EDWARDSVILLE – A now-classic science fiction film, one of Marlon Brando’s best-known films and a legendary Western are on the schedule of $3 Tuesday movies for February at the Wildey Theatre.
The February movie calendar kicks off with the original 1999 “The Matrix” starring Keanu Reeves.
The original movie was followed by “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003) and “The Matrix Revolutions” (2003). The franchise recently resumed with the 2021 release of “The Matrix Resurrections.”
“I’m sure that some people that have seen the new movie weren’t even born in 1999, so this is a chance for them to see where the whole franchise started,” Wildey manager Al Canal said.
On Feb. 8, the Wildey will switch gears with a showing of the 1951 classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” starring Marlo Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is adapted from Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. The film tells the story of a southern belle, Blanche DuBois who, after encountering a series of personal losses, leaves her aristocratic background seeking refuge with her sister and brother-in-law in a dilapidated New Orleans apartment building.
The film earned an estimated $4,250,000 at the US and Canadian box office in 1951, making it the fifth-biggest hit of the year. It received Oscar nominations in 10 other categories and won three, including Best Supporting Actor (Malden) and Best Supporting Actress (Hunter).
In 1999, “A Streetcar Named Desire” was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
“It’s a great movie with a great cast. Marlon Brandon was an amazing actor, from this movie all the way to ‘The Godfather’ many years later,” Canal said.
For more about movies, see film critic Mary Cox’s review on “Munich: The Edge of War.”
Next up on the Wildey movie schedule is a classic 1969 Western, “The Wild Bunch.”
Directed by Sam Peckinpah, “The Wild Bunch” stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates.
The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang on the Mexico-United States border trying to adapt to the changing modern world of 1913. The film was controversial because of its graphic violence and its portrayal of crude men attempting to survive by any available means.
“The Wild Bunch” was also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
“A couple of weeks ago, we had some people drive over from St. Louis for a Tuesday showing of ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ ” Canal said. “I tell people that I’m always open to suggestions, and they said would love it if we would show ‘The Wild Bunch.’
“As they went in to watch the movie, I got online to the licensing companies to see if it was available, and it was. I processed my request and printed out a poster, so when these guys got out of seeing ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ the poster for “The Wild Bunch” was already up on the wall.”
The final Tuesday movie for the month, slated for Feb. 22, has not yet been announced.
The $3 tickets are available starting at 3 p.m. the day of the movie at the Wildey Theatre ticket office.
Tickets are cash or check only. Cash and credit cards are accepted for concessions. The lobby opens at 6 p.m. and all seats are general admission.
