This is the last weekend of summer vacation before school starts for LAUSD families, so we hope you can get out and enjoy it. And it looks like the universe is telling you that a great way to do that would be with some vintage music, movement and a classic movie or two…or three…or four.
First up, at 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, the New Beverly Cinema’s (7165 Beverly Blvd.) weekly kiddie matinee this week will be the Curse of the Pink Panther. In the eighth installment of Blake Edwards’ hit franchise, the bumbling Inspector Clouseau has gone missing and it’s now up to the world’s second best detective, inept NYPD officer Cliton Sleigh, to find him or make a mess trying. It stars David Niven, Robert Wagner, Joanna Lumley, Robert Loggia, Harvey Korman, and Roger Moore.
A bit later on Saturday, you can also enjoy a great monster movie at the New Bev, with the original 1933 King Kong (7 p.m.), South Korea’s Okja (9:10 p.m.) or the 1988 remake of The Blob (midnight).
For music lovers, downtown’s Pershing Square is the place to be on Saturday night, with a free concert by 1980s icons The B52s, with special guests The Sh-Booms. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the concert runs from 8-11 p.m. A variety of food trucks will provide dining options, and a beer, wine and hard bar will be open for guests who can provide identification of legal drinking age.
If you’d rather stick with the movies, though, Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax, is celebrating “The History of the Midnight Movie” this month, with a series of “films that changed pop culture forever.” This week’s offering is 1971’s classic May/December romance, Harold and Maude, starring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon…”a poignant, romantic film that wasn’t initially a hit but became the very definition of a cult classic.” The show starts at 10:30 p.m. and tickets are $12, or free for Cinefamily members
On Sunday, there are several opportunities to exercise various other talents.
First up, at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the CraftLab Family Workshop this week is Mini Weavings with Mimi Haddon. Drop in any time between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and artist Haddon will show you how to experiment with yarn and fibers to create your own small weaving in the form of a wall hanging, wearable art, coaster or whatever strikes your fancy. Admission is free for museum members, or $7 for adults and $5 for children.
St. Elmo Village, 4830 St. Elmo Dr., is another great venue for creative workshops, but this week they’re expanding their scope a bit with a Mindfulness for Beginners workshop from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday. Come relax at the Village and learn simple techniques from facilitator Janet Alston Jackson, which you can use immediately to help increase your mental, physical and emotional health. Suggested tax deductable donation is $10.00.
Later, if you’re still in the vintage movie groove, the New Beverly would love to have you back for a special screening of two iconic, not-available-on-video, 1960s films, The Wild Seed (6:30 p.m.) and The Idol (8:40 p.m.). Actress Celia Kaye, who stars in Wild Seed, will be there in person to discuss the film, in which adopted teenager Daphne (Kaye) runs away from her East Coast home to search out her biological father on the other side of the country. She meets handsome drifter Fargo (Michael Parks) who helps her bum across America, teaching her how to hitch, panhandle, and ride the rails. It’s billed as “a bona fide classic of jazzy, delinquent American indie cinema.”
And finally on Sunday, if you’re more in the mood to move…head over to the 1940s Swing Dancing night at the Wiltern Theater, the final event in the Wiltern’s summer swing series. There will be live music and a lot of quick-stepping, stomping and maybe even a lift or two. If you’re new to swing, you can also sign up for dance lessons from professional instructors before the main event (for an extra cost). See the above links for information…and https://www.universe.com/events/swingin-summer-1940s-night-at-the-wiltern-tickets-CXS6KR for tickets. Lesson doors open at 6:30 p.m., lessons run from 7-8, dance doors open at 8 p.m., and live music, featuring Tim Gill & His All-Stars, starts at 8:30. There’s also a VIP ticket option, which includes a private tour of the historic theater, backstage champagne toast, exclusive access to the band’s soundcheck, and the opportunity to dance on the Wiltern’s stage. Remember, say the organizers, “There are no mistakes in swing… Only variations!”
Have a great weekend!
