Picked by Peter, Front of House 

High school seniors and best friends, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges), live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating local beauty, Jacy (Cybill Shepherd), while Sonny is having an affair with the coach's wife, Ruth (Cloris Leachman). As graduation nears, both boys contemplate their futures. While Duane eyes the army and Sonny takes over a local business, each boy struggles to figure out if he can escape this dead-end town and build a better life somewhere else.

Peter says: Seeing PAPER MOON a couple of years ago, I was drawn to every emotional exchange--it's one of my favorite films to both subvert and reaffirm the powerful suggestion of blood in matters of love and estrangement. I haven't seen THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, but I'm familiar with its reputation as a staple of American cinema, as well as Bogdanovich's close relationships with the significant figures therein--from Orson Welles to John Cassavetes, to contemporary but still more-or-less independent filmmakers/admirers, such as Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson (who both happen to endearingly address him as "Pops"). 

After reading Roger Ebert's review, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW just seemed like the right pick for a weekend matinee.