Fritz Lang's Martini, Buster Keaton's Brides, Gene Wilder's Hair
By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 16, 2007 4:00PM
Who knew that U of C's DOC Films has been showing movies for 75 years? (Rhetorical question, as we're sure that many of you already knew that.) Well, they have. In fact they're the longest continuously running student film society in the U.S. As you can imagine, they've collected a lot of cool mementos in that time. Things like letters from Samuel Fuller and Jean Renoir, movie posters autographed by Hitchcock, and old programing calendars. And, yes, Fritz Lang's martini recipe (we're anxious to compare it Buñuel's). They're putting some of the neater stuff on display with a new exhibition which opens today and runs through August 31 at the school's Joseph Regenstein Library, 1110 E. 57th St. There's an opening reception this afternoon from 3:00 to 4:30 in the gallery.
If you don't already, the Facets website is worth checking out regularly. In addition to posting newsy tidbits like the above item they also have a fun compilation of various celebrity top-ten lists. Studs Terkel offers up his choices, and so does Monty Python's Terry Jones, who has no fewer than five Buster Keaton films on his list. It just so happens that one of them, Seven Chances, is the season opener this Friday for The Silent Summer Film Festival. Keaton stands to inherit $7 million provided he gets married on his 27th birthday. The climax finds him being chased through the streets of L.A. by hundreds of would-be brides. This classic was recently remade (i.e. bastardized) as the Chris O'Donnell vehicle The Bachelor. If it's been awhile since you've seen a silent film (of if you've never seen one) you might be surprised at how fun they can be. The Portage Theater is at 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave.; more details here.
Though we've posted about it before, we'd be remiss if we didn't remind you that the summer's Outdoor Film Festival opens tomorrow night in Grant Park with Young Frankenstein. The show begins at dusk, but it's worth getting there early to snag a good spot on the lawn. About the movie, what can we say? Even now we could probably quote the whole thing from memory, and it's still hilarious. "Roll, roll, roll in ze hay!" What's your favorite line?
Gene Wilder photo via Video Detective.