Gateway Film Center is an independently owned, nonprofit cinema that screens films of all genres. Credit: Katie Good | Lantern File Photo
The Gateway Film Center, an independently owned theater located at 1550 N. High St., is best known for its special screenings and niche film series.
This week is no exception, as the theater is gearing up to host a laundry list of noteworthy showings. Click on any film’s title to learn more.
Aug. 24-29 — “Time Masters” (1982)
Beginning Saturday and continuing until Friday, the center will show a 4K restoration of René Laloux’s 1982 animated, science-fiction film “Time Masters.”
The work follows a stranded boy named Piel (Frédéric Legros), who survives tragedy by establishing radio contact with his pilot friend Jaffar (Jean Valmont), who in turn must transport the exiled Prince Matton (Yves-Marie Maurin) and Princess Belle (Monique Thierry) away from their former kingdom.
The French space-adventure film will be shown in its original language but will also have English subtitles.
Aug. 27-28 — “Five Easy Pieces” (1970)
Bob Rafelson’s 1970 drama film “Five Easy Pieces” will be screened Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m., according to the center’s website.
The screening is a part of Gateway’s “Pushing the Boundaries” series, which features various 1970s films that, according to the center’s website, “pushed the boundaries of what was possible in storytelling” during their time(s).
The film follows Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson), a classical pianist from an intellectual, well-off family who has spent much of his life running from job to job and woman to woman. At the start of the film, Dupea spends much of his time with his frivolous girlfriend Rayette Dipesto (Karen Black); after being summoned to his father’s deathbed, however, he meets and falls for a more sophisticated woman, which leaves him caught between two conflicting lifestyles.
According to Gateway’s website, the film received four 1970 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture.
Aug. 28-29 — “Carrie” (1976)
The center will also show limited screenings of Brian De Palma’s 1976 film “Carrie” Wednesday and Thursday, once again as a part of the “Pushing the Boundaries” series.
“Carrie,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel of the same name, follows young Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), who faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her mother at home; as strange occurrences continue snowballing around Carrie, she eventually discovers her own supernatural powers, unlocking a fresh brand of chaos that has haunting effects on the story’s cast of characters.
Aug. 29-30 — “Enter the Dragon” (1973)
Next up, the center will have limited screenings of Robert Clouse’s 1973 film “Enter the Dragon” — yet another entry in the “Pushing the Boundaries” lineup — this Thursday and Friday.
In the film, Bruce Lee stars as a martial arts student recruited by an intelligence agency. Lee’s character soon finds himself on a remote island fortress, and he must participate in a savage tournament to gather evidence that will convict the international drug-trafficker responsible for his sister’s murder.
The film, which is responsible for launching Lee’s worldwide stardom, will be shown as a 4K restoration.
Aug. 30-31 — “The NeverEnding Story” (1984)
On weekends from May to August, Gateway hosts a film series called “From Book to Film,” which highlights prominent film adaptations of classic books. These screenings, according to the center’s website, are always on Fridays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.
According to the center’s website, this weekend’s installment will include two screenings of “The NeverEnding Story” — one Friday at 1:30 p.m. and one Saturday at 1:30 p.m. — in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary.
Based on the fantasy book of the same name by German author Michael Ende, “The NeverEnding Story” centers around a young boy who ventures into a world with majestic creatures that only he can save from destruction.
Aug. 30-31 — “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975)
Additionally, the center will show limited screenings of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 film “Dog Day Afternoon” Friday and Saturday.
“Dog Day Afternoon” is based on the true story of Brooklyn-based bank robbers Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and Salvatore Naturile (John Cazale), who, on one of the hottest days of the summer, attempt a bank heist that quickly escalates into a hostage situation.
Aug. 30-Sept. 2 — “Forbidden Planet” (1956)
As part of Gateway’s “Cult 101” series, it will offer limited showings of Fred Wilcox’s 1956 film “Forbidden Planet” from Friday to Monday.
According to the center’s website, the series was started in 2017 as a way of commemorating “the best cult films of all time,” as selected by a national panel of experts and curated by Gateway Film Foundation CEO Christopher Hamel.
Loosely based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” “Forbidden Planet” follows Commander Adams (Leslie Nielson), a space traveler who discovers a new planet, Altair IV, and the group of scientists that had been sent there decades earlier. As time passes, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV and why there are only two survivors.
Aug. 30-Sept. 4 — “The Conversation” (1974)
Finally, as one more extension of the “Pushing the Boundaries” series, Gateway will show Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 film “The Conversation” from Friday until Sept. 4.
Wiretapping expert and devout Catholic Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is hired to record a conversation between two lovers in San Francisco’s Union Square, but when it comes time to turn over the material to his client, he discovers the couple may be in genuine danger.
According to the center’s website, these cinema-exclusive screenings — along with being newly restored — include a new introduction from Coppola in honor of the film’s 50th anniversary.
