Degrees on screen

Connect Vivien Leigh to Ice Cube in six steps. The University Program Board has taken on the challenge in its annual film festival this week at Grafton-Stovall Theatre.

The week-long festival, "Vivien Leigh to Ice Cube: Six Degrees in Grafton-Stovall," includes six films to be shown in chronological order and link Leigh to Ice Cube.

Kicking off the festival tonight at 8 p.m. is "Gone With the Wind," directed by Victor Fleming and starring Leigh. Clark Gable also stars in the 1939 epic story of a woman who can cope with everything in the Civil War except losing the affection of the man she loves.

Leigh again graces the screen in the 1951 film "A Streetcar Named Desire," directed by Elia Kazan and playing Tuesday at 8 p.m. The story is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the restless years following World War II and is about Blanche DuBois (played by Leigh), a fragile and neurotic woman on a desperate prowl for a place in the world to call her own. Marlon Brando is impressive as the brutish Stanley, Blanche's brother-in-law.

Brando turned in another legendary performance in "The Godfather" playing Wednesday at 8 p.m. The 1972 movie, directed by Fracis Ford Coppola, chronicles how a Mafia boss' son, previously uninvolved in the business, takes over when his father is critically wounded in a mob hit. Robert Duvall plays Tom Hagen, a family friend of the powerful Corleone clan.

Thursday night brings "Apocalypse Now Redux" in which Duvall can be spotted in a supporting role. The Coppola-directed movie centers on Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), who receives orders to seek out a renegade military outpost led by a mysterious Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) during the Vietnam War. This version of the film is remastered and includes extra footage not included in the original theatrical release in 1979. Look for a young Laurence (here billed as "Larry") Fishburne in a small part in one of his very first movie roles. "Apocalypse Now Redux" will play at 8 p.m.

A more mature Fishburne plays a prominent role in "Boyz N the Hood," playing Friday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The 1991 movie, directed by F. Gary Gray, deals with three childhood friends as they grow up in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Los Angeles. Ice Cube, in his movie debut, plays one of the friends.

Ice Cube plays quite a different character in the 1995 movie "Friday," showing Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The movie is about a pair of average guys in L.A. and the wacky adventures they have with neighbors, friends and the neighborhood bully in the course of a day.

"Our goal was to present a week of films that appeal to the widest range audience possible," said junior Anthony Marchegiano, director of cinematic events for UPB. "We feel that with this slate of films, there is something there for every student on campus.

"Being able to see classics like 'Gone With the Wind' and 'The Godfather' on the big screen is a chance that everyone should take advantage of. And even for the less serious film-goer we have 'Friday' which is hilarious in its own way," Marchegiano said.

The film festival begins tonight and runs through Saturday. Each film is $2.