James Bond's fifth film gets 50th anniversary salute in Park Ridge

<h3 class="briefHead">007 classic celebrates 50 years</h3>

The 50th anniversary of the last good Sean Connery 007 thriller, "You Only Live Twice," gets a celebration from the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series with a DCP restoration presentation at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, at the Pickwick, 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge.

The 1967 spy thriller was supposed to be Connery's James Bond swan song after playing Ian Fleming's British secret agent in five films. Connery was lured back into the Secret Service for a $1 million-plus paycheck in 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever."

Ian Fleming Foundation Board Member Colin Clark and James Bond novelist Raymond Benson of Buffalo Grove will be onstage only at 7 p.m. to introduce the evening screening. Also on hand will be a Bell 47 SPECTRE/Osato Helicopter RC Model used in the movie.

Organist Jay Warren will perform Bond-themed prelude music on the Mighty Wurlitzer at 6:30 p.m. Evening admission costs $10 ($8 advance), $6 for the matinee. Go to pickwicktheatre.com.

<h3 class="briefHead">Critics' film fest rolls out </h3>

The fifth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, the only fest curated and operated by working movie critics, opens with Jeff Baena's comedy "The Little Hours" Friday, May 12, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport St., Chicago.

"What better place to have a festival that champions films and filmmakers?" said fest founder Erik Childress, himself a film critic and Elk Grove Village resident.

He noted that the movie industry appears to be evolving into multimedia platforms and sidestepping filmmakers' dreams of experiencing their works in front of a live audience in a theater, not someone's living room.

Childress said one of the fest highlights will be Richard Kelly's 2007 release "Southland Tales" shown in 35 mm. Kelly, who also wrote and directed the cult film "Donnie Darko," will appear for a Q&A.

"It's a film that seems more relevant than ever with the political divisions and end-of-the-world scares in the country," Childress said. "So here is a chance to do the very thing that film critics should be doing - inviting and celebrating the conversations that movies can begin."

Go to chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com or musicboxtheatre.com.

<i> Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire's column runs Friday in Time out!</i>