Get 'Booksmart' at Sag Harbor Cinema

As part of Sag Harbor Cinema’s interest in exploring the connection between film and other arts, the cinema is presenting a new initiative focused on the intersection of film and literature. In September, “Sag Harbor Cinema’s Booksmart” will feature two consecutive weekends of screenings of four films inspired by literature, each followed by a Q&A with a special guest: “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” with writer/director Paul Schrader, “Don’t Look Now” with novelist Susan Scarf Merrell, Tim Burton’s “Batman” (guest TBA) and “Goodbye, Columbus,” with journalist and historian Eric Alterman.

“The world of literature is often featured in our programs. The idea to further explore its relationship to film seemed a natural one to me,” said Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, the cinema’s artistic director. “To lead us into this exploration, we have invited one of the greatest American screenwriters working today, an award-winning novelist whose work has been adapted into film, and a renowned essayist and academic, specialized in film adaptations. It will make for an exciting start of what I imagine as a recurring initiative.”

On Saturday, September 21, at 6 p.m., Paul Schrader will kick off the series with a screening of his highly stylized 1985 biographical drama “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters.” The film will be followed by a discussion with Schrader, whose screenwriting credits include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “Affliction” (adapted from Russell Banks), about weaving elements from acclaimed Japanese author’s autobiography “Confessions of a Mask” and dramatizations of Mishima’s own writings (“The Temple of the Golden Pavilion,” “Kyoko’s House” and “Runaway Horses”). The film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas with a musical score by Philip Glass.

On Sunday, September 22, at 6 p.m., the cinema hosts East End writer Susan Scarf Merrell for a screening of Nicolas Roeg’s 1974 thriller classic “Don’t Look Now” starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie as a grieving couple who travel to Venice only to find themselves at the center of mysterious phenomena. The film, based on the chilling short story by Daphne du Maurier, will also be followed by a Q&A with Merrell, whose novel “Shirley” was inspired by a chapter in the life of gothic author Shirley Jackson and subsequently turned into a film directed by Josephine Decker.

The series continues the following weekend with two more screenings and special guests. On Saturday, September 28, at 6 p.m., the cinema explores the highly popular form of comic book-based films through Tim Burton’s “Batman” followed by a discussion with Michael Uslan, the originator and executive producer of the Batman movie franchise from 1989’s revolutionary “Batman,” through “The Dark Knight Trilogy” and the upcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux” and “The Batman, Part II.”

Finally, on Sunday, September 29, at 6 p.m. the cinema will screen “Goodbye, Columbus,” Larry Peerce’s 1969 adaptation of Philip Roth’s 1959 novella, followed by a Q&A with journalist Eric Alterman. Alterman is a CUNY Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism. He was the “The Liberal Media” columnist for The Nation for 25 years and is now a columnist for The American Prospect. He is the author of 12 books, including most recently “We Are Not One: A History of America’s Fight Over Israel” (2022).

As a nod to the literary weekends, the cinema will also screen Rob Reiner’s 1986 classic “Stand by Me,” adapted from Stephen King’s 1982 novella “The Body,” on September 21 and 22, at 11 a.m. as part of the year round Kids & Families programming. SHC will also host one screening of Spike Jonze’s 2002 film “Adaptation” on Monday, September 23, at 6 p.m. as part of its yearlong “100 Years of Columbia” series. The film, written by Charlie Kaufman, is based on Kaufman’s own struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s book “The Orchid Thief.”

“Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters”
Directed by Paul Schrader, 
Rated R; USA/Japan, 1985; 120 mins, in English and Japanese with English subtitles

Schrader’s visually stunning, collagelike portrait of the acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted the impossible task of finding harmony among self, art, and society. Taking place on the last day of Mishima’s life, when he famously committed public seppuku, the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s past as well as gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works. With its rich cinematography by John Bailey, exquisite sets and costumes by Eiko Ishioka, and unforgettable, highly influential score by Philip Glass, the film is a tribute to its subject and a bold, investigative work of art in its own right.

“Don’t Look Now” 
Directed by Nicolas Roeg, Rated R; UK/Italy, 1973; 110 mins, in English

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie mesmerize as a British married couple on an extended trip to Venice following a family tragedy. While in that elegantly decaying city, they have a series of inexplicable, terrifying, and increasingly dangerous experiences. A masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg, “Don’t Look Now,” adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier, is a brilliantly disturbing tale of the supernatural, as renowned for its innovative editing and haunting cinematography as for its naturalistic eroticism and its unforgettable climax and denouement — one of the great endings in horror history.

“Batman” 
Directed by Tim Burton, Rated PG-13; USA, 1989; 126 mins, in English

Having witnessed his parents’ brutal murder as a child, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) fights crime in Gotham City disguised as Batman, a costumed hero who strikes fear into the hearts of villains. But when a deformed madman who calls himself “The Joker” (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham’s criminal underworld, Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis ever while protecting both his identity and his love interest, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger).

“Goodbye Columbus” 
Directed by Larry Peerce, Rated PG; USA, 1969; 102 mins, in English

Neil Klugman (Richard Benjamin), a young librarian in New Jersey, has eyes for Brenda Patimkin (Ali MacGraw), a beautiful Radcliffe student. Although they are both Jewish, Brenda’s family is much wealthier and more conservative than Neil’s. As their relationship matures, their differing cultural backgrounds cause Brenda’s mother (Nan Martin) to have trepidations about the couple. As their disparate ideas about sex and birth control come to the fore, their feelings for each other are tested.

Sag Harbor Cinema is at 90 Main Street in Sag Harbor. For tickets and full schedule, visit sagharborcinema.org.