- My chest has been bursting ever since I heard the news: Film historian Bruce Crawford has decided his next tribute will be to Alien, the film that hugged faces and made space scarier than an online comment section. On Friday, May 25 at 7 pm, the Joslyn Art Museum will play host to humans watching humans play host to monsters. Veronica Cartwright, who famously “got some red on her” at the inaugural birthday party for the xenomorph, will be on hand to help Crawford celebrate his 42nd event. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased at the customer service counters of all Omaha-area Hy-Vee stores, proceeds to benefit the Nebraska Kidney Association. Ain’t no party like an Alien party because an Alien party means someone is secretly an android.
- Being called a “Medieval monk” may look bad on a dating profile but is downright impressive if Alexander Payne says it about you! I mean, it’s also impressive if Alexander Payne says that about you on your dating profile. In a statement celebrating the Salute to Janus Films & The Criterion Collection running at Film Streams until June 20, Payne explained that “For decades the crew at the renowned Criterion Collection have been the Medieval monks of film, diligently restoring films and making them available for all the world to see.” Had I known “Medieval monk of film” was a job title, I’d have a degree that would have disappointed my dad even more than my English one! To cap off the salute, which will span both the Ruth Sokolof Theater and Dundee Theater, Criterion Collection President Peter Becker will join Payne at the Dundee for a conversation. Tickets are on sale, so get to filmstreams.org ASAP! You can also use that site to find show times for the films in the series, which is stacked with amazing cuts from a singular collection that meets all my criteria.
- The good dorks down at Legend Comics & Coffee not only run a shop recognized as one of the best in the damn world, they also want you to watch slutty space antics. They’ve sponsored the Midnight Movies series at Film Streams’ Dundee Theater, which will include Total Recall on May 25 and Starship Troopers on June 29. Selected by Andy Helmkamp, these classics prove that Paul Verhoeven was more than just the guy who did Showgirls. He was also the guy who mocked fascism and warmongering before Trump even ran for office!
- My love of time-traveling science-fiction is so deep, the only thing more permanent than my Doctor Who tattoo is my love for anything that wibbles and wobbles. Among the best of the best features on time travel is Timecrimes, which you can finally see on the big screen! On Saturday, May 5 at 10 pm, Alamo Drafthouse is screening Nacho Vigalondo’s tense and smart thriller about a man drawn into a circular murder mystery. In that same stratosphere as Primer, you can finally walk into a theater and eat nachos while watching Nacho’s timey wimey masterpiece.
- Although DC fans won’t believe me, I sincerely root for every single one of their movies. They pretty much always disappoint me, but that won’t stop this Charlie Brown from taking a few steps back to kick the football Lucy is definitely going to hold this time. Well, technically, Cathy is going to hold it. Cathy Yan, an indie filmmaker, was just announced as the director of the Harley Quinn spinoff from Suicide Squad. The character may be a bit too leered at in that last movie, but with Margot Robbie in the role and a woman behind the lens, I’m all stupidly optimistic for this one. There’s even a good chance that the creative team will actually realize that Harley’s relationship with the Joker is a terrifying example of domestic abuse and not something to romanticize. Also, I have yet to see the words “Jared Leto” associated with this. Hope overfloweth.
Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly podcast, catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 on Fridays at around 7:40 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 on Wednesdays and follow him on Twitter.