22
TUESDAY
At first it seems as if the Washington Psychotronic Film Society has made an embarrassing gaffe in booking the 1944 film Arsenic and Old Lace. Sure, the plot revolves around sweet little old ladies who “charitably” poison lonely old men so they won’t be miserable. But the director is Frank Capra, the star is the very unpsychotronic Cary Grant, and the script is by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, authors of the downright anti-psychotronic Casablanca. In fact, Arsenic is an old-fashioned screwball comedy, with Grant gleefully overacting as a confirmed bachelor who marries a minister’s daughter and spends the honeymoon covering up for his aunts’ murderous hobby. Such adroitly witty stories were a staple of old-time Hollywoodall we get today are Nora Ephron moviesbut WPFS is probably not screening Arsenic for some much-needed perspective: The film also stars Peter Lorre. At 8 p.m. at Lucky Bar, 1221 Connecticut Ave. NW. $2 (suggested donation). (202) 736-1732. (Dave Nuttycombe)