Stanley Kubrick, Col. Mustard and Han Solo (together at last)
Kubrick in 35 mm
Four films by storied filmmaker Stanley Kubrick will be presented the way they were meant to be seen - on 35 mm film in a gorgeous movie theater - beginning Friday, June 1, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago.
The screenings, dubbed Stanley Kubrick: The Filmworker Series, run until Thursday, June 7, and include the 1975 period piece famously shot with natural light, "Barry Lyndon;" the infamous 1980 Stephen King adaptation, "The Shining;" 1987's Vietnam War film, "Full Metal Jacket;" and Kubrick's final, posthumous effort, the 1999 psychosexual thriller "Eyes Wide Shut," featuring daring performances by then-married Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. Tickets cost $11 ($9 seniors) and are on sale now at musicboxtheatre.com.
'I! Am! Your singing telegram!'
Almost nobody saw "Clue" on the big screen when it was released in 1985, though I am proud to say that my dad and I contributed to its $14.6 million domestic haul. Jonathan Lynn's farce featuring the colorful characters of the classic murder-mystery board game has built a following over the ensuing 33 years, and you can join the cult Monday, June 4, at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets are $1. Yes, $1 to see Martin Mull, Michael McKean, Tim Curry and the dearly departed Madeline Kahn in an extremely funny movie.
'Solo' soliloquy
This lifelong "Star Wars" fan found himself wondering, if just for a fleeting moment, whether "Solo: A Star Wars Story" was the most purely entertaining film in the entire franchise. That happened during the Millennium Falcon's thrilling escape from the Empire - and a giant space octopus - about 90 minutes into the new spinoff, or prequel, or sidequel, or whatever term we're supposed to use to describe these "Story" movies. The lumbering, frustrating third act dispelled that lofty notion, but "Solo" has more delights than distractions. Chief among them: John Powell's lush musical score.
Powell doesn't overuse John Williams' classic themes, nor try to imitate them, in a score that has more heft and personality than Michael Giacchino's "Rogue One" and deserves a spot in your playlist among the Williams canon. Check out the propulsive one-two punch of "Mine Mission" and "Break Out," and the swoonworthy "Lando's Closet."
Powell, whose 2011 score for "How To Train Your Dragon" was nominated for the Oscar, talks about scoring "Solo" on two recent episodes of "Score: The Podcast," a new venture from the makers of last year's "Score: A Film Music Documentary." Find it on iTunes, Stitcher and other podcast providers.
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. Follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.