Movie musings

When Robert Redford visited Iowa City for the 1976 Refocus Festival at the University of Iowa, he made quite the impression on one student, who had the honor of hosting him for dinner. Decades later, and a month after his death, she remembers what it was like to sit across the table from the Hollywood star.

From his golden hair and blue eyes to his striking smile and charming nature, actor Robert Redford was a Hollywood heartthrob. He was also an award-winning director, a producer, an industry leader and a political activist. Although his career and life have come to a close, he left us with decades of great films to revisit and discover. If you haven’t had the chance to fall in love with Redford yet, here’s where to start.

The cult craze of The Room hits Iowa this week, with Greg Sestero (Oh, hi Mark) set to appear in-person at screenings in Davenport and Des Moines. Widely considered to be the worst movie ever made, fans of The Room continue to flock to theaters for a rowdy good time. Don’t forget the plastic spoons!

The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's legendary concert film documenting The Band's farewell performance, has become a Thanksgiving viewing tradition for both music and movie fans.

This weekend, audiences in Des Moines will have the opportunity to hear from Joseph Giunta, the music director and conductor at the Des Moines Symphony, during the Varsity Cinema’s two-night premiere of Maestro. Giunta will share stories about his time working with legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein before the 7 p.m. screenings on Dec. 15 and 16.

The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's legendary concert film documenting The Band's farewell performance, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. To honor the occasion, the film is being re-released in theaters for a special one-day-only event on Sunday, Nov. 5. Participating Iowa theaters include locations in West Des Moines, Cedar Falls and Waterloo.

In 1984, the film Stop Making Sense released and made music and cinematic history by creating a new movie-concert experience. The film, directed by Jonathan Demme, brought viewers into Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues tour. Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, film studio A24 is releasing a re-mastered version for a whole new generation of audiences to enjoy.