“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
The original Jurassic Park is full of iconic one-liners, but this, delivered by Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm, has echoed through the zeitgeist for over 30 years. It is the kicker of his warning against the reckless ethics of cloning dinosaurs—and perfectly captures the anxiety that has accompanied life during the unchecked innovation of the 20th and 21st centuries.
It is an anxiety that has taken on many cinematic forms: the lingering dread of the Industrial Revolution in “Frankenstein,” “The Invisible Man,” and “Island of Lost Souls”; the radioactive horrors of the atomic age in “Godzilla” and “Planet of the Apes”; the ever-looming fear of artificial intelligence in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Terminator,” “Ex Machina,” and “M3GAN.” You would think that after nearly 100 years of movies sounding the alarm, we might have taken the hint. Instead, we live with remakes and sequels that shift the messaging to match the times.
“Jurassic World: Rebirth,” opening at The Triplex this week, unfolds in a world where dinosaurs spread across the globe—only to be contained in a remote equatorial “hot zone,” conveniently out of sight and out of mind for most of humanity. It is a setup that lends the film a weary, lived-in dread: No one is shocked by dinosaurs anymore. They are just another problem to manage. It is a subtle mirror to our present where we are constantly absorbing the reality of things like man-made climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence without fully reckoning with what they mean.
It is also a reminder that, 32 years after “Jurassic Park” premiered, we are still speeding ahead without asking the one question that matters most: Should we?
Now Playing
“Materialists”
A swoon-worthy rom-com from the director of “Materialists.”
Celine Strong’s “Materialists,” a swoon-worthy deconstruction of the traditional rom-com starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, comes to The Triplex this week! When matchmaker Lucy (Johnson) declares that she will only marry a rich man, her resolve is put to the test when she meets financier Harry (Pascal) on the same night she reconnects with her decidedly imperfect ex-boyfriend John (Evans).
Starts Friday.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail”
Free outdoor screening on July 4!
We are teaming up with Berkshire Busk and Boondocks Film Society to take our “1975 at 50” series outside! Join us at sundown on Friday, July 4, as we screen the comedy classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on the lawn at Great Barrington Town Hall Park. Bring a picnic and sit under the stars as we trek along with the Pythons for a surreal medieval quest featuring fierce knights, puzzling bridgekeepers, and the most ferocious rabbit you will ever encounter.
“F1”
A high-octane drama with Brad Pitt.
Thirty years after an accident derailed his career, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is pulled back into the world of Formula 1 racing by a former teammate (Javier Bardem) looking to save his team. Director Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”) puts you in the driver seat for “F1,” a high-octane exploration of the world’s most elite racing circuit that follows Sonny as he tries his best to outrun his past and find the road to redemption.
Coming Soon
“Superman”
Eyes up here! Director James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) brings his kinetic love of comics to one of the most iconic figures in American pop culture with “Superman,” coming to The Triplex on July 11! A new take on the story of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and the citizens of Metropolis sees Kal-El (David Cornsweat) trying to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage while dealing with the mounting pressures of being the protector of Earth.
Starts July 11.
“Eddington”
In May 2020, a standoff between the sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) of a small New Mexico town threatens to ignite tensions between neighbors during the early days of the pandemic in “Eddington,” the latest from “Midsommar” and “Beau Is Afraid” director Ari Aster. A darkly comedic neo-noir western with a cast that also includes Emma Stone and Austin Butler, “Eddington” is sure to be one of the most talked-about movies of the summer.
Starts July 18.
