Sie Film Center — home of Denver Film Society — is continuing to roll out some fantastic programming for 2018. As always, the theater hosted special screenings of films that played at Denver Film Festival such as Faces Places and Have a Nice Day. Now, it’s hosting a 10-year anniversary celebration of independent film distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories. It’s a 25-film retrospective — the largest Oscilloscope Laboratories retrospective in the country. The lineup features a number of notable films, one of which is the landmark LCD Soundsystem documentary, Shut Up and Play the Hits.
The documentary chronicles frontman James Murphy on the day of and the day after LCD Soundsystem’s final performance before the band’s initial breakup. The concert sold out instantly and was nearly four hours long. The film features a variety of live performance clips from the show which took place at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2011. Throughout Shut Up and Play the Hits, you’ll also find Aziz Ansari and Donald Glover raging in a massive crowd. Balanced with grief-stricken and sentimental moments, lots of tears and hoards of dancing fans, the film was an official selection at both Sundance Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival in 2012.
Turns out Keith Garcia, chief programmer at Sie Film Center, is a fan of LCD Soundsystem himself. When asked about Shut Up and Play the Hits, he said, “The film captures the energy of the group and its players and the giant weight of concluding their career in a final blaze of concert glory. It’s an intimate portrait that balances the sweet with the sad on a fantastic beat.”
READ: Review – LCD Soundsystem Brought Down the House at The 1st Bank Center
LCD Soundsystem reunited in 2015 followed by the release of their critically acclaimed fourth proper album, American Dream. The supergroup performed two sold-out nights at Red Rocks in 2016 plus a 1st Bank show in 2017 and Belly Up and X Games performances in Aspen this year.
The retrospective will take place March 1 to 31, 2018 at Sie Film Center. Shut Up and Play the Hits will screen Saturday, March 12 at 7:15 p.m. and Monday, March 14 at 9:30 p.m. For filmgoers interested in seeing the LCD documentary, Garcia recommended some other comparable films in the series to check out in addition.
“Within our month-long series, Awesome I F*@%IN’ Shot That and Wild Combination (about the incomparable Arthur Russell) will speak to Shut Up and Play the Hits fans.” He continued, “On a different level Samsara and Dark Days (featuring a score by DJ Shadow) use music in such amazing ways with their stories.”
Check out the full lineup of films in the Denver Film Society Oscilloscope Laboratories retrospective below. Tickets for each film can be purchased independently, or with a series pass which allows admittance to all 25 films ($140 non-member; $100 member). For more information on the retrospective go here.
Awesome I F*@%IN’ Shot That – Thursday, March 1 at 7:15 p.m. & Tuesday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m.
Twelve O’Clock Boys – Friday, March 2 at 7:15 p.m. & Monday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m.
The Fits – Saturday, March 3 & Tuesday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m.
Treeless Mountain – Saturday, March 3 at 7:15 p.m. & Monday, March 5 at 4:30 p.m.
Dear Zachary – Monday, March 5 at 7:15 p.m. & Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 p.m.
Lost in Paris – Friday, March 9 at 7:15 p.m. & Saturday, March 10 at 2 p.m.
Always Shine – March 9 at 9:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 11 at 9:30 p.m.
Dark Days – Saturday, March 10 at 9:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 11 at 7:15 p.m.
Shut Up and Play the Hits – Saturday, March 12 at 7:15 p.m. & Monday, March 14 at 9:30 p.m.
Wild Combination – Monday, March 12 at 7:15 p.m. & Tuesday, March 13 at 9:30 p.m.
Samsara – Friday, March 16 at 7:15 p.m. & Sunday, March 18 at 4:30 p.m.
Rare Exports – Friday, March 16 & Saturday, March 17 at 9:30 p.m.
Embrace of the Serpent – Saturday, March 17 at 7:15 p.m. & Monday, March 18 at 4:30 p.m.
It’s a Disaster – Sunday, March 18 at 7:15 p.m. & Tuesday, March 20 at 9:30 p.m.
Polytechnique – Thursday, March 22 at 7:15 p.m. & Friday, March 30 at 9:30 p.m.
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie – Thursday, March 22 at 9:30 p.m. & Saturday, March 24 at 4:30 p.m.
The Love Witch – Friday, March 23 at 7:15 p.m. & Saturday, March 24 at 9:30 p.m.
The Alchemist Cookbook – Friday, March 23 at 9:30 p.m. & Saturday, March 24 at 2 p.m.
The Law – Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m.
October Country – Monday, March 26 at 7:15 p.m. & Tuesday, March 27 at 9:30 p.m.
Tchoupitoulas – Monday, March 26 at 9:30 p.m. & Wednesday, March 28 at 9:30 p.m.
Terribly Happy – Wednesday, March 28 at 7:15 p.m. & Thursday, March 29 at 9:45 p.m.
We Need to Talk About Kevin – Thursday, March 29 at 7:15 p.m. & Saturday, March 31 at 9:30 p.m.
Wendy & Lucy – Friday, March 30 at 7:15 p.m. & Saturday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Meek’s Cutoff – Saturday, March 31 at 7:15 p.m.