There’s Going to be a Free Science Fiction Film Screening Series at Union Station This Spring

Three science fiction films, each unequivocally deserving to be called classic and all set in the City of Angels, will be screened during Sci-Fi at Union Station, the latest free film series at Downtown Los Angeles’ beautiful train station built in 1939.

A true architectural gem located in Downtown L.A. just across the street from Olvera Street and Chinatown, Union Station’s mixture of Mission Revival and Art Deco architecture, along with its surprisingly tranquil garden patios and richly detailed waiting room outfitted with leather chairs, have helped make Union Station more than just a transportation hub — it’s become a cultural destination as of late.

The series launches on Wednesday, April 5 with Blade Runner. Released in 1982 and directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Harrison Ford as an ex-cop forced to find and destroy androids, a.k.a. replicants. Everything changes when he falls in love with a replicant who appears to experience human emotions. Set in Los Angeles in what is now a not-very-distant future — 2019 — Blade Runner depicts a fascinating view of a dystopian Los Angeles. The film will be introduced by Susan King, formerly with the Los Angeles Times and a specialist in classic Hollywood. Click here for more details.

Them! screens on Friday, May 12. In Them!, nuclear testing goes awry, creating humongous ants that terrorize people from New Mexico to California, threatening the very existence of mankind. The film’s climax was shot in Los Angeles, at Union Station’s railroad yard and at the LA River. Released in 1954, Them!, shot in black and white, is a pioneering film of its genre. The film will be intro’d by a special guest (yet to be announced). Check here for more info.

The final film of the series, on Friday June 9, is Her. Spike Jonze’s 2013 film, set in a futuristic L.A., is the tale of a lonely man, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who falls in love with an operating system possessing artificial intelligence (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Her will be introduced by a special guest, to be announced. More details here.

Each of these classics will be experienced in Union Station’s gorgeous Ticketing Hall.