Landmark After Dark

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) must avert capture, overcome his fear of snakes and outsmart his nemesis, archeologist Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), to find the Ark of the Covenant before it falls into the hands of the Nazi Party. Follow Jones on this globetrotting mission as he perseveres through jungles, cities and desserts outsmarting man and monkey alike.

This timeless narrative is packed from beginning to end with fistfights, car chases, kidnapping and archeological discoveries. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this action-adventure classic is cherished by three generations of moviegoers.

Could Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 Japanese animated film be improved upon? Maybe if it was called "Bathhouse of the Gods," which is less precious than the given title and vaguely dirty to boot. And it is indeed a bathhouse of the gods that 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino stumbles upon one day in an abandoned theme park. Like Lewis Carroll's Alice, or Frank Baum's Dorothy or, hell, even Matthew Bright's Vanessa from "Freeway," Chihiro encounters fantastical characters (Kamajii, the boiler-room operator with six arms, Boh, the giant baby and the mysterious No Face ) in supernatural settings and has experiences that are sometimes frightening but always enlighteningly in her journey from sullen, self-centered child to caring, responsible young girl.

Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, a suburban teenager who inadvertently sends himself back in time to 1955 while trying to outrun Libyan terrorist in a DeLorean DMC-12 that has been converted into a time machine. Upon arriving in the past, Marty crosses paths with his parents who are still in high school. When his mother becomes smitten with him, Marty starts to realize the affect his presence in the past might have on his future. Knowing that his existence could end before he is even born, he ditches his mom and coaches his nerdy father on how to win over her affections.

Before he can return home though, Marty must track down Doc Brown, who invented the time machine that brought him to the past. If Marty can convince the Doc to repair the time machine, he may finally be able to get Back to the Future.

In this sequel to the sci-fi classic, Alien, Sigourney Weaver returns as Lt. Ripley, the first female action star of the big screen. Ripley is the lone survivor of an alien attack on her space freighter Nostomo. After battling the alien she entered hypersleep, and is now discovered still floating through space nearly sixty years later.

When contact is lost with a newly formed colony on LV-426, the planet where Ripley’s crew first encountered alien eggs, she is approached about joining a search party. Once she is reassured that the mission is not to bring the alien back for research she agrees. Upon arriving on the colony Ripley discovers that she has been duped, and as the mission begins to go horribly wrong, she is forced into combat with the alien once again. The battle that ensues has become one of the most highly revered in action film history. Prepare to be scared and to see stuff explode!

WITH DAVID BOWIE KARAOKE BOTH NIGHTS!

This magical tale was the final feature film directed by the brilliant Jim Henson before his death in 1990. David Bowie stars as Jareth the Goblin King, a powerful goblin so preoccupied with an underage girl that he is pacing the thin line of pedophilia. Despite the hair extensions, gobs of frost eye shadow and sock down his pants, Bowie is convincingly maniacal in this role. The protagonist is fifteen-year old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), who angrily wishes for her baby brother Toby to be taken away by the Goblin King when she is forced to babysit. To her dismay, Jareth actually snatches the child from his room and she can only get him back by solving the Goblin King’s labyrinth. If she fails, Toby will be turned into a goblin.

Setting out on this otherworldly adventure, she soon finds herself deciphering riddles and maneuvering her way through the labyrinth’s shifting walls and entrances. Though it is tempting to root against her in the beginning, most are won over quickly as Sarah sheds her bratty ways, cleverly faces her challenge and narrowly escapes the dangerous consequences of date rape drugs. Along the way, she is befriended by some of the unusual creatures she encounters. These beings help her to make sense of their world as she works to complete her quest and save her brother.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit was greatly anticipated due to its use of traditional animation with live action. This marriage of the two led to seamless interactions between “Toons” and humans throughout this film that was well received by audiences and critics alike. Set amongst the lively 1940’s Hollywood studio system, this comedic who-done-it cleverly lures us through every twist and turn of its plot by introducing the zaniness of Toontown, a world made up of over- the-top characters, outrageous scenarios and bouts of pattycake. Buckle up for the silliness and hang onto your seat for this delightful must see.

Not since “Harvey” has a story of a man obsessed with a giant rabbit promised so much intrigue. Adolescence isn’t easy for anyone, but for Donnie Darko things are exceptionally challenging. He is believed to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, but his curiosity about time travel, and his tendency to ride his bike across town in his sleep are the result of something much more complicated than the average mental illness. Riddled with dry humor and enough semblance of high school to jog any memory, we connect to Donnie Darko and follow him into the hollows of the human condition. This film cleverly entices us to ponder the forces in the universe that drive this energy, and the speculation concerning this element of the story has proven to be much of its appeal to audiences.

Though an easier to follow director’s cut was released a few years after this original version, most fans and critiques agree that it over explained Donnie’s struggles, and destroyed the magic of the film by diluting the mystery surrounding him.

Originally premiering as a Broadway musical in 1975, nominated for four Academy Awards, and boasting one of the largest budgets ever for a musical film; this production was surrounded by controversy and criticism even after it finally made it to theaters. Produced by Motown Productions and Universal, the transition from stage to screen has given this story the draw of a train wreck.

The all-star cast includes Richard Pryor, Michael Jackson, the late, great Nipsy Russell and Diana Ross, as Dorothy. A role many believed she was too old to play, despite her shameless determination to take it away from a much younger Stephanie Mills, who played Dorothy on Broadway. Since its release The Wiz has become a popular Thanksgiving Day television broadcast. Winning the hearts of those who truly enjoy a sing-a-long, and want to “ease on down the road” whenever the opportunity might present itself. Don’t miss your chance to catch this classic on the big screen.