Support Chicago’s 90-year-old independent theater.
Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre is bringing their marquee to your home for your viewing pleasure. Now, you can experience spectacular arthouse and independent films from your couch through their Virtual Cinema.
Since it closed its doors a month ago, the Music Box has made an effort to keep its employees on the payroll. In a measure to continue doing so, the theater has released their Virtual Cinema. Now, viewers can rent as many as five films with the proceeds going to Music Box staff, as well as independent filmmakers:
“While the Music Box doors will remain closed, we’re proud to be able to team up with our frequent partners to provide viewing-at-home options for our amazing audience! All sales will help support the Music Box during our closure, and you can watch powerful new films that would otherwise be playing on our screen.”
Presently there are five films available for rental, beginning with their famous feline production, CatVideoFest — a glorious, 40-minute montage of the cutest, craziest, and most hilarious cat videos on the Internet.
Speaking of cats, Virtual Cinema also features the notorious Roar. Before there was Tiger King, there was Roar. The legacy of this 1981 production isn’t so much in its artistic merit — an adventure-comedy about a man living on an African reservation with big cats — but rather the sheer mayhem caused by the use of 150 untamed lions on set, as summed up eloquently in the infamous tagline: “No animals were harmed in the making of this movie, but 70 members of the cast and crew were.”
The three other films include: Incitement, Saint Frances, and Sorry We Missed You.
On Friday, April 24, the French romance film, Someone Somewhere, will also be available for rental.
Rental prices vary with each film. Those who choose to rent out CatVideoFest, however, can pay what they want as the picture clocks out at 40 minutes.
If you want even more Music Box, the theater recommends that you cue up their house organist, Mr. Dennis Scott, before screening your film!
PLUS: Tonight, April 22, at 7 p.m., you can also join the theatre for a virtual drink-a-long to Disney classic, Hercules!
[Featured image via Music Box Theatre’s Facebook]