The Jane Pickens Theater is stepping into the future by looking back at it. The historic Newport cinema will launch Films of Future Past, a curated science fiction series spotlighting prescient cult classics that once depicted speculative worlds but now feel unsettlingly familiar.
The seven-film series kicks off Thursday, April 2, with a 4K restoration of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner: The Final Cut at 8 p.m., complete with a special Rejects Beer Tasting — because proving you’re not a replicant has its rewards.
From hyper-surveillance and corporate dominance to artificial intelligence and the search for extraterrestrial life, the series draws a through line between the imagined futures of Hollywood’s past and the world audiences are living in today.
“These are not just screenings,” the theater said in announcing the series. “They are cinematic events designed to provoke, entertain, and inspire reflection on where we are and where we’re headed.”
The full lineup spans April through September and includes Paul Verhoeven’s satirical Starship Troopers on April 23, his ultra-violent RoboCop Director’s Cut on May 21, and Robert Zemeckis’ Contact on June 11. A screening of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York on June 25 will be preceded by a live themed performance from Salem Wolves. Terry Gilliam’s Brazil arrives Sept. 3, marking the film’s 40th anniversary, and George Miller’s The Road Warrior closes the series Sept. 17.
All films will be presented in what the theater describes as pristine, state-of-the-art formats on its new projector.
Tickets and more information are available at janepickens.com/collections/films-of-future-past.