When I was a child, I thought actor-dancer-choreographer Ann Reinking was the height of sexiness, owing purely to her moves on the chaise lounge in 1982’s Annie. Clad in a cream-colored slip, her curls bouncing on her bare shoulders, Reinking entranced little orphan Annie (and small children like me) with a song about the magic of cinema. “Let’s Go to the Movies” has been in my head all week, because the Belcourt is back, baby! The theater has limited seating and plenty of safety protocols in place, and the programming team has planned a slate of repertory screenings that celebrate cinema. First up is Giuseppe Tornatore’s Oscar-winning 1988 drama Cinema Paradiso. In it, successful film director Salvatore returns home for the funeral of an old friend, Alfredo, the former projectionist at the small Sicilian village’s movie theater. We’re swept back to Salvatore’s early days, when — as a cheeky bambino — he sneaks into the projectionist’s booth. Alfredo is forced to temporarily remove anything too steamy by the village priest, who unfailingly shows up to investigate, and Salvatore pockets the pieces of celluloid. The kid’s curiosity about French kissing leads him to an ardent love of cinema, and he comes of age as the theater’s new projectionist, watching the same movies over and over again while he dreams of his own films. In one scene, Salvatore turns his projector to the village square — much like Belcourt staffers did to bring the magic of the theater to the parking during the height of the pandemic. Cinema Paradiso is perfect for this moment in the lives of moviegoers. Keep up to date with the rest of the Weekend Classics: At the Movies series, which is set to include Fellini’s 8 ½ , Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show and more. May 1-2 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. ERICA CICCARONE
See Weekend Classics: Cinema Paradiso at the Belcourt
