It’s not often that you get to see Sunset Blvd. — one of the greatest movies ever made — on the big screen. Tonight, the Cinematheque shows Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterpiece, a scathing look at Hollywood’s industry and lifestyle. Part black comedy, part film noir, the film begins with the corpse of a screenwriter (played by William Holden) floating in a swimming pool. He proceeds to tell why he ended up there and how a faded silent-movie star, her lapdog butler, and a crumbling mansion figure into the plot. As an added bonus, film expert Louis D. Giannetti will talk about the movie’s influence over the years.
Mon., Jan. 29, 7 p.m.

This article appears in Jan 24-30, 2007.