Music Box Bridges Christmas and New Year's with Hitchcock

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 26, 2011 8:30PM

The seven days on the calendar separating Christmas from New Year's Day can be a holding pattern as we close the books on one year and prepare for another. it can also be a great opportunity to indulge in things we sometimes don't make time to do otherwise.

Take this week's Alfred Hitchcock retrospective at the Music Box Theatre, for example. Here at Chicagoist we're major fans of the Master of Suspense.

One part of the attraction to this retrospective is the movie choices. The selections are largely culled from the latter part of Hitchcock's career. Hits such as North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, Rope, Marnie and The Birds are presented as double features with 1930s and 40s classics such as Rebecca and Strangers on a Train. they serve as an example of the consistency of Hitchcock's output, as well as his ability to adapt with the times and changes in the studio system to breathe new life into the careers of stars such as James Stewart and Cary Grant, ad make stars out of the likes of Tippi Hedren.

Sure, all of these films are available on DVD, but seeing them in the setting of a movie house is a major part of the allure for us. Christmas may be a time for family. That doesn't mean we need to be cooped up with them for a week. This would be ideal excuse to get out of the house and postpone the leftovers for a few hours.

The Music Box's Alfred Hitchcock retrospective runs through January 4, 2012.