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
While the big attraction at the Siskel Film Center this week is their annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival, they are also showing the first in a series of three highlights from Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel on Friday and Sunday. The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel, 2008, 35mm) is perhaps Martel’s most acclaimed work, a fantastic dramatic thriller exploring class, the human psyche, and moral responsibility.
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave
Silent cinema comes back to the Music Box this weekend on Saturday with A Million Bid (Michael Curtiz, 1927, 35mm). The melodramatic drama stars Dolores Costello and is only the second American feature from classic studio filmmaker Curtiz.
This weekend marks the monthly return of two midnight masterpieces with The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003, 35mm) playing Friday night and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975, 35mm) taking Saturday night.
Playing opposite them on both Friday and Saturday night is the 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke (Lou Adler, 1978, DCP). The smoke-filled trip across California is the duo’s most iconic work and still the most important entry into drug culture cinema. (Now, did you notice any significance to the date this is playing?)
Doc Films, 1212 E 59th St # 3
The Spring 2018 series calendar is now in full swing, featuring the best of Canadian cinema, the Korean New Wave, the work of Elia Kazan and Michael Haneke, and more! Here is the breakdown of the calendar along with this week’s screenings:
Sundays, Miracle on the Han River: The Korean New Wave: Save the Green Planet! (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003, 35mm), a wacky sci-fi dark comedy where a beekeeper suspects a businessman of being an evil alien.
Mondays, Beyond Hollywood North: Contemporary Canadian Voices and Visions: Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2012, DCP), an early film from Canadian cinema hotshot Dolan, exploring the life and transition of a trans woman and how it affects her relationships.
Wednesdays, Elia Kazan: A Retrospective: East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955, 35mm), James Dean star vehicle modernizing the Cain and Abel story in 1950s California.
Thursdays, “Love Is a Matter of Timing…”: Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945, 35mm), one of the most tragically romantic films ever made, an emotionally complex story stemming from a simple meeting at a British train station.
Thursdays, Shattered Visions: Loss of Identity in Cinema: The Face of Another (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1966, 35mm), after a man experiences a horrific accident, he uses his new face as an excuse to take on a new identity.
Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W Fullerton Ave
This month’s Members Only screening is White Material (Claire Denis, 2009, format unknown), starring Isabelle Huppert as a French woman living in an unnamed African colony. The film explores issues of colonialism, modern Africa through white eyes, and society turned into chaos. The screening will be followed with an audience discussion led by Facets Film Program Director Charles Coleman.
The Logan Theatre, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
This April at the Logan Theatre is a rundown of some of the most iconic, badass, amazing action films of all time. This week features serious looks at violence from different ends of the world. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982, format unknown) screens April 20-23 and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000, format unknown) screens April 24-26.
