Union Station is a beautiful and dramatic backdrop for watching a film, but we’re used to seeing things in the vein of old Hollywood classics in that setting. This season, though, they’re changing the script for a series they’re calling Sci-Fi at Union Station, featuring futuristic tales with a distinctly L.A. lens.
The series kicks off tomorrow with a showing of everyone’s favorite dystopian vision of Los Angeles, Blade Runner. While Ridley Scott’s classic is set in the now not-so-distant future, the vibe is decidedly noir, which might just make the Art Deco Union Station, a filming location for several of the best-known film noir movies, the perfect backdrop.
Next up in the series, on May 12, is the 1954 Them! The campy flick about enormous man-eating ants is considered the first big hit in the "nuclear monster" sub-genre of Cold War-era science fiction. Several scenes were filmed at Union Station and others were shot along the banks of the L.A. River.
Sci-Fi at Union Station wraps up on June 9 with the most contemporary film in the slate, Her, from 2013. The film was selected for the series in part because of the vision it includes of what riding the Metro in L.A. might be like in the near future. Subway to the beach? Well, we’re pretty much there. Operating systems that we fall in love with might still be a little further off, though not if Elon Musk has anything to say about it.
Sci-Fi at Union Station takes place at 8:30pm on April 5, May 12 and June 9. Entry is free with seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. Films are shown indoors in the main ticketing hall.
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.