Latest news with #MusicBoxTheatre
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Music Box Garden Movies
Photograph: Courtesy Music Box Theatre During the summer, spending more time indoors than absolutely necessary feels almost sacrilegious. The Music Box Theatre gets it—and fully embraces the season by inviting movie lovers into its charming outdoor garden. Grab a specialty cocktail (each one cleverly named after an iconic film) and settle in for a night of cinema under the stars. Highlights of this year's lineup include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 2003 remake, for the horror purists out there), Dirty Dancing and The Goonies . Thu, Aug 7, 2025 Mon, Aug 11, 2025 Tue, Aug 12, 2025 Wed, Aug 13, 2025 Thu, Aug 14, 2025 Mon, Aug 18, 2025 Tue, Aug 19, 2025 Wed, Aug 20, 2025 Thu, Aug 21, 2025 Mon, Aug 25, 2025 Show more By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed! Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Discover Time Out original video
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ari Aster is just asking questions, like "How the hell do we get off this thing?"
Ari Aster wants to upset you. As the writer-director transitions from horror provocations like Hereditary and Midsommar to the more expansive anxiety-freakouts of Beau Is Afraid and his new 2020-set Western Eddington, the real world keeps trickling in. Horror, once a genre where Aster could gleefully work through black-humored family tragedies and bad breakups, is now soaked into his films like sweat into a mattress. Eddington is his furthest yet from horror's aesthetic, but it's still one of his scariest creations, if only because of its dedication to dredging up the traumatic memories of a summer dominated by COVID, QAnon conspiracies, and the murder of George Floyd. If that sounds like a lot of controversy to pack into a single film, well, that's Aster's intent. If something even more sinister slips through the cracks, that's also his intent. Aster sat down with The A.V. Club after a screening of Eddington at Chicago's Music Box Theatre to talk about the terrifying future we're all barreling towards. The A.V. Club: Are you a stress dream person? Ari Aster: Yes. Eddington and Beau Is Afraid both seem like films where you woke up in a cold sweat and needed to write down what your brain had conjured up. Aster: I tend to not even have to write it down because it's how my brain works, which is why I'm given to dreams like that. While Beau Is Afraid is set in like…the Death Wish world, you set Eddington in New Mexico because you're from there. I'm from the south, and every time I visit, I'm reminded that there's this ideologically alien world just next door. How do you keep that personal connection honest while putting it through this heightening lens? Aster: As you said, I'm from New Mexico and I was living in New Mexico at the time of writing the script—I was living in New Mexico at the time of lockdown. I was feeling what was in the air, and it felt distinct. It felt similar, because I'd been feeling dread for a long time—the film was written in a state of dread and anxiety—but it also felt like things had come to a very definitive boil. It felt like things could explode at any minute. It could be tomorrow, it could be years from now. But it felt like we were moving towards something very scary. I wanted to get that on paper. I wasn't writing this from a remove. There are people in my life, who are very important to me, who are living in totally different realities. I can't really reach them, and they can't really reach me when it comes to any kind of conversation about what is happening. We all care about the world, we're all worried about it, but we're not in agreement about what the problems are, and what the sources of the problems are. That's heartbreaking to me. I really wanted to make a movie about that environment. To pull back as far as I could and include as many voices from the cacophony as I could, without sacrificing story. The experiment became 'Can I make something coherent that is about the incoherent miasma?' I was listening to a talk that you had with Bill Hader where he says you do the Chekov thing in this movie, which is 'not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly.' You said you're trying to include as many voices as possible—were there parts of the problem you weren't able to include? Aster: So many! Because there are too many. Part of the problem is that there are so many catastrophes and so many crises that are coalescing all at once. What do you focus on? And so many lies. I'm being cryptic on where I stand, but no matter where you stand, there are lies. Somebody has to be lying, right? On one side or the other. I hope it's clear where my politics are by the end of the film, but part of the project here is to veil that as much as I can, because if I'm making a strictly partisan film, that is extolling the virtues of one ideology while condemning another, that's only going to reach the choir that I'm preaching to. It's only going to continue pouring gas on the fire. That would be too narrow. The challenge was how far can I pull back? The film is a satire, which is a dangerous thing to say because that means something different to everybody. Right, because people then start to search for your angle. Aster: Exactly. And I do think my stance is clear. If people are able to get to the end, it's there in the end. Pretty clear. But maybe there can be some solidarity in sitting in a theater and everybody looking back—because it's a period piece—at the way we were and at the collective insanity of that moment. And maybe the question can come up: 'Is this the path we want to be on?' I think most people feel that the answer is 'No.' I feel very strongly that we're accelerating on a path that seems to end at a brick wall, so the question is 'How the hell do we get off this thing?' You talk about solidarity, and Eddington is a movie that I can imagine my uncles watching and enjoying. And we will not be enjoying it for the same reasons, so I'm not sure how we'll have a conversation about it. Aster: In the end, it's a Western. It's supposed to be fun, as well. But I will say, you're a little bit closer to having a conversation if you both enjoy it. At least there's a common piece of media, compared to the separate bubbles we're usually in, where you could spend your life trying to rewrite your algorithm to see the stuff on someone else's feed. Aster: There's one clear winner in this film and that's the important thing to remember: I'll just say, it's in the final shot. If somebody asked me 'What is the movie about in one sentence?' I'd say 'It's about a data center being built just outside of a small town.' I was going to say, it's a comedy, in that all this escalation is ridiculous, but there's also tragedy in its finality—the people who are lost are lost, and the only ones coming out on top are the technocapitalists. Aster: Who have decided our future for us. That's certainly the feeling in my industry, the media industry. Is it how it feels in yours? Aster: Absolutely. Nobody asked for this. Nobody seems to want it, but here it is, it's coming. And you either adapt or you get driven over. And nobody is warning us about this more than the people who are ushering it in. They keep saying 'Yeah, it could be the end of the world. Don't say we didn't tell ya.' Okay, well then what are we doing to stop it?! One of the biggest things happening right now in the world of AI is this thing called 'alignment research.' Making sure that these AI systems align with human values. That brings me to my next question: What the fuck are human values? We've seen what 'human values' are recently in terms of what one of the biggest AIs is aligned with. Aster: Just look through all of human history. What are human values? How do we align [AI] with our collective values? There are no collective values! We're living in a soup. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. More from A.V. Club Ari Aster is just asking questions, like "How the hell do we get off this thing?" Whisper Of The Heart left a lo-fi legacy unique to Studio Ghibli Senate holds late-night vote to cut funding to NPR and PBS Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Picture Of Dorian Gray' Starring Sarah Snook Officially Recoups Its Broadway Investment
The Picture of Dorian Gray has officially recouped its investment, producers announced. The play starring Succession's Sarah Snook in a solo performance was reportedly capitalized at more than $8 million. Producers have not confirmed the capitalization amount. More from Deadline 'Glengarry Glen Ross', 'Dorian Gray', 'Dead Outlaw', 'Real Women Have Curves' & 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' Go Out With A Bang - Broadway Box Office Karl E. Held Dies: A Producer Of Broadway-Bound 'Kowalski' Was 63 'Phantom' Spin-Off 'Masquerade' Sells Out Six Weeks Of Previews In Three Hours; Additional Dates To Be Announced The recoupment announcement comes days after the production's June 29 final performance. The high-tech production reported a record-breaking final-week gross of $2,092,069, the highest weekly take for the production and the first time it surpassed $2 million in a single week. The $2M figure marks the second-highest weekly gross for any show, play or musical, in the history of the Music Box Theatre, topped only by Dear Evan Hansen during the week ending December 31, 2017. Throughout its extended run, Kip Williams' adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novel repeatedly topped its own box office records and holds the distinction of being the only non-musical play to gross more than $1 million in a week at the 104-year-old venue. Previews for the limited engagement began on March 10, with the official opening on March 27. The production arrived on Broadway following a sold-out run in London's West End. Dorian Gray was nominated for two Tony Awards, with Snook, who played all 26 characters, winning in the Leading Actress/Play category (the other win was for Marg Horwell's costume design). The play originated in 2020 at Sydney Theatre Company. The Broadway production was produced by Michael Cassel, Adam Kenwright, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen, Daryl Roth, Amanda Lipitz and Henry Tisch. Aaron Lustbader was Executive Producer and Michael Cassel Group the worldwide Executive of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Who Is [SPOILER]? The Latest Big Marvel Reveal Explained 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg
Winnipeg Free Press
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sean Baker reflects on becoming a ‘weird spokesperson' for theatergoing
LOS ANGELES (AP) — During his best director acceptance speech at this year's Academy Awards, Sean Baker zealously spoke about the importance of theatergoing, particularly the increasingly threatened independently-owned cinemas. Baker was accepting the award for 'Anora,' which won five of the six Oscars it was nominated for that night. On the other side of that awards campaign, the independent filmmaker is continuing his evangelism for seeing films on the big screen by teaming up with Pluto TV for 'Free Movie Weekend,' which highlights independent and family-owned theaters across the country throughout the summer, including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago this weekend. The initiative kicked off with Baker's pick near Los Angeles — the Gardena Cinema. Complimentary tickets will also be offered to the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, as well as Detroit's Redford Theater in the coming weeks. In an exclusive interview, Baker spoke with The Associated Press about why he feels like a 'weird spokesperson' for theatergoing and how he hopes his next film will differ from his previous work. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: You are an outspoken advocate for independent and family-owned movie theaters. Why are they so important to you? BAKER: I'm Gen X. Growing up, the theaters that we primarily went to were independently owned and usually family owned. Multiplexes kicked in in the late 80s. I love multiplexes. They're great, but there is something that's a little more intimate and has that family warmth. It's not a corporate environment. For a very long time, that's how I discovered and fell in love with the movies. And then I actually worked in an independently-owned theater. It was the craziest thing. It was called the Roberts Cinema in New Jersey, and I applied for a job as the ticket ripper. It was a small business, so next thing you know, they are training me on the projectors. Next thing, they're like, 'We need a manager.' So, at 17 years old, I was managing, projecting and ticket ripping at a theater in Manville, New Jersey, that's no longer there. They played mostly Disney films during the day and foreign films at night. It was my first real job and I look back fondly on that time. And then I went to film school and I started making movies. It's always been with the intention of making feature films for theaters. A dream of mine is to someday maybe even own a theater. AP: I think there are a lot of people who think big movies with big movie stars are the secret to getting people into theaters. BAKER: That's something that I've been personally battling with. I am preaching that this sort of entertainment is meant first and foremost for theaters, so come out and see them. And then at the same time, I make films that are a little bit difficult and not exactly friendly for a wide audience. But I hope that, since my films lean into a little more into that prestige world, maybe people will come out looking for that sort of thing. 'This film won the Palme d'Or and then eventually an Academy Award. Maybe this is something we should see in the theater, even though it doesn't fit the mold of what we normally are going to see, which are the blockbuster popcorn movies.' Those are the movies that keep cinemas alive, not my films. Maybe someday. But it's the 'Barbies' that are keeping the cinemas alive, not the 'Anoras,' even though 'Anora' did amazingly well in the hands of Neon. I do sometimes feel like a weird spokesperson for this because I'm not exactly delivering what I'm preaching on. AP: The Oscars this year were sort of like a PSA for theatergoing. I wonder if you subscribe to the idea that that message would be received better if the Academy recognized movies like 'Wicked' or 'Dune: Part Two' more. BAKER: They do. I mean, those films were nominated. But maybe. Maybe we do need that one extra category for box office success. Why not celebrate that too? I mean that's something that other awards shows around the world celebrate and there's no reason not to celebrate when a film hits the zeitgeist. That's an important cultural milestone. So why not celebrate that publicly? That's what the Oscars are for in many ways. AP: We've talked before about the success of 'Anora' and how you are thinking about how it will inform your next film. BAKER: I think the new thing that I'm dealing with is just the pressure of how do I follow up 'Anora?' I don't want to disappoint people, but I want to give something a little new and different. It's just scary. I don't know how else to say it. I just woke up. It's scary. But hopefully I'm working with the same people again, not only making the film, but also distributing the film. And hopefully we make another film that connects. My favorite filmmakers are filmmakers that do mix it up. They stay in their wheelhouse because that's their voice. But there's always a new thing. And hopefully my new thing is just leaning a little more into comedy. For a long time, I've made films that I would consider to be dramas or tragedies with comedic elements and I kind of want to push it into the comedy with dramatic or tragic elements. That might be my change.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sean Baker reflects on becoming a 'weird spokesperson' for theatergoing
LOS ANGELES (AP) — During his best director acceptance speech at this year's Academy Awards, Sean Baker zealously spoke about the importance of theatergoing, particularly the increasingly threatened independently-owned cinemas. Baker was accepting the award for 'Anora,' which won five of the six Oscars it was nominated for that night. On the other side of that awards campaign, the independent filmmaker is continuing his evangelism for seeing films on the big screen by teaming up with Pluto TV for 'Free Movie Weekend,' which highlights independent and family-owned theaters across the country throughout the summer, including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago this weekend. The initiative kicked off with Baker's pick near Los Angeles — the Gardena Cinema. Complimentary tickets will also be offered to the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, as well as Detroit's Redford Theater in the coming weeks. In an exclusive interview, Baker spoke with The Associated Press about why he feels like a 'weird spokesperson' for theatergoing and how he hopes his next film will differ from his previous work. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: You are an outspoken advocate for independent and family-owned movie theaters. Why are they so important to you? BAKER: I'm Gen X. Growing up, the theaters that we primarily went to were independently owned and usually family owned. Multiplexes kicked in in the late 80s. I love multiplexes. They're great, but there is something that's a little more intimate and has that family warmth. It's not a corporate environment. For a very long time, that's how I discovered and fell in love with the movies. And then I actually worked in an independently-owned theater. It was the craziest thing. It was called the Roberts Cinema in New Jersey, and I applied for a job as the ticket ripper. It was a small business, so next thing you know, they are training me on the projectors. Next thing, they're like, 'We need a manager.' So, at 17 years old, I was managing, projecting and ticket ripping at a theater in Manville, New Jersey, that's no longer there. They played mostly Disney films during the day and foreign films at night. It was my first real job and I look back fondly on that time. And then I went to film school and I started making movies. It's always been with the intention of making feature films for theaters. A dream of mine is to someday maybe even own a theater. AP: I think there are a lot of people who think big movies with big movie stars are the secret to getting people into theaters. BAKER: That's something that I've been personally battling with. I am preaching that this sort of entertainment is meant first and foremost for theaters, so come out and see them. And then at the same time, I make films that are a little bit difficult and not exactly friendly for a wide audience. But I hope that, since my films lean into a little more into that prestige world, maybe people will come out looking for that sort of thing. 'This film won the Palme d'Or and then eventually an Academy Award. Maybe this is something we should see in the theater, even though it doesn't fit the mold of what we normally are going to see, which are the blockbuster popcorn movies.' Those are the movies that keep cinemas alive, not my films. Maybe someday. But it's the 'Barbies' that are keeping the cinemas alive, not the 'Anoras,' even though 'Anora' did amazingly well in the hands of Neon. I do sometimes feel like a weird spokesperson for this because I'm not exactly delivering what I'm preaching on. AP: The Oscars this year were sort of like a PSA for theatergoing. I wonder if you subscribe to the idea that that message would be received better if the Academy recognized movies like 'Wicked' or 'Dune: Part Two' more. BAKER: They do. I mean, those films were nominated. But maybe. Maybe we do need that one extra category for box office success. Why not celebrate that too? I mean that's something that other awards shows around the world celebrate and there's no reason not to celebrate when a film hits the zeitgeist. That's an important cultural milestone. So why not celebrate that publicly? That's what the Oscars are for in many ways. AP: We've talked before about the success of 'Anora' and how you are thinking about how it will inform your next film. BAKER: I think the new thing that I'm dealing with is just the pressure of how do I follow up 'Anora?' I don't want to disappoint people, but I want to give something a little new and different. It's just scary. I don't know how else to say it. I just woke up. It's scary. But hopefully I'm working with the same people again, not only making the film, but also distributing the film. And hopefully we make another film that connects. My favorite filmmakers are filmmakers that do mix it up. They stay in their wheelhouse because that's their voice. But there's always a new thing. And hopefully my new thing is just leaning a little more into comedy. For a long time, I've made films that I would consider to be dramas or tragedies with comedic elements and I kind of want to push it into the comedy with dramatic or tragic elements. That might be my change.
