The Crocker begins a new series showcasing the best of film selected and introduced by diverse voices in the world of film appreciation. Celebrating movies as an art form unto itself, three film lovers have each chosen a movie they believe represents some of the best of art on film.

Screenings take place the first Thursday of December, January, and February at 6:00 p.m., and are enhanced by a lively and informative introduction before the film, and an engaging Q&A after the film, both conducted by the expert who selected the film.

December’s film, a German Expressionist masterpiece called, “The Last Laugh,” showcases some of the most stunning lighting and cinematography of all time. A superb example of the freedom of movement that filmmakers had before the introduction of sound, “The Last Laugh” is also notable for its minimal use of intertitles, representing film as a nearly wholly visual medium. The story of a demoted hotel doorman who finds redemption, “The Last Laugh” went on to influence filmmaking as an art form and is today considered one of the world’s great films. “The Last Laugh” will be introduced by Kristen Anderson Wagner, film historian and professor of film studies at Menlo College.

January’s film is “Trust,” directed by Hal Hartley, and February’s film is “La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast),” directed by Jean Cocteau.

Ticket prices:

• $10 members
• $13 students/youth
• $15 nonmembers

To purchase tickets click here or visit the Museum Admission Desk.