Terrence Malick's 'Zoolander' Love Confirmed: Programs Film With 'The Lady Eve' & More For Summer Movie Series

With each new step into his increasingly prolific filmic output, the enigma of Terrence Malick has slowly begun to crack, each new tidbit wonderfully at odds with the director’s built-up legend. Ben Stiller‘s “Zoolander” has contributed to perhaps the most delightful account — the story goes that Malick likes to unwind by watching it regularly, and that Stiller even once sent him a video message in character for the helmer’s birthday. Now that rumor appears to be true, as the filmmaker has selected the film alongside other personal favorites for an upcoming Oklahoma film festival.

This summer, Malick will become the first guest curator for the Philbrook Museum of Art’s “Films on the Lawn” series in Tulsa — a home-state honor for the Bartlesville native. In addition to “Zoolander,” Malick has picked John Huston‘s 1953 comic caper “Beat The Devil,” starring Humphrey Bogart and written by Truman Capote, Preston Sturges‘ screwball romance “The Lady Eve,” and to round things off, his own first film “Badlands” with Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek.

At this point, there’s nothing else planned for the showings other than the films themselves, but this being Malick, that hardly comes as a surprise. But what a line-up: with only the Criterion-minted “Badlands” barring a selection of full-on comedy programming, we’re now doubly interested to see what the director could do with a slapstick farce. He definitely has the influences down.

The Philbrook series will show every Friday this July, so if you’re looking to spot Malick in the wild or for a (highly unlikely) guest appearance, then Tulsa’s definitely your destination this summer. Full details at Tulsa World.