Ray Pride

* = Recommended

Fri 25

*Alien

(1979, USA) Directed by Ridley Scott. Nasty, face-hugging, stomach-bursting, latex-oozing monsters work their way through the crew of an old, dark spaceship. Walter Hill prefaced his and David Giler's draft of the script with two fine scene-setting quotes: from W. H. Auden, "Science fiction plucks from within us our deepest fears and hopes then shows them to us in rough disguise: the monster and the rocket"; and from Joseph Conrad: "We live, as we dream--alone." Need we say more? 117m. Panavision. 117m. Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, Midnight.

*An Injury to One

(2002, USA). Directed by Travis Wilkerson. A portrait of the Butte, Montana lynching of Wobbly labor organizer Frank Little. Writes Kathy Geritz, this portrait of the history of Montana and contemporary capitalism is "a work of historical inquiry, a portrait of a town, a person, and a company, and an example of a contextual study in which the parts reverberate with intelligence and complexity." 53m. Video. Shown with Wilkerson's "National Archive V.1." Wilkerson will appear. $7. Chicago Filmmakers (773)293-1447, 5243 N. Clark St., 2nd Floor, 8.

*Blue Velvet

See Tip of the Week. Shown with Lynch's short, "The Alphabet." $6. Block Museum of Art(847)491-4900, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, 8.

*Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Movie version of Japanese anime. Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, Midnight.

In The Mouth of Madness

(1995, USA) Directed by John Carpenter. Sam Neill plays a horror novelist much like Stephen King who finds himself enmeshed in his fantasies; written by Michael De Luca, now head of production at DreamWorks. 95m. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6,8.

Once Again: Five Palestinian Human Rights Stories

(2001, Palestine) Various directors. Shown with "Jenin, Jenin." Chicago Palestine Film Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., (312)873-4401, 7.

*Rabbit-Proof Fence

(2002, USA) Directed by Philip Noyce. 94m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7,9,11.

Sat 26

Accelerated Development: In the Idiom of Santiago Alvarez

(1999-2003) Directed by Travis Wilkerson. An experimental tribute to the life and work of Santiago Alvarez. "It strives to pay homage to a remarkable innovator of the document nary cinema in a manner as radical as Alvarez's work." 60m. Video. $7. Chicago Filmmakers (773)293-1447, 5243 N. Clark St., 2nd Floor, 8.

*Alien

Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, Midnight.

*Ararat

(2002, USA) Directed by Atom Egoyan. 115m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St., 6:30, 9, 11:30.

The Black Six

(1974, USA) Directed by Matt Cimber. 90m. Video. Free. Delilah's, 2771 N. Lincoln, (773)472-2771, 6.

*Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

See Apr 25. Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, Midnight.

*He Who Gets Slapped

(1924, USA) Directed by Victor Sjostrom. 76m. With an original score and live musical accompaniment by Northwestern University's Lucid Dreams Ensemble. Block Museum of Art(847)491-4900, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, 7.

*Kiss Me Deadly

(1955, USA) Directed by Robert Aldrich. Aldrich's blunt, in-your-face style--thematic and visual--is well-represented by this primeval cold war artifact. Mickey Spillane's throwback of an alter ego, Mike Hammer, embodied as a complete caveman by Ralph Meeker, shakes down a series of heavies in search of the "Great Whatsit," which turns out to be a nuclear weapon, which does a fair share of mischief along the way. (There's a movie called "Pulp Fiction" that lifts this device lock, stock and barrel.) With Cloris Leachman. 105m. 105m. Shown with Chuck Jones' "Kiss Me Cat," and the trailer for "Them!" 16mm. $5. LaSalle Theater (312)904-9442, 4901 W. Irving Park, 8.

Mystic Iran, The Unseen World

(2002, USA) Directed by Aryana Farshad. "A haunting look at Iranian mysticism and its ancient practices, includes the fire rituals of the Zoroastrians, the mesmerizing trance-dances of the dervishes, and worship in the fordable women's chamber of the great mosque of Hazrat Massoumeh." 60m. Shown with "I Was Possessed by God" and "The Sacred Cypress." $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 8:30.

Strangers

(2000, USA) Directed by Ramin Bahrani. 83m. 35mm. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 4.

*While the City Sleeps

(1956, USA) Directed by Fritz Lang. One of Lang's favorites, following a reporter trying to crack the case of New York City's "Lipstick Murderer." 100m. Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, 11:30am.

Women Like Us

(2001, Iran) Directed by Persheng Sadegh-Vaziri. 61m. Mini-DV video. Shown with "Chrysalis." $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6.

Sun 27

All Hell Let Loose

(2001, Sweden) Directed by Susan Taslimi. 88m. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 4.

Angels' Wild Women

(1972, USA) Directed by Al Adamson. Video. Free. Delilah's, 2771 N. Lincoln, (773)472-2771, 6.

Iggy Pop: Live at the A Venue B

(2000, Belgium) Directed by Serge Bergli. The Igster at 50: still loud and fast. 90m. DigiBeta video. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6.

*Rabbit-Proof Fence

(2002, USA) Directed by Philip Noyce. 94m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St., 2.

*Shoe Shine

(1946, Italy) Directed by Vittorio De Sica. 93m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7.

*While the City Sleeps

See Apr 26. Music Box (773)871-6604, 3733 N. Southport, 11:30am.

Mon 28

*Medium Cool

(1969, USA) Directed by Haskell Wexler. Some rough edges can be forgiven in this compelling, shot-on-Chicago-locations story of a television cameraman's crises of conscience, set against the backdrop of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The many glimpses of a city long-gone are almost as thrilling as the scene Wexler left in when his camera crew was gassed by riot officers, including an assistant's cry, "Watch out Haskell, it's real." 110m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7.

*Safe Conduct

(Laissez-passer) (2001, France) Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. In the well-reviewed latest film of the world-class filmmaker to debut in the U.S., he "explores the complex moral terrain of the Nazi-controlled Cinema of the Occupation." It'll debut in May at the Film Center. Tavernier will appear; he'll be interrogated by the Tribune's Michael Wilmington. 170m. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6:30.

Tue 29

*Harlan County USA

(1976, USA) Directed by Barbara Kopple. Landmark Oscar-winning doc follows the struggle between Kentucky mineworkers and company management for a fair union contract. Amazing. 103m. Block Museum of Art(847)491-4900, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, 7.

*I Know Where I'm Going

(1945, USA) Directed by Powell & Pressburger. 92m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7.

In The Mouth of Madness

See Apr 25. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6.

U.S. Policy & Presence in the Middle East

Frontline's "Hunting Bin Laden" and CBS' "Saudi Arabia and the U.S.: A Balancing Act." Program 67m. Free. Conditions in the Middles East (773)426-2062, Breasted Hall, Oriental Institute, 1155 E. 58th Street, 7.

Wed 30

Films by Chris Welsby

(1974-1995, USA) Directed by Chris Welsby. Experimental works. Program 71m.16mm. Free. Block Museum of Art (847)491-4900, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, 8.

*Requiem for a Dream

(2000, USA) Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Drugs seduce and really alter your sense of reality: much like Darren Aronofsky's movies. 102m. 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7.

30th Annual Student Academy Awards Regional Winners

(2002-2003, USA) Various directors. 180m. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6:30.

Thu 1

Edward Rankus: Selected Works

(1983-2003, USA) Directed by Edward Rankus. Four shorts. Rankus describes "Go Fall Apart" as "an erotic and mystical misadventure where the religious path is strew with earthly temptations"; "Naked Doom," he writes, "is a noir-ish metaphysical romp through the tortured psyche of an overwrought killer." 58m. Rankus will appear. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 8.

Guns and Guitars

(1936, USA) Directed by Joseph Kane. Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy, plays a man wrongfully accused of murdering the local sheriff. And sings. 58m. Shown with John English's "Utah." 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,7.

Iggy Pop: Live at the A Venue B

See Apr 27. $8. Siskel Film Center (312)846-2600, 164 N. State at Randolph, 6.

*The Nightmare Before Christmas

(1993, USA) Directed by Henry Selick. An elegant visual treat, an extension of Tim Burton's trademark brand of playful macabre, leavened by the screenwriting skills of Michael McDowell ("Beetlejuice") and Caroline Thompson ("Edward Scissorhands," "The Secret Garden") and the witty songs and music of Danny Elfman (who also sings the songs of Jack Skellington, "the pumpkin king with the skeletal grin.") The oddly sweet touches, sinister yet cuddly, make the picture memorable: spindly Jack Skellington Fred Astaire-dancing with a spiny Christmas tree; a ghost pup named Zero with a glowing pumpkin nose (might he get to lead Santa Skellington's sleigh one foggy night?), a rooster skeleton crowing at dawn, a glimpse of Santa's hollied underpants, a snake digesting an aluminum Christmas tree, ice-skating vampires using pumpkins for pucks, a baby penguin on a pillow toasting his tummy by the fire. 76m. Shown with Tim Burton's short, "Vincent." 35mm. Doc Films, Max Palevsky Cinema, University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St.,9:30.

*Red River

(1948, USA) Directed by Howard Hawks. "The first Freudian Western" along the cattle trail "is a self-conscious film interested in identity as much as complex moral situations," Block's writer writes. 94m. 35mm. $6. Block Museum of Art(847)491-4900, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, 8.

War + Resistance

Program includes "Can Dialectics Break Bricks?," "Sacco and Vanzetti," "Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11," and "Hate." Chicago Anarchist Film Festival. Buddy, 1542 N. Milwaukee, 2nd level, $5 donation, 6:30.

(2003-04-22)

Also by Ray Pride

Tip of the Week
In his first feature, Mexican director Carlos Reygadas wears his influences on his sleeve, yet his film is some kind of original.
(2003-04-15)

Short Runs
This week's limited screenings
(2003-04-15)

This American guff
The casts of Christopher Guest's improvisational smug-umentaries include several performers I admire mightily, but a movie like "Best in Show" or his latest, a so-daring spoof of white-bread aspects of the 1960s folk-music phenomenon, leaves a rotten feeling in the pit of my stomach.
(2003-04-15)

Growing up
It's the rare movie that gets you from the get-go, but Peter Sollett's "Raising Victor Vargas," razor-sharp, tender, specific and utterly fresh, is one of those sweet events.
(2003-04-15)

Tip of the Week
(2003-04-09)

Double down
(2003-04-09)

Short Runs
(2003-04-09)

Taking stock
(2003-04-09)

Off camera
(2003-04-09)

Tip of the Week
(2003-04-02)

Short Runs
(2003-04-02)

Tip of the Week
(2003-03-26)

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