Among the AFI Dallas Stars, Peter Bogdanovich Celebrates The Last Picture Show

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Mar. 16 2009 at 11:07 AM

Categories: Film

We were asked not to say anything till later this week, but the full-page ad in yesterday's paper ran a week too early yesterday and jumped the starter's gun ... so, we're off. As it said in the AFI Dallas International Film Festival spread on Page 18A, this year's Star Awards recipients include Near Dark director Kathryn Bigelow (bringing her critically adored Iraq War thriller The Hurt Locker to the fest), Adrien Brody (here with opener The Brothers Bloom), Coraline director Henry Selick and Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne. All those had been previously announced.

But Peter Bogdanovich, named and pictured but served up without any further details, was supposed to be a secret -- chiefly because AFI organizers are trying to lock down the director for two days. On April 2 at 7 p.m., Bogdanovich is confirmed to attend a Nasher Sculpture Garden screening of his 1971 masterpiece The Last Picture Show, for which he will be joined by Sonny Crawford hisself, Timothy Bottoms. But fest heads are also trying to lock down a screening the following day of the underrated 1990 sequel, Texasville, of which a print doesn't exist -- at least, not the heretofore unseen director's cut Bogdanovich wants to debut on April 3. At this very moment, matter of fact, he's trying to convince MGM to strike a print especially for the festival. Word is, the man has some pull.

Email to Friend