Things are weird and they stay weird at the Packard Campus Theater as we close out the month of April. Have you eyes and your mind blown with these unique big screen treats.
Friday, April 28 @ 7:30pm
“Fantastic Planet” (New World, 1973)
A surreal, futuristic animated feature film. This isn’t a Disney cartoon, it is an allegorical story about humans on a strange planet (as if planet Earth isn’t strange enough). (Color, 71 minutes, plus selected short subjects.)
Saturday, April 29 @ 2pm
“Melies: Fairy Tales” (Star Film Co., early 1900s)
Anyone familiar with the film “Hugo” has an understanding of who Georges Melies was. He invented movie special effects and, in the infancy of film, took our imaginations and put them up on the screen. (Black and white, tinted, 90 minutes; live musical accompaniment by Andrew Simpson)
Saturday April 29 @ 7:30pm
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (Paramount, 1971)
Who can take tomorrow and dip it in a dream? The candy man, of course. A brilliant Gene Wilder portrays the more brilliant candy maker Willy Wonka. A wonderful musical trip that will make all confection lovers happy, even if they are only getting an imaginary golden ticket. (Color, 100 minutes; added to the National Film Registry in 2014)
To learn more about this film, see the essay here.