There is a persistent rumor that Rin Tin Tin, the heroic German Shepard who starred in a series of films in the 1920s, garnered enough votes to win Best Actor at the first Academy Awards. It didn’t happen, but the enduring popularity of the myth speaks to an undeniable truth: Movies love dogs.
From Toto to Asta to Lassie to Benji to Air Bud, dogs have always been a powerful presence on screen. They can be loyal sidekicks, terrifying menaces, or shaggy protagonists of their own stories. They can fuel nostalgic family stories like “Marley & Me” and “My Dog Skip,” or stand as a symbol for the relentlessness of nature in films like “White God.”
One of the best movies to capture the spirit of living with a dog isn’t even technically about a dog. “Lilo & Stitch,” the animated classic that sees its live-action adaptation come to The Triplex this week, features a renegade alien posing as a dog with a little girl in Hawaii.
Stitch is a genetically engineered monster designed to cause chaos, which most dog owners would agree is a pretty good way of describing our fur-bound best friends. The story of an intergalactic stray who, despite his destructive tendencies, becomes the anchor of his found family also rings true for anyone lucky enough to adopt a pet.
The dogs in these movies take an element of control away from their human costars, giving the films an air of unpredictability whenever they are on screen. It is the same kind of destabilizing effect that happens when we bring animals into our own lives: We are forced out of our heads, out of our comfort zones, and become a little more human in the process.
Now Playing
“Pride & Prejudice”
The Jane Austen adaptation returns for its 20th anniversary.
Featuring the “hand flex” that inspired a thousand memes, Joe Wright’s “Pride & Prejudice” comes to The Triplex next week! Celebrating its 20th anniversary, catch this electric adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic story of love, longing, and stubborn misunderstanding starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden and featuring Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan in breakout roles.
Starts Friday.
“Bad Shabbos”
A dark comedy of biblical proportions.
An accidental death—or was it a murder?—sends a Shabbat dinner off the rails in “Bad Shabbos,” a new comedy coming to The Triplex for a Limited Engagement starting on May 23. Winner of the Audience Award at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, “Bad Shabbos” follows David and his Catholic fiancée Meg as they gather their families together to meet for a dinner that becomes a comedy of biblical proportions.
Part of our Limited Engagement Series, “Bad Shabbos” plays for two weeks from May 23 to June 5.
Coming Soon
The Berkshire International Film Festival
The annual mix of trailblazing indies, introspective docs, and all-access filmmaker conversations returns to The Triplex when the BIFF comes to The Triplex from May 30 to June 1! See the full lineup and grab passes and tickets now at BIFF’s website.
“The Killing Fields”
A powerful piece of cinema that remains relevant over 40 years after its release, we are honored to have Sam Waterston join us to discuss his Oscar-nominated role in Roland Jaffe’s “The Killing Fields” on June 7!
When the U.S. Army pulls out of the Cambodian Civil War in 1975, interpreter Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor, in an Oscar-winning role) decides to remain to help American reporter Sydney Schanberg (Waterston) and photographer Al Rockoff (John Malkovich) report on the arrival of the Khmer Rouge. As the regime takes hold, the trio struggles to survive while finding a way through the violence sweeping the country.
After the movie, Sam will sit down with Triplex board member Matthew Penn to discuss the film, how its message resonates with the modern political climate, and his legendary 60-year-long career on the stage, screen, and television.
June 7, at 3 p.m.
“The Phoenician Scheme”
The story of a family, their family business, and the complications it causes, Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” comes to The Triple on June 6! Packed to the brim with an ensemble led by Benecio Del Toro and featuring Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Willem Dafoe, Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and many more, “The Phoenician Scheme” follows Del Toro’s businessman Zsa-zsa Korda as he appoints his only daughter, a nun (Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate, making them the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
Starts June 6.
“Pavements”
A “semiotic experiment” that combines elements of documentary, biopic, and spoof, Alex Ross Perry’s “Pavements” is unlike any other band movie you have seen. Incorporating interviews with Stephen Malkmus and other members of the seminal ’90s indie rock group with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a fictional film adaptation of their lives and a jukebox musical titled “Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical,” Pavements is the perfect tribute to the last band that you would ever expect to have a biopic.
Part of our Limited Engagement Series, “Pavements” plays for one week from June 6 to 12.
“The Shrouds”
A personal rumination on grief from the godfather of body horror, “The Shrouds” is set in a mild dystopia where Karsh (Vincent Cassel), an entrepreneur grieving his wife (Diane Kruger), creates a technology that allows the living to monitor the corpses of their loved ones as they decompose. When multiple graves are desecrated, Karsh sets out to discover the perpetrators and uncovers a chilling conspiracy in the process.
Part of our Limited Engagement Series, “The Shrouds” plays for one week from June 6 to 12.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
