Fathom Events and Columbia Pictures celebrate the studio’s 100th anniversary with special screenings of two of its most iconic Oscar-winning films, as Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi opus “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” and the groundbreaking adventure epic “Lawrence Of Arabia” return to theaters this summer.
Screenings of “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” will take place on Sunday, July 7 at 3pm and 7pm local time, and Wednesday, July 10 at 7pm local time.
Screenings of “Lawrence Of Arabia” screenings will be held on Sunday, August 11 at 1pm and 7pm local time, and Monday, August 12 at 7pm local time.
Both screenings will include the exclusive “Columbia 100 Celebration” featurette, putting the spotlight on a century of world-class cinema spanning across the industry powerhouse’s illustrious past to its promising present.
“Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”
The film stars Richard Dreyfuss as cable worker Roy Neary who, along with several other stunned bystanders, experiences a close encounter of the first kind—witnessing UFOs soaring across the sky.
After this life-changing event, the inexplicable vision of a strange, mountain-like formation haunts him. He becomes obsessed with discovering what it represents, much to the dismay of his wife and family.
Meanwhile, bizarre occurrences are happening around the world. Government agents have close encounters of the second kind—discovering physical evidence of extraterrestrial visitors in the form of a lost fighter aircraft from World War II and a stranded military ship that disappeared decades earlier, only to suddenly reappear in unusual places.
Roy continues to chase his vision to a remote area, where he and the agents follow the clues that have drawn them to a site where they will have a close encounter of the third kind.
The film, written and directed by Steven Spielberg, features an original score by legendary composer John Williams, and also stars Teri Garr and Melinda Dillon with Francois Truffaut as Lacombe.
Each screening presents the definitive Director’s Cut, which is the longest edition of the film, and includes refined and re-ordered sequences and additional scenes that take the hit to even greater heights.
Exclusive to the Fathom Event is the charming special “Close Encounters: Home Movies And Outtakes,” providing a rare look behind-the-scenes with Steven Spielberg, himself.
“Lawrence Of Arabia”
Heralded as Columbia Pictures’ most-celebrated film, “Lawrence Of Arabia” is the winner of seven Academy Awards—including Best Picture of 1962—and remains one of the most timeless and essential motion picture masterpieces.
Considered the greatest achievement of its Oscar-winning auteur director, David Lean (1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia,” 1957’s “The Bridge on the River Kwai”), the film introduced Peter O’Toole in his career-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the audacious World War I British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire.
The film also took home Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Score, among others, and boasts the talented ensemble of Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains, Arthur Kennedy with Omar Sharif as "Ali".
Produced by the legendary Sam Spiegel, the film's screenplay is by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson.
Exclusive to the Fathom screenings will be the special feature “Peter O’Toole Revisits Lawrence Of Arabia,” an intimate retrospective that finds the esteemed leading man reflecting not only on the role that would leave an indelible mark on his life and career, but on the history of film, itself.
Each Fathom screening of the film will be presented in the acclaimed 2012 version, brilliantly restored in 4K to its complete 224-minute version.
Visit the Fathom Events website to purchase tickets.