This July Hollywood Suite brings you classic cars, iconic chases and the need for speed on full display with our REVVED UP SUMMER stunt featuring iconic films like American Graffiti (1973), Christine (1983) and Logan Lucky (2017). Or, if that’s still too much gravity for you, take off with SCI-FI IN JULY including titles like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Thing (1982) and Source Code (2011). On top of all that, the premiere of the reality TV documentary The Contestant (2023) and the sexual coming-of-age series Poly Is The New Monogamy take the spotlight and here are five exciting highlights worth discussing among our classic film lineup.
40th Anniversary of Purple Rain (1984) – On July 27th at 9pm ET we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Prince’s iconic Purple Rain which not only blew up the music charts but also made him box office royalty. The film wasn’t always an assured hit though with studios and directors doubting the musician as bankable and even suggesting John Travolta take over the lead role. It’s a tribute to Prince’s vision that the film has become an iconic part of 80s pop culture history and influences musicians looking to bring their person to the screen in 2024.
Dredd (2012) – Before audiences knew how badass Karl Urban could be on The Boys or how evil Lena Heady could get on Game of Thrones they tried on versions of those roles in this gritty reclamation of comic book cop Judge Dredd. This cult classic sees Judge Dredd (Urban) and a new recruit (Olivia Thirlby) fighting for their lives in a massive highrise against the forces of demented drug lord Ma-Ma (Heady) and comes from the pen of Ex Machina (2014) and Civil War (2024) filmmaker Alex Garland. It’s a must-see for all action and sci-fi movie fans and it airs July 21st at 9pm ET or is available all month on Demand.
The Man In The Moon (1991) – 25 years ago Reese Witherspoon became one of the hottest teen stars with unforgettable twin turns in Election and Cruel Intentions in 1999 but nowadays movie fans may be less aware she made her first splash in this coming-of-age swan song from To Kill A Mockingbird director Robert Mulligan. Witherspoon beat out thousands of other young women for the role of 14-year-old Dani who finds herself in conflict with her older sister when a handsome boy moves in next door (Jason London). The performance immediately made Witherspoon a critical darling and set her on the path to be one of Hollywood’s most famous actors and producers. You can catch it all month On Demand.
Happy Birthday, Arnold: Pumping Iron (1977) – On July 30th Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 77 years old and we’re throwing back to the documentary that brought him and the wild world of competitive bodybuilding into the public eye. The joyous Austrian and his unvarnished opinions may not have seemed like the makings of one of the 1980s biggest stars but directors George Butler and Robert Fiore undeniably showcased the drive which would take the young athlete far. If you want to keep the CELEB-rations going this month we’re also excited for Harrison Ford’s 82nd birthday weekend on July 12th & 13th and Sandra Bullock’s 60th on July 26th with triple-bills of their iconic films.
