Among the most tempting of the surfeit of film series "plaguing" our city in April is LACMA’s tribute to the eclectic artist and film critic Manny Farber.
LACMA’s associate film curator Bernardo Rondeau nurtured and developed the series to honor Farber, whose essays were published for decades in The New Republic, The Nation, and Time magazine.
Among the film genres and artists Farber quirkily championed were male action movies like Howard Hawks’ brutal and explosive "Scarface" (1932).
One of "Scarface"’s less beatific moments pictured here.
The Arizona-born Farber had a lot of California connections in his career; he attended UC Berkeley, Stanford and, as a painter, had gallery shows at MOCA and Gagosian. He was a UC San Diego faculty member and here he died in 2008.
[NYT obituary for the colorful writer here. Village Voice version here.]
What a fitting tribute Rondeau has fashioned for an iconoclastic American writer.
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The Manny Farber tribute series’ irresistible line-up runs through April 30. Note the addition of Saturday April 24 free screening of "India Song."
| 4-23 | 7:30 pm Christmas in July |
| 4-23 | 8:45 pm The Exterminating Angel |
| 4-24 | 5:00 pm India Song |
| 4-24 | 7:30 pm Scarface |
| 4-24 | 9:15 pm The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser |
| 4-30 | 7:30 pm Voyage to Italy |
| 4-30 | 9:15 pm On Dangerous Ground |