Jeffrey curates and hosts a double feature of rarely-screened gems. Tonight he presents Bertrand Blier's outrageous comedy Menage(1986), followed by Josef von Sternberg's erotic classic The Blue Angel (1930), starring the iconic Marlene Dietrich. 

Menage @ 19:00

An anarchic bisexual criminal called Bob (Gerard Depardieu) picks up a couple in a bar late one night and quickly corrupts them. He first seduces the wife Monique (Miou-Miou) and then the husband Antoine (Michel Blanc). Forced to leave their old boring lives behind, the trio embark on a series of criminal adventures, each more outrageous than the next. In this companion piece to his cult classic Les Valseuses, Bertrand Blier exquisitely blends surrealism with outrageous dark humor. The film is beautifully written-- its dialogue almost bordering on poetry-- and features a marvelous score by Serge Gainsbourg. Like most of Blier's films, Menage is rarely-screened outside of France.

Directed by Bertrand Blier, 1986, France, 84 minutes. In French w/ English subtitles.

The Blue Angel @ 21:00

Professor Immanuel Rath (Emil Jannings), an uptight teacher, discovers that his students are going to a local cabaret (called "The Blue Angel) to drink rather than study. When he enters this place of ill repute to confront them, Rath comes face-to-face with the half-naked burlesque sexpot Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich). That's the setup, and it unfolds into one of the most famous femme fatale stories in the history of cinema. Loosely based on Heinrich Mann's 1905 novel, "Professor Unrat," Josef von Sternberg's classic film stars Marlene Dietrich in the performance that made her famous. The Blue Angel is a great time capsule of the Weimar Republic era, but it is Dietrich's riveting, sensual performance that makes the film legendary. 

Directed by Josef von Sternberg, 1930, Germany, 108 minutes. In German w/ English subtitles.

Bar opens @ 18:30.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome.