LOVING VINCENT, First Fully Painted Feature Film Opens Friday at Music Box!

Films On Our Radar:

LOVING VINCENT

A FILM BY: DOROTA KOBIELA, HUGH WELCHMAN

WRITTEN BY: JACEK DEHNEL, DOROTA KOBIELA

STARRING: DOUGLAS BOOTH, ROBERT GULACZYK, ELEANOR TOMLINSON, CHRIS O'DOWD, SAOIRSE RONAN

What We're Watching:

This Friday afternoon we'll be ChiILin' at Chi, IL's iconic Music Box Theatre for the opening of the first fully painted feature film! We've long anticipated  LOVING VINCENT, which goes to the heart of the famous artist. First shot as a live action film, then with each of its 65,000 frames of film meticulously oil-painted by 125 master artists from around the world, The New York Times calls the result “Hypnotic and beguiling”. We can't wait to catch it! Check back soon for our full review.

"An animated masterpiece! An absolutely stunning film that not only does justice to the art of Van Gogh, but also to the art of movies. I have never seen anything on screen like it before. You will be amazed and lifted by this extraordinary film." -Deadline

“Brings a poetic sense of tragedy to the last act of van Gogh's life, and fresh insight into the kind of man he was.” --Variety

"Never has there been a film that spoke to the heart of an artist like “Loving Vincent”. Animation and fine art painting come together in this loving tribute to the work and life of a master artist." - Tony Bancroft, SIFF Animation Jury

Opens October 13th. More showtimes and dates to be announced. Click HERE for show times, ticket purchasing, and more details.

LOVING VINCENT is the world's first fully painted feature film. Written & directed by Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman, produced by Poland's BreakThru Fims & UK's Trademark Films.

The film brings the paintings of Vincent van Gogh to life to tell his remarkable story. Every one of the 65,000 frames of the film is an oil-painting hand-painted by 125 professional oil-painters who travelled from all across the world to the LOVING VINCENT studios in Poland and Greece to be a part of the production. As remarkable as Vincent's brilliant paintings, is his passionate and ill-fated life, and mysterious death.

No other artist has attracted more legeneds than Vincent van Gogh. Variously labelled a martyr, a lustful satyr, a madman, a genius and a layabout, the real Vincent is at once revealed in his letters, and obscured by myth and time. Vincent himself said in his last letter: 'We cannot speak other than by our paintings'. We take him at his word and let the paintings tell the real story of Vincent van Gogh.

LOVING VINCENT was first shot as a live action film with actors, and then hand-painted over frame-by-frame in oils. The final effect is an interaction of the performance of the actors playing Vincent's famous portraits, and the performance of the painting animators, bringing these characters into the medium of paint.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Production Year: 2017
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: English
Run Time: 95 mins

Format: DCP

Films On Our Radar: Shira Piven's Welcome To Me at Music Box 5/8/15 #ChiILFlixPicks #Films

Chi, IL Flix Picks

Piven Theatre Workshop Alumna Shira Piven Returns for Chicago Premiere of

Her Sophomore Film Welcome To Me, Starring Kristen Wiig

Friday, May 8, 2015 at Music Box Theatre

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to check out Welcome To Me this Friday. Piven will introduce the film and conduct a post-show Q&A on Friday, May 8, 7pm at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport in Chicago. Tickets are $15, with a portion of the proceeds supporting scholarships and outreach programs of Piven Theatre Workshop. www.musicboxtheatre.com/events/welcome-to-me-opening-night-with-director-shira-piven-2015-may-8-fri-0700pm Piven will also introduce a second, 9:45 p.m. screening of the movie the same night.

Director Shira Piven, an original member of Piven Theatre Workshop’s Young People’s Company in Evanston, will attend the Chicago Premiere of her second feature, Welcome To Me, a comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Joan Cusack. 

Shira Piven – daughter of Piven Theatre Workshop’s Byrne and Joyce Piven and sister of Jeremy Piven – was an original member of Young People’s Company, the advanced youth program of Piven Theatre Workshop, along with legal analyst Jonathan Turley and actresses Ann and Joan Cusack. Shira established herself as an actress and then director in Chicago before relocating to New York, where she founded Water Theatre Company. Shira has since directed more than 20 plays, many of them original adaptations, in New York, Chicago, LA, and DC.

Piven’s first feature Fully Loaded won the audience favorite feature award at Palm Beach International Film Festival as well as best feature at both The River's Edge International and Carmel Art and Film Festivals. It was also featured at the Boston, San Luis Obispo, Talking Pictures and Newport Beach film festivals and released by Starz. She also directed a short documentary The Beast and The Angel that premiered at the Lincoln Center Film Society and aired on PBS.

Piven has also taught acting for stage and film, from coaching the sons in Talladega Nights to her current work with the Actors Gang prison project, teaching Commedia Dell'arte to inmates in prison, and at Homeboys industries to former LA Gang members. She is married to filmmaker Adam McKay and they have two daughters.

In Welcome to Me, a woman with borderline personality disorder (Wiig) wins the Mega-Millions and – much to the dismay of her parents, therapist, gay ex-husband and local TV station – uses the winnings to fund her lifelong dream of becoming the next Oprah. Joan Cusack, James Marsden, Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Linda Cardellini and Wes Bentley also star, with Joyce Hiller Piven as Wiig’s mother. Welcome To Me begins its week-long Chicago theatrical engagement May 8 at Music Box Theatre.

About Piven Theatre Workshop:

For 43 years, the Piven Theatre Workshop has remained a nationally respected acting school and professional theatre. The mission of the Workshop is to preserve a process of creative exploration that celebrates each individual’s unique voice through an ensemble-based, community-oriented approach to theatre training and performance. The Workshop pursues its mission through three branches of the organization: a training center for children and adults that serves more than 1,000 students annually with mentorship opportunities for emerging theatre artists and educators, extensive scholarship and community outreach programs, and a professional, Equity theatre committed to new works and literary adaptations. All told, Piven serves more than 3,000 people annually. www.piventheatre.org.

About Music Box Theatre:

For the last two decades, the Music Box Theatre has been the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The 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 and television markets throughout the United States.

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER PRESENTS SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AT THE MUSIC BOX THEATRE.

Worlds Collide Alert Monday, April 27th, 2015 at 7:00pm Here at ChiIL Mama, we love it when our friends play nice together. We're going to be there for the press opening of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, so we were elated to hear that our friends over at Music Box Theatre will also be showing the 1995 movie version! Because you can never have too much SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, after all. Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the 1995 film SENSE AND SENSIBILITY based on the Jane Austen novel. CST will introduce the film and its relation to CST's new musical adaptation of the novel. This world premiere musical of Sense and Sensibility will run at CST's Courtyard Theater from April 18th through June 7th, 2015. Join the Music Box Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in a unique intersection of literature, cinema and stage.

WHEN: Monday, April 27th, 2015 7:00pm Introduction + Screening

Where: Music Box Theatre | 3733 North Southport Ave | Chicago, IL 60613

ABOUT THE FILM: Directed by: Ang Lee Starring: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, James Fleet SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is the recipient of seven Oscar (R) nominations. This film version of Jane Austen's classic 1811 novel, which stars stars Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood. Thompson won the film's sole Oscar (R) for her screenplay adaptation of Austen's novel.

ABOUT MUSIC BOX THEATRE: For the last two decades, the Music Box Theatre has been the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The 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 and television markets throughout the United States.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) believes that Shakespeare speaks to everyone. A global theatrical force, CST is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, language and empathy for the human condition. We have evolved into a dynamic company, producing award-winning plays at our home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago’s schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. We serve as a partner in literacy to Chicago Public Schools, working alongside English teachers to help struggling readers connect with Shakespeare in the classroom, and bringing his text to life on stage for 40,000 students every year. And each summer, 25,000 families and audience members of all ages welcome our free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour into their neighborhoods across the far north, west and south sides of the city. Reflecting the global city we call home, CST is the leading producer of international work in Chicago and has toured our own plays abroad to Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. www.chicagoshakes.com/

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: 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 

CICFF 30th Anniversary Schedule & $40 Family Pass #ChiILPicksList

I've been a volunteer at Facets Multimedia for 23+ years.   And I've adored and attended the Children's Film Festival since long before I had kids of my own.  My tweens who are 10 & 12 grew up on the fest and are eagerly anticipating this year's lineup which features more tween features in addition to all the early childhood and elementary age favs.

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.   We'll have our ChiIL Picks List up shortly.

We sat down and picked the brains of projectionists and staff at Facets about their favorites and we'll be adding our own wish list as well.   What will you see? It's a multicultural feast of fam friendly cinema.

Of course you'll want to adapt the schedule to the ages & tastes of your kids.   If you plan to hit more than one show, buy a family pass.   It's a smokin' deal at just $40!   But go early to the screenings you want to see. Entry is limited by capacity.

This year's CICFF features the absolute best in new world cinema for kids of all ages. The programs we've designed to celebrate our 30th anniversary will empower and inspire the next generation of film lovers. Join us and take amazing journeys with a wealth of character-driven stories, painterly and cutting edge animation, and thoughtful resolutions. Every screening at the CICFF is a visual treat for the whole family.

The Family Pass is on sale now.

The best family entertainment deal in Chicago

Click here and get your family pass today!

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE

This was one of our fav Halloween children's books when the kids were small.

Guessing Game... Can you guess the films these images came from?   Check the schedule & discover some of our top ChiIL Picks.

Like Japanese anime... French fare... Halloween themes... grrrrl power... martial arts... Fantastic Planet remastered?   There's something for everyone!!

Parents Night Out: Black Comedy Sightseers Opens at The Music Box #review #film #blackcomedy

Films on our radar.   Highly recommended.    

Sightseers Opens in Chicago Today, Friday, May 17th at The Music Box!

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we caught a sneak peek at Sightseers and highly recommend it if you dig dark humor.   This welcome addition to the road trip killers genre ala Bonnie and Clide and Natural Born Killers follows a benign looking but lethal English couple on a cross country killing spree.

It's a charmingly cathartic wish fulfillment movie in that the couple kills anyone that annoys them.   I'm reminded of the Talking Heads line from Psycho Killer "...I hate people when they're not polite."   Who can say they've never fantasized about "accidentally" offing rude strangers.   Fortunately most of us stop far short of acting on those thoughts.  Still, the concept makes for a hilarious film.   

Amid the downright banality of a museum tour road trip to such winning locals as Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, and the Keswick Pencil Museum, trigger tempered Chris inadvertently creates an avid disciple.   When Tina discovers her new beau is a psycho killer, instead of doing the sensible thing like fleeing and turning him in, she embraces his unfortunate habit and becomes a jealous, dognapping murderess herself, much to his chagrine.

The scariest thing about this film is the utter normality of the protagonists.   They could easily be the couple camped out next to you this summer.

  

Sightseers A FILM BY BEN WHEATLEY STARRING ALICE LOWE, STEVE ORAM, EILEEN DAVIES “A wicked little pic in which a tacky couple discovers that cross-country road-tripping makes it surprisingly easy -- and fun! -- to knock off the more obnoxious characters they encounter en route.” –Peter Debruge, Variety Fri, May 17   2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Sat, May 18   2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Sun, May 19   2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Mon, May 20   5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Tue, May 21     5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Wed, May 22      5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm Thu, May 23   5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm

Music Box Says:

This week we’re opening Sightseers, the new film from director Ben Wheatley (Kill List). In this gleefully gory laugh riot, Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn. Produced by Shaun Of The Dead creator Edgar Wright and co-written & starring members of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place, this black comedy is not to be missed! Check out The Playlist’s 5 Reasons You Must See Sightseers

About the film

A pair of sad-sack lovers turns into a frumpy Bonnie and Clyde as their romantic getaway to the English countryside turns into a bloody killing spree.

Directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way - on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina's led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see - the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life.

But it doesn't take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina's meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris's dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge...

Dir. BEN WHEATLEY | English | 88m |

Film details. What: Sightseers Where: The Music Box Theatre When: Opens Friday, May 17th

More at Music Box: Our Orson Welles matinee series continues this weekend with The Trial. Welles and Anthony Perkins star in this gripping adaptation of Franz Kafka’s tale of a nightmarish totalitarian state. Given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, the Music Box is thrilled to give our patrons the rare chance to see this film on the big screen!  

This weekend, cult classics come out at midnight. On Friday, it’s The Room, director/writer/“actor” Tommy Wiseau’s bizarre drama about love and betrayal (Purchase advance tickets now). Then, on Saturday night, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Grab a virgin kit and join the Midnight Madness shadow cast for a party that’s been going on for over 35 years (Purchase advance tickets now).

What We're Watching: Save the Dates MUSIC BOX THEATRE’S 70MM FESTIVAL

Can you name those famous 70MM scenes?!

February Films on our Radar

THE ORIGINAL HIGH-DEFINITION CINEMA

MUSIC BOX THEATRE’S 70MM FESTIVAL INCLUDES THE RETURN OF OSCAR-NOMINATED THE MASTER, A NEW PRINT OF KUBRICK’S 2001, AND HITCHCOCK’S ELEVATED VERTIGO

DIVERSE LINEUP ALSO INCLUDES MUSICAL WEST SIDE STORY, CHILDREN’S CLASSIC CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, FRENCH COMIC MASTERPIECE PLAYTIME AND MORE, FEBRUARY 15-28

An epic format deserves an epic festival. For two weeks in February, Music Box Theatre screens nine movies – more than a half-ton of celluloid – at the Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival.  Highlights include a brand new print of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and the return of Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master.  Music Box has spent more than 100 man-hours prepping their 70mm equipment to ensure that even audiences who’ve seen 70mm before have never seen it with this clarity. Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival runs February 15-28, 2012 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. www.musicboxtheatre.com/collections/music-box-theatre-70mm-festival

In August 2012, film fans from around the country flew into Chicago for an exclusive late-night sneak preview of Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master in glorious 70mm. Until now, the one-night, sell-out presentation was Chicagoans’ only opportunity to see this gorgeous film projected in the large film format in which it was filmed. 70MM Festival presents another rare opportunity to see this Academy Award-nominated modern masterpiece in its original format.

Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival also includes: a brand new print of Kubrick’s 2001 (1968); an archival print from a recent restoration of Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim (1965); Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958); Tobe Hooper’s outer space vampire/zombie thriller Lifeforce (1985); Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Shakespearean Hamlet (1996); Jacques Tati’s colorful and slapstick Playtime (1967); children’s favorite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1961); and the timeless Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical West Side Story (1961). Synopses and showtimes below.

“Music Box Theatre is committed to film presentation in any and all formats available and is one of the very few cinemas in the United States – and the only one in Chicago—still able to screen 70mm,” said Music Box Theatre General Manager Dave Jennings. “It is with this capability that we proudly present these nine films as examples of 70mm film to Chicago in this very special series.  All of these films will be presented the way their makers intended: on the big screen, in a theater, on film and in 70mm.”

Tickets to individual movies in the Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival are $9.25 per screening. A festival pass, $70, entitles the holder to one admission to every screening – including seeing the same film more than once. To purchase, visit www.musicboxtheatre.com/collections/music-box-theatre-70mm-festival  or the Music Box Theatre Box Office, 3733 N. Southport Ave.

About the 70MM film format

Almost since the advent of cinema there have been variations of 70mm film used to capture visual clarity unequalled in 35mm filming. 70mm films became popular in the 1940s through the 1980s. Due to the cost of 70mm film, few films were ever shot in this large format, and following their initial release many of them were also released in 35mm to facilitate wide release. Other films were shot in 35mm and “blown up.” When DTS sound and Dolby Surround were introduced to cinemas, 70mm (and auditoriums devoted to 70mm) all but disappeared. The Result: few people have had the chance to see true 70mm presentation.

Contrary to popular belief, 70mm is not a larger image; it is a format that allows for more information and more visual clarity than its 35mm counterpart. There is a depth to the image that is unlike 35mm, and certainly very different from digital projection. Over the past several years the film industry has moved away from film in favour of digital projection. Film, in any format, is expensive to use for production and replication. For the first time since the advent of sound, cinemas have had to make a major change in their projection capabilities making the number of auditoriums outfitted for 35mm or 70mm film projection very few. The Music Box Theatre is committed to film presentation in any and all formats available and is one of the very few cinemas in the United States able to screen 16mm, 35mm, 70mm and almost all digital formats.

Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival Films

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) To begin his voyage into the future, Kubrick visits our prehistoric ape-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever conceived) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted realms of space, perhaps even into immortality. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL.” Let the awe and mystery of a journey unlike any other begin. Shows Friday, Feb. 15, 9:00pm; Saturday, Feb. 16, 9:00pm; Sunday, Feb. 17, 8:00pm; and Thursday, Feb. 21, 7:30pm   

This is one of our favs...especially on the big screen.   We announced the impending birth of our first kid in 2001 with the iconic movie poster and the tag line 2001:  A Baby Odyssey.   The ultimate trip indeed!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). Dick Van Dyke stars as quirky inventor Caractacus Potts, whose magical flying car transports his family and lovely lady friend to Vulgaria, a kingdom strangely devoid of children, ruled by the evil Baron Bomburst. Written by Ian Fleming, with a screenplay by Roald Dahl and the same producer (Albert Broccoli) as the Bond bunch as well!   Shows Saturday, Feb. 16, 2pm; and Sunday, Feb. 17, 5:00pm   Didn't you ever wonder why that James Bondesque penchant for wacky inventions and quirky character names seemed sooo familiar in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?!   

Hamlet (1996). Veteran Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh delivers a brooding performance as the Danish prince driven to madness by his father’s death in this four-hour production of one of the Bard’s finest plays, featuring cameos by several stars. Tormented by his father’s ghost and enraged by his mother’s plans to wed his uncle, Hamlet concocts a revenge plot that leaves the stage dripping with blood. Look for Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Kate Winslet. Shows Sunday, Feb. 24, 2:00pm; and Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7:30pm

Lifeforce (1985). American and British astronauts (Steve Railsback, Mathilda May and Peter Firth) on a joint mission exploring an alien spacecraft discover that the vessel contains several seemingly human bodies. But after they’re brought back to Earth, they come alive and start turning Londoners into zombies in this sci-fi thriller from director Tobe Hooper. Shows Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7:30pm; and Sunday, Feb. 24, 9:40pm

Lord Jim (1965). Writer Joseph Conrad’s stirring maritime novel charts the emotional course of British seaman Jim (Peter O’Toole), a thrillseeker aboard a merchant vessel who longs for adventure. He finds that in spades when the ship is caught in an all-consuming storm. But he also discovers that he has no courage to spare, and he soon abandons ship — an act that drives him to redeem himself in a dangerous Southeast Asian jungle. Shows Saturday, Feb. 16, 5:30pm; and Monday, Feb. 18, 7:30pm

The Master (2012). Academy Award nominees Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1950s-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as “the Master” whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man. Shows Friday, Feb. 22, 9:00pm; Saturday, Feb. 23, 8:30pm; and Monday, Feb. 25, 7:30pm

Playtime (1967). Technology-minded visual comedy directed by and starring Jacques Tati. Monsieur Hulot (Tati) has to contact an American official in Paris, but he gets lost in the maze of modern architecture which is filled with the latest technical gadgets. Shows Friday, Feb. 22, 6:30pm; Saturday, Feb. 23, 5:30pm; and Thursday, Feb. 28, 7:30pm

Vertigo (1958). Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological masterpiece last year ousted Citizen Kane to become number one on the AFI’s list of top 100 films of all time. A San Francisco detective (James Stewart) suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend’s wife (Kim Novak), becoming dangerously obsessed with her. Shows Friday, Feb. 15, 6:30pm; Sunday, Feb. 17, 2:00pm; and Tuesday, Feb. 19, 7:30pm

West Side Story (1961). Natalie Wood and Russ Tamblyn star in Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim’s musical retelling of Romeo and Juliet set among rival NYC gangs. The sets were built six feet off the ground to allow for low-angle shooting with the large 70mm cameras. This became the winningest musical of all time when it earned 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. Shows Saturday, Feb. 23, 2:00pm; Sunday, Feb. 24, 6:45pm; and Wednesday, Feb. 27, 7:30pm.

Music Box Theatre 70MM Festival Daily Schedule

Fri 2/15:

·         6:30pm: Vertigo

·         9:00pm: 2001: A Space Odyssey 

Sat 2/16:

·         2:00pm: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

·         5:30pm: Lord Jim

·         9:00pm: 2001: A Space Odyssey 

Sun 2/17:

·         2:00pm: Vertigo

·         5:00pm: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

·         8:00pm: 2001: A Space Odyssey 

Mon 2/18:

·         7:30pm: Lord Jim

Tues 2/19:

·         7:30pm: Vertigo

Wed 2/20:

·         7:30pm: Lifeforce

Thurs 2/21:

·         7:30pm: 2001: A Space Odyssey 

Fri 2/22:

·         6:30pm: Playtime

·         9:00pm: The Master

Sat 2/23:

·         2:00pm: West Side Story

·         5:30pm: Playtime

·         8:30pm: The Master

Sun 2/24:

·         2:00pm: Hamlet

·         6:45pm: West Side Story

·         9:40pm: Lifeforce

Mon 2/25:

·         7:30pm: The Master

Tues 2/26:

·         7:30pm: Hamlet

Wed 2/27:

·         7:30pm: West Side Story

Thurs 2/28:

·         7:30pm: Playtime

About the Music Box Theatre: For nearly 30 years the Music Box Theatre has been the premier venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films, festivals and some of the greatest cinematic events in Chicago. It currently has the largest cinema space operated full time in the city. The 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 and television markets throughout the United States. For additional information please visit www.musicboxtheatre.com.