I’ve curated three seasons of ‘The Wright Stuff’ at LA’s fabulous New Beverly Cinema since 2007, showing both my favourite films and, occasionally, classics I’ve never seen.
Now, to get you in the mood for the North American release of ‘The World’s End’ on Aug 23rd, I have put together these stepping stones to our new movie. The films are all great and all wildly diverse, but you will see some of the seeds of their influence in our new movie.
Starting this Friday, here’s my ‘The World’s End Is Nigh’ season. I won’t be able to be present at all of these movies, but I can vouch that all of these doubles will be solid gold. Enjoy!
“One Crazy Night”
 AFTER HOURS1985, USA, 97 min. Directed by Martin Scorsese Written by Joseph Minion Starring Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Teri Garr, John Heard, Catherine O’Hara, Linda Fiorentino, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Will Patton, Dick Miller Fri: 7:30 pm; Sat: 3:00 & 7:30 pm |
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INTO THE NIGHT |
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I’m especially fond of the all-in-one-night movie and here are two cult classics of the sub genre that were both released in 1985. Scorcese’s ‘After Hours’ is better known than John Landis’ excellent ‘Into The Night’ but they both feature classic quirky leads in Griffin Dunne and Jeff Goldblum, along with incredible supporting casts. A dream double bill.
“Rock & Roll All Nite”
Sun-Mon, Aug 11-12: Book Soon!
 AMERICAN GRAFFITI1973, USA, 112 min. Directed by George Lucas Written by George Lucas and Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Bo Hopkins, Harrison Ford, Suzanne Somers Sun: 2:50 & 7:30 pm; Mon: 7:30 pm |
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 DAZED AND CONFUSED 1993, USA, 102 min. Written and directed by Richard Linklater Starring Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Wiley Wiggins, Adam Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck Sun: 5:10 & 9:50 pm; Mon: 9:50 pm |
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Two more all nighters in the form of George Lucas nostalgic look at ’62 and Linklater’s buzzy 70’s time capsule. The 1990 opening of ‘The World’s End’ was designed as a potted version of such rites of passage movies, so I can’t think of a better youthful double bill.
“We Are The Robots”
Tue-Wed, Aug 13-14: Book Soon!
 WESTWORLD1973, USA, 88 min. Written and directed by Michael Crichton Starring Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Norman Bartold, Alan Oppenheimer, Victoria Shaw, Dick Van Patten, Steve Franken 7:30 pm |
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 THE TERMINATOR1984, USA/UK, 107 min. Directed by James Cameron Written by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen 9:25 pm |
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Two terrifying robotic performances in the unstoppable forms of Yul Brynner and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Michael Crichton’s future nightmare still feels extremely plausible and James Cameron’s breakthrough remains one of his very best films. I showed clips of both of these movies to the young actors playing the villains of our movie and they responded with terrifying dead eyed zeal.
“They’re Here Already!”
Thu-Fri, Aug 15-16: Book Soon!
 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS1978, USA, 115 min. Directed by Philip Kaufman Screenplay by W.D. Richter; based on Jack Finney’s novel Starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Leonard Nimoy, Art Hindle, Lelia Goldoni, Kevin McCarthy 7:30 pm |
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 DEAD & BURIED 1981, USA, 94 min. Directed by Gary Sherman Screenplay by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon Story by Jeff Millar & Alex Stern Starring James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, Dennis Redfield, Nancy Locke, Robert Englund 9:50 pm |
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The most paranoid double bill you’ll see this year. Philip Kaufman’s 1978 San Francisco masterpiece is one of the best remakes of them all and has been a massive influence on both ‘Shaun’ & ‘World’s End’. Gary Sherman’s nightmarish horror has, in New England fishing town Potter’s Bluff, a locale that is a creepy cousin to our Newtown Haven. Be prepared to never trust anyone ever again.
“Friends Reunited”
 IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER1955, USA, 101 min. Directed by Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly Story and screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Starring Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, Michael Kidd, David Burns, Jay C. Flippen 3:00 & 7:30 pm |
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 THE BIG CHILL1983, USA, 105 min. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan Written by Lawrence Kasdan & Barbara Benedek Starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, JoBeth Williams 5:00 & 9:35 pm |
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These two films are the only features we watched prior to writing the first draft of ‘The World’s End’. One is the startlingly bittersweet Gene Kelly musical reuniting war time buddies in a New York bar ten years after WWII. The latter is the baby boomer classic by Lawrence Kasdan which brings old friends together after a friend’s suicide. Simon Pegg and I would joke that our new film would be like ‘The Big Chill’ if the dead pal was present at his own wake. Both are great, funny and sometimes dark movies.
“Happy End Of The World”
Sun-Tue, Aug 18-20: Book Soon!
 LAST NIGHT1998, Canada/France, 95 min. Written and directed by Don McKellar Starring Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Roberta Maxwell, Robin Gammell, Sarah Polley, David Cronenberg Sun: 3:10 & 7:30 pm; Mon & Tue: 7:30 pm |
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 THE ROAD WARRIOR1981, Australia, 95 min. Directed by George Miller Screenplay by Terry Hayes & George Miller & Brian Hannant Starring Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty, Virginia Hey Sun: 5:10 & 9:30 pm; Mon & Tue: 9:30 pm |
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Two brilliant future shocks; one pre and one post apocalypse. Don McKellar’s quiet masterpiece is a criminally under-seen film about the last night on Earth. It’s been ripped off a whole lot, including by me. George Miller’s incredible second Mad Max instalment is rightly one of the most sci fi genre’s most influential design classics. A must see double.
“Thrills, Pills & Bellyaches”
Wed-Thu, Aug 21-22: Book Soon!
 WITHNAIL & I1987, UK, 107 min. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson Starring Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown. Michael Elphick 7:30 pm |
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 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE2002, UK, 117 min. Directed by Michael Winterbottom Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce Starring Steve Coogan, John Thomas, Paul Popplewell, Lennie James, Shirley Henderson, Paddy Considine, Andy Serkis 9:45 pm |
To end the season a double whammy of British hedonism. Richard E Grant gives the finest drunk performance in all cinema (and from a tee totaller too) and Michael Winterbottom’s Madchester opus chronicles the coke and ecstasy laden saga of Factory Records. The former influenced our film in it’s whirlwind of a lead, so much so that some have called our new movie ‘Withnail And I-Robot’. And the music the latter is frequently at the heart of ‘The World’s End’.
See one, see them all. Cheers!
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