One of the most savage, black and prescient cinematic satires, Sideny Lumet's Network is one of the highlights of ‘70s filmmaking. Peter Finch plays veteran news anchor Howard Beale who loses his mind one night live on air. Faye Dunaway plays a producer who sees the ratings potential of allowing a raving lunatic an uncensored forum for his rants and Robert Duvall is the network executive who allows it all to happen. Accurately predicting the obsession with trash TV, manipulated “reality” programs and the increasing dumbing down of popular culture, Network stands as a warning against sacrificing our intelligence and humanity in the face of base spectacle. Oh wait, it's 2008? Well, at least Network can say it told us so.
Sun., July 20, 6 p.m.; Mon., July 21, 8 p.m.; Wed., July 23, 8 p.m., 2008
