Rehoboth Beach Film Society continues virtual cinema

Rehoboth Beach Film Society invites moviegoers to enjoy its Cinema Art Theater from the comfort of their own homes with its Virtual Theater, available at rehobothfilm.com. Users may choose from a variety of features to screen on their devices while sheltering in place. Cost is $8 to $12. The Rehoboth Beach Film Society receives a portion of each registration.

Cinema Art Theater: This Week is offering the following streaming films:

• Up From The Streets: A musical documentary that chronicles the 300-year history of a city’s musical origins and its contributions to the world. From Louis Armstrong to James Booker, jazz and blues to rock ‘n’ roll, New Orleans is known the world over for its phenomenal musicians and vibrant music scene. Hosted by Oscar nominee and six-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard, the film tells how music and culture intersected to create a distinct form of expression on the joys and sorrows of life. Personal reflections by New Orleans musicians, commentary by national and international musicians such as Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, along with archival and newly filmed performances, paint the picture of this city of music. Available for streaming Friday, May 15.

• Michelin Stars – Tales from the Kitchen: A grand dining documentary that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the lives and stresses of starred chefs.  Director Rasmus Dinesen, Producer Jesper Jarl Becker and Culinary Producer Kristian Brask Thomsen form a trio that has been involved in all areas of the culinary world for decades. Rather than showing the usual glamorous experience of a diner seated at a table in an awarded restaurant, or a peek into the whirring kitchen, this film delves into the minds of some of the world’s greatest chefs. It is raw and emotional, and pulls back the curtain to reveal the pressures felt by many top chefs to achieve the revered Michelin stars, and the perception of these achievements or failures by the world’s top critics.

Together, the team has successfully created a journey that investigates the myths and mysteries surrounding the Michelin stars and the seemingly secretive awarding process. Viewers go behind the scenes and observe chefs who are motivated by such pressure to maintain stars or gain a Michelin star. In the next breath, they sense the regret of those who did not achieve that coveted star, or are physically or emotionally weighed down by the thought of failing. Available for streaming Friday, May 15.

• The Beast in the Jungle: An epic love story based on the 1903 novella written by Henry James. Set in a remote English country mansion and stretching from the Jamesian era to a globalized present-day setting, the film uses dance to recount the unconventional tale of John Marcher (Dane Jeremy Hurst) and May Bartram (Sarah Reynolds). During a chance encounter 10 years after their first meeting, May reminds John that he once revealed to her a deep and menacing conviction that his life would be defined by a life-changing experience – one that was waiting for him “like a beast in the jungle.”

Intrigued by his continued belief in this foreboding secret, May decides to stay by John’s side and soon develops feelings of genuine love for him. John is not able to reciprocate her devotion, preferring instead to resume his shallow life as a traveling businessperson. Only when it’s too late does John realize that the beast has already sprung in the jungle of his life. Available now for online streaming.

Coming soon

• Lucky Grandma: Set in New York City's Chinatown, an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck – and in the middle of a gang war. Available for streaming Friday, May 22.

• Military Wives: With their partners away serving in Afghanistan, a group of women on the home front forms a choir, and they quickly find themselves at the center of a media sensation and global movement. Stars Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan. Available for streaming Friday, May 22.

See more information and cinematic trailers for films at rehobothfilm.com.