WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Clark Art Institute screens the latest installment in its Hollywood Auteurs film series, "The Phantom of the Paradise" (1974), at 6 pm. 

 

Presented in partnership with Images Cinema, this series captures the explosion of creativity, critical acclaim, and box office success that Hollywood directors found after the fall of the studio system. This film is shown in the Manton Research Center auditorium.

 

According to a press release:

 

Brian De Palma's rock opera "Phantom of the Paradise" remains a connoisseur's cult classic, fifty years after its release. Disfigured composer Winslow Leach (William Finley) seeks revenge on Swan (Paul Williams), the heartless producer who stole his music, which Leach wrote for Phoenix (Jessica Harper), the woman he loves from afar. Williams' wicked rock music powers director De Palma's outré musical, which combines elements of Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera", Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and Goethe's "Faust". A cult classic among cult classics. (Run time: 1 hour, 32 minutes)

 

Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.