THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004) w/ Jacques Cousteau pre-show
August 22 : 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
“Still one of Wes Anderson’s funniest and most poignant movies, as well as a love letter to his favorite muse: Bill Murray… The Life Aquatic is Wes Anderson’s most underrated movie.” – Den of Geek
A wildly original adventure-comedy, The Life Aquatic was the film that definitively proved that Wes Anderson exclusively makes Wes Anderson movies, and if you don’t like it…that’s your problem. Bill Murray heads a typically eclectic ensemble cast as internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou, who sets sail aboard the R.V. Belafonte on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou’s partner. The motley crew includes Owen Wilson as a sweet-natured airline pilot, Cate Blanchett as a pregnant journalist, Anjelica Huston as Zissou’s estranged wife, Jeff Goldblum as her new lover, and (our favorite) Willem Dafoe as Zissou’s obsequious German first mate. Shot in eye-popping Cinemascope, The Life Aquatic is packed with stop-motion sea life, brilliant “dollhouse” cutaways of the Belafonte, hilarious gags, and interstitial samba covers of Bowie classics courtesy of Brazilian musician Seu Jorge, but underneath it all is a gorgeously poignant sense of yearning and loss. Hey, this is a Wes Anderson movie, after all.
Before the film, we’ll pay tribute to the core inspiration for The Life Aquatic, oceanographer-cum-filmmaker Jacques Cousteau with a pre-show beginning at 6:30 pm.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.
Theater Policies
- All seats are first-come, first-served.
- The theater opens 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed start time.
- All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.
- Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.
- If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.
- Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.
- When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.
- All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.
- Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.

