Director Blake Edwards has died of complications of pneumonia, reports the LA Times. He was 88. Edwards died at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica last night, with his wife, actress Julie Andrews, and other family members by his bedside.
Director and Writer Blake Edwards Has Died
Your Weekly LAist Film Calendar
We featured The Day The Earth Stood Still when it ran back in May, but this week the Aero cements director Robert Wise's genius by replaying that sci-fi classic, alongside timeless musicals West Side Story & The Sound of Music. West Side Story and Star! (his post-Music reunion with Julie Andrews) are even presented in earth-standing 70mm! Another genre-defying artist receives his due every weekend this month at the Not-So-Silent Theatre. Jim Henson effortlessly melded puppets & live actors, reality & fantasy, commercialism & chaos. His work is that rare breed which can be called "magic" with a straight face. And it's hilarious for viewers of all ages. The Old Pasadena Film Festival also kicks off a three-weekend extravaganza of films on Friday with free screenings of Notting Hill and The King and I. Check their linked website for the full schedule.
Get Your Lit On: The Week in Bookish LA
Jeffrey Sachs discusses Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet 7pm @ Central Library
Stage and Screen Choreographer Michael Kidd dead at 92
Stage and screen choreographer Michael Kidd died this past Sunday in Los Angeles at the age of 92, according to the New York Times. From his beginnings in Brooklyn, Kidd moved over to Manhattan to dance and create dances for dance companies including Lincoln Kirstein's Ballet Caravan (1937), Eugene Loring's Dance Players (1941) and Ballet Theater, the predecessor to the American Ballet Theater (1942-47).
Special Event Alert: AFI's 40th Anniversary Celebration
Though my allegiance has switched over to the Landmark, many film lovers in Los Angeles regard the Arclight as the best multiplex in town. It programs studio pictures right alongside esoteric indies, it offers great concessions, its screenings are commercial-free and it schedules cool events with celebrated films and filmmakers. This Wednesday, tickets go on sale for one of those very events. In fact, this one may be the coolest in awhile. To celebrate...
Come to the Luau at the Egyptian!
American Cinematheque heats up the Egyptian this weekend when they expand their annual Tiki Sunday to fill three days with films and events. Friday night the festivities were kicked off with a screening of George Roy Hill’s epic film, Hawaii, starring Julie Andrews.
Photo Essay: The Bowl Is Alive With The Sound Of Music
18,000 screaming queens, pregnant nuns, and babies in lederhosen headed to the Hollywood Bowl last Saturday for the annual Sound Of Music Sing-A-Long. As expected, many snacks from Trader Joe's were eaten (might I recommend the Artichoke/Jalapeno dip), much swooning over Christopher Plummer took place, the Baroness got hissed at, Julie Andrews was cheered, and the unified masses belted in earnest (and amazingly in key) the tunes from Rodgers & Hammerstein's final masterpiece. How...

