Reprints of the film program will be raffled off at the screening. (20th Century Fox)
This Friday two old films will be out in theaters and both are being showcased because they will be featured in special edition DVDs next month. The films are John Ford's silent classic The Iron Horse and Ridley Scott's final cut of his seminal sci-fi film Blade Runner . Now some may complain about the way that Hollywood recycles old product but if releasing films on DVD makes studios not only willing but eager to dig through their archives to restore and preserve old films or to allow directors to go back and fine tune their earlier works then I say let's celebrate. And if that also encourages studios to play some of those older titles on the big screen in an effort to promote the DVD before it goes on sale, then again hooray! Audiences benefit on both counts and a new generation of filmgoers can be treated to classics on the big screen, something that's becoming more and more rare.
John Ford's 1924 silent The Iron Horse will have a special benefit screening at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park on Friday November 30 at 7:00 pm (there will also be a post film discussion with composer Christopher Caliendo). The film is part of Twentieth Century Fox epic box set of 24 John Ford films that includes some never before released on DVD. The set, called Ford at FoxThe Collection , also includes a new documentary about the filmmaker and will be available in stores on December 4.
