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
Have you never seen Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959, 35mm) on the big screen? Well, you have a chance at the Siskel this week on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, the brilliant colors, thrilling performances, and wonderful movie music are all enhanced in a theatre. As an added bonus, if you see Vertigo at the Siskel, you can get a double-feature ticket for the Chicago premiere of Guy Maddin’s newest film The Green Fog for a discounted rate.
Returning to the SAIC lecture series Apocalypse Then: The Vietnam War on Film is a documentary on a young woman’s return to her birth country to find her mother, Daughter from Danang (Gail Dolgin and Vincente Franco, 2002, 35mm). The screening on Tuesday is followed by a discussion led by South and Southeast Asian Art professor Nora Annesley Taylor.
Continuing the triplet of films directed by one of Argentina’s great modern filmmakers, La Cienaga (Lucrecia Martel, 2001, 35mm) screens on Friday and Monday. The film is a stunning examination of a middle class family in the muggy heat of its title swamp.
Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave
Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, this weekend’s midnight rep screening on both Friday and Saturday night is Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998, 35mm), which remains one of the bleakest and sharpest sci-fi dystopias on film.
It doesn’t get much more optimistic for the Sunday matinee, with the ultimate hunt to stop a serial killer The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991, 35mm).
Presented by the Chicago Film Society, A Scene at the Sea (Takeshi Kitano, 1991, 35mm) screens on Monday. Made by one of Japan’s best pulp filmmakers, this is a gentler and more dramatic turn for Beat Takeshi.
Wednesday night offers a fantastic treat with a screening of Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967, DCP) featuring a book signing by Bill Jankowski, the co-author of star Patty Duke’s memoir In the Presence of Greatness – My Sixty Year Journey as an Actress.
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: Oasis (Lee Chang-dong, 2002, 35mm), one of the most devastating dramas of the 21st century with the strange (and sometimes beautiful) relationship between two outcasts.
Wednesdays, Elia Kazan: A Retrospective: Baby Doll (Elia Kazan, 1956, 35mm), yet another Tennessee Williams adaptation, starring Carroll Baker and Karl Malden.
Thursdays, “Love Is a Matter of Timing…”: Three Colors: Red (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1994, 35mm), the conclusion of the “Three Colors” trilogy and the final film of Kieślowski’s masterful career.
This week bridges between two monthly series. First, wrapping up action late nights is The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (Joseph Sargent, 1974, format unknown) on April 27-30. Then, bringing in the shift to Musical May is wackadoo rock opera Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma, 1974, format unknown) on May 1-3.
