It’s been almost two months since a devastating earthquake struck Nepal, and while the story of that terrible event — thousands dead, many more injured and homeless, and continuing damage done by some strong aftershocks — has slowly faded from the day-to-day headlines, the need for assistance is as strong as ever.
It might seem that heading out to the movie theater is the last thing that would help, but this week the Academy of Music theater in Northampton plays host to a benefit screening that makes going to the movies a way to help fund the relief effort. On Thursday at 7 p.m., the venerable movie house screens When The Iron Bird Flies, a documentary that probes the complex (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) relationship between Tibetan Buddhism and the culture of the West. Taking its name from what appears to be a startling prophecy by an 8th-century guru (it talks of a future when “iron birds” fly and horses “run on wheels”), the film mixes archival footage and interviews with contemporary practitioners to pose a question that will perhaps never have any one answer: What, essentially, is the purpose of Tibetan Buddhism here, today?
For many, I suspect that part of the answer would be that the practice makes us a more compassionate people, less isolated by modern life and more attuned to the lives of others. Here, then, is a perfect chance to put that thought into action. Prior to the show, there will be a short video update about the current situation in Nepal, edited by Iron Bird director Amber Bemak, who will also be present via Skype for a Q&A session after the screening.
Also this week: Amherst Cinema hosts a couple of special screenings. First up is a Saturday morning screening of the 1985 classic The Goonies. A zany story of buried treasure, booby traps, and neighborhood kids battling the mob, it feels now like the sort of kids’ movie too idiosyncratic to be made today (perhaps adding to the oddity is the fact that while it was written by Steven Spielberg, it was directed by Richard Donner, better known for helming The Omen and the Lethal Weapon franchise). Of course, it’s exactly that idiosyncrasy that makes it so good. The only cross-marketing tie-in that I can recall — I was 12 when the film hit theaters, an age when one remembers every limited edition drink cup or lunch box — is a bizarre Cyndi Lauper video populated by pro wrestlers of the day, which I heartily recommend you look up on YouTube as soon as possible.
Also at Amherst is a Monday night show of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, director Martin Scorsese’s 1974 story of a woman (Ellen Burstyn in the title role) finding herself in the American Southwest. When Alice’s husband dies unexpectedly, she lights out with son Tommy to pursue a delayed dream of a singing career. A promising start quickly spirals into abuse, and a destitute Alice is forced to take a job as a waitress before she can try to kickstart her dream again. At the diner where she finds work — TV viewers of a certain age will certainly recognize Mel’s, which became the setting of the ’70s-era television sitcom adaption of Scorsese’s film — she also finds the friendship of her co-workers, and the possibility of companionship with a thoughtful rancher played by Kris Kristofferson.
A couple of bonuses: screenwriter Will Reiser (50/50, Da Ali G Show) will be on hand to discuss the film as part of the Hampshire College Creative Media Institue, and Amherst Cinema members are eligible for free tickets to the show on a first-come, first-served basis.
And finally this week, two blockbuster franchises come to Cinemark theaters in the region: on Sunday and Wednesday, sci-fi action classic The Terminator brings viewers back to the pre-Governator days of Arnold Schwarzenegger; while the rest of the week belongs to Jurassic World, the latest in the ongoing killer-dinosaur series. Long delayed, this fourth installment features Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3) as park workers trying to save the world all over again, this time from a vicious, newly created hybrid dinosaur. You’d think by now they’d learn to leave all that dino DNA where they found it.•
Jack Brown can be reached at cinemadope@gmail.com.
