Crosstown Theater

After coming in under budget at the completion of SMOKE, Wayne Wang and screenwriter Paul Auster managed to convince their producers to make an immediate sequel, this time shot almost entirely on the fly with no script in just five days. Despite the constraints, Wang and Auster, serving as co-directors, deliver a satisfying follow up, returning once again to Auggie Wren’s Brooklyn tobacco shop, and assembling another impressive cast, including Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Keith David, Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Mel Gorham, Jim Jarmusch, Malik Yoba, and Madonna. What emerges is yet another funny, moving, and authentic portrait of a Brooklyn neighborhood.

Bounty hunter Mack “Truck” Turner (Isaac Hayes) almost always finds his target, but his latest prize — a pimp called Gator (Paul Harris) — is killed while Turner is chasing him. Gator's girl, Dorinda (Nichelle Nichols), vows to avenge his death and offers ownership of her successful call girl operation to anyone who can knock off Turner. Upscale pimp Harvard Blue (Yaphet Kotto) steps in, upping the ante with professional assassins. Turner, however, isn’t going down easily.

This program, which includes award-winning and audience-favorite films from their most recent festival, intends for youth audiences to gain global awareness through the medium of film. From intergenerational friendship, to discovering and rescuing a friend from an alternate dimension, to learning how to honor your ancestors, these films beautifully cover a broad range of ages and experiences. 

Continuing the autobiographical story he began in The Dance of Reality, Endless Poetry is an ode to the quest for beauty and inner truth, as a universal force capable of changing one’s life forever, written by a man who has dedicated his existence to creating spiritual and artistic awareness, told through Jodorowsky’s unique surreal and psychedelic visual language.

Join director Jamila Wignot in person for a preview of the first episode of the new HBO docuseries STAX: Soulsville U.S.A., followed by a panel discussion with Wignot and key participants. After the film and post-film discussion, please join HBO, Crosstown Arts, and Indie Memphis for a reception for all ticket-holders. The post-film reception will be held in the Crosstown Arts East Atrium (above the red staircase). Complimentary food and drinks will be provided.

A sequel of sorts to Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead tells the story of a group of survivors during a zombie outbreak who take refuge in a suburban shopping mall while mass hysteria wreaks havoc on their town. 

Kirk Whalum’s Epic Cool is an electrifying collection of original grooves. Teaming up with producer Greg Manning (two-time GRAMMYr nominee, composer/collaborator on 10 No. 1 Billboard hits), Whalum focuses on his songwriting to craft an album that's passionate and spirited on a monumental scale, but with his trademark soul. Celebrate its release with this very special performance at Crosstown Theater!

Celebrating over a quarter century of music making, the twice GRAMMY® Award-nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Welcome to your new favorite pop-art explosion. Stewardess Yoriko is kidnapped by a team of deadly female assassins who use vinyl records as weapons. Now, it’s up to photographer Hondo to uncover the conspiracy while dealing with go-go dancing ninjas and bullets made of chewing gum. The bubblegum reference isn’t a coincidence — Black Tight Killersis an ultra-stylish, candy-coated amusement park ride in the form of a movie. This overlooked crime-noir delight shares the visual inventiveness of Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik and the pulp thrills of Seijun Suzuki’s Tokyo Drifter. An essential big screen experience.

In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.