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Join us this August for Once Upon a Time…, a series of epic films across different periods and genres! The classic opening of any number of fairy tales, the phrase “Once upon a time” also has a rich association with the majestic thanks to its use in a number of unforgettable film titles. Sprawling Spaghetti Westerns, alternate history dramas, and marital arts movies have all embraced the phrase, and all are represented in this magnificent assortment. So grab your best cowboy hat or fedora and brace for yourself for four epic stories told in an epic way!
Once Upon a Time in America – Aug 9 & 10
Directed by Sergio Leone | 1984
“Noodles” (Robert De Niro) grows up in the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the late 1910s, a place where street violence, prostitution, and opium dens are commonplace. As he pines for a young neighborhood girl (Jennifer Connelly), he joins a gang of boys heading towards a life of organized crime — until he is abruptly separated from them by an act of violence. When he eventually reunites with them, will he and his friends spiral further into a life of crime and violence or finally break free? Hopping poetically back and forth through time, we follow Noodles and his gang through several key points in their lives as the incidents that bring them together may also inevitably tear them apart.
Once Upon a Time in China – Aug 16 & 17
Directed by Tsui Hark | 1991
During the late 19th Century in Foshan, China, martial arts master Wong Fei-hung (Jet Li) runs a medical clinic and leads the local militia, training them in the southern Chinese-style Hung Ga. Wong is a fixture in Foshan and has significant influence among both the commoners and the elite. Throughout the film, he finds himself among gangs, rival martial artists, and a blossoming yet forbidden love. And when a malicious group of fighters begin terrorizing the city, Wong faces the force with his celebrated heroism, cementing himself as a local folk legend.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Aug 23 – 26
Directed by Quentin Tarantino | 2019
During the Golden Age of Hollywood in 1969, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the leading face of beloved TV western Bounty Law. He desperately tries to keep his star from fading by seeking work with his best friend and stunt double — the mysterious Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). As Dalton contemplates his future, he and Booth bear witness to an industry threatening to leave them in the dust and an era on the cusp of a tragic end. Amongst attempts at redemption and dangerous encounters walks the luminous figure of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), bringing Dalton and Booth together in a most unexpected way.
Once Upon a Time in The West – Aug 30 & 31
Directed by Sergio Leone | 1968
Widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, Sergio Leone’s magnum opus is a celebration of the American West mythos. Operatic in scope and intimate in narrative and characterizations, and utilizing some breathtaking landscapes of Monument Valley, Once Upon a Time in the West is a sprawling and thoroughly entertaining story concerning a recent widow (Claudia Cardinale), a ruthless hired gunslinger (Henry Fonda, famously playing against type), a mysterious harmonica-playing stranger (Charles Bronson), and a surly bandit (Jason Robards).
