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Gary Cooper is Hollywood's perfect hero, the very embodiment of integrity and grace in this greatest of Westerns. As a newly married town marshal, he must balance an innate sense of justice and duty with loyalty to his beautiful new--and pacifist--bride (Grace Kelly) when he is left by an ungrateful town to face a gang of deadly outlaws alone. As we watch spellbound, film time is real time as the showdown grows ever closer. Rated PG. 85 minutes. Advance tickets available at ticketweb.com.

A box-office sensation in France, comic star Jean Dujardin stars as secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117 who in the tradition of Maxwell Smart and Inspector Clouseau somehow succeeds in spite of his ineptitude. After a fellow agent and close friend is murdered, Hubert is ordered to take his place at the head of a poultry firm in Cairo. This is to be his cover while he investigates his friend's death, monitors the Suez Canal, checks up on the Brits and Soviets, burnishes France’s reputation, quells a fundamentalist rebellion and brokers peace in the Middle East. A blithe and witty send-up not only of spy films of that era and the suave secret agent figure but also neo-colonialism, ethnocentrism and the very idea of Western covert action in the Middle East. French with subtitles. Not Rated. 99 minutes.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India will be the centerpiece of a special evening celebrating Indian culture at the Michigan Theater. The contemporary Bollywood classic will screen along with a LIVE Indian dance presentation by Anuja Rajendra from BollyFit during intermission. What is Bollywood? It's the nickname of the Indian film industry based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, where more than 800 films are produced each year, dwarfing US production. They are no ordinary films all-singing, all-dancing, filled with costume changes and invariably the story of boy-meets-girl, they are the reason more than 14 million people in India go to the movies every day. Critically acclaimed worldwide, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India was the 2002 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. In the film, set in Queen Victoria’s India in 1893, drought-ridden farmers rebel against an onerous tax (the lagaan) imposed by the British. The showdown comes in a cricket match between the villagers and their colonial oppressors complicated by two love stories. 2002. Rated PG. 224 minutes. Group rates are available by calling (734) 668-8397 ext. 21. Advance tickets and reserved seating available at ticketweb.com.

Inspired by Albert Lamorisse's 1956 children's classic! Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao Hsien's charming and subtle film stars Juliette Binoche as Suzanne, a single mother living in Paris, doing her best to raise her seven-year-old son, Simon, while overcome with work obligations. Suzanne hires Song, a Taiwanese film student, to come to Paris to take care of Simon, who is being followed by a red balloon that has grown attached to the boy. The balloon, which seems to have its own personality, hovers over the boy and his family as Suzanne struggles with her daily life. This touching, beautiful film opened the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for that year's New York Film Festival. French with subtitles. Rated PG. 113 minutes.

Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival. In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs? Director Christopher Bell explores America's win-at-all-cost culture by examining how his two brothers became members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. Rated PG-13. 105 minutes.

The Michigan Theater is excited to present a special celebration of Indian culture featuring the contemporary Bollywood classic LAGAAN: ONCE UPON A TIME IN INDIA on Saturday, June 14 at 7 PM. Plus, during intermission catch a live Indian dance presentation by Anuja Rajendra from BollyFit. Group rates are available by calling (734) 668-8397 ext. 21. Advance tickets and reserved seating available at ticketweb.com. Critically acclaimed worldwide, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India was the 2002 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. In the film, set in Queen Victoria’s India in 1893, drought-ridden farmers rebel against an onerous tax (the lagaan) imposed by the British. The showdown comes in a cricket match between the villagers and their colonial oppressors ­ complicated by two love stories. 2002. Rated PG. 224 minutes.

With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, Planet B-Boy is set in the international world of b-boying - the urban dance more commonly known as "breakdancing." Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Las Vegas, spectacular choreography frames the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by larger society and their own families. Planet B-Boy features electrifying dance performances and astonishing displays of power and grace, showing how a street dance from New York has evolved into an inspiring art form for a new generation around the world. Not Rated. 101 minutes.

A runaway audience smash at the Sundance Film Festival! A hilariously fresh and visually inventive take on friendship, family, film heroes and the death-defying adventures of growing up in the video age. It all begins in 1980s Britain, when young Will Proudfoot, raised in isolation among The Brethren, a puritanical religious sect in which music and TV are strictly forbidden, encounters something beyond his wildest fantasies: a pirated copy of Rambo: First Blood. His virgin viewing of the iconic thriller blows his mind – and rapidly expanding imagination – wide open. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.

Adapted from Elinor Lipman's novel of the same name, Helen Hunt makes her feature directing debut with this touching story of schoolteacher April Epner (Hunt) and her very unlikely path towards personal fulfillment. Following the separation from her husband (Matthew Broderick) and the death of her adopted mother, April is contacted by her apparent birth mother (Bette Midler), who turns out to be local talk show host Bernice Graves. As Bernice tries to become the mother to April that she was never able to be, April seems to find solace in the arms of the parent of one of her students (Colin Firth), only to find that the mystery to life's questions cannot be solved by a simple revelation. Rated R. 100 minutes.

Starring Academy Award-nominee Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood The Life Before Her Eyes is an intense and visually evocative drama about the loss of youth, investigating how a single moment in time can define an entire life. Based on Laura Kasischke’s visionary novel, the story hinges on a pivotal confrontation: two high school girls held captive by a gunman and forced to make the terrifying choice as to who will live and who will die. Rated R. 90 minutes.

"You don't watch this movie, you live it." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Based on the memoir, Touching From A Distance, by Deborah Curtis, Anton Corbijn's CONTROL is as near perfect a filmic telling of the story of Joy Division and Ian Curtis as any fan could hope for. It's also a beautifully rendered piece of cinema about the crippling effects of love and regret, and the salvation we seek in art. Born out of England's post-Sex Pistols punk explosion, Joy Division played a dark, minimalist version of the nascent sound, and became cult heroes thanks in part to their brilliant yet disturbed frontman Ian Curtis (played by an eerily perfect Sam Riley). Rated R. 121 minutes.

Prepare to be entertained by the inspiring individuals of YOUNG@HEART, ...a New England senior citizens chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash to Coldplay. As Stephen Walker's documentary begins, the retirees, led by their strict musical director, are rehearsing their new show, struggling with a discordant Sonic Youth number and giving new meaning to James Brown's "I Feel Good." What ultimately emerges is a funny and unexpectedly moving testament to friendship, creative inspiration, and reaching beyond expectations. Rated PG. 110 minutes.

Director Ridley Scott's breakthough film, an immensely successful blend of horror and science fiction, is a classic in both genres and spawned a host of sequels and imitators. Starring Sigourney Weaver as warrant officer Ellen Ripley, ALIEN focuses on the crew of the space cargo ship Nostromo, which lands on a moribund planet in response to a faint SOS. Inside a crashed ship, the crew members come upon strange pods, one of which spews forth a repellently fleshy insectile creature that locks on to the face of the unlucky Kane (John Hurt). Despite Ripley's advice, science officer Ash (Ian Holm) allows Kane to return to the ship, where the creature finally releases its grip. Soon, however, in one of the film's most infamous scenes, one of its offspring explodes horribly from Kane's stomach and scurries away. Dallas (Tom Skerritt), the vessel's captain, leads the others in a search for the rapidly growing, acid-dripping alien before it can cut them down--one by one. 1979. Rated R. 117 minutes.

Brazil's submission to the 2007 Oscars. This Brazilian import is set during the excitement of the 1970 World Cup. While the country focuses its attention on the epic soccer tournament, a boy is separated from his parents as they are forced to escape the country without their son amidst political turmoil. Meanwhile, the young boy must leave his home for the new world of a Jewish neighborhood. Not Rated. 104 minutes.

"Gutsy and original." - Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times High school student Dawn (Jess Weixler) works hard at suppressing her budding sexuality by being the local chastity group's most active participant. Her task is made even more difficult by her bad boy stepbrother Brad's increasingly provocative behavior at home. A stranger to her own body, innocent Dawn discovers she has a toothed vagina when she becomes the object of violence. As she struggles to comprehend her anatomical uniqueness, Dawn experiences both the pitfalls and the power of being a living example of the vagina dentata myth. Rated R. 88 minutes.

"Slick, exciting, emotionally trenchant - well done all around." - Ty Burr, Boston Globe Academy Award Winner: Best Foreign Film. The true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the king of counterfeiters. He lives a mischievous life of cards, booze, and women in Berlin during the Nazi-era. Suddenly his luck runs dry when he's arrested by Superintendent Friedrich Herzog and immediately thrown into a concentration camp. Hand-picked for his unique skill, Salomon and a group of professionals are forced to produce fake foreign currency under the program Operation Berhard. Faced with a moral dilemma, Salomon must decide whether his actions, which could prolong the war and risk the lives of fellow prisoners, are ultimately the right ones. Rated R. 98 minutes. German with subtitles.

"Powerful. One of the really pivotal documentaries of this decade." - A.O. Scott, The New York Times Academy Award Winner: Best Documentary Feature. Alex Gibney’s perpetually shocking documentary focuses on the Bush administration’s use of torture when dealing with political prisoners, with a particular focus on those captured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title of Gibney’s movie is derived from the treatment meted out to an Afghani taxi driver named Dilawar, who was mistakenly fingered as a terrorist, then killed during a torture session conducted by American troops. Despite the title, Dilawar’s case is just a small part in Gibney’s jigsaw, as the director uses excruciating and comprehensive details surrounding the taxi driver’s death as a starting point in his search for the people who have permitted such incidents to occur. Gut-wrenching and fully uncensored pictures from Abu-Ghraib feature alongside interviews with military personnel (some of whom tortured Dilawar) as Gibney’s search slowly heads into the upper echelons of the military and, ultimately, into the Bush regime itself. Rated R. 106 minutes.

Winner of 5 Academy Awards! Ridley Scott transports Hollywood to second-century Rome in this rousing historical epic that proudly harkens back to such films as BEN-HUR and SPARTACUS. Russell Crowe plays Maximus, a Roman general who leads the troops in conquering Germania for the empire. When an aging Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) tells Maximus that he'd like him to rule Rome once he's gone, a classic confrontation ensues between the brave and charming soldier--who wants to return home to his wife, son, and farm--and the jealous and conniving Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the emperor's only son, who is thirsty for power. 2000. Rated R. 155 minutes.

"Delivers an unexpected knockout punch." - Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun This documentary takes the audience on an epic journey through seven countries and into a violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For twelve long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history. But heroic young art historians and curators from America and across Europe fought back, mounting a miraculous campaign that would rescue and return the millions of art works displaced by the war. Joan Allen narrates this chronicle about the battle over the very survival of centuries of western culture. Not Rated. 117 minutes.

The Sakai Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2008 Sakai Community Conference will be held in Paris, France. The dates will be Tuesday-Thursday, 1-3 July, with pre- and post-conference sessions and activities on Monday, 30 June and Friday, 4 July.

"A career crowning performance...Langella commands our deepest attention from first frame to last." - Scott Foundas, Variety Great performances by a stellar cast capture the intellectual and sexual tension between an esteemed novelist and professor and an ambitious 24-year-old graduate student (Lauren Ambrose), whose personal mission is to promote his work into America’s literary pantheon. Frank Langella is perfect as the proud and emotionally remote author who is flattered, but distracted by the student’s intensity and affection. Lili Taylor plays the professor’s daughter who is working through her own personal crisis as she assists her lionized father during a time of transition for them both. Rated PG-13. 111 minutes.

Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, Cristian Mungiu's excruciatingly intense drama is set in Bucharest in the mid-1980s, as Nicolae Ceaucescu and his evil dictatorship continue to reign. In a country where abortion is outlawed, a young college student, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), finds herself in big trouble. Unsure what to do, she turns to her roommate, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), for help. On the day on which the film takes place, the pair connects with a black market doctor, Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), in order to take care of Gabita's pregnancy--but, of course, it isn't that simple. The resulting 24 hours reveals a harrowing descent into a world in which the possibility of tragedy lurks around every corner. Mungiu's decision to film every scene in a hyper-documentary style, with long, unbroken takes, ratchets up the tension to nearly unbearable proportions. Romanian with subtitles. Not Rated. 113 minutes.

Twenty-five years after the initial release of BLADE RUNNER, director Ridley Scott uses archival footage to re-create his original vision for the sci-fi classic. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, the film is set in Los Angeles in 2019 and stars Harrison Ford and Sean Young. This final cut is a bleaker, more cynical version of an already dark film, which might explain why the studio insisted on a softer, more optimistic ending when it was first released. While some superfans might take issue with some of the revelatory new twists, they will no doubt delight in the quality of the digital restoration. The special effects were already impressive for 1982, but these new touch-ups give them a look that appears just as sharp and imaginative as the sci-fi films of today. Rated R. 138 minutes.

Part of the British Invasion Film Series. Presented by Earl of Sandwich. Peter Collinson's 1969 caper film made an immediate impact with audiences craving a faster paced and higher octane film. A box-office hit that held audiences breathless, THE ITALIAN JOB would influence action movies for years to come with its thrilling car chases, explosive pyrotechnics, and smash-em-up sensibility. Before being murdered by the Mafia, criminal genius Robert Beckerman (Rossano Brazzi in a cameo role) masterminds a plan to steal $4 million worth of gold bullion from an armored car in Turin, Italy. The ambitious heist is taken over by Beckerman's friend and smalltime crook Charlie Croker (Michael Caine), who organizes a motley group of thieves bankrolled by jailed kingpin Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward). To pull off the plan, the gang must tie up traffic in the center of the city to divert attention from the robbery, block police pursuit, and ultimately make off with their booty undetected. The caper leads to one of the most exciting car chases ever filmed, featuring a bus, a couple of Jaguars, and a trio of brightly colored Mini Coopers careening through the streets, buildings, and highways of northern Italy and winding up in a breathtaking final cliffhanger that is simply unforgettable. Rated PG. 99 minutes. 1969.

Bruges (pronounced "broozh"), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks. The longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloë (Clémence Poésy), who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences. Rated R. 107 minutes.

On November 4, 2008, the United States of America will hold its 55th consecutive quadrennial election for President and Vice President of the United States. This is your chance to shape history. Both the 2000 and 2004 election were very intense and close races. Every vote counts! Add this event and send it to your friends to remind them to vote on November 4th, 2008! Primaries! Dates are subject to change. MARCH 2008 March 4: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont March 8: Wyoming (D) March 11: Mississippi APRIL 2008 April 22: Pennsylvania April 23-26: Constitution Party Convention in Kansas City, Missouri MAY 2008 May 6: Indiana, North Carolina May 13: Nebraska (primary), West Virginia May 20: Kentucky, Oregon May 22-26: Libertarian National Convention in Denver, Colorado May 27: Idaho (R) JUNE 2008 June 3: Montana, New Mexico (R), South Dakota JULY 2008 July 10-13, Green Party Convention in Chicago AUGUST 2008 August 25-28: Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado SEPTEMBER 2008 September 1-4: Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul OCTOBER 2008 October 15: Final Presidential Debate at Hofstra University Questions? http://www.declareyourself.com or Need to register? http://www.rockthevote.com​/rtv_register.php?ms=fb_pe​2008 Or for military personnel and overseas citizen: http://www.fvap.gov/ Or these, recommended by others: Curious how they really voted: http://www.ontheissues.org Matchmaker website: http://www.glassbooth.org and more... http://www.factcheck.org http://www.vote411.org http://www.votesmart.org http://www.2decide.com/table.htm http://www.techpresident.com/ Debating is great, but try not to personally attack someone no matter how wrong you think they are. Remember to buy your t-shirts and other materials from your candidate's website and not third party vendors. Don't let someone get rich off of your support.

Presented by Oasis Episcopal Ministry. Two screenings on Sunday - 3 PM & 6 PM. Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating homosexuals and Christianity too wide to cross? How can the Bible be used to justify hate? These are the questions at the heart of Daniel Karslake's acclaimed new documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So," a world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival that was most recently honored with Audience Awards at the Seattle and Provincetown International Film Festivals. Through the experiences of five Christian American families - including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson - we discover how people of faith handle, or sometimes tragically fail to handle, having a gay child. "For the Bible Tells Me So" offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity. Not Rated. 99 minutes.

A week-long series of this year’s Academy Award® nominated live action and animated short films. The nominated Live Action Shorts: AT NIGHT (Danish w/ English subtitles) Three young women share their problems while spending the holidays in a hospital cancer ward. IL SUPPLENTE (THE SUBSTITUTE); (Italian w/ English subtitles) The arrival of an unusual newcomer galvanizes the students in a high school classroom. LE MOZART DES PICKPOCKETS (THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS); (French w/ English subtitles) A pair of unlucky thieves find their fortunes have changed when they take in a deaf homeless boy. TANGHI ARGENTINI; (French w/ English subtitles) A man who must learn to dance the tango in two weeks asks an office colleague for help. THE TONTO WOMAN A cattle rustler meets a woman who is living in isolation after being held prisoner for eleven years by the Mojave Indians. The nominated Animated Shorts: I MET THE WALRUS In 1969, fourteen-year-old Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon's hotel room with his tape recorder and persuaded him to do an interview. MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI A timid woman boards a mysterious night train and has a series of frightening experiences. MEME LES PIGEONS VONT AU PARADIS (EVEN PIGEONS GO TO HEAVEN); (French w/ English subtitles) A priest tries to sell an old man a machine that he promises will transport him to heaven. MY LOVE (MOYA LYUBOV); ( Russian with English subtitles) In nineteenth-century Russia, a teenage boy in search of love is drawn to two very different women. PETER & THE WOLF A young boy and his animal friends face a hungry wolf in Prokofiev's classic musical piece.

"I am not saying all this is true but it is the way I remember it..." proclaims Anthony Brancaleone (writer/director) as he winds his audience through the real life fairytale of working bands in the blue-collar decadence of detroit. The film follows the parallel lives of several musicians, including Kid Rock and the Funky Daddy (Howling Diablos), as they gig their way to the top of the local rock scene. Using the romantic grit of the city streets, Brancaleone explores the difficulties of pursuing rock and roll dreams while considering what these impassioned artists stand to lose by following them. When the labels come looking for "the next big thing" they bring with them not only the answer to these dreams but a reminder: For every band to get "signed" there are a thousand who won't. For more information, visit A Detroit Thing's web site at adetroitthingmovie.com. $10 Adults; $6.75 Students, Seniors & Veterans, $6 Michigan Theater Members.

Bring your sweetie for this classic romantic comedy - it'll be a Valentine's Day you'll always remember! Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this inspired comedy about a madcap heiress with a pet leopard who meets an absent-minded paleontologist and unwittingly makes a fiasco of both their lives. David Huxley (Grant) is the stuffy paleontologist who needs to finish an exhibit on dinosaurs and thus land a $1 million grant for his museum. At a golf outing with his potential benefactors, Huxley is spotted by Susan Vance (Hepburn) who decides that she must have the reserved scientist at all costs. She uses her pet leopard, Baby, to trick him into driving to her Connecticut home, where a dog wanders into Huxley's room and steals the vital last bone that he needs to complete his project. The real trouble begins when another leopard escapes from the local zoo and Baby is mistaken for it, leading Huxley and Susan into a series of harebrained and increasingly more insane schemes to save the cat from the authorities. 1938. Not Rated. 102 minutes.

As the front man of the Clash from 1977 onwards, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. British film director Julien Temple reveals Strummer as not just a legend or musician, but as a true communicator of our times. Temple's film draws on both a shared punk history and a close personal friendship and as a result is a celebration of Joe Strummer - before, during and after the Clash. Not Rated. 124 minutes.

Wings, the first feature film to win an Academy Award, follows two World War I aviators (Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen) in love with the same Red Cross nurse (Clara Bow). The aerial "dogfight" sequences are a grand-scale spectacular, the likes of which have never been duplicated. 28 year-old director William Wellman, himself a wartime aviator, was fortunate enough to have the full cooperation of the US War department at his disposal. Brilliantly handled though the aerial scenes may be, they are matched by the Earthbound combat sequences, including the now-famous shot of a long trench caving in on hundreds of unfortunate doughboys. One of the film's chief claims to fame is its "introduction" of Gary Cooper, in a brief but crucial role as veteran flyer with a cheerily fatalistic attitude. This silent film will feature live Barton Organ accompaniment by Steven Ball. 1927. (NR). 139 minutes. Advance tickets available at ticketweb.com.

EIGHT OSCAR NOMINATIONS - INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND BEST ACTOR! Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is a masterly, unflinching examination of a consummately evil man. Daniel Plainview (via a transcendent performance by the great Daniel Day-Lewis) is, as he likes to remind those around him, an oil man: he finds it, he drills for it, and he makes money from it. Following a tip from a visitor named Paul Sunday, whose family sits atop a veritable ocean of oil, Plainview travels to the town of New Boston, California, with his young son. Sunday’s preacher brother Eli (both roles are played by the excellent Paul Dano) grudgingly accepts Plainview’s ambitions under the condition that he help fund the town church. As Plainview’s plans come to fruition, a series of events begin to fracture the insular world he has constructed for himself, pitting Plainview against Sunday and forcing him to become even more vindictive and ruthless. Rated R. 158 minutes.

Gallery Project presents Myth of Difference, a multi- media exhibit featuring disabled and non-disabled artists whose art reflects the joys and sorrows of being different. The artists move beyond positive images and tokenism to celebrate the depth and heft of being different. Difference emerges as a multileveled, crystalline experience -- part of a group, all lonely, discriminated against, and aware of the aesthetic opportunities offered through seeing the world with different eyes, moving in it with different bodies, and knowing with a difference. The exhibit opens at noon on Wednesday, January 9 and continues through 4pm on Sunday, February 17. The reception is Friday, January 11. The exhibit is curated by Gallery Project collaborator and Washtenaw Community College professor of photography Lisa Steichmann, with advisor Petra Kuppers, Professor of English, Woman's Studies, and Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan. Gallery Project is a fine art collaborative. Its mission is to provide a venue for contemporary art that is culturally aware, individualistic, courageous, and thought provoking. Artists representing a diverse range of visual arts curate and participate in its nine annual themed exhibits. Artwork by Lisa Steichmann, Shadow of Tiresias.

Killer of Sheep examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse. Since its initial release, the Library of Congress has declared it a national treasure as one of the first fifty on the National Film Registry and the National Society of Film Critics selected it as one of the "100 Essential Films" of all time. However, due to the expense of the music rights, the film was never shown theatrically or made available on video. It has only been seen on poor quality 16mm prints at few and far between museum and festival showings. Now, thirty years after its debut, the new 35mm print of Killer of Sheep, brilliantly restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive, is ready for its long-awaited international release.

James Stewart stars as seat-of-the-pants Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler. Through the intervention of his alcoholic mentor, Biegler accepts the case of one Lt. Manion, an unlovable lout who has murdered a local bar owner. Manion admits that he committed the crime, citing as his motive the victim's rape of the alluring Mrs. Manion. Faced with the formidable opposition of big-city prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott), Biegler hopes to win freedom for his client by using as his defense the argument of "irresistible impulse." The progressive-jazz musical score is provided by Duke Ellington, who also appears in a brief scene. Anatomy of a Murder was filmed on location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 1959. Not Rated. 161 minutes. Sponsored by the Washtenaw County Bar Association. Regular Admission prices apply.


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