Screening Room: Joel Schumacher fest at the Egyptian; the Getty’s ‘Ornament and Enchantress’ series

Joel Schumacher began his career as a costume designer with the 1972 film “Play It as It Lays.” Nine years later, he made his feature directorial debut with “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” with Lily Tomlin. His latest film, “Twelve,” opens at the end of July.

FOR THE RECORD:
Screening Room: The Screening Room column in the June 24 Calendar stated that the character played by Michael Douglas in the film “Falling Down” goes on a killing spree. The character goes on a violent rampage but only kills one person. —

This weekend, the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre is saluting Schumacher with a three-day in-person retrospective. On Friday evening, Schumacher will introduce his 1993 psychological thriller, “Falling Down,” starring Michael Douglas as man who goes on a killing spree after he loses his job, as well as his 1990 chiller “Flatliners,” starring Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon as med students who decide to experiment with death.

Schumacher and stars from his latest film will be on hand Saturday evening at a preview screening of “Twelve,” which stars Chace Crawford as a rich Manhattan teen who drops out of school to sell drugs.

The retrospective concludes Sunday at the Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre with the 25th anniversary of his Brat Pack fave, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Mare Winningham, Andrew McCarthy and Andie MacDowell.

The Egyptian’s “Widescreen Wednesday” concludes this Wednesday with a screening of the 1959 Oscar-winning classic “The Diary of Anne Frank,” directed by George Stevens. Millie Perkins, who played Anne, and Diane Baker, who played her sister Margot, will be on hand to discuss the film. https://www.americancinematheque.com

So sensual

The Getty Center presents “The Ornament and Enchantress” film series as a complement to the current exhibition “The Spectacular Art of Jean-Léon Gérôme.” According to the Getty, the series is “inspired by the sensual, implicitly eroticized women” in Gérôme’s work. The free series begins Saturday afternoon with the outrageous 1923 “Salome,” starring Alla Nazimova, who also produced the film. Natacha Rambova, who was married to Valentino, was the art director. Later that evening, the Getty presents Cecil B. DeMille’s deliciously over-the-top 1934 epic “Cleopatra,” starring Claudette Colbert as the Queen of the Nile.

On tap for Sunday afternoon is DeMille’s 1949 Technicolor biblical extravaganza, “Samson and Delilah,” starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature. Following is Greta Garbo’s kitschy and erotic 1931 melodrama “Mata Hari,” which also features Ramon Novarro. https://www.getty.edu/visit

susan.king@latimes.com