From the Film Vault
Program Notes: Cadillac Records (2008)
Cadillac Records is a satisfying amble through a rich chapter of American pop culture, the story of Chess Records and the personalities who made musical history there told with equal parts nostalgia, humor, and awe.
Program Notes: A Great Day In Harlem (1994)
The Oscar-nominated A Great Day In Harlem is a warm, wonderful documentary about the most famous photo in all of jazz. It exudes a love of jazz and an admiration for these artists.
Program Notes: Leadbelly (1976)
Leadbelly reminisces about the hard life of the blues legend - from wide-eyed innocent country boy to swaggering, hot-tempered young man to a still-robust white hair carrying the weight of years of sin and experience.
Program Notes: The Commitments (1991)
“Hey, kids! Let’s put on a show!” Heaven knows how many movies have taken that cry as their starting point but few have been as infectiously enjoyable as Alan Parker’s The Commitments.
Program Notes: L.A. Confidential (1997)
L.A. Confidential, the densely plotted '50s cop yarn based on James Ellroy's novel, is chilly and brutish and unforgiving. But for all that, it never quite sinks into utter cynicism and the principle characters retain a shred of idealism.
