CELEBRATE THE MICHIGAN THEATER, “THE CIRCUS,” RUSS COLLINS, AND DEB POLICH
Come to the Michigan Theater on Sunday, January 5th, at 4:00 pm!
January 2025, marks the 97th anniversary of the Michigan Theater and Charlie Chaplin’s Academy Award-Winning cinema classic “The Circus.” On Sunday, January 5 at 4:00 PM, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, there will be a special screening of “The Circus,” followed by a fun and festive celebration of Russ Collins, the accomplished and long-tenured Executive Director/CEO of the Michigan and State Theatres, and Deb Polich, the award-winning President/CEO of Artrain, Creative Washtenaw, and radio host of Creative Impact. Both are retiring from full-time work (they also happen to be husband and wife) and will begin their retirement journey by embarking on a celebratory trip around the world. Be a part of this special celebration, Sunday, January 5 (the Michigan Theater’s actual “birthday”). Showtime is 4:00 PM. The Bon Voyage reception for Russ and Deb is for Michigan Theater/Marquee Arts members only (but anyone can become a member).
Before the screening of “The Circus” there will be a special preshow concert and overture by the Michigan Theater’s Head Organist Andrew Rogers on the theater’s restored “Golden Throated” Barton Organ. After the screening there will be a reception on the stage of the Michigan Theater. The on-stage reception is only for Michigan Theater/Marquee Arts members and donors. If you are not a member and wish to become a member before this special event, go to https://marquee-arts.org/memberships/ to enroll and qualify to attend the on-stage reception.
Get tickets in advance at: https://marquee-arts.org/event-page/tickets/?showingId=907331. A not-to-be-missed, uniquely fun celebration of a great film, the beautifully restored Michigan Theater, and Russ and Deb’s long and dedicated service to the community. Admission is only $12.50.
OPENING THIS WEEK
"Queer" — OPENS TODAY AT THE MICHIGAN
A 2024 period romantic drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino (who gained acclaim with his Desire trilogy, which consists of the films "I Am Love" (2009), "A Bigger Splash" (2015), and "Call Me by Your Name" (2017)) from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion and the Queer Lion.
In 1950s Mexico City, William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American ex-pat in his late forties, leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton, a young student, stirs William into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone.
Starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville and Jason Schwartzman, with a score by Academy Award winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
"Love Actually" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Late Night Classics Film Series
Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. Among the characters explored are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary. From writer/director Richard Curtis.
"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"—PLAYS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 AT 9:30 PM AND THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Late Night Classics Film Series
Martian ruler Kimar (Leonard Hicks) is upset that the children of Mars are lazy and under the influence of too much pop culture from Earth. They are obsessed with the planet's television programs and don't want to do much of anything. In an attempt to get the kids peppy again, Kimar orders the kidnapping of Santa Claus (John Call), hoping that the jolly old toymaker will know how to cheer the children up again. But two Earth children are also nabbed, and this complicates things for Kimar. From director Nicholas Webster.
Still to come:
- "Die Hard" – Friday, December 20 and Thursday, December 26
- "Eight Crazy Nights" – Friday, December 27 and Thursday, January 2
"Miracle on 34th Street" — PLAYS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 AT 1:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
In this Christmas classic, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain's main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.
From writer/director George Seaton and from a story by Valentine Davies, University of Michigan class of 1927.
More Free Holiday Classics Coming Soon:
- "A Christmas Story" - Sunday, December 22
"The American Friend" — PLAYS MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 AT 7:15 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Noir International Film Series
Wim Wenders pays loving homage to rough-and-tumble Hollywood film noir with this film, a loose adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel "Ripley’s Game." Dennis Hopper oozes quirky menace as an amoral American art dealer who entangles a terminally ill German everyman, played by Bruno Ganz, in a seedy criminal underworld as revenge for a personal slight—but when the two become embroiled in an ever-deepening murder plot, they form an unlikely bond.
Filmed on location in Hamburg and Paris, with some scenes shot in grimy, late-seventies New York City, Wenders’s international breakout is a stripped-down crime story that mixes West German and American film flavors, and it features cameos by filmmakers Jean Eustache, Samuel Fuller, and Nicholas Ray.
"It's a Wonderful Life" — PLAYS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21 AND MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George's wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there. From director Frank Capra and also starring Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, and Ann Arbor's own Virginia Patton Moss.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
Selected as the Latvian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
The film follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet.
A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical. An animated spectacle as well as a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of friendship and community.
Sponsored by the University of Michigan Center for South Asian Studies
The light, the lives, and the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai are explored and celebrated by writer/director Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Centering on two roommates who also work together in a city hospital, Kapadia’s film alights on moments of connection and heartache, hope and disappointment to create a soulful study of the transformative power of friendship and sisterhood, in all its complexities and richness.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. From directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller.
After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. The untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo ("Harriet," Broadway’s "The Color Purple") as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. Also starring Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh, Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s "Spongebob Squarepants," "Fosse/Verdon"), Bowen Yang ("Saturday Night Live"), four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones") and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians," "In the Heights"), this is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire, it is adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winnie Holzman and by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz.
Presented in association with the U-M Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people. From director Ridley Scott.
Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
COMING SOON
"A Complete Unknown" — OPENS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 AT THE STATE
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, this film follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
From director James Mangold ("Ford v Ferrari") and also starring Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez.
"Babygirl" — OPENS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 AT THE STATE
A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.
From director Halina Reijn ("Bodies, Bodies, Bodies") and inspired by erotic thrillers of the 1980s and 1990s (i.e. "Body Heat," "Fatal Attraction"). Starring Nicole Kidman, winner of the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, and Harris Dickinson.
"Nosferatu (2024)" — OPENS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 AT THE MICHIGAN
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
From the acclaimed, modern auteur Robert Eggers ("The Witch", "The Lighthouse") and starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok with Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson, and Willem Dafoe.
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