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 ongoing series Apocalypse Then: The Vietnam War on Film shifts to another of its most prominent entries, Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick, 1987, 35mm). Known for its amazing basic training sequences which introduced the world to real-life boot camp instructor R. Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket is a perfect encapsulation of the disillusionment and violence created by the Vietnam conflict. The film is screening on Saturday, February 24 and Tuesday, February 27, with the Tuesday screening including a post-film discussion led by SAIC professor Nore Annesley Taylor.
Fresh off of its new 4K restoration, classic French crime drama Bob le flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1955, DCP) enjoys a weeklong engagement. Made by the French filmmaker of cool, this prototype of the French New Wave is a perfect example of Melville’s style: slick characters, high-rolling scenarios, innovative cinematography, a hip jazz soundtrack, and a touch of crime.
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave
The weekend matinee series returns on Saturday and Sunday with one of the greatest screen fantasies — and one of my personal favorites — La Belle et la Bete (Jean Cocteau, 1946, 35mm), the first screen version of The Beauty and the Beast. Starring the magnificent Josette Day and Jean Marais, Cocteau brings wonder, visual poetry, and spectacular practical effects to the tale as old as time. If you are a devoted fan of the Disney versions (animated or live-action), you must see this beautiful film.
The monthly midnight screenings of resident films The Room (playing Friday night) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (playing Saturday night) are back this weekend.
Doc Films, 1212 E 59th St # 3
With the new year, a new batch of fantastic film series is on tap at Doc Films. Over the next few months, you can check out great classic and genre films on bad marriages, feminist horror films, African American visions of the future, and retrospectives on Seijun Suzuki and Alain Delon.
Fridays, Marriage on the Verge of Collapse: La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961, DCP), the centerpiece of the Italian auteur’s “alienation trilogy” starring screen icons Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni.
Sundays, Phantom Rides: Trains & Cinema: Beggars of Life (William A. Wellman, 1928, DCP), silent star Louise Brooks as a vagrant on the run.
Tuesdays, Deep Seijun: Rare Films of Suzuki Seijun: A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (Seijun Suzuki, 1977, 35mm), a young golf star moves into a posh housing development only to find something creepy is going on with her new neighbors.
Wednesdays, Le Samouraï: An Alain Delon Retrospective: The Last Adventure (Robert Enrico, 1969, 16mm), Delon plays a daredevil pilot wrapped up in a love triangle as he’s on an adventure for sunken treasure.
Thursdays, Ginger Snaps Back: A Feminist Take on Horror: Under the Shadow (Babak Anvari, 2016, DCP), an Iranian revolution-set horror film where an abandoned mother must protect her young daughter from evil spirits.
The Logan Theatre, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
To celebrate awards season, the Logan’s February late-night series spotlights Oscar winning or Oscar worthy films from the past six decades. This week features two very different Best Picture winners: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972, format unknown) on February 23-26 and Marty (Delbert Mann, 1955, format unknown) on February 27-March 1.
