Parents' Night Out: KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER AT MUSIC BOX THEATRE #ChiILFlixPicks #Films #MusicBox #CFCA

THE MUSIC BOX THEATRE AND THE CFCA RETURN FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THEIR SERIES “MBT TALKS”

Following a successful first weekend with the release of IT FOLLOWS, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER, Directed by David Zellner will kick off The “MBT” talks this Friday, March 27^th. The series will continue with WHITE GOD on April 3^rd and the silent film SHERLOCK, JR AND THE PLAYHOUSE on April 11^th. 

Check out Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter​ at Music Box Theatre​!! Purchase tickets to KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER, this Friday at 7:30pm, for your chance to win this great Kumiko Prize Pack, featuring a Gold USB Drive, the film's soundtrack (on cassette!), and more! Stay after for a talk back by Chicago Film Critics Association​ 

WHAT: Hosted by The CFCA (Chicago Film Critics Association) and The Music Box Theatre, MBT Talks will be led by various CFCA representing members to further support the theatrical releases of art-house, independent, foreign and classical cinema in the theatre’s fun and creative atmosphere.

WHEN: Friday, March 27^th, 2015

Film begins at 7:20pm. Discussion immediately following the film in the Music Box Lounge. This MBT Talk will be led by Patrick Z. McGavin writes film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and interviews and film festival reports for RogerEbert.com.

WHERE: Music Box Theatre Lounge

3733 North Southport Ave

Chicago, IL 60613     

ABOUT THE FILM

A jaded Japanese woman discovers a hidden copy of Fargo on VHS, believing it to be a treasure map leading to the location of a large case of money. In this darkly comedic odyssey, Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Pacific Rim) stars as Kumiko, a frustrated Office Lady whose imagination transcends the confines of her mundane life. Kumiko becomes obsessed with a mysterious, battered VHS tape of a popular film she’s mistaken for a documentary, fixating on a scene where a suitcase of stolen cash is buried in the desolate, frozen landscape of North Dakota. Believing this treasure to be real, she leaves behind Tokyo and her beloved rabbit Bunzo to recover it — and finds herself on a dangerous adventure unlike anything she’s seen in the movies.

ABOUT MUSIC BOX THEATRE:

For the last three decades, the Music Box Theatre has been the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It currently has the largest cinema space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre screens over 300 independent, foreign, classic, cult and art films annually. Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through its Music Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD, VOD and television markets throughout the United States.

ABOUT THE CFCA:

The Chicago Film Critics Association is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization which maintains a 501 (c)3 status. The parent association was founded in 1990 by film critic Sue Kiner after the successful launch of the Chicago Film Critics’ Awards in 1989.

The CFCA Film Festival, created and curated entirely by film critics, returns to the Music Box Theatre this year from May 1^st through May 7^th, 2015. http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/

OPENING: THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA AT SISKEL FILM CENTER #ChiILFlixPicks #review

Chicago premiere!

FOUR WEEK RUN!

New 

from the director of 

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES AND POM POKO!

THE TALE OF THE 

PRINCESS KAGUYA

(KAGUYA-HIME NO MONOGATORI)

Here at ChiIL Mama, we were lucky enough to get an advanced sneak peek at this incredible film and highly recommend it. The hand drawn animation and the subtle play of shadow and light is sublime. We've long been fans of Studio Ghibli works so we had high expectations, and Princess Kaguya exceeded them. We have also long admired the work of Isao Takahata and earlier films he directed like Grave of the Fireflies which we own, and Pom Poko, which we absolutely adore.

We've actually seen this story acted out on stage in an incredible one man puppet show by Nori Sawa as part of the Humanities Fest last year, so we were extra excited to see Takahata's take. 

Nori Sawa's Kaguya: The Bamboo Princess 

Like many Ghibli films, it's a slow slice of life, lovingly painting the beauty of the banal, like breast feeding and carrying infants in wraps while working the fields. It's a poignant coming of age story and a fascinating glimpse into class, wealth versus poverty, family love and loss, riches in nature, and the source of true happiness. We adore the headstrong princess who isn't content to sit by silently and be a rich and pampered prince's treasure. She laughs, loves, plays, embraces nature and music, and grows. Kaguya is a great role model and a princess we can get on board with, as opposed to the coma cadre--Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and their ilk, who don't do much. 

ChiIL Tips: We love that Siskel Film Center is offering both Japanese subtitled showings and dubbed showings. If you are going with adults or taking kids old enough to comfortably keep up with the pace of reading the translation we strongly recommend doing the original version to hear the dialogue and songs in Japanese.

If your kids enjoy Frozen, this may spark an interesting compare and contrast discussion. Both films are about girls navigating the journey between childhood and womanhood, learning from nature, and running from and finally embracing their power and destinies, with plenty of action and plot points to keep the story exciting. 

2013, Isao Takahata, Japan, 137 min.

“A staggering masterpiece…a thing of endless visual beauty…a true work of art.”
— Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

"The best animated film of the year…one of the revered Studio Ghibli’s finest achievements."
— David Ehrlich, A.V. Club

“Alternatingly jubilant and heartrending...an instant Oscar contender.”
— Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

A childless bamboo-cutter discovers a tiny baby girl no bigger than the palm of his hand in the woods and takes this apparent gift from the heavens home to his wife. The enchanted child grows rapidly, and, when her doting adoptive father also finds a pot of gold under a tree, greed inspires his ambition to make the girl a princess in the royal court and marry her off to one of a host of venal suitors. The beautiful, headstrong wood nymph and the far-off gods have other plans.

Based on a 10th-century Japanese folk tale, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA is a marvelous journey steeped in the profound humanism that is the trademark of Studio Ghibli’s Isao Takahata (GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, ONLY YESTERDAY). 

Suitable for all ages, the film is simultaneously a uniquely joyous exploration of childhood and a chronicle of love and loss with a poignant mystical dimension. Takahata’s seductively subtle animation incorporates watercolor techniques and charcoal line drawings for a masterful and ravishing approach to storytelling. DCP. (BS)

Legendary Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko) revisits Japan’s most famous folktale in this gorgeous, hand-drawn masterwork, decades in the making. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter (James Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen), a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady (Chloë Grace Moretz). The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

From the studio that brought you Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Wind Rises comes a powerful and sweeping epic that redefines the limits of animated storytelling and marks a triumphant highpoint within an extraordinary career in filmmaking for director Isao Takahata.

• In English at indicated times, with voices by James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Lucy Liu, Darren Criss, and Chloë Grace Moretz.

• In Japanese with English subtitles at indicated times, with voices by Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, and Takeo Chii.

TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA, and get a ticket for any show of ISAO TAKAHATA AND HIS TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA at the discount price of $4 with proof of your original purchase. (This discount price applies to the second film only.)  Click here for tickets and further info on THE TALE OF THE  PRINCESS KAGUYA and other current showings at Gene Siskel Film Center.

ENGLISH DUBBED	JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES
December 5—11	December 5—11
Fri. at 6:00 pm;	Fri. at 7:45;
Sat. at 3:00 pm;	Sat. at 7:30 pm;
Sun. at 2:30 pm;	Sun. at 5:15 pm;
Tue. at 6:00 pm;	Mon. at 6:30 pm;
Wed. at 6:00 pm;	Wed. at 8:15 pm;
Thu. at 6:00 pm	Thu. at 7:30 pm
December 12—18	December 12—18
Fri. at 6:00 pm;	Fri. at 7:45 pm;;
Sat. at 2:30 pm;	Sat. at 7:30 pm;
Sun. at 2:30 pm;	Sun. at 5:15 pm;
Wed. at 6:00 pm;	Mon. at 6:30 pm;
Thu. at 6:00 pm;	Tue. at 7:45 pm;
	Wed. at 7:45 pm;
	Thu. at 8:00 pm;
December 19—23	December 19—23
Fri. at 6:00 pm;	Sat. at 8:00 pm;
Sat. at 5:00 pm;	Mon. at 6:30 pm;
Sun. at 2:30 pm;	Tue. at 8:00 pm;
Tue. at 6:00 pm;
December 26—30	December 26—30
Sat. at 3:00 pm;	Fri. at 7:30 pm;
Sun. at 3:00 pm;	Sat. at 8:00 pm;
	Mon. at 6:30 pm;
	Tue. at 7:30 pm

OPENING: Antarctica: A Year on Ice at Music Box #ChiILFlixPicks

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

Chicago will look downright balmy once you've seen this stunningly gorgeous documentary on Antarctica. Here at ChiIL Mama we caught a sneak peek at this acclaimed gem and highly recommend it. Like most of the best docs, this one takes time to unfold and it's filmed over a 10 year span, including 9 winters. 

Anthony Powell's passion for the place and people shines through and makes this a must see. I'm still amazed that the people who choose to work and live on the most isolated continent were gregarious enough to do such great interviews. There are many witty and wise sound bites and quotes sprinkled throughout. This doc is a unique blend of insight into universal human truths and character interwoven with a strong sense of place. Antarctica: A Year on Ice does a stellar job of illuminating the way the harsh terrain influences the people and vice versa. The pristine landscape shots are a powerful plea for the natural world and this doc does a surprisingly supurb job using one of the darkest places in the world to shine a light on the subject. 

Opens in Chicago on Friday, December 5th!

*Calgary International Film Festival 2013 – Best Documentary*

* New Zealand Film & TV Awards 2013- Best Documentary Cinematography*

“Breathtaking! A deeply moving experience. I urge you to see this film.”

-Michael Sigman, Huffington Post

“Words are entirely inadequate to convey the experience of watching this film. An extraordinary achievement that reinvigorates our sense of wonder about the natural world.” -Peter Calder, The New Zealand Herald

Experience a year in the harshest place on Earth, following the people who live and work on the frozen continent. Filled with exhilarating never-before-seen images, painstakingly filmed for over 10 years, including 9 winters in months of unending darkness, ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE is a thrilling, eye-opening journey to the frigid and beautiful end of the world.

About the film

ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE is a visually stunning journey to the end of the world with the hardy and devoted people who live there year-round. The research stations scattered throughout the continent host a close-knit international population of scientists, technicians and craftsmen. Isolated from the rest of the world, enduring months of unending darkness followed by periods when the sun never sets, Antarctic residents experience firsthand the beauty and brutality of the most severe environment on Earth. Capturing epic battles against hellacious storms, quiet reveries of nature’s grandeur, and everyday moments of work and laughter, this unique documentary shows a steadfast community thriving in a land few humans have experienced. Using specially modified cameras and spectacular time-lapse photography, filmmaker Anthony Powell captures the splendor of the region like no film before. 

ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE gives testament to the planet’s natural wonders, humanity’s thirst for adventure, and the emotional extremes that accompany a year within the last pristine wilderness on the planet.

Dir. ANTHONY POWELL | English | 92 mins

Film details.

What: ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE

Where: The Music Box Theatre

When: Opens Friday, December 5th, 2014

UPCOMING FILMS AT THE MUSIC BOX THEATRE

Dec 5th - ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE

Dec 12th - POINT AND SHOOT

                  Dec 12th - THE 2014 ANNUAL MUSIC BOX CHRISTMAS SHOW

                - SING-A-Long SOUND OF MUSIC

Tickets

Admission for main features and midnight films is $9.25 (different prices may apply to special presentations). The first show of the day on Mondays through Thursdays is only $8.25. Admission for the 11:30am matinee films is $7.25.

The Music Box Discount Card provides 5 admissions for $33.00 (a savings of up to $13.25; good for six months; limit two admissions per visit). Cards are available at the box office.

Film info line: (773) 871-6604. Click here for further show details, loads of fabulous holiday features, and many more films coming soon.

3733 N. SOUTHPORT AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60613

773-871-6604 (SHOWTIMES)

Music Box Theatre - 3733 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL, 60613, (773) 871-6607 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING: Earth to Echo Now Out On Digital HD, Blu-ray & DVD #ChiILFlixPicks

Earth to Echo Now Available on Digital HD™ as of October 7 and Blu-ray and DVD October 21 We've been promoting this release for months now, and thanks to our friends over at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, our Blu-ray copy just got expedited to our door. Joy! This contemporary E.T., buddy story is one of our favorite new releases. Highly recommended. This is a great addition to any home collection. We just spent an awesome family movie night together, all watching Earth to Echo, and the adults enjoyed it every bit as much as the kids did! This little tech savvy, Owl shaped alien is sure to steal your heart. This wonderful journey, “full of adventure, bravery, excitement, and friendship…has something for audiences of all ages” (Claudia Puig, USA Today). The “lively and likable” (Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times) tale is told through the eyes of Tuck, Munch and Alex, a trio of pals who make an out-of-this-world discovery. After receiving signals on their phones, they meet Echo, a small, but amazingly energetic, alien trying to make his way back to his home planet. As they race to help their new friend, the boys will discover that little Echo has touched their hearts in unexpected ways and changed their lives forever. Blu-ray Special Features ● Creating the Truck Scene ● Casting the Characters ● “We Made That!” The Making of Earth to Echo ● Friends No Matter How Far ● Six Deleted Scenes ● Theatrical Trailer DVD Special Features ● Friends No Matter How Far ● Theatrical Trailer Earth to Echo Blu-ray Street Date: October 21, 2014 Prebook Date: September 17, 2014 Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Subtitles: English / Spanish Total Run Time: 133 minutes U.S. Rating PG Closed Captioned: Yes Earth to Echo DVD Street Date: October 21, 2014 Prebook Date: September 17, 2014 Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Subtitles: English / Spanish Total Run Time: 106 minutes U.S. Rating PG Closed Captioned: Yes About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital HD™. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.