Fantasy, sci-fi and anime fans get a special treat at a screening of The Last Unicorn with Peter S. Beagle. The screenplay, written by Beagle and based on his novel of the same name, involves a complicated plot about an evil king, a riddle-speaking butterfly, a bumbling magician and what could possibly be the last unicorn.
“I really dig it,” said Robert Saucedo. “It’s such a trippy movie; it’s hard to define. There are some very adult elements, mature themes and comedy bits.” In addition to brilliant imagery from expert Japanese animators and designers, listen for the voices of Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury and Christopher Lee. “We’re showing a 4K restoration of this movie; it’s going to look magnificent on the screen,” added Saucedo, noting that standard cinema production is 2K resolution, while Blu-ray is just 1K.
With Beagle in attendance, Alamo Drafthouse is turning the event into a party, encouraging costumes and handing out prizes. “One year, we got a call from a gentleman [asking], would it be okay if he came dressed in a unicorn costume? After explaining that the costume wouldn’t allow him to sit down and that he would have to stand in the corner, we told him not to worry, that we would make accommodations,” said Saucedo. “Hopefully there will be a unicorn in attendance this year.”
5 p.m. pre-show activities; 6 p.m. screening Saturday. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — Vintage Park, 114 Vintage Park. For information, call 832-559-5959 or visit drafthouse.com. $12.
Sat., April 4, 6 p.m., 2015
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2015.
