Monsters, Inc. 25th Anniversary

Monsters, Inc. returns to the big screen at Paramount and Stateside Theatres on Saturday, July 18, as part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series. It's a 25th anniversary screening of the 2001 Pixar favorite, which runs 92 minutes in color and will be shown from a DCP print.

Directed by Pete Docter, the story follows Sulley (John Goodman) and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., a scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, the monsters are scared silly, and Sulley and Mike have to keep her out of sight and get her back home. The film also stars Steve Buscemi, Mary Gibbs, James Coburn, and Jennifer Tilly.

The screening is held at the Paramount, which has stood on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin for over 100 years. Built in 1915, it's Austin's oldest surviving theatre and a City and State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's one of the few remaining 'hemp houses' in the country, and it's where the city's red-carpet film premieres happen. The Paramount is also part of SXSW and the Austin Film Festival, and it hosts the Moontower Comedy Festival. It operates alongside the State Theatre next door under the Austin Theatre Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Tickets are $5, and the screening is part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series, which brings back well-known titles to the big screen throughout the season. Monsters, Inc. runs 92 minutes, so it's a relatively quick trip back to Monstropolis.