Seeing a movie before the rest of the world does continues to attract movie fans eager to be ‘ahead of the curve.’ Add a post-screening discussion by a leading critic, joined by either the director or lead actor, and the sneak preview becomes golden. This has been the winning formula for Stephen Farber, well-known film critic and historian, who has hosted various forms of his ‘Reel Talk’ film series in the L.A. area for the past 25 years. His current series continues at the Wadsworth Theatre in Brentwood at 7 p.m. on Monday nights through April 17. Farber recalls one of the most memorable evenings for him was the first time out as host of ‘Reel Talk’ in 1979. Beginner’s luck brought him ‘Kramer vs. Kramer,’ along with the movie’s star, Dustin Hoffman. ‘It happened at the last minute,’ says Farber, who is constantly previewing films before he previews them with an audience. ‘He was so fun to talk to and very forthcoming.’ ‘Dirty Dancing’ was another coup for Farber, who screened it for his audience months before it came out. ‘The audience went wild and loved the film, he remembers. ‘It’s one of the reasons the studio went for a wider release than originally planned.’ Another special night was the showing of ‘The Killing Fields’ in 1984 for which Farber brought together the director, both lead actors, Sam Waterston and Haing S. Ngor, and the two real-life people their characters were based upon. ‘The Notorious Bettie Page,’ a film that tells the story of the controversial pinup model of the 1950s, headlines on March 20, with guest speaker Mary Harron, the director. ‘On a Clear Day’ will be screened on Monday, March 27. Set in Glasgow, this film tells the story of a middle-aged man laid off from his job who sets himself the challenge of swimming the English Channel. Guest speaker is the director, Gaby Dellal. The lineup also includes ‘Kinky Boots,’ a British comedy screening on April 3 with the two stars, Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, present for the discussion, and ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ on April 17 with director Doug Atchison. Starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, this is the story of an 11-year-old girl from South Los Angeles who competes in the National Spelling Bee. The Wadsworth Theatre is located at 11301 Wilshire Blvd. To purchase tickets, contact the box office at 479-3636.
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