The new year is bringing about changes in the movie offerings around Avalon. In response to these changes, the Catalina Island Museum just announced that its monthly First Fridays at the Museum program will become First Friday Films beginning Jan. 3, 2020.
The museum will be screening popular and cult classic films throughout the year as a way to satisfy the community’s desire to see films on a big screen. First run movies will not be shown. The first film selected is the 1990 psychological horror film Misery based on Stephen King’s book of the same name. This film will be shown inside in the museum’s Brown Family Digital Theater. Seating is limited. Pre-purchasing tickets online or at the museum is encouraged.
“We strive to be the place that the community gathers, learns and grows,” said Julie Perlin Lee, executive director of the Museum. “Our indoor digital theater and our outdoor amphitheater allow for us to fulfill a community need and desire. During the colder months we will screen films inside and then as the weather gets warmer, we will likely move the screenings outside. As always, we look forward to welcoming the community into the museum.”
Starring Kathy Bates and James Caan, “Misery” is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date. The film opens with Paul Sheldon, (played by Caan) completing work on his latest novel, a break from his popular series of novels featuring the character Misery Chastain. He gets into a severe car accident and is saved by Annie Wilkes (played by Bates), a reclusive woman who nurses him back to health. Annie is a huge fan of the Misery novels and she finishes reading the latest one while Paul is recuperating. Increasingly erratic, she becomes enraged when she discovers that Paul has killed off Misery in the book. Annie tortures and cripples Paul so that he is unable to leave her house forcing him to write a new Misery novel. All the while, a local sheriff along with Paul’s agent (played by Lauren Bacall) attempt to track down what happened to the missing author. Misery is rated R.
At the time, “Misery” shot the relatively unknown Bates to stardom. For her role, she won the Oscar for Best Actress. An even bigger feat considering very few of these awards are ever bestowed for portraying an evil character.
Films will be show on the first Friday of each month throughout 2020. The first screening takes place on Friday, Jan. 3. The museum will re-open for this event at 6:30 p.m. The film will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person. Seating is first-come, first served. A variety of movie snacks along with wine, beer and other refreshments will be available for purchase. No outside food or drink allowed. The museum’s galleries will not be open during these movie screenings. Visit CatalinaMuseum.org for more information.
The Catalina Island Museum offers the best in art and history exhibitions, music and dance performances, lectures by guest speakers from all over the world, and the finest in silent, documentary and international film. Open seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, except New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The museum’s Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building is located in the heart of Avalon at 217 Metropole Ave. For more information, call 310-510-2414 or visit CatalinaMuseum.org.
