Spaced Invaders at the Strand

 

 

 

 

Spaced Invaders

Strand Theatre

717 Clay Street

Saturday, October 11

7 PM

 

 

Erin Schutt is sponsoring a Halloween movie: Spaced Invaders.

 

Five bungling Martians invade the sleepy town of Big Bean, Illinois, and are mistaken for trick or treaters. As their plans backfire, they give up their attempts at conquest in favor of escape, but there's one nasty killer robot on the loose...

 

A funny movie with compelling characters that's fun for the whole family!

 

And FREE POPCORN...

 

Advance tickets are available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $9.

At the door: $10

IRL Movie Club presents: My Omaha

 

IRL Movie Club presents

My Omaha

Sunday, October 12

at 5 PM 

Strand Theatre

717 Clay Street

Vicksburg, MS 39183 

 Share a movie and talk about it... 

The IRL (In Real Life) Movie Club is a nonprofit on a mission to strengthen democracy through the power of shared experience and dialogue. Inspired by Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone and the documentary Join or Die: Why You Should Join a Club (now on Netflix) IRL creates real-world spaces for connection starting with a great documentary.

Here's how it works: gather at your local theater (the Strand in this case), watch a well-curated and timely film, and if you're up for it, engage in conversation with your seatmates. Instead of traditional filmmaker Q&As, there are audience-driven dialogues, using simple prompts to spark meaningful discussion.

With $5 tickets, the club keeps events affordable and accessible. At the same time, supporting independent filmmakers and helping revitalize local movie houses as vital civic and cultural spaces.

Membership is free, thanks to generous donors. Sign up to be the first to hear about upcoming screenings. https://www.irlmovieclub.org/

MY OMAHA follows filmmaker Nick Beaulieu as he returns to his hometown amid the rising tensions of Donald Trump's presidency and the Black Lives Matter movement. Fresh out of college, he meets Leo Louis II, an independent activist, who introduces him to Omaha's activism roots, including the birthplace of Malcolm X in North Omaha. Simultaneously, Nick grapples with the strained relationship he has with his pro-Trump father, Randy, who is suddenly diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. With a newfound sense of urgency, Nick strives to reconcile with Randy through a series of difficult conversations.

As the city faces crisis after the death of a protestor, we see Leos efforts to unite Omaha.
And as national politics further divide Americans, we see Nick and Randy's ability to
bridge their differences. All together, MY OMAHA paints the portrait of a city grappling
with family conflict, political and racial discord, and the difficult search for common ground.

MY OMAHA encourages viewers to consider how these challenges register in their own life, providing an example for how embracing conversation with one another can heal divisions and create a better world. 

 

Tickets are $5 at the door or online.  

Darby O'Gill and the LIttle People

 

 

Darby O'Gill 

and the Little People

Strand Theatre

Saturday, August 30 at 7 PM

Sean Connery in "James Bond meets the Leprechauns"...Well, not exactly. In 1959 I went to the Strand to see this magical Disney film about about an aging Irishman who meets the King of the Leprechauns and claims a pot of gold. 

 

Sean Connery is indeed in this one (singing no less), and it led to his role as James Bond in Dr. No in 1962. But the real star is Albert Sharpe as Darby. But I have to say, Darby had a daughter, played by Janet Munro, who is the love interest of Sean's character. Her laughing Irish eyes (she's actually English) were as magical (to me) as anything King Brian of the Little People conjured. 

 

It's a Disney live action movie with fantastic believable special effects. Or real leprechauns. Ireland is recreated in California by way of exquisite matte paintings by Peter Ellenshaw. There's a nightmare-inducing banshee. These effects remind me that the Lord of the Rings movies and even Sinners may use computers, but they essentially are using the same tricks that were so convincingly employed on Darby O'Gill all those years ago.

 

The one thing the movie doesn't have is children. Thinking about it now I realize no one would make this family friendly movie today. It's really about an old man (who was the same age I am now) facing his mortality. It was obviously a labor of love for Walt Disney. And it shows.

 

Indulge me: come see Darby try to decide how to use his 3 wishes.

 

Tickets are $9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse, and they will be $10 at the door. 

 

Your wish has come true..the popcorn is free!!!

 

The Vagina Monologues

 

 

The Vagina Monologues

Strand Theatre

Friday, August 22 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, August 23 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, August 24 at 4 PM

 

3 brave women will bring to the stage of the Strand Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues

 

An Obie Award-winning whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES introduces a wildly divergent gathering of female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape, and a feminist happy to have found a man who "liked to look at it."

 

Tickets are $10 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and online at vagina.brownpapertickets.com and $15 at the door.

The Picture Perfect Family onstage at the Strand

 Coming to the Strand August 8, 9, 10...

 

The Picture Perfect Family

live on stage 

A Comedic drama written, directed and produced by Charlie Tubbs, III 

 

What happens when the cracks in a picture-perfect family start to show?

The Picture Perfect Family, is a gripping, heartwarming, and hilariously raw stage play that unpacks the chaos behind the carefully curated smiles of a modern-day family. Blending bold humor with heavy truths, this emotionally charged drama tackles love, loss, healing, and redemption with unforgettable characters that feel like people you know—and secrets that cut deeper than anyone expected.

With soul-stirring performances, unexpected twists and turns, The Picture Perfect Family is not just a play—it’s an experience. From generational trauma to second chances, this story reminds us that healing is messy, love is complicated, and family is...well, everything.

Come laugh. Come cry. Come see what happens when the truth comes home.

CONTENT WARNING: This production contains mature themes and sensitive content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Warnings to include: Strong language, Depictions of domestic violence and emotional abuse. References to substance use and intoxication, Mentions of childhood trauma and family conflict. This production is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door 

Click date for tickets and more info: 

Friday, August 8 at 7 PM

Saturday, August 9 at 7 PM 

Sunday, August 10

 

Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049

Saturday, July 26 at 7 PM

 

Paul & Luanne Salgado are sponsoring Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to Blade Runner...

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

If you really want to be ready to see this one, here's a link to 3 short films made as a bridge between the original and this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffxo_6Cg0Cw

Tickets are $9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and $10 at the door.

And the POPCORN is FREE!!!

Blade Runner: the Final Cut

Saturday, July 19

7 PM

at the Strand

In a signature role as 21st-century detective Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet-vulnerable presence to this stylish noir thriller. In a future of high-tech possibility soured by urban and social decay, Deckard hunts for fugitive, murderous replicants—and is drawn to a mystery woman whose secrets may undermine his soul. 

 

Tickets are $9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and $10 at the door.

 

And the POPCORN is FREE!!!

 Tuesday movie!

Some Like It Hot

 

Tuesday, July 8 at 7 PM

 

Okay, this one is on a Tuesday night. But it's a good one. Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon in what has been called the best comedy movie ever: Some Like it Hot. Two down on their luck jazz musicians find themselves out of a job and on the run after the police raid the speakeasy they perform in and they inadvertently stumble upon a gang war. With no money and nowhere to hide, a gig with Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators at a Florida beach resort seems like the perfect getaway. There’s just one problem: the Syncopators are an all-female band, and Joe and Jerry aren’t women - yet. Armed with some dodgy wigs and wobbly falsettos, Joe and Jerry manage to join the Syncopators, where they meet Sugar Kane: a hooch-swilling, ukulele-playing knockout with a soft spot for badboy saxophone players. Barely able to believe their good fortune, things start to go off the rails for the pair when they begin to attract unwanted attention from lecherous millionaires and some familiar faces show up at their hotel for a gathering of the country’s most dangerous criminals. Tickets are $9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and $10 at the door. And for those who like their POPCORN hot, ours is FREE!!! Tuesday, July 8 at 7 PM

Where? The Strand Theatre 717 Clay Street Downtown Vicksburg

Free screening: Fannie Lou Hamer's America followed by conversation

 

An evening of film, conversation and inspiration... Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is documentary told through the public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist. Known for being “sick and tired of being sick and tired” and her impassioned pleas for equal rights, Fannie Lou Hamer helped change laws and was very influential in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Mississippi Humanities Council will present a fundraiser screening of Fannie Lou Hamer's America, an award-winning documentary celebrating one of Mississippi's fiercest voices for justice. The screening will be followed by an unforgettable panel discussion featuring those who knew her best. This event is more than a celebration of history - it is a call to action. Recent Federal funding cuts by DOGE have eliminated National Endowment for the Humanities grants jeopordizing vital public programming like this. The Mississippi Humanities Council is turning to the community to help sustain these enriching initiatives that preserve Mississippi's diverse stories and foster meaningful dialogue. Hear first hand memories of Fannie Lou Hamer and how the Mississippi Humanities Council helped bring her story to national and international film audiences. Free Saturday, June 21 at 7 PM

Where? The Strand Theatre 717 Clay Street Downtown Vicksburg

2 Free Screenings of Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom on Thursday, June 19

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom

Strand Theatre 

Thursday, June 19

Noon and 6 PM 

 

Celebrate Juneteenth by attending a FREE screening of the award-winning film 

"Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom" which explores the deep spiritual roots of this holiday.

 

There will be two showings- one at 12 Noon and one at 6 p.m.

 

The film runs 75 minutes. 

 

Reserve your seat at:

https://formurl.com/to/Juneteenth

 

 

Anora

Saturday, June 14

7 PM 

2025 Oscar winner for
Best Picture - (Sean Baker)
Best Actress - (Mikey Madison)
Best Director - (Sean Baker)
Best Original Screenplay - (Sean Baker)
Best Editing - (Sean Baker)

 

A Brooklyn-based sex worker finds her fairy tale when she impulsively marries a Russian billionaire's son. But their whirlwind romance turns into a frantic chase through New York as her new in-laws dispatch thugs to force an annulment of their unlikely union.

 

"A darker take on princess based fairy tales," - The Boston Globe

 

Advance tickets are available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $9. Tickets at the door will be $10

And the popcorn is free...

Grease is the word at the Strand...

 

The Westside Theatre Foundation presents GREASE the Musical live on stage. Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Here is Rydell Highs senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding Burger Palace Boys and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking Pink Ladies in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Head greaser Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their Summer Nights as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as Greased Lightnin, Its Raining on Prom Night and Alone at the Drive-In Movie, recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation. An eight-year run on Broadway and two subsequent revivals, along with innumerable school and community productions, place Grease among the worlds most popular musicals. Advance Tickets are available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $20. Also available online grease.brownpapertickets.com (service fee of $2.69 is added for online sales) Tickets at the door will be $25 Friday, May 30 at 7:30 PM Saturday, May 31 at 7:30 PM Sunday, June 1 at 4 PM Friday, June 6 at 7:30 PM Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 PM Sunday, June 8 at 4 PM

Where? The Strand Theatre 717 Clay Street Downtown Vicksburg

Jesus Christ Superstar at the Strand Saturday

 

Jesus Christ Superstar

Strand Theatre

Saturday, April 19 at 7 PM

 

Just in time for Easter, Maragret Richmond is sponsoring the movie of the famous rock opera loosely based on the last days of Jesus Christ as seen from the point of view of Judas.

 

Tickets are $10 at the door and available in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse for $9. 

 

And the popcorn is free.

Waking Ned Devine coming to the Strand

Waking Ned Devine

Strand Theatre

Saturday, April 5 at 7 PM

 

David Rorick Photography is sponsoring a showing of Waking Ned Devine, a film from 1998.

 

Jackie O'Shea, a resident of the tiny Irish coastal village of Tully More, discovers that one of his neighbors has won the lottery - the question is, who? It takes some doing, but Jackie figures out that the lucky person is none other than Ned Devine. 

 

Unfortunately, it turns out Ned is in no position to collect the jackpot, which totals almost 6.9 million Irish pounds. So Jackie and his best friend, Michael O'Sullivan, try to figure out a way to share in Ned's good fortune - after all, Ned would want it that way. But things get a lot more complicated than either Jackie or Michael could have anticipated.

 

Tickets are $10 at the door, and $9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse.

And the world famous popcorn remains free!!!

Long delayed film by Vicksburg born director to screen at the Strand

Charles Burnett's

 The Annihilation of Fish

Saturday, March 22 at 7 PM

Strand Theatre 

 

In 2013 the Strand Theatre hosted Charles Burnett, an acclaimed director who was born in Vicksburg, for a weekend of his films and conversation. “Bringing Charles home to introduce him to the community of his birth is the program that I am most proud of,” said Daniel Boone, film programmer for the Strand Theatre. One of the treats of the event was the screening of the Annihilation of Fish. What made it so special was that the film had been made in 1999 but never released. “A geriatric romantic comedy starring the late James Earl Jones (the Star Wars films), another Mississippi icon, and Lynn Redgrave (Georgy Girl) may have seemed too controversial at the time, but the Vicksburg audience enjoyed it all those years ago, and now they can see it again along with the rest of the world,” said Boone. After years of negotiating and a new restoration, the film is opening in theaters around the country. “I wish he could be with us for this show, but I’m not giving up on getting him back here again. And it’s certainly a shame that James Earl Jones, who passed away in September of 2024, didn’t live to see this film finally in theaters.”  Burnett is the winner of an Honorary Academy Award® for lifetime achievement, and remains one of our country’s most celebrated independentfilmmakers. In his charming The Annihilation of Fish, Redgrave plays Poinsettia, a former housewife with an imagined lover in the form of 19th-century composer Giacomo Puccini. She moves into a Los Angeles boarding house with an energetic landlady (Margot Kidder) where she meets a Jamaican widower, Fish (James Earl Jones), who has recently been released from a mental institution despite his continued battles against unseen demons. In the face of personal challenges and differences, the couple grows together and begins to discover new things about themselves and the nuances of love and happiness. “Burnett has made a simple yet beguiling film about how two imperfect people can find a kind of perfection in each other's company — and howsometimes in life, and in the movies, good things do come to those who wait.” – Justin Chang, NPR “For much too long, ‘The Annihilation of Fish’ has been in limbo. It took many years and endless persistence to rescue this beautiful, delicatepicture… I’m so happy that it’s finally ready for the world to discover.” – Martin Scorsese Tickets $10 ($9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse) Free Popcorn! Saturday, March 22 at 7 PM

Where? The Strand Theatre 717 Clay Street Downtown Vicksburg

I'm Not There - a mosaic meditation on the subject of Bob Dylan

 

 

Saturday, March 15 at 7 PM

Inspired by the recent attention and award nominations for A Complete Unknown, Bill Justice thought it was a good time to reconsider an earlier film focusing on the same subject: Bob Dylan.

Since Dylan has been a force in our cultural landscape for 60 some years and gone through so many phases (as have we), one actor would never be enough to express the real Dylan or all of our projections of him.

So...Todd Haynes' 2007 imaginative meditation on the life and career of Bob Dylan employs six different actors---including Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger---to depict assorted aspects of the legendary singer-songwriter's person.

 

Tickets $10 ($9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse)

 

Free Popcorn!

 

Saturday, March 15 at 7 PM

The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King

 

Yes, Peter Jackson's The Return of the King will be onscreen at the Strand. Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 4 PM

 

(Sponsored by Rich & Jennifer Smith)

 

So, over the last couple of years, Rich and Jennifer presented The Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers at the Strand, and now it's time to see what happens next for Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, Gimli, Legolas, Gollum and Gandalf (along with a few thousand others.)

 

In the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, as armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied only by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.

Winner of 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director!

Director: Peter Jackson / Production year: 2003 / Rating: PG-13 / 203 minutes

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them...

Come see the new 4k version of the The Return of the King and hear the newly remixed Atmos sound through our Atmos sound system.

Tickets $10 ($9 in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse)

Free Popcorn!

Sunday, March 2 at 4 PM (that's right: Sunday afternoon at 4)

The IRL Movie Club presents The Thinking Game

 

The Thinking Game

Sunday, February 2 at 5 PM

 

The Thinking Game chronicles the extraordinary life of Demis Hassabis, a visionary scientist on a relentless quest to solve the enigma of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

 

Directed by Greg Kohs

 

The Thinking Game takes you on a fascinating journey into the heart of DeepMind, one of the world's leading AI labs, as it strives to unravel the mysteries of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

 

Inside DeepMind's London headquarters, founder Demis Hassabis and his team are relentlessly pursuing the creation of AI that matches or surpasses human abilities on a wide range of tasks.

Filmed over five years, the documentary puts viewers in the room for the pivotal moments of this quest, including the groundbreaking achievement of AlphaFold, a program that solved a 50-year grand challenge in biology.

 

The Thinking Game captures the exhilaration of historic breakthroughs like AlphaFold, the crushing weight of disappointment during setbacks, and the unwavering pursuit of knowledge that defines Demis' commitment to scientific innovation. This film invites viewers to witness one of the most important scientific adventures of our time, exploring the potential of AGI to reshape our world

 

What is the IRL Movie Club and How Does it Work?

 

It is an in-person movie club for people to gather regularly, connect with their local community, and together explore trending topics through the lens of independent film. There will be a post-film discussion about each club film.

 

Tickets are $5 and available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and at the door.

This discounted price includes admission to the show and an optional membership in the IRL Movie Club.