Madison Library’s ‘Mad Movie-A-Thon-O-Rama!’ to show “Girls, Guns and Gangsters” tonight
MADISON – Creepy aliens, gangsters, goofy extraterrestrials, old-school dancing and even cops ‘n robbers will ignite the screen as Madison Public Library reprises its series, “Mad Movie-A-Thon-O-Rama!”
The free films first were released mainly in the 1950s and 1960s when these flicks were viewed as a fun night at the local walk-in theatre or, better yet, the drive-in. The library staff has announced its schedule for Mad Movie-A-Thon-O-Rama through May.
On the show dates, doors will open at 6 p.m. and the movie reel will start to roll at 6:30 p.m. The audience is welcome to bring food and drink into the auditorium to enjoy a snack (or dinner) during the show.
“Girls, Guns, and Gangsters,” will be shown on Feb. 9. This movie is a 1959 crime film starring Mamie Van Doren, Gerald Mohr, Lee Van Cleef, and Grant Richards. In Las Vegas, a group of assorted criminals plans the robbery of an armored truck hauling casino money to the bank.
Next up is “High School Confidential!,” on Feb. 23. This is a 1958 movie where a tough kid comes to a new high school and begins muscling his way into the drug scene. This is a typical morality play of the era, filled with a naive view of drugs, nihilistic beat poetry, and some incredible ‘50s slang.
“Plan 9 From Outer Space,” will be shown March 9. It is a 1957 science fiction-horror film. The storyline concerns extraterrestrials who seek to stop humanity from creating a doomsday weapon that could destroy the universe. The aliens implement “Plan 9”, a scheme to resurrect the Earth’s dead. By causing chaos, the aliens hope the crisis will force humanity to listen to them; otherwise, the aliens will destroy mankind with armies of undead.
Other movies include: “Strange Brew,” March 23; “Breakin’,” April 13; “Targets,” April 27; special VHS movie, ‘May the Fourth Be With You’ “Star Wars,”; “Assault on Precinct 13,” May 11; and “Ambush at Cimarron Pass,” May 25.
The library is at 142 Plaza Blvd. For more information, call 256-461-0046 or visit events.hmcpl.org.
