June 29-September 19

This year's edition of AFI Silver's popular summertime series showcases the '80s in all their awesomeness — blockbuster hits and retro-tastic rarities; influential originals whose remakes pale in comparison; and underground legends demanding to be seen by today's audiences. These are the kinds of films that they just don't make like they used to, and films that they just can't make like they used to! Don't miss this year's lineup of '80s-era summer fun on the big screen!

 AFI Member passes will be accepted at all films.

Two for $20 specials are back!
A night of totally awesome '80s fun for just $20! Attend the following select back-to-back '80s films and pay just $20 for your two tickets.
July 28: MANHUNTER (9:20) and THE KEEP (11:30)
Aug. 24: TOOTSIE (7:15) and ISHTAR (9:40)

Discount applies to box office sales only; not available online. Tickets must be purchased together in a single transaction.

COMMANDO DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID DREAMCHILD E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL EXPLORERS FIRST BLOOD FRIGHT NIGHT ISHTAR THE KEEP THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN

MANHUNTER THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS MARRIED TO THE MOB THE MONSTER SQUAD NIGHT OF THE COMET O.C. AND STIGGS PREDATOR POPEYE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK RECKLESS

RETURN TO OZ SOMETHING WILD SPACEBALLS STOP MAKING SENSE THIEF ¡THREE AMIGOS! TOOTSIE THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE WITHNAIL AND I

EXPLORERS

Young sci-fi enthusiasts and best friends Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix (both in their feature film debuts!) and new pal Jason Presson's dreams come true after they receive extraterrestrial transmissions containing instructions on how to build a spacecraft's circuitboard. Much to their amazement, the rickety, playhouse-like spaceship they construct proves spaceworthy, but the identity of their alien correspondents proves even more surprising. Joe Dante's humorous and heartfelt fantasy holds enduring appeal for dreamers of all ages.

DIR Joe Dante; SCR Eric Luke; PROD David Bombyk, Edward S. Feldman. US, 1985, color, 109 min. RATED PG

WITHNAIL AND I
25th Anniversary!

"I demand to have some booze!" Bruce Robinson's wickedly funny cult classic follows the insufferable madman Withnail (a peerless Richard E. Grant) and the much put-upon I/Marwood (Paul McGann), two unemployed actors who quit the drunken, druggy madness of London for the rejuvenating tranquility of the countryside, and a stay at the cottage of Withnail's louche uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths). But once there, it's just damp, debauchery and even more drunkenness.

DIR/SCR Bruce Robinson; PROD Paul M. Heller. UK, 1987, color, 107 min. Digital presentation. RATED R

E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
30th Anniversary!
Original 1982 version!

Steven Spielberg's beloved science fiction fable centers on withdrawn young boy Henry Thomas who befriends an extra-terrestrial who has been accidentally left behind by his spaceship. With the help of siblings Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore, he helps "E.T." navigate his new earthly environment and evade capture by the government, all in an effort to get home.

DIR/PROD Steven Spielberg; SCR Melissa Mathison; PROD Kathleen Kennedy. US, 1982, color, 120 min. RATED PG

FRIGHT NIGHT
New 35mm Print!

The recent remake failed to improve on the '80s original, one of the best horror-comedy combinations of its era, which found a rich vein of anxiety and fear to mine in the gap between extended teenagerdom and impending adulthood. William Ragsdale suspects there's something sinister about new neighbor Chris Sarandon, and enlists a washed-up TV horror host (a winning Roddy McDowall) for advice on confronting the undead.

DIR/SCR Tom Holland; PROD Herb Jaffe. US, 1985, color, 106 min. RATED R

NIGHT OF THE COMET

After a passing comet annihilates most of earth's population, teen sisters Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney must contend with zombie-like mutants, killer punks and an evil cabal of scientists in order to save what's left of humanity. This spoofy take on the post-apocalyptic genre slips in clever commentary on capitalism, consumerism and our creeping (now galloping?) dependence on technology.

DIR/SCR Thom Eberhardt; PROD Wayne Crawford, Andrew Lane. US, 1984, color, 95 min. RATED PG-13

COMMANDO

A template for 1980s action style: gratuitous gunplay, blithe body-counts and impossible odds overcome by chutzpah, all accompanied by corny-cool catch-phrases. This low-budget hit for Austrian bodybuilder-turned-action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger and producer Joel Silver helped launch both to decades of dominance at the box office. With Alyssa Milano and Rae Dawn Chong.

DIR Mark L. Lester; SCR Steven E. de Souza; PROD Joel Silver. US, 1985, color, 90 min. RATED R

FIRST BLOOD
30th Anniversary!

Stylistically, Sylvester Stallone's first appearance as the noble, troubled Vietnam veteran John Rambo is something of a holdover from the 1970s, and a surprisingly sensitive precursor to its blockbuster sequel, the bombastic, over-the-top action movie RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II. Ted Kotcheff gets the best out of Stallone, with fine support work from Brian Dennehy as an antagonistic small-town sheriff and Richard Crenna as his old commanding officer.

DIR Ted Kotcheff; SCR Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, Sylvester Stallone, from the novel by David Morrell; PROD Buzz Feitshans. US, 1982, color, 93 min. Digital presentation. RATED R

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
New 35mm Print!

The much-ballyhooed collaboration between STAR WARS' George Lucas and wunderkind Steven Spielberg resulted in one of the biggest blockbusters of the early 1980s, launched an enduring and much loved franchise of sequels, and established Harrison Ford as an A-list leading man. The inspired script by Lawrence Kasdan distills the tradition of boyish adventures in exotic lands found in GUNGA DIN and Hergé's Tintin comics, two-fisted pulp fiction heroes like Doc Savage and Allan Quatermain, and the cliffhanger-heavy serials of old Hollywood into a rip-roaring, action-packed yarn that breathlessly careens from steamy South American jungle to snowy Nepalese mountaintop to dusty Egyptian desert — with Ford's intrepid and wily adventurer-archaeologist Indiana Jones battling ruthless Nazis to be the first to discover an ancient and possibly magical relic.

DIR Steven Spielberg; SCR Lawrence Kasdan, from the story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman; PROD Frank Marshall. US, 1981, color, 115 min. RATED PG

RETURN TO OZ

The sole directorial credit of influential Oscar-winning editor Walter Murch, RETURN TO OZ stars 10-year-old Fairuza Balk as Dorothy, who escapes from the mental hospital she was sent to by her Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) and returns to her beloved Oz, only to find the Emerald City now in ruins. In her efforts to set things right, she must contend with the likes of mad witch Mombi (Jean Marsh) and the stony Nome King (Nicol Williamson), aided by her new friends Tik-Tok the mechanical man, Jack Pumpkinhead, the magical moose-headed Gump and Billina, the talking chicken. A much darker version of Oz, the film's artful special effects and complex sound and visuals make for a mind-blowing sensory experience.

DIR/SCR Walter Murch; SCR Gill Dennis, from novels "Ozma of Oz" and "The Marvelous Land of Oz" by L. Frank Baum; PROD Paul Maslansky. UK/US, 1985, color, 113 min. RATED PG

DREAMCHILD

In 1932, Alice Hargreaves (Coral Browne) travels from England to New York to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Charles Dodgson's birth — a man better known to the world as Lewis Carroll (played by Ian Holm), and she as the model for Alice in his novels "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." Memories return to remind the adult Alice that Carroll's world of make-believe has intruded on her real life in surprising and unpredictable ways. Screenplay by Dennis Potter (THE SINGING DETECTIVE; PENNIES FROM HEAVEN); creature effects by the Jim Henson Company.

DIR Gavin Millar; SCR Dennis Potter; PROD Rick McCallum, Kenith Trodd. UK, 1985, color, 94 min. RATED PG

MANHUNTER

Relegated to being the "other film" featuring Hannibal Lecter, Michael Mann's adaptation of Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon" actually preceded Jonathan Demme's smash hit THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by five years, and stands up to scrutiny as a masterpiece in its own right. CSI star William Petersen gives a powerful performance as former FBI agent Will Graham, called out of retirement to track down an elusive serial killer. Brian Cox is Lecter, the mad genius Graham consults, a collaboration that holds its own dangers.

DIR/SCR Michael Mann, from a novel by Thomas Harris; PROD Richard Roth. US, 1986, color, 119 min. RATED R

THE KEEP

Romania, 1941: a platoon of Nazi soldiers disturbs an ancient evil locked inside a mysterious mountain fortress, with terrifying results. Wehrmacht captain Jürgen Prochnow wants to proceed with caution; SS commander Gabriel Byrne wants to unravel the keep's mystery and lay claim to its power for himself. Long on style if less on substance, this horror film is a fascinating curio in director Michael Mann's canon. Featuring Ian McKellen, Scott Glenn and Alberta Watson; Tangerine Dream's hazy synth soundtrack envelops the film in a baroque otherworldliness.

DIR/SCR Michael Mann, from the novel by F. Paul Wilson; PROD Gene Kirkwood, Hawk Koch. US, 1983, color, 96 min. RATED R

THIEF

James Caan gives one of his greatest performances as a career jewel thief torn between criminal enterprise and settling down for a normal life with the woman he loves. Michael Mann's neon-drenched neo-noir, his debut film, stylishly set the template for hard-boiled drama in the 1980s. With Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, Robert Prosky, Jim Belushi and Dennis Farina. Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.

DIR/SCR Michael Mann, from "The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar" by Frank Hohimer; PROD Jerry Bruckheimer, Ronnie Caan. US, 1981, color, 122 min. RATED R

SPACEBALLS
25th Anniversary!

"May the Schwartz be with you!" In Mel Brooks' parody of George Lucas' STAR WARS saga (with a bit of STAR TREK, ALIEN and PLANET OF THE APES thrown in for good measure), mercenary Winnebago captain Lone Star (Bill Pullman) and his loyal mawg sidekick Barf (John Candy) are hired to find runaway "Druish Princess" Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) before evil Lord Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) does. Hiding out on the moon of Vega, they meet the diminutive, wizened Yogurt, who schools Lone Star not only on harnessing the power of "the Schwartz," but also on merchandising, "where the real money from the movie is made. God willing, we'll all meet again in SPACEBALLS 2: THE SEARCH FOR MORE MONEY."

DIR/SCR/PROD Mel Brooks; SCR Thomas Meehan, Ronny Graham. US, 1987, color, 96 min. RATED PG

RECKLESS

Preppy Daryl Hannah falls for bad boy Aidan Quinn in this tale of teenage forbidden romance, a rust-belt "Romeo and Juliet" that's surprisingly sexy and stylish, thanks to great chemistry between its stars and moody atmospherics from cinematographer Michael Ballhaus. The killer soundtrack includes INXS, Romeo Void, Bob Seger and, stirringly, Kim Wilde's "Kids in America." The directorial debut of James Foley (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS), first screenplay credit of Chris Columbus (GREMLINS, THE GOONIES), and the second feature film produced by the prolific Scott Rudin (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE SOCIAL NETWORK).

DIR James Foley; SCR Chris Columbus; PROD Scott Rudin, Edgar J. Scherick. US, 1984, color, 90 min. Digital presentation. RATED R

THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE
25th Anniversary!

Set in 1962, this Aussie coming-of-ager explores the pangs of first love and heartache, as young Noah Taylor watches the girl of his dreams fall for the wrong guy. Veteran character actor Taylor shines here in his first lead role, one he reprised in the better-known follow-up, 1991's FLIRTING, opposite Nicole Kidman, Thandie Newton and Naomi Watts.

DIR/SCR John Duigan; PROD Terry Hayes, George Miller, Doug Mitchell. Australia, 1987, color, 103 min. RATED PG-13

THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN
30th Anniversary!

Nice guys finish last in Boaz Davidson's remake of his own Israeli film LEMON POPSICLE. A love triangle intrudes upon the carefree shenanigans of three horny teenage pals, and what at first glance seems another formulaic teen sex comedy — albeit a remarkably un-P.C. one — surprises with a third-act shift to dramatic realism, and a legendary gut-punch of an ending. One of the signature releases of Cannon Films, boasting an echt-'80s soundtrack of Blondie, The Cars, Devo, The Human League, U2, REO Speedwagon, Journey, the Police and many more. ESPN's Bill Simmons rates it the most underrated movie of all time.

DIR/SCR Boaz Davidson; PROD Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan. US, 1982, 92 min. RATED R

MARRIED TO THE MOB

Michelle Pfeiffer is an unfulfilled mob wife. Her husband Alec Baldwin works too hard and doesn't have the time for her he once did, and she doesn't enjoy socializing with the other mobsters' wives. When Baldwin gets whacked, Pfeiffer resolves to start a new life: she moves in to a new apartment, gets a job and asks her cute neighbor Matthew Modine out on a date. But now she has to contend with the unwanted attentions of Baldwin's boss Dean Stockwell, the paranoid jealousy of Stockwell's wife Mercedes Ruehl and the fact that her cute neighbor is really an FBI agent assigned to keep tabs on her. Hilarious and heartwarming, Jonathan Demme's gangster farce contains a strong message of self-empowerment beneath the teased hair and tacky clothes.

DIR Jonathan Demme; SCR Barry Strugatz, Mark R. Burns; PROD Edward Saxon, Kenneth Utt; US, 1988, color, 104 min. RATED R

SOMETHING WILD

Looking for a thrill, bored businessman Jeff Daniels walks out on a check at a diner, drawing the attention of bad girl Melanie Griffith. Sensing a kindred spirit beneath the straitlaced exterior, she lures him away on an impromptu adventure, including motel room sex games, grand theft auto, an impromptu road trip and a visit to her high-school reunion in rural Pennsylvania. There, the odd couple encounters Griffith's ex Ray Liotta, a psychotic ex-con with designs on getting her back. All three leads are at their very best in Jonathan Demme's wild caper; among the many quirky touches are cult rockers The Feelies as the reunion's house band, and John Waters' cameo as a used-car salesman.

DIR/PROD Jonathan Demme; SCR E. Max Frye; PROD Kenneth Utt; US, 1986, color, 114 min. RATED R

TOOTSIE
30th Anniversary!
New 35mm Print!

Unemployed actor Dustin Hoffman disguises himself as a woman to land a part on a daytime soap; he's so good as a she that he becomes a star overnight. But he also begins to receive unwelcome attention from men, and finds his desire to woo gorgeous co-star Jessica Lange compromised by her fast friendship with his female alter ego. Bill Murray effortlessly steals scenes as Hoffman's blasé roommate. Sydney Pollack's rollicking comedy was nominated for 10 Oscars, with Lange winning for Best Supporting Actress.

DIR/PROD Sydney Pollack; SCR Murray Schisgal, Larry Gelbart; PROD Dick Richards, Ronald L. Schwary. US, 1982, color, 116 min. RATED PG

ISHTAR
30th Anniversary!

From the musical numbers to the blind camel, every comic moment is exquisitely, knowingly realized in this film — even though critics famously howled upon its release. Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, an awful musical comedy team, get a gig in the fictional nation of Ishtar, where they become embroiled with the local revolution — and revolutionary Isabelle Adjani. CIA agent Charles Grodin enlists the boys in the effort, rationalizing the low salary, "You can't really put a price on democracy, can you?"

DIR/SCR Elaine May; PROD Warren Beatty. US, 1987, color, 107 min. RATED PG-13

STOP MAKING SENSE

The name of this band is Talking Heads, seen here at the top of their game in director Jonathan Demme's landmark concert film.

DIR/SCR Jonathan Demme; SCR Talking Heads; PROD Gary Goetzman. US, 1984, color, 88 min. NOT RATED

DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID
30th Anniversary!

Cleverly appropriating a bevy of classic film clips, Carl Reiner's inspired homage-cum-spoof of '40s film noir pits detective Steve Martin against screen legends Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Veronica Lake, Bette Davis and more, all at their hard-boiled best. Ravishing Rachel Ward smolders as Martin's client, a high-class dame hiding a secret.

DIR/SCR Carl Reiner; SCR George Gipe, Steve Martin; PROD William E. McEuen, David V. Picker. US, 1982, color, 88 min. RATED PG

¡THREE AMIGOS!

"Wherever there is injustice, you will find us. Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there! Wherever liberty is threatened! You will find…The Three Amigos!" Silent movie actors Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase), Lucky Day (Steve Martin) and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short), their on-screen heroics mistaken for real-life reportage, are summoned to save the Mexican village of Santa Poco from the scourge of the bandit El Guapo (Alfonso Arau). A box-office bomb that became a cable comedy staple, the film's goofy good-heartedness has made it an unlikely cult classic.

DIR John Landis; SCR Steve Martin, Randy Newman; SCR/PROD Lorne Michaels; PROD George Folsey, Jr. US, 1986, color, 104 min. RATED PG

THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS

Brilliant brain surgeon and widower Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin, in zany mode) believes he can love again after he meets and marries gorgeous Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner). Quickly discovering he's been duped by the gold-digging and devious Dolores, Dr. Hfuhruhurr plots to transplant the still-living brain of sweet, dead Anne Uumellmahaye (voiced by Sissy Spacek), with which (er, whom?) he is smitten, into the body of his wicked wife.

DIR/ SCR Carl Reiner; SCR Steve Martin, George Gipe; PROD William E. McEuen, David V. Picker. US, 1983, color, 93 min. RATED R

POPEYE

Although successful at the box office and in the hearts of younger viewers, Robert Altman's POPEYE was traduced by critics and has somehow been misremembered as an expensive flop (perhaps tales about its notoriously drug-fueled production in Malta tainted the opinion of some reviewers?). But the film holds up quite well for those in the know, thanks to a game cast led by Robin Williams as the spinach-powered sailorman and Shelley Duvall as his main squeeze Olive Oyl, colorful, comic-strip-inspired set design and costumes and the excellent songs by Harry Nilsson.

DIR Robert Altman; SCR Jules Feiffer, from comic strip characters by E. C. Segar; PROD Robert Evans. US, 1980, color, 114 min. RATED PG

O.C. AND STIGGS
25th Anniversary!

When Oliver Cromwell Ogilvie's ("O.C. to my friends") beloved grandfather is denied health coverage by the insurance company run by their sanctimonious neighbor Mr. Schwab, O.C. and best pal Stiggs, two dangerously bored, devious-minded teenagers, declare war on the Schwabs' cherished suburban comfort. Robert Altman's famously maligned, misbegotten version of an '80s teen sex comedy (Altman: "It was a satire of teen sex comedies, gosh darn it, not an example of that dubious breed!") has become an underground legend among his fans. With Dennis Hopper, Jane Curtin, Melvin Van Peebles, Jon Cryer, Ray Walston, Paul Dooley, Martin Mull, Bob Uecker and Cynthia Nixon. Music (and cameo) by King Sunny Adé.

DIR/PROD Robert Altman; SCR Ted Mann, Donald Cantrell, from National Lampoon's "The Utterly Monstrous, Mind-Roasting Summer of O.C. and Stiggs;" PROD Peter Newman. US, 1987, color, 109 min. RATED R

THE MONSTER SQUAD
25th Anniversary!

"Wolfman's got nards!" This mind-blowingly misbegotten mashup of a kiddie comedy and a horror flick has gained a hard-earned cult reputation over the years for its sweetly profane, only-in-the-'80s sensibility. Count Dracula enlists a bad-dream team of iconic ghouls, including Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Gillman (late of the Black Lagoon) to aid him in his quest to conquer the world. Only a ragtag crew of 12-year-old monster movie enthusiasts realizes that the monsters are real, and knows how to stop them. The excellent special effects work is by Stan Winston.

DIR/SCR Fred Dekker; SCR Shane Black; PROD Jonathan A. Zimbert. US, 1987, color, 82 min. RATED PG-13

PREDATOR
25th Anniversary!

Arnold Schwarzenegger leads a special ops team into the South American jungle on what he believes to be a search-and-rescue mission, which turns out to be something much more dangerous. ROCKY's Carl Weathers and pro wrestling's Jesse "The Body" Ventura (the film stars not one but two future governors!) round out the cast. Director John McTiernan (DIE HARD) displays a deft hand with the action; the special effects and iconic creature design are by Stan Winston.

DIR John McTiernan; SCR Jim Thomas, John Thomas; PROD John Davis, Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver. US, 1987, color, 107 min. RATED R