For the two years I lived in Chicago, attending Columbia College (1993-1995), this was my favourite place to watch films. Perhaps it was the fine old building it was in or the romance of its crumbling interior (even then), but I liked it even better than the very fine Music Box. Plus, it was much closer.
Among the films that made an impact on me there, my fondness for them being inextricably tied in with my fondness for the place itself, were Jane Campion’s “The Piano” and Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski’s “Blue.” Whenever I reflect on those films, I also vividly recall the comfort and satisfaction of watching them from my favourite perch in the front row of the balcony. It was just the right distance from the screen for my tastes and allowed plenty of space for all the contortions necessary to sustain good circulation, stave off a bathroom break, and maintain intense focus on the film itself.
Recent nostalgia for the Fine Arts building itself led me to find photographs which suggested that the theatre might be gone and now, tonight, I find that that is sadly the case. Lousy deal.
It may have been a crumbling relic, even in 1993, but it is still my favourite theatre yet.
For the two years I lived in Chicago, attending Columbia College (1993-1995), this was my favourite place to watch films. Perhaps it was the fine old building it was in or the romance of its crumbling interior (even then), but I liked it even better than the very fine Music Box. Plus, it was much closer.
Among the films that made an impact on me there, my fondness for them being inextricably tied in with my fondness for the place itself, were Jane Campion’s “The Piano” and Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski’s “Blue.” Whenever I reflect on those films, I also vividly recall the comfort and satisfaction of watching them from my favourite perch in the front row of the balcony. It was just the right distance from the screen for my tastes and allowed plenty of space for all the contortions necessary to sustain good circulation, stave off a bathroom break, and maintain intense focus on the film itself.
Recent nostalgia for the Fine Arts building itself led me to find photographs which suggested that the theatre might be gone and now, tonight, I find that that is sadly the case. Lousy deal.
It may have been a crumbling relic, even in 1993, but it is still my favourite theatre yet.