Midnight Movie Madness is back, and it's bringing the '70s with it. The '70s had it all: Scorsese's first films, Heston killing mutant hippies, and, of course, Shaft. Can you dig it?
Dipson's Amherst Theatre is launching the third series of Midnight Movie Madness this Saturday, Feb. 18, at midnight running through April 1.
Midnight Movie Madness first began last year in February when it ran horror films for five weeks. The series picked up again in early September, featuring science fiction movies for nine weeks.
Independent filmmaker and founder of Midnight Movie Madness, Greg Lamberson, wanted to avoid selecting a specific genre for the third series. Instead he decided to incorporate a general '70s theme. Lamberson enjoys movies from the '70s immensely and with so many to choose from, he found it difficult to decide which films to include.
This years schedule is suited with both cult and classic. Scorsese's "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver" are two cinematic gems, featuring a young Robert DeNiro at the top of his game. Also scheduled is "Enter the Dragon," one of the most famous martial arts films in history starring Bruce Lee, and "Deliverance" with an unforgettable performance from Burt Reynolds.
When asked just how he went about picking and choosing the films, Lamberson explained that most of the time it's simply a matter of what is available. Many of the films do not have good prints, and for a film to be shown on a large screen, a sufficient print is essential in providing good picture quality. There is a lot of programming involved in coordinating a movie series and it's a highly involved process.
An additional feature for the third series of the project is that its original trailer will precede each movie. Lamberson purchased the trailers on eBay.
The seven movies from the '70s series will end on Saturday, April 1, with "Shaft," one of the biggest hits of the decade.
"It's great to see these movies on a big screen," Lamberson said. "I love to sit back and enjoy it with the audience, from beginning to end."
