The Chicago Rep-port 10/20-10/26, by Aaron Pinkston

Repertory screenings may not be as abundant in Chicago as they are in LA/NY but when you look around, there are many theatergoing delights. The Chicago Rep-port is a weekly(ish) series highlighting the best and most compelling repertory screenings in the Second City.Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St

The retrospective look at the work of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul highlights the week with perhaps his masterpiece, Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006, 35mm). The film is Weerasethakul’s most personal, dedicated to and in part biographical of his parents, but it is completely within his odd and challenging artistic style. Syndromes and a Century screens on Friday and Saturday this weekend.

Two more films in this year’s UCLA Festival of Preservation screen this week, offering the opportunity to discover great films that were once forgotten. The Murder of Fred Hampton (Howard Alk, 1971, 35mm) is a documentary profiling the Chicago leader of the Black Panther movement, who was killed in a controversial police raid. Stranded (Juleen Compton, 1965, 35mm) is something very different altogether, a comically charged romp through the Greek islands that takes inspiration from the French New Wave. The Murder of Fred Hampton screens Saturday and Wednesday and Stranded screens Saturday and Monday. If you’re up for both, you can purchase a double-bill ticket for the Saturday screenings at a discounted rate!

In the Making ‘Em Move: A History of Animation series this week is Persepolis (Mariane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, 2007, 35mm), the beautifully animated coming-of-age story with a unique perspective. It screens on Saturday and Tuesday, with a post-screening discussion led by University of Notre Dame professor Donald Crafton on Tuesday.

Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave

This week the Field Museum is partnering with the Music Box to take a cinematic field trip of The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986, 35mm). Seeing the Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis gross-out horror flick on the big screen is worth it on its own but this special event offers a discussion with a real life DNA expert, Erica Zahnle. Are the horrific misadventures of Dr. Seth Brundle actually possible? And even if they aren’t, the post-screening discussion is bound to send interesting light on the film’s depiction of science.

Over the past few weeks, Jimmy Through the Years has been focused on some of James Stewart’s most known and beloved work, so this week’s less known gem is refreshing. The Far Country (Anthony Mann, 1954, 35mm) returns the star to the Western genre, this time as a cattle driver moving his flock to the northwest during the gold rush. The matinee feature plays both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

The midnight selection both Friday and Saturday nights is one of the craziest, creepiest “WTF” films ever made, Jacob’s Ladder (Adrian Lynne, 1990, 35mm). Known for its twist ending that has inspired many horror films since, it remains a completely shocking visual and psychological experience.

Doc Films, 1212 E 59th St # 3

The fall slate of nightly film series at Doc Films is underway and it is an impressive slate (as usual). Here is the rundown along with this week’s screenings:

Fridays, From Here to Eternity: A Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift Retrospective: Suddenly, Last Summer (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1959, 35mm), pairing Clift with Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor in a Tennessee Williams adaptation.

Sundays, Love is Colder than Death: The Films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Beware of a Holy Whore (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1971, 35mm), a meta-documentary on the making of another Fassbinder film.

Mondays, Commedia All’Italiana: Italian Comedy in the 60’s and 70’s: The Organizer (Mario Monicelli, 1963, 35mm), starring Italian star Marcelo Mastroianni as a textile factory strike leader.

Tuesdays, Dreams and Ashes: Essentials of Polish Cinema: The Devil (Andrzej Zulawski, 1972, DCP)

Wednesdays, Il Padrone: An Al Pacino Retrospective: …And Justice for All (Norman Jewison, 1979, 35mm)

Thursdays, Growing Up: Coming of Age Around the World: The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut, 1959, 35mm), you can’t have a series on coming-of-age without The 400 Blows.

Thursdays, Down the Rabbit Hole: Mindfucks and Mysteries at the Movies: Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006, 35mm), one of provocateur Lynch’s most divisive work, and that’s saying something.

Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W Fullerton Ave

On Monday, October 23, Facets is offering a members-only screening of The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1991, format unknown), preceded by a reception and followed by a discussion led by the founder and artistic director at Facets, Milos Stehlik. If you’re not a member of this fantastic organization, these types of screenings should be enough of an incentive.

The Logan Theatre, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave

Inching closer and closer to Halloween, the Logan’s Horror Movie Madness! goes all out this week with 4 fantastic films and special events. On October 20-23 you can see Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 1988, format unknown) and The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980, format unknown). Later in the week, October 24-26 offers screenings of Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968, format unknown) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984, format unknown).

On Friday, October 20, in conjunction with the screening of The Shining, the Logan is throwing a Halloween party with drink specials and a costume contest with a $250 grand prize.

Cinemark Theaters, various Chicagoland locations

Cinemark is also exploring the dream world with A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984, format unknown) as their classic film this week, screening on Sunday and Wednesday at participating locations.