The week’s best off-the-grid picks
“After Parkland”: In this new documentary, filmmakers Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman chronicle the lives of the students and families whose lives were forever transformed by the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It’s showing only in about 100 theaters nationwide for one night only, Feb. 12, as part of a national “Day of Conservation.” The only Wisconsin theater taking part, according to the movie’s website, is the Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave. It’s showing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. $11, $9 for Milwaukee Film members and seniors 60 and older, and $6 for kids younger than 12. Info: mkefilm.org/orientaltheatre.
“It Happened One Night”: Frank Capra’s 1934 screwball classic, about a reporter (Clark Gable) hitting the road with a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert), was the first movie to sweep the Oscars, winning best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. Here’s a rare chance to see it on the big screen. 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. $5. Info: avalonmke.com.
“Love & Basketball”:
Childhood friends (Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps) fall in love with the sport and each other in this 2000 romantic favorite, showing in a 35-millimeter print for its 20th anniversary as part of Milwaukee Film’s Black History Month programming at the Oriental Theatre. 6:30 p.m. Thursday. $11, $9 for Milwaukee Film members and seniors 60 and older. Info: mkefilm.org/oriental -theatre.
“Night of the Hunter”:
Robert Mitchum’s malevolent, Bible-quoting preacher is one of the movies’ coolest, and scariest, villains in this masterful 1955 noirish thriller. 9 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday at UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. $5, free for UWM students and Union Cinema members. Info: cinema.uwm.edu.
“The War of the
Worlds”: H.G. Wells’ story of a Martian invasion of Earth has been told a jillion times since it first appeared in print in 1897. The best big-screen version is probably this 1953 sci-fi gem, produced by special-effects maven George Pal; the flyingsaucer scenes set the standard for spaceship fare ever since, and still look great in a theater. 7 p.m. Friday at the Times Cinema, 5906 W. Vliet St. $5. Info: timescinema. com.
“Duet for Cannibals”: It’s an art-house moviegoer’s dream — a 1969 dark semi-comedy made in Sweden by cultural critic Susan Sontag. 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday at UWM Union Cinema. $5, free for UWM students and Union Cinema members. Info: cine ma.uwm.edu.
“Love Story”: It’s easy to forget that the 1970 doomed-romance melodrama was one of the biggest hits of its time. It’s been forever since it has been shown in theaters. 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Silverspot Cinema at The Corners of Brookfield, 20111 W. Blue Mound Road, and Marcus Theatres’ Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. See websites for ticket prices. Info: silverspot.net/films and marcustheatres.com.
“Titanic”: The Oscar winner that goes on, and on, and on — and is still pretty impressive on the big screen. 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday at Marcus Theatres’ Bistroplex Southridge, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge and South Shore cinemas, and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at Silverspot Cinema at
The Corners of Brookfield. See websites for ticket prices. Info: silver
spot.net/films and mar custheatres.com.
“Suez”: Tyrone Power digs the big ditch that shrank the 19th-century world in this 1938 epic. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Charles Allis Art Museum, 1801 N. Prospect Ave.; free parking is available in a marked lot across Royale Place (see Allis for details). $10, $7 for students and seniors, free for museum members. Info: charlesallis.org.