50th Anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Tim Curry, Lou Adler, and Sins O’ The Flesh

The program will begin with a donation to the Academy Museum of the red bicycle screen-used in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. The donation will be made by Allison Berry on behalf of the Paul Reubens Estate

Inspired to become a performer by his childhood trips to the circus, the comedic actor Paul Reubens (1952–2023) is most remembered for his beloved role as Pee-wee Herman, an intentionally oblivious, wide-eyed, bow tie–wearing jester first developed at the Los Angeles–based improv and sketch comedy troupe the Groundlings. After a series of stage shows in the early 1980s and a celebrated children’s television program on CBS, Reubens partnered with fellow Groundling Phil Hartman and screenwriter Michael Varholto bring Pee-wee to the big screen with first-time feature director Tim Burton.

In Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, the titular character’s most prized possession is his red bicycle; he refuses to sell it even to his wealthy neighbor, Francis. When the bike is suddenly stolen, Pee-wee is relentless in his search to get it back, even embarking on a road trip across the country after given a phony tip. This charmingly quirky film marked Burton’s first collaboration with composer Danny Elfman, then front man for the popular new wave band Oingo Boingo.

Programmed and note by K.J. Relth-Miller.

In person: Candy Clark

Steven Spielberg’s second feature film as a director set the standard for edge-of-your-seat suspense and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. When the seaside community of Amity Island finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. A box office record-breaker as well as a Best Picture nominee, Jaws earned Oscars for its film editing, sound, and John Williams’s thrilling score.

On the occasion of Jaws: The Exhibition—the largest mounted exhibition ever organized around Spielberg’s film, opening to coincide with its 50th anniversary—this screening is your chance to experience the movie on the big screen before diving into the exhibition, the museum’s first-ever of this scale focused exclusively on a single film. Featuring scene breakdowns, interactive experiences, behind-the-scenes stories, and over 200 original objects, many never before put on public display, the exhibition will follow the structure of the film, taking visitors from the opening credits to its gripping conclusion.

Programmed and note by K.J. Relth-Miller.

Jaws: The Exhibition is curated by Jenny He, senior exhibitions curator, and Emily Rauber Rodriguez, assistant curator, with Alexandra James Salichs, curatorial assistant, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

In person: post-screening conversation with writer/director Gregg Araki, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and novelist Scott Heim, moderated by filmmaker Sean Baker

In person: Cheech Marin

In person: producer Bonnie Arnold, co-writer Pete Docter

30th Anniversary Screening

In person: filmmaker Michael Mann

In person: Peter Weller

In person: filmmaker Anna Biller

In person: director Karyn Kusama

Sally Benson’s autobiographical stories about her childhood in St. Louis inspired this charming and nostalgic musical, one of the most beloved films of MGM’s golden age. Judy Garland plays Esther, one of five children in a happy middle-class family, and Margaret O’Brien, who plays the youngest daughter, “Tootie,” received a Special Award as “outstanding child actress of 1944.” Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote the delightful original songs, including the perennial “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and the Oscar-nominated “The Trolley Song.” The film also earned nominations for the gorgeous Technicolor cinematography by George Folsey, Scoring of a Musical Picture, and for Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe’s screenplay. This classic tale of love, family, and the passage of time is the perfect visual treat for any season.

Programmed by K.J. Relth-Miller.

Introduction by Tim Greiving, author of John Williams: A Composer’s Life

In person: filmmakers Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein, and Irwin Rapport, Chair, Board of Directors, The Foundation for the AIDS Monument