DARK HORSE
July 23, 2012, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Outside the Box [Office], Brainstorm Media and Vitagraph Films invite you and a guest to a special screening of
Dark Horse
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Opens in New York on Friday, June 8th, 2012
About Dark Horse
Writer and director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, Life During Wartime) examines the irretrievability of youth and the mercilessness of time passing in Dark Horse, a melancholy and idiosyncratic comedy starring Justin Bartha (The Hangover), Selma Blair (Hellboy), Mia Farrow (Rosemary’s Baby), Jordan Gelber (“Boardwalk Empire”), Donna Murphy (Spider-Man 2), Academy Award® winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter), Zachary Booth (The Blue Eyes) and Aasif Mandvi (“The Daily Show”).
In his mid-30s, Abe (Jordan Gelber) clings to the trappings of his adolescence, including the extensive collection of toys and action figures adorning his boyhood bedroom. Still living with his parents Jackie (Christopher Walken) and Phyllis (Mia Farrow), Abe works for his increasingly disappointed Dad and spends evenings ruthlessly trouncing his Mom at backgammon. His older brother Richard’s (Justin Bartha) success as a California doctor only feeds Abe’s resentment and rage at his family over his failures.
When Abe meets Miranda (Selma Blair), whose personal and professional disasters have sent her scrambling back to the safety of her parents’ suburban home, he sees what he thinks is a chance at true love. Abe throws himself into pursuing the overmedicated Miranda, convincing her to marry him after a whirlwind courtship. But, as the couple haltingly prepares to start a new life together, the film swerves into Abe’s subconscious, where his crippling self-doubt and dark fears begin to undermine his
nearly realized dream of a fuller life.
Tempering his trademark lacerating humor with unexpected tenderness, Solondz creates a poignant and provocative portrait of a besieged man-child and his fractured family—the story of a longtime dark horse struggling to come from behind.
35mm print provided courtesy of Brainstorm Media and Vitagraph Films. Not rated. Running time: 84 minutes.
To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkhorsemovie#!/darkhorsemovie
About the Guest
TODD SOLONDZ (Director/Writer)
Todd Solondz was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in the suburbs. In 1996, Welcome to the Dollhouse, a feature he wrote, directed and produced, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival as well as many other awards. Next, Solondz wrote and directed 1998’s Happiness, which won the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award® for Best Screenplay.
His next film, Storytelling, premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and was named one of the 10 best films of the year by The New York Times. Solondz’s Palindromes made its premiere in competition at the 2004 Venice Film Festival and was seen at the Telluride, New York and Toronto film festivals. Most recently, Solondz wrote and directed Life During Wartime, which won the best screenplay award at the 2009 Venice Film Festival as well as numerous other awards.
About Outside the Box [Office]
Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday and Sunday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.
To view the calendar of screenings, click here.
Check-In & Reservations
This screening is free of charge and open to the public. Please bring a valid USC ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.
All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.
Parking
The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $8.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & McClintock Avenue. We recommend parking in outdoor Lot M or V, or Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Please note that Parking Structure D cannot accommodate tall vehicles such as SUVs. Metered street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.
Contact Information
Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu