Turner Classic Movies is pulling out all the brakes for the return of the TCM Classic Cinema Festival this week in Hollywood, and classic film fans know the value of a spectacular entrance.
The festival will begin off on April 21 with the support of Steven Spielberg, who will be on hand to honour the 40th anniversary of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” after two years of virtual editions due to the pandemic. Before the new IMAX restoration of the 1982 picture screens, he and stars Drew Barrymore, Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, and Robert MacNaughton will assemble at the TCL Chinese Theater for a talk with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
It will be Spielberg’s first appearance at the festival. He’ll also make an appearance to promote a 4K restoration of George Stevens’ film “Giant,” which stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean and was directed by George Stevens.
The reunion of “E.T.” isn’t the only 40-year reunion on the horizon. Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, and Paul Reiser will reunite for a screening of Barry Levinson’s “Diner” and a conversation. Aileen Quinn joins Alicia Malone to discuss her role as Annie in John Huston’s “Annie.”
The festival will honour actors such as Bruce Dern, who is 85 years old, Piper Laurie, who is now 90 years old and has appeared in films such as “Carrie,” “The Hustler,” “Twin Peaks,” and “Children of a Lesser God,” and Floyd Norman, an 86-year-old animator who has worked on everything from “Sleeping Beauty” to “Toy Story 2.” Members of the casts of “Cooley High” and “A League of Their Own” will be on hand to talk about their movies, and Lily Tomlin will seal her Hollywood legacy with a hand and footprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theater.
TCM’s general manager, Pola Changnon, described the situation as “a proverbial embarrassment of riches.” “It’s simply so lovely to see individuals reunited in these places.”
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Changnon and the festival’s organisers are “ecstatic” to be able to reassemble at iconic locations along Hollywood Boulevard, from the Chinese Theater to the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. Both sites have hosted previous Academy Awards ceremonies and are just steps away from the Oscars’ present home, the Dolby Theater. Although red lipstick and fedoras aren’t necessary, many guests dress to the nines and pay homage to Hollywood’s golden age attire for boisterous film screenings and lectures.
The schedule includes “obscure jewels” that aren’t publicly available, such as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Tootsie,” “Spartacus,” and “Paper Moon,” in addition to well-known staples like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Tootsie,” “Spartacus,” and “Paper Moon.”
“Our fans have a wide range of tastes,” Changnon explained. “Some people want to see stuff they’ve already seen. Some people desire to see things they’ve never seen before. They’re looking for the breakthroughs.”
The festival will return to the Hollywood Roosevelt, which has hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, and Montgomery Clift since its inauguration in 1927 and has appeared in films such as “Almost Famous” and “Catch Me If You Can.” It will act as a headquarters for the festival, with panel talks with luminaries such as Dern and Laurie, as well as poolside screenings of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Soylent Green,” and “Blue Hawaii.” On Sunday, it will also host the final night celebration.
They’ll also show “Miracle Mile” and “Polyester” at midnight, as well as a live-read of “I Married a Monster from Outer Space,” with David Koechner and Laraine Newman reprising their parts from the 1958 sci-fi film.
