Las Vegas Mixtape v36: Van Gogh Immersion, Arts District Swagger, and Wallet-Friendly Eats

Track #4: Beverly Theater @Downtown

Get smart with a film like this one at the Beverly Theater. (Image: courtesy of the film)

The Beverly Theater arthouse cinema and cultural space downtown is where to go when you want to take a left turn from the mainstream—and when you need a break from the summer heat.  That was my state of mind when I went to the venue’s website and saw that it was showing the new 4K restoration of the 1996 film “Basquiat.” It’s regarded as the first film about an American painter (Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died in 1988 at 27 of a heroin overdose) written and directed by another painter (Julian Schnabel).

The black and white film is set in gritty downtown NYC’s booming art scene in the ‘80s. It’s bold and raw with abstract imagery that reflects the controversial Haitian-American’s collage-style canvas paintings.  Some say Basquiat’s graffiti-rooted work—a mix of words, symbols, and images illuminating black culture—was “unfinished” and “chaotic”; others praised its punk rawness. Basquiat (played by Jeffrey Wright) no doubt benefited from his friendship with Andy Warhol, whom David Bowie startlingly captures here. Bowie once said his role was “more of an impersonation, really,” and watching him nail Warhol’s signature nonchalance and seeming detachment is alone worth the price of admission.

You’re looking at one of the crown jewels of Vegas. (Image: Vegas 411)

More exciting films are headed this summer to the beautifully designed neo-mid-century-modern building. So head to the theater’s website and look up showings of “American Psycho,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Ray,” the 2004 biopic starring Jamie Foxx (who won the Oscar for “Best Actor”) about the legendary soul musician Ray Charles. Everyone should make it a point to seek freedom from the predictable at the Beverly.