On Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m., The Avon Theatre presents a Critic’s Choice screening of Paul Thomas Anderson’s directorial debut, HARD EIGHT, hosted by local film critic, Nick Schager.
Ticket prices are as follows: Carte Blanche Members: FREE, Members: $6, Students & Seniors: $8, Nonmembers: $11.
Call the Avon business office at 203-661-0321 or the box office at 203-967-3660, x2 for tickets.
ABOUT HARD EIGHT: Before his commercial breakthrough with Boogie Nights (1997), writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson made this quietly powerful character driven drama. John (John C. Reilly), a half-bright loser stranded in Reno, is down to his last few bucks when Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), taking pity on him, buys him breakfast and offers him a few tips on making money in the casinos.
Two years later, John has become Sydney's partner, but his lack of common sense goes from problematic to dangerous when he falls in love with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress who isn't above turning a few tricks when she needs to make money -- and isn't any brighter than John. Hall and Reilly, both first-rate character actors, are cast in rare leading roles, and Paltrow is cast strongly against type as a part-time prostitute with a serious lack of street smarts. Despite originally receiving only a perfunctory release when it opened theatrically in 1996, Hard Eight has since gained a significant fan base and critical support, largely a result of the subsequent success of writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. Don’t miss out on this rare theatrical presentation.
ABOUT THE CRITIC: Nick Schager is a film critic for Slant magazine and Time Out New York as well as a columnist and features writer for the Independent Film Channel. His work has also appeared in, among other publications, The Village Voice, indieWire, Cinematical, The Independent, The Screengrab, PLANET magazine and SOMA magazine. A former magazine editor and 2004 graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, he has been a featured speaker at Columbia University as well as a guest on A&E's Biography and G4TV's Attack of the Show. He resides in Stamford, CT with his two daughters.
ABOUT THE AVON: The Avon Theatre is a member-supported, non-profit cultural hub, dedicated to presenting film in its highest form, and thriving because of the support of our patrons and community. In addition to an exciting slate of new releases that are hard to find anywhere else, The Avon brings you phenomenal special events and monthly programs. We are proud to provide a forum for in-person, community dialogue with directors, actors and other luminaries in a vibrant “Main Street America” setting.
Avon Theatre Film Center
272 Bedford St
Stamford, CT 06901
Box Office: (203) 967-3660
Business Office: (203) 661-0321
Website: www.avontheatre.org
Twitter: @avontheatre
Facebook: www.facebook.com/avontheatre
