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
This week in the ongoing series Apocalypse Then: The Vietnam War on Film is the preeminent documentary of the Vietnam War, Hearts and Minds (Peter Davis, 1974, 35mm). The Oscar winner is a sweeping overview of the war through a number of close personal profiles of those affected. Hearts and Minds screens on Saturday and Tuesday, with the usual Tuesday post-screening discussion led by SAIC professor Nora Annesley Taylor.
The Siskel’s celebration of the tenth anniversary of independent distributor Oscilloscope Labs carries on with a screenings of Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008, 35mm) on Friday, March 2 and Thursday, March 8.
Time Regained (Raoul Ruiz, 1999, DCP), fresh off a new 2K restoration, gets a week-long engagement. Directed by one of the most innovative directors of world cinema, the film stars Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich in a pseudo-biopic of French novelist Marcel Proust. In Ruiz fashion, however, this is anything but straightforward, employing time and memory in interesting ways to create a swirling narrative.
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave
As the Music Box focuses on Oscar nominated films you may have missed (A Fantastic Woman, Loveless, and the shorts programs among them), the only rep screening this week is the midnight screening on both Friday and Saturday nights, Lips of Blood (Jean Rollin, 1975, DCP), presented by author Matthew Clark as part of a three-film series on Rollin. Lips of Blood involves female vampires guiding a man through his memories in hopes to something lost in the past. The results are both melancholic and poetic, a blend of mystery and art horror.
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: Detective Story (William Wyler, 1951, DCP), starring Kirk Douglas as a police detective whose investigations unveil something about his wife’s past.
Sundays, Phantom Rides: Trains & Cinema: Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974, 35mm), the most popular story involving a train, Albert Finney stars as a unique detective sussing out the clues and suspects when a man is murdered.
Tuesdays, Deep Seijun: Rare Films of Suzuki Seijun: Capone Cries in His Sleep (Seijun Suzuki, 1984, 35mm), a Japanese actor dreams of performing for Al Capone, setting him off on a bizarre trip across America.
Wednesdays, Le Samouraï: An Alain Delon Retrospective: Le Cercle Rouge (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1970, DCP), one of the greatest heist films ever made, Delon stars as a recently released ex-con who teams up with an escaped prisoner and ex-cop.
Thursdays, Ginger Snaps Back: A Feminist Take on Horror: Death Becomes Her (Robert Zemeckis, 1992, DCP), horror camp starring Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep about a rivalry and the unnatural urge to stay beautiful.
The Logan Theatre, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Late nights at the Logan this March offer up crowd pleasing classics across genre. This week features two New Hollywood star vehicles with all-time great performances: Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg, 1967, format unknown) on March 2-5 and Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975, format unknown) on March 6-8.
