Repertory

by Matt Prigge

Balcony
1003 Arch St.
215.922.LIVE.
www.thetroc.com
Free.
GHOST WORLD (2001) (Shown on video): Part therapy, part warning sign, Crumb director Terry Zwigoff's narrative-film debut is fodder for all of us who got our Holden Caulfield on in high school and wondered exactly when it was we'd have to give that whole thing up. (Never?) Though the movie is full of so many offbeat side characters, I'm gonna say my favorite was the passive-aggressive dude in the wheelchair who answers trivia in exchange for coffee. A
Mon., May 6. 8pm.

Colonial Theater
227 Bridge St., Phoenixville.
610.917.0223.
www.thecolonialtheatre.com.
$4-$6
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) (Shown on film): When Billy Wilder passed away in March, what film enthusiast didn't become immediately verklempt? Sure, his last film was more than 20 years ago, but the fact that he was among the living meant deficiencies like cynicism and misanthropy still had a good name. His movies--25 in all--were homages to being a smart-ass, and though he always made fun of his characters, he never hated them, which is a lesson the Neil LaButes and Todd Solondzs of the world could profit from. This screening of Boulevard --one of his most twisted entries--is the first time Philly has seen a Wilder film on the big screen since he died March 27, and that the showing is accidental (scheduled well over a month ago) doesn't matter. You know the story, of course: broke screenwriter William Holden meets Gloria Swanson, there's intrigue and Holden winds up face down in a pool. It's a dead-on portrayal of the way Hollywood--and, okay, all of us--embraces something and then kicks it aside once something fresh comes along. And who doesn't love the way Holden is trapped between two worlds, the sly modern society and the over-the-top soap opera of Swanson and butler Erich von Stroheim? It's such an amiable fusion of deep feeling and high camp. More of a tribute to Wilder is the most famous story behind it: When MGM head Louis B. Mayer finally saw it, he told his cronies Wilder had bitten off the hand that fed him. To which Wilder replied, "I am Mr. Wilder and you can go fuck yourself." A
Sun., May 5. 2pm.

County Theater
20 E. State St., Doylestown.
215.345.6789.
www.countytheater.com
$4-$7.50.
THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (1925) (Shown on film): Though Snow White has always stolen Prince Achmed's thunder, those in the know say the first feature-length animated film is actually this obscure silent from Lotte Reiniger, in which cardboard cut-outs are silhouetted in front of marvelous backdrops. Remastered and re-orchestrated, it will give you a well-earned chance to get your Luddite on. (Not reviewed.)
Wed., May 1. 4:15 and 9:15pm; Thurs., May 2 and Sun., May 5. 4:15pm; Mon., May 6. 7pm.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) (Shown on film): Like, duh. A
Wed., May 8, 4:15 and 9:15pm.

German Society of Philadelphia
611 Spring Garden St.
215.627.2332, ext. 18.
www.germansociety.org
$10 (includes food)
DIE BRÜCKE (THE BRIDGE) (1959): Directed by Bernhard Wicki, who served as one of the helmsmen on The Longest Day, The Bridge portrays the waning days of WWII when, in desperation, Hitler turned to his last untapped resource: the children. (Not reviewed.)
Fri., May 3. 6:30pm.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th St. and the Pkwy.
215.763.8100.
www.philamuseum.org
$7-$10.
TREMBLING BEFORE G-D (2001) (Shown on film): Jewish Orthodox gays and lesbians struggle with the clash between religion and sexual identity in this documentary by Sandi Simcha Dubowski. (Not reviewed.)
May 1. 7:10pm.
SUGAR TOWN (1999) (Shown on film): A bevy of '80s-era has-beens--Rosanna Arquette, Ally Sheedy, Martin Kemp, John Doe and John Taylor among them--play loose variations on themselves as they bum around L.A. looking for some comeback action. If there's a sadder-sounding movie out there, I'd like to hear it. It's hard not to use the word "Altmanesque" here, seeing as the movie weaves a tapestry of casually desperate people without once resorting to whining or cheap sentimentality. Each of the characters, even as played by the likes of Michael Des Barres, appears to have a distinct past and future. An overall lack of ambition detracts a bit from the film, as does an obvious need to resolve all the major stories with neat-'n'-tidy contrivances. Still, a movie like this is a rarity: What else could show the dark side of both Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet? B-
Wed., May 8, 7:10pm.

William Way Community Center
1315 Spruce St.
215.732.2220.
www.waygay.org.
$2 donation requested.
THE MONKEY'S MASK (2000) (Shown on video): Kelly McGillis, who's suffered nearly two decades of lesbian speculation, finally gets it on with homicide detective Susie Porter. Based on a book by lesbian mystery novelist Dorothy Porter. (Not reviewed.)
Thurs., May 2, 7pm.