WEEKEND SYMPOSIUM:
MODERN CLASSICS ON SCREEN
All films presented in 35mm!
This event is a wonderful opportunity to see films that are now regarded as new classics! And as a bonus, each of these films will be screened in the classic format: 35mm! An opportunity which is becoming quite rare due to the digital revolution and now you can also share the excitement of seeing films on the big screen! Each session offers a splendid occasion to engage with celebrated film critics and scholars from multiple disciplines. Under the umbrella term "Modern Classic," the films in this series will be examined in depth with lively discussions, debates, and discourse among our panelists and guests.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Sunday, Sept. 30 at 11 am
Speakers: James W. Anderson, Clinical Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University;
and J.R. Jones, film editor for the Chicago Reader.
Presented in a 35mm print.
Celebrated for a cerebral, Oscar-winning script by Charlie Kaufman (
Being John Malkovich,
Adaptation) and surreal visual touches by
French director Michel Gondry (
Be Kind Rewind), this sci-fi-tinged romance should not be missed. Jim Carrey delivers a very human
performance as a man who decides to undergo an experimental scientific procedure to rid his memory of all traces of his ex-girlfriend
(Kate Winslet) after learning that she too has had the procedure done. But, as his memories are erased, he realizes that he still loves her
and tries to reverse the process. Co-stars Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, and David Cross.
Directed by Michael Gondry, U.S.A., 2004, 35mm, 108 mins.
Roger Ebert
Chicago Reader
Onion AV Club
Registration:
$15 members, $20 non-members
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Marie Antoinette
Sunday, Oct. 14 at 11 am
Speakers: Julia V. Douthwaite, Professor of French and Francophone Studies at the University of Notre Dame; and Paul Cheney, Associate Professor, Department of History at the University of Chicago.
Presented in a 35mm print.
Compared to the inescapable doom of
Virgin Suicides and the cultural melancholy of
Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola's
Marie Antoinette
comes across as pure confectioner's sugar. Like her father's version of
Dracula, the film is all about sets, costumes, and music—not actors.
This is not to say that Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman don't admirably convey the awkwardness of having to perform socially (and
sexually!) in front of the entire French court. What are most memorable and enjoyable in this arty biopic, however, are the anachronistic New
Wave soundtrack (The Cure, New Order, Bow Wow Wow), Lance Acord's beautiful location shooting around Versailles, and the ostentatious
costume designs of Milena Canonero. This film was not considered great cinema upon its release, but it is certainly cool cinema, and it's due for
reconsideration. With Rip Torn, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Coogan, Molly Shannon, and Asia Argento.
Directed by Sofia Coppola, U.S.A., 2006, 35mm, 123 mins.
Roger Ebert
Washington Post
New York Times
Registration:
$15 members, $20 non-members
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Sunday, Nov. 18 at 11 am
Speaker: Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic and essayist.
Presented in a new 35mm print.
Based on Gustav Hasford's novel
The Short Timers, Stanley Kubrick's harrowing look at the Vietnam War is a two-act drama that
begins with basic training which leads to madness, and then turns to the hardened violence of the Tet Offensive. Overlooked when
it was released in the shadow of
Platoon, Kubrick's gripping film has grown in stature with each passing year.
Full Metal Jacket
was filmed entirely in England, although the meticulous production design has made many believe otherwise. Starring Matthew
Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Arliss Howard, Dorian Harewood, and real-life military veteran R. Lee Ermey as the
frighteningly intense drill sergeant.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, U.S.A, 1987, 35mm, 141 mins.
New York Times
Chicago Reader
Registration:
$15 members, or FREE with RSVP
$20 non-members
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Marnie
Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11 am
Speakers: Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune; Leslie Abramson, adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of
Law; Ted Cohen, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago; and Gretchen Helfrich, host of WBEZ's Odyssey program.
Presented on a restored 35mm print.
Sean Connery and Tippi Hendren star in Hitchcock's psychological thriller about a habitual thief (Hendren) and her employer
(Connery), who is determined to help her. One of Hitchcock’'s most underrated films, with Hendren unable to help herself because
of repressed memories, Connery is obsessed with the idea of possessing a beautiful criminal, and an overall symbolic use of
color to represent emotional fears and reactions. "Considered a misfire in 1964...but there's more than meets the eye, especially
for Hitchcock buffs" (Leonard Maltin). "A perverse romance...As sour a vision of male-female interactions as
Vertigo...It's still thrilling
to watch, lush, cool and oddly moving" (
TimeOut Film Guide).
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, U.S.A., 1964, 35mm, 130 mins.
Chicago Reader
TimeOut London
Slant Magazine
Registration:
$15 members, or FREE with RSVP
$20 non-members
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