He also writes for the blog, Yo Stevie Hawksylvania.

Photo credit: Janus Films

Do It. Jason Reitman guest-programs the New Beverly.

He made one of the most moving films of last year, and now Up in the Air's writer/director Jason Reitman's ready to show you some of his favorites.

Reitman's picks as guest-programmer at the New Beverly this next week won't be as serious as his Best Picture Oscar nominee, but that doesn't mean they aren't awesome. Case in point: a Matthew Broderick double feature tonight and Saturday of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Election. YES. Follow that with Shampoo and Boogie Nights on Sunday and Monday, and Breaking Away and Bottle Rocket on Wednesday and Thursday. So many good movies!

Plus, Reitman himself will come to introduce and discuss the films on Friday, Sunday and Wednesday. Make sure not to ask him any of these questions, though:


The New Beverly is located at 7165 Beverly Blvd.

-- Chau Tu

Video credit: Film School Rejects