Reel Cinemas is bringing back beloved movies from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s this month during Dubai Summer Surprises.
Films scheduled include Ridley Scott's seminal science fiction film Alien (1979), Steven Spielberg's Peter Pan spectacle Hook (1991) and all three Back to the Future films, starting with the 1985 original featuring Michael J Fox as a time-travelling teenager.
Other films announced so far include Superman (1978), which introduced Christopher Reeve as Hollywood's leading man; the romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle (1993), starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan; and two films from The Chronicles of Narnia series starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).
Film fans can currently book tickets for Alien and Hook in The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall branches of Reel Cinemas, with other titles to be made available soon.
Still widely praised for its impact on the science fiction and horror genres, Scott's Alien follows a space crew who, after coming across a mysterious abandoned spaceship on an undiscovered moon, find themselves up against a deadly alien.
Although it received mixed reviews, the film was a major commercial success, spawning a number of sequels and franchises, including Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997). Although Scott only directed the original, he returned to make a prequel, Prometheus, in 2012, and its follow-up Alien: Covenant (2017).
Filmmakers have over the years cited Alien's influence in their works while the gruesome "chestburster scene" remains one of the most memorable in film history. Alien also turned its heroine Sigourney Weaver into a major star.
Like Alien, the star-studded Hook also received mixed reviews upon its release. But Spielberg's take on the the beloved Peter Pan tale was a major box office success thanks to its star-studded cast. Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith played major characters while the film also featured a young Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Phil Collins.
A number of well-known names also made cameos, including musicians David Crosby and Jimmy Buffett, actress Glenn Close, former boxer Tony Burton as well as Star Wars director George Lucas and actress Carrie Fisher.
In Hook, Williams plays a lawyer, Peter, whose children are abducted by the evil Captain James Hook. Peter is then led to Neverland by Tinkerbell (Roberts) where he discovers his real identity as Peter Pan and sets off on a magical journey of discovery.
Classic films will be screened at Reel Cinemas in The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall until July 31.
