Movie Night with David Lynch @ IFC Center
Monday, December 4 at 7:30pm!
The legendary director in personto screen one of his short filmsand present a personal favorite:Alfred Hitchcock's VERTIGO

In the latest edition of the IFC Center's "Movie Night" program, the visionary director of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks presents one of his short films and a special 35mm screening of Alfred Hitchcock's masterwork VERTIGO, this Monday evening at 7:30pm. VERTIGO's themes of dopplegangers, obsession, and women in distress are mirrored in Lynch's latest, INLAND EMPIRE, which opens for its world premiere theatrical engagement exclusively at the IFC Center Wednesday, December 6.

INLAND EMPIRE stars Laura Dern in a tour-de-force performance as, perhaps, an actress who lands a dream role that quickly devolves into nightmare. Intrigued by the texture and freedom of consumer-grade DV, Lynch started out shooting tests with Dern; over the next two years, he grafted on scenes encompassing Hollywood machinations, conjugal intrigue, Polish curses, and even a rabbit-headed sitcom parody. The result is as dark, unpredictable, and utterly compelling as anything he's ever done, both a masterful recap of a career -- including appearances by Lynch veterans Justin Theroux, Laura Harring, Grace Zabriskie, Diane Ladd, and the inimitable Harry Dean Stanton -- and his most radical and experimental movie since Eraserhead.

In the "Movie Night" program, the IFC Center turns over a theater to special guests and lets them call the shots. Audiences can discover what some of their favorite authors, musicians, artists, and filmmakers would pick if it were Movie Night at their house. Participants appear in person to share why they made their selections: to acknowledge the brilliance of a timeless classic, spotlight an unsung gem, or defend a guilty pleasure. Past guests include the filmmaker David Gordon Green, Slovenian theorist and philosopher Slavoj Zizek, singer-songwriter-actor Will Oldham, director and Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, French auteur Gaspar Noe, and author Jonathan Lethem.

Tickets to this special event are $15, $12 for seniors.

NEXT GENERATION OF FILM – BEN AFFLECK & HOLLYWOODLAND – Wed Dec 6 – 7pm“In his generous spirit toward a forgotten Hollywood icon, Affleck turns the death-obsessed HOLLYWOODLAND into, of all things, a film about resurrection.” - Peter Travers, ROLLING STONEFollowing a screening of Allen Coulter’s HOLLYWOODLAND, Ben Affleck will join our own Kent Jones in a lively conversation from the stage of The Walter Reade. He’ll discuss a wide range of topics then take questions from the audience. Next Generation is presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and The New York Times and is sponsored by MyRichUncle Student Loans.

TRIBUTE TO ROBERT ALTMAN - A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION – Mon Nov 27 - 8:30pm On the night of November 20th, the cinema lost one of its finest, a fiercely independent spirit who made movies that lived, breathed and inspired a unique devotion in movie lovers all around the world. Robert Altman’s camera eye was a remarkably delicate and sensitive instrument, seeking out and illuminating the most fleeting beauties and mysteries of being human. Altman gave us images and sounds and sensations we’d never experienced before – think of the sustained euphoria of CALIFORNIA SPLIT, the glorious interchanges between Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall in 3 WOMEN, or the heartbreaking snowbound ending of MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER. Altman’s greatest films are uplifting in the best possible way: they open our eyes and ears to the wonders of everyday life. A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, Altman’s final film, is a poignant and joyous triumph, a lovely celebration of show business, the passage of time, and the glories of the human face. We’ll be showing it on our screen Monday Nov 27 at 8:30pm. It’s the nicest way we can think of to say goodbye.http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/prairiehome.html

http://www.sonyclassics.com/volver/

Cruise, Wagner take over United Artists
In a surprising move announced Thursday morning, United Artists will be reborn under the leadership of Paula Wagner, Tom Cruise and MGM.

Cruise and Wagner, who recently ended their longtime production deal at Paramount Pictures, have taken a financial stake in the studio originally founded by movie greats Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith 85 years ago. The two will set the company's production slate with Wagner serving as CEO and Cruise starring and producing films for UA as well as film projects for other studios.

The studio plans to have a production slate of approximately four films each year, with MGM handling worldwide marketing and distribution. The films will be fully financed by MGM and its partners, including private equity firms which include Providence Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group along with industry partners Comcast Corp. and Sony Corp. of America.

"Partnering with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, we have the ideal creative foundation from which to reintroduce the United Artists brand," said MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan in making the announcement. "Tom and Paula are the modern versions of the iconic founders of United Artists - Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith - and our partnership with them reaffirms our commitment to providing creative talent with a comfortable home at United Artists and a dedicated distribution partner in MGM. United Artists is once again the haven for independent filmmakers and a vital resource in developing quality filmed entertainment consistent with MGM's modern studio model.

"The agreement between Cruise/Wagner Prods. and MGM/UA, which takes effect immediately, was brokered by Cruise/Wagner's reps at CAA and attorney Bert Fields.