It might be an exaggeration to claim that Juzo Itami's beloved 1985 comedy is a manual for living, but it certainly supplies valuable tips when it comes to enhancing such basic pleasures as eating, sex, and watching movies. (The prologue, which involves a yakuza taking his seat in the cinema and making it very clear what the correct protocols are regarding noise, is so perfectly expressed we should probably run it as a supporting short with every other film in our festival!)

Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) herself is the proprietor of a so-so roadside noodle joint. When truckers Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki) and Gun (a young Ken Watanabe) stop in, they are touched by her desire to do better, and agree to help bring her ramen up to snuff. This turns into a full-scale makeover for the restaurant. Itami approaches this slight storyline with gusto and invention, throwing in parodies of spaghetti westerns and sports movies, and sprinkling liberally with offbeat comic riffs on other culinary tit-bits: how to eat spaghetti, for example, or the erotic possibilities of an egg yolk. Kanpai! 

The film screening will be followed by dinner at Pho 533, where executive chef Andrew Verrier has created a special menu inspired by the movie, with ramen at its heart. Pho 533 is Palm Springs' premier Vietnamese restaurant. Trained as a French chef, Chef Verrier's love of Asian cuisine makes him a perfect fit for Pho 533. This evening's menu will offer a signature focus on Modern Japanese dishes integrating western and Southeast Asian ingredients. This will be a sensory experience to savor.  Dinner & A Movie ticket ($75) required for admittance to the dinner.