17 hours Ago By Ben Elliott
I usually use this newsletter to dive deep into one of the movies playing at The Triplex, but I am at a loss today: We have so many amazing special events and community partners coming into the theater this week, I couldn’t choose just one to spotlight.“The Red Shoes,” 1948. Photo courtesy of Park Circus.
Jacob’s Pillow joins us for a fundraiser screening of the classic dance drama “The Red Shoes” on Saturday; Heather Forouhar, M.D., from the Austen Riggs Center discusses the iconic documentary Grey Gardens on Sunday; No Comply Foods returns with another night of themed food and ’90s action with a screening of “Face/Off” on Tuesday; Railroad Street Youth project presents findings from their 2024 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey ahead of a screening and talkback of the new documentary “Recovery City” on Wednesday; and Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain star in “Take Shelter,” the next entry in our “Down the Rabbit Hole” series, on Thursday.
“Face/Off,” 1997. Photo courtesy of Paramount.This kind of mixed programming is what I love about The Triplex.
These movies range from silly to serious, but each of these events meets a need in our community. We have to face the harsh truth of how addiction and a lack of mental health resources affect us, but we need to escape, too—either through the beauty of dance or the surreality of John Travolata and Nic Cage having a shootout in slow motion.As we move forward into a world that feels increasingly scary and unpredictable, let’s embrace disparate parts of ourselves—both the serious and the silly.
Movies have the ability to nourish us in even the darkest times and, if we see them with our friends and neighbors, push back against feelings of uncertainty and fear.Now Playing“The Friend”A tribute to man’s best friend with Naomi Watts and Bill Murray.Writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved Great Dane in “The Friend.
” Despite the disruptions of suddenly sharing her life with a 150-pound beast, Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, coming to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life.Starts Friday.“The Friend,” 2025.
Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street.“A Minecraft Movie”A hilarious take on the beloved video game.Director Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”) takes you inside one of the most popular video games of all time in “A Minecraft Movie,” coming to The Triplex on April 4! When four misfits find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld, a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination, they will have to master their building abilities while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black).
Starts Friday.“A Minecraft Movie,” 2025. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
“Secret Mall Apartment”A documentary that sticks it to the man.“Secret Mall Apartment” is the true story of eight Rhode Island artists who created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place mall and kept it going for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret mall apartment became an incredibly meaningful act for all the participants, at once an act of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and a 750-square-foot space that sticks it to the man.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “Secret Mall Apartment” comes to The Triplex for one week starting this Friday.“Secret Mall Apartment,” 2025. Photo courtesy of Michael Tuckerman Media.
“The Red Shoes”A fundraiser event with Jacob’s Pillow.We are teaming up with our friends at Jacob’s Pillow for a special screening of Powell and Pressburger’s “The Red Shoes,” the story of a young ballerina (Moira Shearer) forced to make a choice between art and love. After the movie, join Norton Owen, director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, and Lynn Garafola, professor emerita of dance at Barnard College, for a discussion about the preservation of dance, followed by cocktail reception at The Triplex.
The perfect way to kick off the cultural season, all proceeds from this fundraiser event will go toward The Triplex to help us continue our mission of movies for all throughout 2025 and beyond.April 5, at 3 p.m.
“The Red Shoes,” 1948. Photo courtesy of Park Circus.“Grey Gardens”50th anniversary screening of the iconic documentary.
One of the most iconic documentaries of all time, join us for a special 50th anniversary screening of “Grey Gardens” on April 6 at 4 p.m.! In 1975, the Maysles Brothers brought their direct cinema technique to East Hampton, N.
Y., to capture the stories of “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier, cousins of Jackie Kennedy clinging onto memories of a glamorous past while living in a decrepit mansion. The result is a touching depiction of two larger-than-life personalities left behind by the modern world.
After the screening, join Austen Riggs’ Heather Forouhar, M.D., for a discussion about the movie, what the Beales were going through, and mental health resources available in our area.
Part of “Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,” sponsored by the Austen Riggs Center.April 6, at 4 p.m.
“Grey Gardens,” 1975. Photo courtesy of Janus Films.“Face/Off”No Comply Foods presents a ’90s action spectacular.
No Comply Food brings another ’90s action classic to The Triplex on April 8 with a special screening of John Woo’s scenery-chewing spectacular “Face/Off”! Join us for an action-packed night with themed food specials from No Comply and Juju’s and all the slo-mo action you can handle.April 8, at 8 p.m.
“Face/Off,” 1997. Photo courtesy of Paramount.“Recovery City”A bracing documentary on the stigma faced by people in recovery.
Railroad Street Youth Project (RSYP) presents a free screening of the gripping new documentary “Recovery City,” the story of four women in Worcester, Mass., each reflecting different facets of addiction and recovery. Enjoy mocktails and presentations from RSYP’s 2025 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey findings ahead of the film, and join the filmmakers and subjects of “Recovery City” for a talkback after the screening.
April 9, at 6 p.m.“Recovery City,” 2024.
Photo courtesy of Twin Seas Media.“Take Shelter”A thoughtful thriller with Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.When Curtis, a young father (Michael Shannon) in a small Ohio town, starts having terrifying dreams about an apocalyptic storm, he puts all of his energy into building a storm shelter in his backyard.
His strange behavior begins to cause tension with his wife (Jessica Chastain) and the surrounding community, putting Curtis at odds with the very people he is trying to protect.Part of “Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,” sponsored by the Austen Riggs Center.April 10, at 7 p.
m.“Take Shelter,” 2011. Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics.
Coming Soon“The Ballad of Wallis Island”Charles, an eccentric lottery winner (Tim Key) who lives alone on a remote island, has one dream: to get his favorite band back together. Fantasy turns to reality when the bandmates/former lovers (Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden) accept his offer to play a private concert, setting the stage for a reunion that brings old tensions to the surface. An absolute charmer that was a breakout hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, catch “The Ballad Of Wallis Island” when it comes to The Triplex on April 11!Starts April 11.
“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” 2025. Photo courtesy of Focus Features.“A Woman Under the Influence”A groundbreaking work of independent filmmaking, John Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence” features electrifying performances from Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk as a woman grappling with mental illness and a husband desperately trying—but often failing—to support her.
Filmed with Cassevetes’ trademark raw intensity, “A Woman Under the Influence” explores the intersection of mental health, gender roles, and the pressures of domestic life.Part of “Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,” sponsored by the Austen Riggs Center.April 13, at 4 p.
m.“A Woman Under the Influence,” 1974. Photo courtesy of Genre Film Archives.
“Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me”A prequel to his landmark television series, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” expands the mythology surrounding the sleepy Pacific Northwest town while taking you into the final days of Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) life. With a cast that includes Kyle MacLachlan, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Isaak, David Bowie, and David Lynch himself, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” outlived its polarizing debut and is now considered one of Lynch’s best.April 12, at 8 p.
m.“Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” 1992. Photo courtesy of Janus Films.
“Safe”When a California housewife (Julianne Moore) begins to suffer from environmental illnesses, she looks for relief from a New Age guru who may not be everything he claims. A tragic social satire about the way wellness culture can prey on the vulnerable, “Safe” is a movie even more relevant today than when it premiered 30 years ago.Part of “Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,” sponsored by the Austen Riggs Center.
April 17, at 7 p.m.“Safe,” 1995.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics..
