Double Feature

Play It As It Lays

Frank Perry adapts Joan Didion’s acclaimed debut novel Play It As It Lays, crafting a lyrical ode to an American angel of death and desire. Maria Wyeth’s built a successful acting career from humble small town root, but her life falls apart behind the scenes. Her abusive husband is also her director (Adam Roarke), she’s pregnant with an unwanted child pre-Roe V. Wade, and the 4-year-old daughter she does have is institutionalized. She can’t help but aimlessly drive L.A. freeways, bitch casually with depressed, gay best friend, B.Z. (Anthony Perkins), and lounge, lethargic and lilting, everywhere in between. A scathing scream into the bitter, dizzying emptiness of it all, this film is as beautiful as it is cruel.

Kim Morgan discusses Play It As It Lays on the New Beverly blog.

Puzzle of a Downfall Child

The directorial debut from famed photographer/filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg (The Panic in Needle Park, Scarecrow)! From her beach cottage, a former fashion model recounts a fractured tale of her downward spiral of loneliness, lies, delusion, and mental breakdown. An exceptional Faye Dunaway stars in a rarely-screened psychological drama.

“One of the finest in recent years. Solid direction, sensitive acting, and a superb script combine to make ‘PUZZLE’ a tour de force for everyone involved.” – Michael Goodwin, Rolling Stone

“Brilliantly innovative… rare film! One of the top movies of the year!” – Richard Cuskelly, L.A. Herald-Examiner