Categories: What's New

Things to do in Chicago for movie fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson July 8, 2021 at 5:46 am

Welcome to our roundup of movie screenings and events in Chicago. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on shows and activities.

‘The Lord of the Rings Trilogy’

Elijah Woods as Frodo in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”
New Line Cinema

When: July 9-15

Where: Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport

What: Hard to believe it’s been nearly 20 years since Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” hit movie screens and wowed audiences with its epic cinematic storytelling. To celebrate this anniversary, the Music Box Theatre presents all three films in their original 35mm theatrical editions. Follow the adventures of young Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) who inherits the Ring and is tasked with saving civilization in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Tickets: $11.x

More information: musicboxtheatre.com

‘The World of Gordon Parks’

When: Through July 22

Where: Online

What: Chicago Film Archives presents a free online program featuring film work inspired by the iconic photographer’s photo essays created for Life magazine. In collaboration with the Gordon Parks Foundation and Anthology Film Archives, three documentary works are featured: “Flavio” (1964), a film centering on Flavio da Silva, a young boy from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro; “Diary of a Harlem Family” (1968), which utilizes Parks’s photographs and narration to reveal the racism and economic hardships experienced by Harlem residents and “The World of Piri Thomas” (1968), which looks at the issue of poverty through the eyes of the Puerto Rican-Cuban writer and poet. Also included is Romas Slezas’s 1973 short “Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks” — the photographer-filmmaker would go on to make five feature films including the Blaxploitation classic “Shaft” (1971).

More information: chicagofilmarchives.org

‘Movies in the Parks’

When: To Sept. 14

Where: In parks throughout Chicago

What: The Chicago Park District’s series returns with films ranging from Hollywood classics to retro childhood favorites and family-friendly offerings from recent years. Admission is free.

More information: For a complete list of films and parks, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/movies.

Garden Movies

Music Box Theatre’s Garden Movies features films screened in the theatre’s expanded courtyard under the stars.
Music Box Theatre

When: All summer long

Where: 3733 N. Southport

What: The Music Box Theatre is screening films in its expanded courtyard under the stars. Tickets: $9.

More information: musicboxtheatre.com

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