We'll hit these again in Special Screenings, but I wanted to get the word out not about upcoming Gene Wilder films on local big screens because they are already hot tickets.
First, to honor the recent passing of the late, great actor, writer and director, Directors Cut Cinema at Regency Rancho Niguel presents Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Tickets are only $8.
The adaptation of Roald Dahl’s legendary novel is about a reclusive candy maker who lets five Golden Ticket winners inside his factory to learn its secrets, eat its edible contents and learn life lessons from its adorable Oompa Loompas.
The theater is at 25471 Rancho Niguel Rd., Laguna Niguel, (949) 831-0446.
Here's the trailer:
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The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana presents a double bill of Willy Wonka and Blazing Saddles on Friday, Sept. 23. Advance tickets are $7 for Frida members, $8 for students/seniors/military/children and $10 for adults.
First, at 7 p.m., it's Wonka and then, at the raunchier hour of 8:50 p.m., it's Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, in which Wilder plays a gunslinger gone to drink and recruited to help black Bart (Cleavon Little), the new sheriff of Rock Ridge, save the frontier town from baddies bent on clearing out residents for a new railroad.
A trailer from the dusty trails:
Blazing Saddles is widely considered one of the funniest comedies of all time. So is Young Frankenstein, another of Wilder's three collaborations with Brooks (the third being The Producers).
Young Frankenstein will be beamed into theaters across Orange County at the same time (5 p.m.) on Wednesday, Oct. 5, but not before a live introduction by Brooks from the 20th Century Fox lot, where he'll show off Mel Brooks Blvd., the Young Frankenstein mural that was unveiled on the film's 40th anniversary and the location of the movie’s original shoot.
If you haven't seen it: A) Shame on you. B) It stars Wilder as young neurosurgeon Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronkensteen”), who reluctantly inherits his disgraced grandfather Dr. Victor von Frankenstein's castle, laboratory and humpback assistant Igor (pronounced “Eye-gore” and played by bug eyed Marty Feldman). With the help of his hay-rolling lab assistant Inga (Teri Garr) and mysterious castle caretaker Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman), Freddy follows his grandpappy's instructions to reanimate a monster (Peter Boyle), who in the end winds up with the would-be bride of Fronkensteen (Frankenstein!), who is played by Madeline Kahn, who nearly steals this picture like she did with Blazing Saddles.
Trailer me, doctor:
Fathom Events, which is presenting the screening, warns that the $12.50 tickets are going fast, with some theaters already reporting sellouts. But because the appearance by Brooks will be live, the film can only be shown once, there can be no repeat screenings.
Participating local theaters include: AMC Orange 30, 20 City Boulevard West, Orange, (714) 769-4288; Cinemark Century 20 Huntington Beach, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, (714) 373-4573; Century Stadium Promenade 25, 1701 W. Katella Ave., Orange, (714) 532-9558; Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21, 65 Fortune Dr., Irvine, (844) 462-7342; Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26, 7501 E. Carson, Long Beach, (844) 462-7342.
Click here for more locations.
Continuing the celebration of the comedy classic, Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette Books, will be publishing Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Making of the Film, an oversized, illustrated book featuring a complete, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, with a foreword by Judd Apatow. A hardcover edition will be available wherever books are sold on Oct. 18
