King of Hearts

"A surrealistic jewel of a comedy which you realize, when you catch your breath between laughs, has made the case for the sanity of the lunatics and the madness of the war-waging sane." – Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times

During World War I Scottish soldier Private Plumpick (Alan Bates) is sent on a mission to a village in the French countryside to disarm a bomb set by the retreating German army. Plumpick encounters a strange town occupied by the former residents of a local psychiatric hospital who escaped after the villagers deserted. Assuming roles like bishop, duke, barber and circus ringmaster, they warmly accept the visitor like their King of Hearts. With his reconnaissance and bomb-defusing mission looming, Plumpick starts to prefer the acceptance of the insane locals over the insanity of the war raging outside. Since its debut, King of Hearts has become an international cult favorite and stands out as one of director Philippe de Broca’s most memorable films. Fifty years after its original release, this satirical look at the absurdities of war is presented in a gorgeous new 4K restoration for modern audiences to discover.

The May 3rd screening of King of Hearts is dedicated to Richard and James Fendelman, aka The Fabulous Flying Fendelman Brothers, and their fondly remembered Grove Cinema. For two decades, in the 70s and 80s, the Brothers defined arthouse repertory cinema in South Florida. Join us for cake and a champagne toast (courtesy of Magna-Tech Electronic) to these movie heroes and their everlasting legacy.

In addition to our new releases, be sure to join us for these special limited, or one-time-only, screenings.

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