Preview Screening of LIFE ITSELF, SHOWGIRLS, Kubrick's 2001 in 70mm and More Set for Moving Image in June-July 2014, Starts Tomorrow

Life Itself, the acclaimed, life-affirming new documentary about the late film critic Roger Ebert will be shown at Museum of the Moving Image in a preview screening with Ebert's widow Chaz Ebert, Variety film critic Scott Foundas, and filmmaker Rahmin Bahrani in person on Tuesday, June 24. This event is a highlight of the Museum's June/July summer programming that will also include special screenings of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm, a screening of Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls introduced by critic Adam Nayman, and a personal appearance by up-and-coming martial artist Marrese Crump with a screening of The Protector 2, in which he stars with Tony Jaa and RZA. Please see below for schedule and details.

FIST AND SWORD SCREENING
The Protector 2 with Marrese Crump in person
Friday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.
Dir. Prachya Pinkaew. 1994, 83 mins. DCP. With Tony Jaa, Jeeja Yanin, RZA, Marrese Crump, Petchtai Wongkamlao. Martial-arts legend Tony Jaa returns to the big screen, united with RZA, in this high-flying follow-up to The Protector, set in the picturesque Thai countryside. Kham (Jaa) lives a peaceful life with his elephant, until a vicious gun smuggler from the city wreaks havoc. With death-defying stunts and emotional grace, The Protector 2 is a wildly entertaining and moving ride. Marrese Crump, who plays the ruthless fighter No. 2 in the film, is a lifelong student of martial arts and is skilled in Karate, Kung Fu, Thai boxing, Capoeira, Taekwando, Ninjutsu, and even an indigenous Filipino fighting school. After the screening, Crump will participate in a discussion moderated by Fist and Sword series co-curator Warrington Hudlin.
Tickets are $12 public / $9 seniors and students. Free for Museum members.

Showgirls: It Doesn't Suck
Screening introduced by Adam Nayman
Preceded by a book signing in the Moving Image Store at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 14, 7:00 p.m.
Dir. Paul Verhoeven. 1995, 128 mins. 35mm. With Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon. Nomi at MOMI! "Leave your inhibitions at the door" panted the ads for Verhoeven's NC-17 rated cause célèbre. Primed to pan pretty much anything the director did in the wake of Basic Instinct, most critics opted to leave their senses of humor behind. A deluxe nudity-filled update of the classic Hollywood musical, Showgirls features a sturdy veteran-versus-ingenue plotline. Showgirls is not only better than its reputation (but then it would have to be) and more durable than its critics (some of whom have recanted): it stands, nearly 20 years on, as the last (dirty) word in the cinema du sleaze. Film critic Adam Nayman, author of the new monograph It Doesn't Suck: Showgirls (2014, ECW Press), will sign copies of his book and introduce the screening. Note: Some review copies of the book are available.
Tickets are included with Museum admission ($12 public / $9 seniors and students. Free for Museum members).

PREVIEW SCREENING
Life Itself
With Chaz Ebert, Scott Foundas, and Rahmin Bahrani in person
Tuesday, June 24, 7:00 p.m.
Dir. Steve James, 2014, 116 mins. With Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Ramin Bahrani, Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese, A.O. Scott. This unvarnished, revealing, entertaining, and deeply moving documentary by Steve James (Hoop Dreams) recounts the life of film critic Roger Ebert. Based on his bestselling memoir of the same name, Life Itself explores the legacy of Roger Ebert's life, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in America, to his public battle with the cancer that took his life in 2013. "A life spent at the movies gets the cinematic epitaph it richly deserves." (Scott Foundas, Variety). The screening will be followed by a conversation with Chaz Ebert, Scott Foundas, and Rahmin Bahrani.
Tickets: $20 public / $12 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members and above. Advance tickets are available online at movingimage.us (public sales begin June 5).

70MM SCREENINGS
2001: A Space Odyssey
Saturday, July 5, 3:00 and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 6, 3:00 and 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 12, 3:30 p.m.
Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1968, 159 mins. 70mm print from Warner Bros. Classics. With Keir Dullea. As brilliantly engineered as the space program itself, Kubrick's mysterious and profound epic-"the ultimate trip"-is about nothing less than the beauty and banality of civilization, blending cool satire, an elaborate vision of the future, and passages of avant-garde cinematic inventiveness. These screenings are part of the Museum's summer series See It Big! Science Fiction, which also includes a 70mm screening of Douglas Trumbull's Brainstorm (July 12).
Tickets are $12 public / $9 seniors and students. Free for Museum members. Advance tickets will be available online at movingimage.us.

MUSEUM INFORMATION: Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its expanded and renovated facilities-acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design-the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.

Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday hours: The Museum will be closed on Friday, July 4 for the holiday.
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Tickets for regular film screenings are included with paid Museum admission and free for members.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults; $9.00 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance by phone at 718 777 6800 or online.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership: http://movingimage.us/support/membership or 718 777 6877

The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and located on the campus of Kaufman Astoria Studios. Its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, visit movingimage.us.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.