1 Noir City: Chicago 2023 (Music Box, August 25-31) A solid mingling of the long-lauded—”Key Largo”; “The Lady From Shanghai”; “Call Northside 777”; “The Big Clock”; “Unfaithfully Yours”; “The Naked City”—and lesser-known greats, like Jean Negulesco’s “Road House”; “He Walked By Night”; “The Velvet Touch”; “I Walk Alone”; “Chicago Deadline”: “Blood on The Moon”; and “Raw Deal”; plus two singular personal favorites, Abraham Polonsky’s “Force Of Evil” and Frank Borzage’s “Moonrise.” Mostly 35mm presentations.
2 Shortcomings (Opens Friday, August 4) A second screen adaptation from Adrian Tomine’s comics: Randall Park’s picture from Tomine’s own script is pretty swell and often hilarious. Assholes: prepare to flinch.
3 Mad Max: Fury Road – Black & Chrome Edition (Music Box, August 11-12 midnights) “Return my treasures to me, and I myself will carry you through the gates of Valhalla. You shall ride eternal. Shiny, and chrome!” (Or, even better, shiny and black and chrome.)
4 The Meg 2: The Trench (Opens Friday, August 4) Jason Statham, Wu Jing, a prehistoric shark. Sequel to the pulp hit that answers the cry, “Give Ben Wheatley money! Give Ben Wheatley all the money!”
5 Titanic (Chicago Film Society At Music Box, Wednesday, August 23) “Give Jim Cameron money! Give Jim Cameron all the money!” 35mm.
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.
