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.Davis Theater, 4614 N Lincoln Ave
This Saturday is one of my favorite events of the year as Terror in the Aisles presents the Sci-Fi Spectacular. This year features an amazing lineup, fantastic guests, local vendors, short films from local filmmakers, and probably some surprises, too. Tickets are only $30 in advance ($35 at the door) and seating is limited, so if you are interested in attending, I suggest you get tickets ASAP! Here is the full lineup:
(all formats are unknown)
11:30 am: A Trip to the Moon (Georges Méliès, 1902), with live organ accompaniment by Jay Warren
Noon: The Blob (Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., 1958)
1:35 pm: Zardoz (John Boorman, 1974)
3:45 pm: The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Robert Fuest, 1971), with special guest Victoria Price
6:15 pm: The NeverEnding Story (Wolfgang Petersen, 1984), with special guest Noah Hathaway
8:00 pm: Battle Beyond the Stars (Jimmy T. Murakami, 1980), with special guest Sybil Danning
10:00 pm: RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987)
Midnight: Scanners (David Cronenberg, 1981)
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St
While most of the week is taken up by to the annual European Union Film Festival, the Apocalypse Then: The Vietnam War on Film rages on. This week’s screening is the animated Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, The Missing Picture (Rithy Panh, 2013, DCP). The unusual film is a personal recollection of the Cambodian killing fields, told through clay figures, archival footage, and the childhood memories of its director. The Missing Picture screens on Friday and Tuesday with a post-screening discussion led by SAIC professor Nora Annesley Taylor on Tuesday, March 20.
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave
In anticipation of Spielberg’s nostalgia-driven science fiction pastiche Ready Player One, the Music Box is taking the opportunity to highlight some of the great American director’s best sci-fi. Though we might not consider Spielberg to be a preeminent director of science fiction (compared to filmmakers that worked exclusively in the sci-fi genre), this week’s lineup proves his place in the genre. If you’re interested in the series, you should consider buying a series pass that will get you into every screening for just $30 ($25 for Music Box members). Here is the impressive lineup:
War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg, 2005, 35mm): Sunday @ 7:00, Monday @ 4:30, Wednesday @ 9:50, Thursday @ 2:00
Also showing at the Music Box this weekend is a pair of matinee screenings (both Saturday and Sunday) of classic Jackie Chan kung-fu flick Drunken Master (Yuen Woo-ping, 1978, DCP) and midnight screenings (also both Saturday and Sunday) of weird underseen satire The Dark Backward (Adam Rifkin, 1991, 35mm).
Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W Fullerton Ave
This month’s members-only screening is Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli, 1958, format unknown) on Monday, March 19. The fantastic crime comedy starring Italian screen legends Gassman, Mastroianni and Cardinale will be followed by a discussion led by Facets founder and artistic director Milos Stehlik and is free (and exclusive) to members.
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 dramas with entirely different settings, as well as another opportunity to see Spielberg on the big screen. Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, 1993, format unknown) plays on March 16-19 and Rebel without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955, format unknown) follows on March 20-22.
