Rosenbaum Brings Transgressive Comedies To The Siskel Center

By Joel Wicklund in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 26, 2014 3:10PM

In one of the more wide-ranging entries in its long-running series of films and lectures, the Gene Siskel Film Center will screen American comedies from the early ‘30s to 2006 under the banner, “The Unquiet American: Transgressive Comedies from the U.S.” Running from Aug. 29 through Dec. 9, the series features movies selected by veteran critic and scholar Jonathan Rosenbaum, who will offer a lecture accompanying each film on Tuesday night screenings (additional screenings on other days do not include the lecture).

Despite the differences in eras and filmmaking styles among many of these movies, Rosenbaum aims to show their shared qualities, emphasizing the rebellious, sometimes excessive, and satirical side of American comedy.

Whatever your taste in comedy, you should find something to please among these 14 films. There are certified classics like Preston Sturges’ Christmas in July (1940), Howard Hawks’ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and Jerry Lewis’ The Ladies’ Man (1961); along with more modern favorites, like Martin Scorsese’s pitch black The King of Comedy (1982) and Mike Judge’s contemporary cult hit Idiocracy (2006).

Other highlights include Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979), the definitive film record of his stand-up genius; Albert Brooks’ painfully funny look at disastrous relationships, Modern Romance (1981); and Joe Dante’s sweet yet subversive take on movie nostalgia and the cold war, Matinee (1993).

Everything on the schedule is worth seeing, as even films you don’t like are sure to be illuminated by Rosenbaum’s insightful comments. Check out the full schedule here.