Privilege

There may be no one in the medium as honest, independent, intellectually rigorous, politically prescient, and utterly intolerant of cinema’s systemic compromises as director Peter Watkins. His 1967 Privilege explores the role of entertainment media in controlling the masses, presaging hundreds of dystopian movies but more amazingly predicting the corporatized pandemic of demi-fascist rock-star objectification, reality TV, broadcast sports, and punditry. 1960s pop idol Paul Jones (of Manfred Mann) plays the pop idol created by the state to help control the masses. (NR) MICHAEL ATKINSON

Dec. 4-10, 7 & 9 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 5, 5 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 6, 5 p.m., 2009