By Sam Lawrence
If you take a stroll down Wilshire Boulevard, past the Kimpton Hotel and Johnie’s Coffee, you’ll see an ornate gold building glimmering in the distance. That building, nestled between LACMA and the Peterson Automotive Museum, is none other than the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
A symbol of Old Hollywood glamour mixed with new-age storytelling, the Academy Museum is a relatively new construction with a deep history. Renovated in 2021, the building sits on a 300,000 square foot campus, and is divided into two sections: the Wilshire May Company building (now the Saban building), and the eye-catching Sphere Building.
Though the museum is known for its one-of-a-kind exhibitions, such as the upcoming Horror Show Halloween exhibit opening at the end of this month, it is also a venue that hosts affordable movie screenings in a theater unlike any other.
The 1,000 seat David Geffen Theater is playing a variety of themed movies throughout the next few months in honor of multiple celebrations. Following the what-would-be 100th birthday of famed actress Marilyn Monroe, the Museum is screening a myriad of her most beloved films, including Niagara on Sept. 7, Sept. 9 and Sept. 11, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on Sept. 16, and How to Marry a Millionaire on Sept. 21. Tickets for these screenings are sitting at just $5 online, and they’re split between the massive David Geffen Theater, and the more intimate Ted Mann Theater, located in the Saban building.
For those of you who prefer a good fright, not to worry! With the Halloween season creeping just around the corner, there’ll be multiple horror films to watch in September and October. Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad (1987) is playing in 35mm on Sept. 12, Alejandro Amenábar’s psychological horror The Others (2001) is playing on Sept. 19, Kenny Ortega’s witchy cult classic Hocus Pocus (1993) is scheduled for Oct. 3, John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) and The Fog (1980) will be on Oct. 4 on Oct. 9 in 4K, and he’ll be the special guest at an exclusive sold-out screening of Halloween (1978) on Sept. 26. Tickets are on standby for that event, so if you’re a major Michael Myers fan, don’t give up hope just yet!
Sitting in a chair for hours on end can be redundant, so a good way to diversify your experience at the Academy Museum is to split your time between screenings and exhibit visits. The Horror Show, opening on Sept. 26, will explore themes of identity in renowned films including Dracula (1931), Alien (1979), The Exorcist (1973), The Shining (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Get Out (2017), and more. The primary question surrounding the exhibit: Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?
The Horror Show exhibit will be divided into six different galleries: Gothic, Psychological, Science, Slasher, Religion, and Ghosts. These installations will transport visitors into some iconic settings they’ll recognize from the aforementioned films. Set-pieces and objects from the movies will also be on display, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled and don’t turn any corners too quickly…
The exhibit will be on display through July 25, 2027.
For a full list of all upcoming screenings and exhibitions at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, you can visit their website online at academymuseum.org. In the meantime, check out this video overview of the museum, produced by The Academy.
The post Marilyn Monroe, Snow White, and Michael Myers – The Academy Museum’s Screening Schedule Takes Viewers on a Hollywood Journey appeared first on Press Pass LA.
