Film Lineup

2001 - Stanley Kubrick. Friday, May 6th @ 8pm

In the mid 1960's, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick with huge assists from his special effects team, and co-writer Arthur C. Clarke banded together to make the sci-fi movie that is STILL, nearly 60 years later, THE GOLD STANDARD when it comes to science-fiction and special effects movies.

2001 merges classic narrative and wildly experimental storytelling techniques to tell the elliptical science fiction story of extra-terrestrial intelligence's contact with earth and humans.

We start millions of years in the past when a strange black monolith appears to a group of primitive evolving apes who then discover the use of tools.

In one of the most startling edits of all cinema, we suddenly jump to the 21st century where American astronauts have discovered a black monolith buried on the moon that appears to be a radio transmitter that shoots a signal to one of the moons of Jupiter.

Realizing this is the first definitive proof of extraterrestrial life, the US government sends a mission to Mars manned by astronauts Dave Bowman, Frank Poole, a bunch of scientists in suspended hibernation, and the Hal computer which monitors all aspect of the ship. But when HAL begins to malfunction and refuses to admit its made a mistake, Bowman and Poole realize the entire mission may be in jeopardy as a computer appears to make an evolutionary leap forward as well.

One of the most startling, exhilarating, profound science fiction movies ever made. The 2001 team labored for years on the production and post-production to create (often from scratch) special effects that would believably recreate space travel and. . .more.

This is the movie almost all moviemakers with great ambitions to make something truly visionary and epic use as their model. And we're showing it on 70mm.

And 60 years later, it is still the best.

Lawrence of Arabia - David Lean. Saturday, March 7th @ 8pm

The making of stories of David Lean's all-time cinema classic Lawrence of Arabia are almost as epic as the movie. Shooting in remote deserts in Morocco and Jordan, the crew often didn't see dailies for weeks at a time and had to trust they were getting the footage they needed.

Peter O Toole and Omar Sharif became thick as thieves and often went on epic nights about town.

David Lean and his editor Anne V. Coates obsessively put their combined 40+ years of moviemaking and editing experience together to carefully edit a near 4 hour epic that is still to this day THE GOLD STANDARD of the epic movie including one of the most audacious edits of all time (we won't spoil it for you).

Lawrence of Arabia tells the still surprisingly modern story of actual historical figure British soldier T.E. Lawrence who used his understanding of Arabia and the Middle East to unite the various warring tribes to fight the Turks during World War I.

While the movie and the actual historical record almost certainly differ, Lawrence of Arabia is still near untouchable on how a biopic should be done. It focuses on a surprisingly narrow portion of Lawrence's life (his time in the desert during WWI). It surprises you immediately at the start by opening with Lawrence's death (from a motorcycle accident years later) then jumping back to Lawrence's time cooped up in an office.

Lean, along with possibly Kurosawa, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg, seems to understand you can only make an EPIC by making sure it's also INTIMATE. If you don't have that contrast-the close up AND the wide shot-you don't have a dynamic movie.

Here, Peter O Toole gives one of the all-time great debut performances of an extremely complicated man who (like many of us) begins with a set of ideals only to discover what he's truly capable of (both good and bad) when he puts his theories and beliefs to the test of experience and war.

A stunning movie that every filmmaker can learn from, join us for one of the all-time great movie experiences. On 70MM, the way it was meant to be seen!

West Side Story - Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins. Sunday, March 8th @ 2pm

We wrap our 70MM Palm Springs Getaway 2022 with a screening of 1961's Best Picture winner WEST SIDE STORY.

For those wanting to revisit the original after watching Steven Spielberg's ambitious update this year, West Side Story tells the story of Tony and Maria, a kind of Romeo and Juliet, torn between their cultures (white and Puerto Rican) and rival gangs in 1950's ungentrified West side of Manhattan.

With music by Leonard Bernstein, choreography by Jerome Robbins (who also co-directed), and lyrics by the great Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story is one of those go-for-broke entertainments/envelope pushing works of art that aims to give you everything-music, dance, laughter, tears, emotion, reflection.

There are powerhouse performances a plenty to be found here especially by Rita Moreno (who starred in both versions as different characters), Natalie Wood, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer and more as they fight, struggle, love in 70MM.

The huge innovation here was that co-directors Robbins and Robert Wise (Sound of Music, editor on Citizen Kane, an amazing filmmaker of countless movies in different genres) take the musical off the stage and put it on the STREETS of New York. Literally.

Rarely before had audiences seen a musical take place in the real flesh and blood world they knew. They were always accustomed to hearing songs on sound stages against painted backdrops.

When we see the Sharks and the Jets square off on ungentrified urban Manhattan streets there is something startling, fresh, and awakening about it.

So come join us as we wrap up the weekend with an all-time classic musical filled with stunning contributions from all involved, on 70MM, on the big screen.

Event Information

Package Deal:

We are offering an ULTIMATE 70MM PALM SPRINGS GETAWAY 2022 TICKET for $195/per person. This gets you into all three 70MM movies (2001, Lawrence of Arabia, West Side Story), all three pre-parties, and both after parties. We are letting folks make their own sleeping accommodations (see next item for a deal we've negotiated with the CALIENTE TROPICS) as we know everyone has different price points and needs. You can of course just purchase single tickets to single nights as well! So create the experience you want to have!

Accomodations:

If you're planning to make a weekend of it and are coming from outside the Palm Springs area, there are a whole host of great options from moderately priced boutique hotels to Air BNB and VRBO homes for rent to luxury hotels. We recommend making your reservations ASAP to make sure you get the experience and budget price point you want. Here are two suggestions for possible hotels:

CALIENTE TROPICS (411 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, just a few miles from the theater and just one block from our Saturday after party at Seymour's): We have negotiated a $150/night rate with the boutique Tiki Hotel the Caliente Tropics. Just use CODE: secretmovieclub at checkout.

SAGUARO PALM SPRINGS (1800 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264 just a few miles from theater and the location for our Friday night after-party): the Saguaro offers rooms at around $250-$300/night along with a very hip Palm Springs experience. Close to the theater, downtown, and the site of our Fri night after-party.

But grab rooms quick as they are going fast.

Pre & After Parties:

On Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th, 2022 we'll be hosting a pre-party in the second floor bar/arts space at the Palm Springs Cultural Center/Camelot Theater starting at 6:30pm. They'll be drinks available at the bar (for purchase) as well as limited edition posters, t-shirts, etc but you can also just come and hang with us and talk movies ahead of the show.

On Sunday, May 8th, 2022, there will be a VINTAGE SWAP MEET from 8a-2p in the movie theater parking lot. So you can do the SWAP MEET then come watch West Side Story.

On Friday, May 6th, 2022 from 11p-1a, we'll be hosting an after party at the Saguaro Palm Springs Hotel (1800 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264) just a few miles from theater. You can get an after party ticket ($90) by going to the add-ons here.

You buy the after-party ticket, we're taking care of all the rest (open bar, appetizers, deserts, late night bites, music, dancing). We'll have the entire El Jefe's restaurant, patio, and lawn to ourselves!

On Saturday, May 7th, 2022 from 12a-2a, we'll be hosting an after party at the famous Palm Springs classy haunt Seymour's (233 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264). Again, all you have to do is purchase the after party ticket ($90) via our add-ons. We will take care of the drinks (open bar), late night bites, appetizers, music, and dancing.

Refunds:

We can offer refunds for the movie tickets themselves up to 24 hours before showtime. Please request a refund through Eventbrite and we will process ASAP. After that, no refunds. Sorry.