10. Plenty of FREE PARKING in the Library lot across the street!
9. Other theatres have 3-D and IMAX. We have Errol Flynn.
8. We’re neither profit-seekers nor elitists. We show one film a month, and every title is carefully selected. We will try and give you a presentation that honors that film. Additionally, we are likely to play shorter films from all branches of classic cinema, whether they be comedy shorts or cartoons or movie serials. (These will always precede the feature presentation.) Our intent is to make each show FUN.
It’s not ephemera to us…
7. One of my motives behind this classic film program is to get younger people involved– and inspired. Too many kids are wasting their brain cells sitting in front of video games playing “Grand Theft Auto” and they’ve never even seen a Charlie Chaplin movie. So even if it’s not “film-on-film,” the important thing is that the title IS being shown the way it should be seen: with an audience in a theatre. It was great to see so many kids turn out for The Blob on Halloween! And I had one guy in his late ’20s tell me The Thief of Bagdad was the greatest thing he had ever seen. We won’t argue with that.
6. There is an added enjoyment in seeing something with others at the same time. For instance, I have a cabinet full of dvds at home and I can pop one in at any time, but it’s always more enjoyable watching the movie when you know others are out there watching it with you. Whether I’m viewing a horror film I’ve seen dozens of times before on Svengoolie, or a film noir on TCM, it’s always a little more special when it’s broadcast. Likewise, these films in our series are always more fun when viewed with an audience. Maybe you’ve seen Gunga Din (Jan. 23) before, but the reactions we get in a communal environment are different than seeing it home alone. For me, it’s always interesting to see how a film plays and how the audience reacts to it. It is only fair to the film that it be audience-tested in a theatre. People are always watching (commercially available) movies on Youtube and I’ve never understood that. It’s an injustice to the film and you are only cheating yourself out of a more rewarding experience. Classic movies are always being revived in theatres across Chicagoland. You have to make the effort and go to them and let the film control you as opposed to you controlling the film on some hand-held device.
5. You never know when our “unofficial” house organist, Jay Warren, might turn up! Besides performing for our silent features, Jay will also be available to perform prelude music for some of our special events.
4. Between the Pickwick’s staff and my own team of volunteers, we have an extraordinary group to help you enjoy your time. The personal touch is important to me, and we will always be on hand to meet you and to thank you for coming. This series only started in September, so we are still finding our way. That’s why it’s important for us to be present and to hear your suggestions and comments.
3. This is a community service. I had one of my dear regulars express to me that this is the only place she and her mother come after the recent passing of her father. That meant a lot to me knowing that in some small way we are helping them cope. But there are so many other ways in which this series benefits those who attend it. It enriches our understanding of our cinema heritage. That is our mission statement.
2. Your attendance keeps the program going. I am grateful to have the opportunity to present these films in Park Ridge. But people have to come out and support them. For me, every presentation is an event. But we need to build our audience. Unlike the Park Ridge Public Library Classic Film Series, which benefits from the contributions of several generous benefactors and donors, the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series operates alone. We have no sponsors and no donations thus far. We have little money, but we have a greater motivation to change the way people see movies. So we really need you to come out once a month. (I already have ideas for the 2015 and 2016 schedules, with even bigger surprises in store for our patrons. It would be unfortunate if those plans were never realized.)
1. We have the most beautiful theatre in the suburbs for classic movies. There are certainly other nice venues in the outlying areas, but I can assure you they’re not showing Gunga Din, Wuthering Heights, or Gone With the Wind. The Pickwick Theatre is also one of the largest with over 900+ seats. It’s well-maintained and it’s a landmark in town. You can either see movies in some cinder-block cineplex with the stadium seating and the noise filtering in from the next theatre over– or you can see movies in an Art Deco movie palace.
