KILLER OF SHEEP
CHARLOTTE PREMIERE
8PM FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 PHILLIPS PLACE
tickets: $12 click here to purchase
“An American masterpiece.”
– The New York Times
“Way ahead of its time 30 years ago, and just as stunning today, Killer of Sheep is one of those marvels of original moviemaking that keeps hope of artistic independence alive. A”
– Entertainment Weekly
“One of the most striking debuts in movie history.”
– Terrence Rafferty, GQ
Charles Burnett's legendary first feature film is a brilliantly collaged, slice-of-life portrait about life in South Central Los Angeles during the 1970s. Shot in gritty black and white, with a near-documentary technique, Killer of Sheep revolves around Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse. Don't miss this opportunity to see a film proclaimed a "National Treasure" by the Library of Congress and included in the National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films.
Despite its enormous acclaim, Killer of Sheep has been rarely screened due to music licensing issues. For the film's 30th anniversary, Milestone Films, Steven Soderbergh, and Turner Classic Movies have cleared the rights and brilliantly restored the film for theatrical release. We're proud to kick off our Charles Burnett retrospective by premiering Killer of Sheep in Charlotte with a new 35mm print!
PLUS: Before the main feature, Burnett's rarely shown 1973 short film The Horse will be screened. It's an accomplished, abstract, and teasingly enigmatic meditation that revolves around an old horse and several men waiting to decide its fate.
NIGHTJOHN
1PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 AFRO-AMERICAN CULTURAL SOCIETY
tickets: $8 for adults and $5 for students click here to purchase
“The Best American Movie of 1996.”
– The New Yorker
Charles Burnett's adaptation of the contemporary young people's classic Nightjohn is a family drama about slavery and the freeing power of education. The story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old slave girl. She faces a hopeless life until a slave named Nightjohn joins the plantation and teaches her to read and write, a crime punishable by death. When Nightjohn's efforts are revealed, a tangled web begins to unravel. Originally made for the Disney Channel, the stirring film has been screened at film festivals to worldwide acclaim. Nightjohn is appropriate for students in junior high school and up.
TO SLEEP WITH ANGER
8PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 MCGLOHON THEATRE
tickets: $12 click here to purchase
“One of the Top 100 American films of all time.”
– Chicago Reader
Winner of Sundance Special Jury Prize & Three Independent Spirit Awards
To Sleep With Anger stars Danny Glover as a mischievous man from the Deep South who visits his well-to-do friends in Los Angeles and refuses to leave. But the drama becomes much more involved as families start to unravel, generations clash, and voodoo comes into play. Featuring the best performance of Danny Glover's career, this overlooked masterpiece mixes comedy and drama with fresh and exciting results.
PLUS: Before the main feature, we're screening Burnett's acclaimed 1995 short film When It Rains. Infused with jazzy energy and lyrical riffs, it's a comedy about a community leader trying to prevent a woman's eviction on New Year's Day. The Chicago Reader has proclaimed it "a masterpiece."
MY BROTHER'S WEDDING
2007 Director's Cut
CHARLOTTE PREMIERE
2PM SUNDAY, AUGUST 26 THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE
tickets: $5 click here to purchase
“My Brother's Wedding has more honesty and energy than most mainstream films dealing with internal racial divisiveness.”
– All Movie Guide
My Brother's Wedding is Charles Burnett's legendary "lost" film. In 1983, the film's producers rushed a rough cut of the movie to festivals against Burnett's wishes. As a result, the film never received distribution. Now almost 25 years later, Burnett has completed it the way he originally envisioned. This new version is an eye-opening revelation – funny, wise, heartbreaking, and timeless. It tells the story of a young man from South Central Los Angeles with few prospects. With his best friend getting out of jail and his brother planning a wedding to a snooty upper-middle-class woman, he has to navigate his conflicting obligations while trying to figure out what he really wants in life. We're pleased to debut My Brother's Wedding (2007 Director's Cut) — several weeks before its theatrical premiere in New York City!
PLUS: A brand new short by Burnett, the Hurricane Katrina-themed Quiet as Keep which was created earlier this year.
THE GLASS SHIELD
5PM SUNDAY, AUGUST 26 THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE
tickets: $5 click here to purchase
Please Note: Charles Burnett will speak at 4:30 pm — BEFORE the 5:00 pm screening of The Glass Shield
“Burnett's film subtly subverts the police genre with its offbeat performances and unusual complexity, both visual and moral.”
– The Village Voice
An exciting and remarkably nuanced police drama based on a true story of corruption and racism within the Los Angeles police force. Ice Cube and Lori Petty star in The Glass Shield, a story focusing on two naive rookie cops, a black man and a white woman who learn a hard lesson about trying to join a police department run exclusively by all-white men. It's widely considered to be one of the most accurate portrayals of American police departments.