Spangenberg Theatre Spangenberg Theatre (November 12, 2004)

Note: The Spangenberg Theatre is located on the Gunn High School campus, 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. Screenings are for Friday through Sunday only. Tickets are $5. For more information please visit www.spangenbergtheatre.com or call (650) 354-8220.

"Gloomy Sunday" (2003) Set in Budapest, circa 1940, the film centers on a love triangle. Ilana Varnai (Erika Marozsan) is hostessing at the city's old-school eatery, Szabo's. Her lover, restaurant owner Laszlo Szabo (Joachim Krol), is riding high -- madly in love with Ilana, enjoying his success and auditioning pianists to entertain his clientele.

Enter musician Andres Aradi (Stefano Dionisi), who falls hopelessly in love with the seductive Ilana. Struck dumb by his passion, Andres composes a moody piano piece in honor of his lady love. The ballad's effect is so painfully bittersweet that the song appears to be the cause of a number of suicides in the Budapest area. Simultaneously, the Nazi war machine crashes its way into Hungary, bringing with it an SS Colonel (Ben Becker) who has long worshipped Ilana and will do anything to have her as his own. Fri. & Sun. at 5 p.m.

Warren Miller's "Impact" (2004) Miller takes his cinematic chops to the snow again -- the writer/director has been making winter-based films since 1949. His latest project features some of the world's best slope-bound athletes and a healthy helping of popular music from bands such as Coldplay and the Dandy Warhols. Sat. at 6 & 9 p.m.

"Hero" (2004) This film is set in ancient China, which consists of seven warring kingdoms. A ruthless ruler, Qin (Daoming Chen) -- the future first emperor of China -- summons Nameless (Jet Li) to his palace, wanting to know how this low-ranking official defeated his three worst enemies.

The tale unfolds Rashomon-style, first seen in flashback as Nameless narrates. He claims that he killed Sky (Donnie Yen) in a duel and defeated lovers Broken Sword and Flying Snow (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) by toying with their emotions. As the man with no name presents the weapons of each fallen warrior, the King showers him with rewards and allows him to advance 10 paces closer. Scenes soar to transcendent heights, with the actors gracefully gliding to Itzhak Perlman's violin solos, as a color palette distinguishes each segment. No current release can rival the visual splendor and cinematic poetry of this historical epic. Fri. & Sun. at 7:30 p.m.; Sun. also at 3 p.m.

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