Bijou presents: 'Entertainment' screening at The Byrd on Nov. 8

The Bijou Film Center, VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art and the Virginia Film Office will present "Entertainment" at the Byrd Theatre. After creating stirs at various film festivals, including the Sundance, "Entertainment" is about to have its theatrical first run begin in New York City. Please note that five days prior to that premiere in the Big Apple, its "pre-premiere" will take place in Richmond on Sun., Nov. 8. The show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Following a special happy hour gathering at the Portrait House (5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), across the street from The Byrd, Richmond's own Rick Alverson -- the director of "Entertainment" -- will be on hand to introduce the film.

Admission: Tickets at the box office will be $10.00. Advance tickets are available online at Eventbrite for $7.00 (plus a processing fee of $1.38) each. Paper advance tickets will be available for $7.00 (cash or check) at Bygones Vintage Clothing and Steady Sounds until the day of the show.

The After-Party will unfold at the New York Deli following the screening. It will feature a live comedy showcase, which will be hosted by Herschel Stratego. As a special treat, the protagonist in the film, The Comedian, aka Neil Hamburger (as played by Gregg Turkington), will appear on that program. Admission will be free.

"Entertainment" (2015): Color. 110 minutes. Directed by Rick Alverson. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera. Note: The film's protagonist is an abrasive comedian who hurls his absurd material at small audiences in bleak dives in forgotten towns. The laughs come more from the situations than the jokes. As it mocks our expectations, "Entertainment" is a compelling odyssey. Occasionally, it's laugh-out-loud funny. For viewers who've enjoyed the rather unconventional work of directors such as Robert Bresson, Luis Buñuel and David Lynch, Alverson's new flick could be about to shoulder its way onto their top ten lists. Love it, or hate it, "Entertainment" is a bona fide "art movie" that is probably destined to become a cult classic.

The Mission of The Bijou is to establish the nonprofit film center in Richmond, Virginia, the centerpiece of which will be a small independent cinema. We will strive to present the best of the artsy first-run independent and imported films available. Those engagements will be sandwiched between short runs of selected classics. Beyond the exhibition of our gourmet film fare, we hope to be a friend to Richmonders interested in the preserving of old films and the making of new films.

More info is available at the Facebook event page.