35mm Peter Sellers in Hal Ashby's BEING THERE at the Vista, Los Feliz

FRI, DEC 13, 2019 11:59p: Being There (1979, Warner Brothers, dir by Hal Ashby starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacClaine, 130mns, 35mm) VISTA [Deep Dish American 70’s-1979] And so we come to the end of a decade. Our last entry in our Deep Dish American 70’s series is Hal Ashby’s, Peter Sellar’s, and Shirley MacClaine’s Being There.  A hilarious, brilliantly edited comedy that features, along with Dr. Strangelove, the best performance of Peter Sellars’ career. Here Sellars plays Chauncey Gardener who, at the start of the movie, may have never left the confines of the home he has shared with his now deceased father and the domestic servant who has been tasked with his care. The movie brilliantly plays its cards close to its vest. Does Chauncey have some kind of autism? Is he just sweet, strange, and a little slow? Is he actually brilliant and a zen master? Or is he something even more mysterious?  When Chauncey is forced to leave the house, he begins an odyssey that hilariously finds him gaining the trust of more and more powerful people including a Washington DC Power Broker and his wife.  Chauncey mostly speaks in gardening metaphors and usually does a lot of listening.  And everyone around him sees in him what they want to see. As the movie progresses, we hilariously begin to think that Chauncey may just listen his way to the American presidency. A profound, strange, and laugh out loud comedy that somehow caps the 70’s with a parable that is once both bitingly satirical and strangely hopeful.  Both very secular in its ironic sense of humor and ultimately unexpectedly spiritual.   What better way to send off the 1970’s than with this masterpiece by Peter Sellars, Hal Ashby, and Shirley MacClaine? On 35mm! Best always, Craig Hammill 35mm Secret Movie Club Programmer.Organizer  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  TICKETS: Tickets for all our events are available online at https://secretmovieclub.eventbrite.com or through each individual event on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/secretmovieclub35mm/.  Unless otherwise noted, all our movies screen at The Vista Theater, 4473 Sunset Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027.   We currently are showing 1-2 movies a season at the Los Feliz 3, 1822 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027; about 8 blocks from the Vista Theater in Los Feliz.   We also make tickets available at the Vista Box Office. REFUNDS: We will honor all refund requests as long as they are made 24 hours or more before the listed start time of the screening. After that, no refunds. Sorry. HOW DOES A SECRET MOVIE CLUB 2019 WINTER SEASON ALL-ACCESS PASS WORK: If you buy an ALL-ACCESS PASS (access to all 32 movies we’re showing from January 5th 2019 @ 11:59pm-March 2019), you get entrance into every single movie we show throughout our Winter 2019 Season (including any special events we may announce at a later time; so your value may increase!).  This is our best deal at $192.00 (or $6 per movie).  This offer is available through the following EVENTBRITE LINK:  If you decide to buy the ALL-ACCESS PASS and have already bought a series pass or individual ticket, just write us: secretmovieclub@curiousproductions.com and we’ll issue you a refund for the individual tickets you bought before the all-access pass. The All-Access Pass is available for purchase until January 5th, 2019 @ 11:59p which is the evening of PAN’S LABYRINTH, our first movie of the Winter 2019 season. After that, series passes and individual tickets will remain available.  With the ALL-ACCESS PASS, we generate a special list with your name on it. All you have to do is come to our table ahead of each movie, give us your name, and get your ticket. HOW DOES A SERIES PASS WORK: If you buy an Individual Series Pass, you gain entrance to all movies in that series.  This is our next best deal after the Season All-Access pass.  If you know you can make a series in January but not a series in March, this is the way to go.   The price of each Series Pass depends on how many movies we show in that series. So for instance if we are showing 6 movies in the series, the pass would cost $54 (or $9 per movie).  If we are showing 4 movies in that series, the pass would cost $36, and so on.  You can buy the Series Pass through any individual Eventbrite link for a movie in that series. Then, we generate a special list with your name on it. All you have to do is come to our table ahead of each movie, give us your name, and get your ticket. MOVIEPASS (as of late November 2018): While we do accept and want you to use your MoviePass, we advise all moviegoers to first check the current MoviePass rules and regulations to make sure they can still use their MoviePass for our events.  Secret Movie Club and the Vista Theater are not associated with nor responsible for any changes in policy on the part of MoviePass or any similar service. CONCESSIONS: The Vista Concessions stand is open for all our events. So you will always have access to popcorn, soda, candy, coffee the works! PARKING: The Vista has no dedicated parking lot. Thankfully, there is parking in the residential areas around the Vista Theater. Just plan to get to the theater 20 minutes earlier than normal so you have enough time to park, walk to the theater, get your tickets, get in line. Make sure you read the street signs!  Hillhurst and Sunset Drive tend to be the best for street parking.  Avoid Rosalia and Commonwealth as they have permit-only parking rules.  We don’t want any Secret Movie Clubbers getting parking tickets.  SHOWTIMES: We screen our movies before or after the Vista’s official movies. This is why most of our showtimes are either at midnight or between 10am-11am in the morning.  Always check the listed showtime before buying your ticket.  MAILING LIST: We started as a secret email list way back in April of 2016. In respect to our origins, we will always announce our upcoming seasons, special events, and speakers with the ability to get tickets via the email list first before posting to Facebook or anywhere else. If you’d like to get on the secret email list, email us at: secretmovieclub@curiousproductions.com. OTHER QUESTIONS: You can always email us at: secretmovieclub@curiousproductions.com . We work to respond asap within receipt of your email. If you don't get a response within 48 hours, please email us again.