1 True Stories (Siskel, September 14, 18) David Byrne’s one-of-a-kind Chautauqua-comedy musical of small-town America may be one of cinema’s most tender WTFs ever. Byrne calls it “A project with songs based on true stories from tabloid newspapers. It’s like ‘60 Minutes’ on acid.” 35mm.
2 Bergman 100 (Siskel, through October 3) The epic centenary retrospective continues, highlighted by “Fanny and Alexander; the 320-minute television version on September 15 and the 188-minute theatrical version, in 35mm, on September 19. The long reviled, English-language Elliott Gould-starring “The Touch” arrives September 22 and 26 for reevaluations both wooly and wise.
3 The Last Movie (Siskel, September 28, 30, October 3, 4) A 4K restoration of Dennis Hopper’s legendary South American freak-out proves bold stuff decades after its 1971 depth-charge release.
5 The Rise and Fall of a Small Film Company (Siskel, opens Friday, September 28) A “lost” ninety-minute Jean-Luc Godard television movie from 1986, restored, with Jean-Pierre Léaud and a fistful of romantic flare-ups.
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Film Top 5: September 2023 At press time, the studios had not yet made counter-offers to the demands of striking actors and writers; the fall movie season and beyond is more unpredictable than any time since the pandemic began.
