Cinema Showdown!

One last film remains in the summer o' Spielberg over at the Loft Cinema. On Thursday, July 31, sit down for a tale about a young man going back in time and wowing square-johns with guitar distortion, scaring Crispin Glover with Eddie Van Halen, inventing the skateboard and deflecting an incestious relationship with his mother. Spielberg produced it, Robert Zemeckis directed it, Michael J. Fox starred in it and Huey Lewis and the News provided the pop-rock soundtrack. That's right, it's Back to the Future, baby. It starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $8 for general admission, $6 for Loft members and children under 12. 

On Friday, Aug. 1 and Saturday Aug. 2, don't miss the 30th anniversary of the beloved cult classic The Neverending Story. Most of my friends adore this movie, but it's always weirded me out. Maybe it's the giant, depressed guy made of stone. Maybe it's the little dude who tally's ho on a snail. Maybe it's the goofy dog-dragon, or maybe it's because it seems like everyone's crying every five minutes. Wolfgang Peterson directed this modern-day fairy tale in-between the Academy Award-nominated Das Boot and the criminally underrated Enemy Mine. Klaus Doldinger of the German jazz-fusion group Passport did the soundtrack, and the Godfather of Disco, Giorgio Moroder, did the catchy theme song, along with Limahl of Kajagoogoo. It might be called The Neverending Story, but clearly it expires in the land of 1984. Catch it 10 p.m. both nights and at 11 a.m. that Saturday morning. $6 for general admission, $5 for Loft members.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the Loft's "One Hit Wonder" series rolls out Video Games: The Movie, a new documentary about the past, present and future of video games. Yeah, it's produced by Zach Braff, but don't let that scare you off. Career nerds Wil Wheaton and Chris Hardwick, along with several video game pioneers, hardcore gamers and other aficionados provide the commentary. Put the cover on your Atari, pause your Ikari Warriors, save your Skyrim and head on down to the Loft at 7 p.m. for this one-time screening. Show up earlier and enter a free raffle for your chance to win some loot from Zia Records. Tickets are at the regular admission prices.

Four years before he unleashed Star Wars on the world and changed the cinema landscape forever, director George Lucas made a touching and personal ode to teenage drivin' and jivin' in the 1950s called American Graffiti. Starring Ron "Richie Cunningham" and Cindy "Shirley Feeney" Williams as two teens going steady, American Graffiti isn't just a nostalgia kick, it's also one of the best coming-of-age films ever made. Richard Dreyfuss' portrayal of the lovestruck Curt Henderson is among his best performances, and Paul LeMat's greaser John Milner is one of the coolest cats on celluloid. See it again at Cinema La Placita on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

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