Summer may be blockbuster season, but there’s room for classics and curiosities in between all those Minions and superheroes at movie showings and special events in Pittsburgh. July and August will feature family favorites including The NeverEnding Story and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, anniversary screenings of Thelma & Louise and Car Wash, and much more.
Head to One of Pittsburgh’s Exclusive Movie Showings This July and August
The NeverEnding Story
Various Cinemas, July 19 and 22
There was something about ’80s fantasy flicks — particularly when puppets were involved. Films such as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and The NeverEnding Story are beloved not just for their imaginative characters and evocative settings; they’re also etched onto viewers’ minds because they’re … well, terrifying. Occasionally even traumatizing. The NeverEnding Story, an often bizarre but completely unforgettable 1984 film from the late Wolfgang Petersen, enchanted young viewers with its meta-textual, cosmic tale … and taught us about sorrow and loss. (If you know, you know.) See it back on the big screen with a special introduction by Flashback Cinema; participating area theaters include the GQT Pittsburgh Mills 14 and Phoenix Theaters in Bridgeville.
Muppet Weekend
Rangos Giant Cinema, July 24-26
Three generations of high-quality Muppetry (Muppethood?) will appear on the region’s largest screen — in one weekend. The Rangos Giant Cinema kicks off the weekend with 1979’s groundbreaking Muppet Movie (Friday), before jumping ahead to the 2011 comeback vehicle The Muppets (Saturday) — and then back to the underrated ’90s adventure flick Muppet Treasure Island (Sunday). The characters remain beloved … so why did we only get that one Sabrina Carpenter special last year and not a full-fledged TV revival? Here’s hoping.
Sabrina with the Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club
Bridgeville Public Library, July 24
This series is one of the best-kept movie secrets in town. During the summer, the Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club sets up a screen and projector on the shady back patio of the Bridgeville Public Library for a series of pleasant, al fresco screenings. Introduced by club president Wendy White (or an informed guest), these events combine the expertise of a curated series with the casual feeling of watching a movie at a friend’s house. On July 24, head to Bridgeville for Sabrina, the beloved 1954 romcom starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.
Car Wash and 40 Watts From Nowhere on Art House Theater Day
Harris Theater, July 30
On Art House Theater Day, independent and nonprofit theaters across the country will celebrate the sort of film you’re not going to find at the multiplex. In Pittsburgh, Downtown’s Harris Theater will fly the art house flag with a pair of screenings: First, a 50th-anniversary screening of the comedy Car Wash, starring Richard Pryor; then, an early theatrical exhibition of 40 Watts From Nowhere, a buzzing new documentary exploring a trailblazing pirate radio station. Both screenings will feature poster raffles, previews of upcoming programming, free popcorn and more.
Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm
Row House Hollywood, August 1-2
Having already built one of the region’s most impressive screens — and added 35mm screenings — Row House Hollywood will this August add the capability of showing ultra-high-quality 70mm film. It’ll be the only cinema in Pittsburgh with that ability. They’ll inaugurate the new equipment with one of the most lauded films in history: Lawrence of Arabia, the 1962 epic known for its stunning, sweeping visuals. If you’d like to be the the first time the bulb flickers to life, act fast; the inaugural showings are quickly filling up.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Various Cinemas, August 2 and 5
Is it a heartwarming tale of perseverance and honesty? A twisted dark fantasy filled with macabre object lessons? Why not both? Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has remained a staple for generations (even as later takes on the character have proven less impactful). The film, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, is elevated to transcendence by an unparalleled performance by Gene Wilder; equal parts comic and devilish, his Wonka is a pillar of big-screen character building.
Thelma & Louise
Lindsay Theater, August 16 and 27
The Lindsay’s summer Nine on ’90s series wraps up by celebrating the 35th anniversary of Thelma & Louise, the Ridley Scott drama that shows what can happen — for better and worse — when two people decide to fight back. Led by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon (and carried by the remarkable chemistry between them), the film won a Screenplay Oscar and probably should’ve taken home more.
Story by Sean Collier
Photo From Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wolper Pictures and Paramount Pictures
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