By Brian Myers
FOR the fifth summer in a row, Meg Weichman has worked to put together a thematic series of Hollywood classics, both new and old, helping bring them in front of new audiences.
Over the course of the season, films that center around a chosen theme or feeling are projected onto the Lucas Theater’s screen, allowing movie lovers of all ages to take in these gems the way they were meant to be; away from the sultry Savannah summer air, nestled into a comfy chair in an air-conditioned movie palace, viewing some of the greatest contributions to film on a big screen and amid a state of the art sound system.
As with years past, the film series is packed with anniversary viewings, digital 4K restorations, and brings together a run of productions that cast some of the greatest performers from bygone eras.
“Endless Summer: Big Screen Escapes” gives Savannahians the biggest lineup of films yet, and promises to deliver an enjoyable reprieve from the hectic day-to-day lives we lead on select Thursday evenings.
Weichman, who serves as the Artistic Manager for SCAD Theaters and Events, sat down with the Savannahian just before the film series list was publicly announced. The film series has a bit of extra meaning this year to the organizer, as it marks the return of the series to its original location.
Some might recall that last year’s events had to be hosted at the nearby Trustee’s Theater while the Lucas was under renovation. While Weichman’s series went off without a hitch at the neighboring location last year, she’s glad that it has found its way back home.
“We’re all excited to be back here this summer,” she remarked. “The Lucas Theater is refreshed and restored, and ready to help celebrate the many ways that cinema transports us.”
And this year’s theme certainly does that. The lineup of nine films will take audiences on a steamboat journey through German East Africa, on a coming-of-age quest to find a dead child’s body, and into the bowels of a Maine prison.
Audiences will experience the thrill of a masked bank heist, a slapstick attempt to reanimate dead human tissue, and the thrills of a prohibition era all-girls band that’s been covertly infiltrated by two male musicians on the run from mobsters.
The film series certainly makes a strong effort to bring something for everyone, running the gamut of genres with top billing by the stars of different eras.
The first film is the 75th anniversary showing of the Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn classic The African Queen (1951). The John Huston-directed film follows two missionaries navigating dangerous waters in German East Africa in 1914. When war between Germany and Great Britain erupts, the pair find themselves fleeing by water and evading the German troops that are set out to kill them.
The Thursdays that follow promise big screen escapes that are just as bold. Watch four wayward 12-year-olds escape from dysfunctional families and the struggles of adolescence in the Rob Reiner drama Stand By Me (1986).
On July 30, you can see Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis make a daring escape from the Chicago mafia in the Billy Wilder comedy Some Like it Hot (1959). And immerse yourself in the planning of a literal escape in The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
The films in the series are only part of the experience at the Lucas Theater. Many of the showings include pre-show performances on the moviehouse’s newly refurbished Wurlitzer organ.
Additionally, the films are often introduced by film professors from SCAD, who add historical context and other information about the features.
There’s also an opportunity to text your movie knowledge with a trivia question or two, with prizes awarded to winners.
Arrive early and see how, as Weichman describes it, SCAD has “worked to enhance the history” of the grand venue, following last year’s extensive interior rehabilitation.
Remodeled bathrooms, the restoration of decorative plaster throughout, new paint, and more than 15,000 individual gold sheets for gilding come together to make the Lucas Theater look more grand that it has since she first opened her doors in 1921. The $4 million project was funded largely by SCAD and made possible by the team at Landmark Restoration.
The newly renovated concession area, named the Lucas Cafe, is also open before and during films.
The venue will also host a family-friendly film series, running most Sunday’s during the season at 2pm. In the past, organizers have given this time slot to Disney features.
This year, however, the lineup, aptly titled “Once Upon a Summer,” will break out of that mold and give audiences a wider variety of family entertainment. While Anastasia, The Incredibles, and The Little Mermaid are from the popular studio, the Lucas will be adding both live action and feature films from other production companies.
“Once Upon a Summer” launches on Sunday, June 7 with the classic anime feature My Neighbor Totoro (1988), which follows the adventures of two young girls in post-war Japan that discover friendly wood spirits after moving to the country.
The theater will also be hosting the original Jumanji (1995), introducing young audiences to one of the late Robin Williams’ greatest screen performances. Other Sunday showings include the 25th anniversary of Shrek (2001) and KPop Demon Hunters.
A special presentation of the Charlie Chaplin masterpiece The Kid (1921) will also be shown, after its original January date had to be postponed due to weather.
Like the Thursday night events, the family films will also come with some extras. And if this is your child’s first time seeing a movie in the theater, be sure to get them their “My First Movie” certificate from Lucas Theaters staff.
Audiences will also love that, while inflation has made prices sky-high on everything from gas to groceries, the Lucas Theater films will maintain the same level of affordability in years past. All of the Thursday films in “Endless Summer: Big Screen Escapes" can be had for only $8 GA, with $5 tickets for seniors, military, and students.
The Once Upon a Summer Sunday films are priced the same, but will allow for children under 12 to be admitted for free.
The full lineup with dates and times are:
Endless Summer: Big Screen Escapes (Thursdays at 7 pm)
June 4: The African Queen - 75th Anniversary
June 11: Point Break (1991) - 35th Anniversary - New 4K Restoration
June 18: Charade - New 4K Restoration
June 25: Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks 100
July 9: Top Gun - 40th Anniversary - New 4K Restoration
July 16: Stand By Me - 40th Anniversary
July 30: Some Like It Hot
August 13: The Shawshank Redemption
August 20: Raiders of the Lost Ark - 45th Anniversary
Once Upon a Summer: Lucas Family Film Series (Sundays at 2 pm)
June 7: My Neighbor Totoro
June 14: Jumanji (1995)
June 21: KPop Demon Hunters - 1 Years Anniversary Fan Event!
July 12: The Little Mermaid (1989)
July 19: Shrek - 25th Anniversary
July 26: The Kid (1921) - with live organ accompaniment!
August 9: Anastasia (1997) - 20 Years of the Don Bluth Archive at SCAD
August 16: The Incredibles
A full calendar of events and online ticket purchases can be found here.
The summer film series aside, the Lucas Theater will be buzzing with events on other days of the week. Look for “Wurlitzer Wednesdays” beginning on June 3 and running each week at 11:00 am through August 26. This includes a free tour of the historic Lucas Theater and free showing of the SCAD silent film At Long Last, accompanied by this century-old instrument.
The Lucas will also be hosting four performances of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, presented by the SCAD School of Film and Acting. The production follows a disastrous theater company that is determined to give the public a proper showing of the J.M. Barrie classic, despite disastrous mishaps, flight rig accidents, and cast/crew conflict along the way. The hilarious stage show debuts on Thursday May 21 at 7:00 pm, with shows following at the same time on Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd. On Sunday the 24th, the curtain will rise for a matinee performance at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for GA, $15 for seniors, military, and students, and $5 for SCAD card holders. The Thursday performance is free for SCAD card holders.