Music Box Theatre Announces 70mm Film Festival Lineup

2001: A Space Odyssey |Photograph courtesy of Warner Bros When it comes to watching movies, you have plenty of options nowadays. Yeah, you can stream The Shining on Netflix and it’ll look and sound pretty good, but nothing compares to the quality of seeing your favorite film at the cinema with a dedicated sound system in the format it was designed for. With that in mind, Music Box Theatre announced the lineup for this year’s 70mm Film Festival, taking place from June 30 through July 10 . For those who may be unaware, 70mm refers to the size of physical film that the movie itself is shot with. For context, many modern movies are shot digitally in 4K. Similar to how audiophiles champion listening to music on vinyl rather than digitally, cinematic purists argue that the physicality and visual crispness of 70mm films makes it the superior format. The counter argument is that 70mm is very expensive to work with and most mainstream American theaters aren’t equipped to handle it. Regardless of your thoughts on 70mm vs digital, it’s undoubtedly gorgeous on the big screen and the Music Box has been showcasing the splendor of the format for years with a series of film festivals. This year will be headlined by a brand new 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey that will join the Music Box’s permanent collection, according to a report by Time Out Chicago. The rest of the lineup is thrilling with films all over the spectrum. We find ourselves excited for screenings of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar as well as Disney’s 1959 original animated version of Sleeping Beauty. We also must admit that we’re intrigued to see the disarmingly entertaining Kong: Skull Island in picturesque 70mm glory. Tickets go on sale May, 26 at noon and will cost you $12 ($14 for a 2001 screening) for a single ticket or festival pass for $75. Check out the full schedule below. Friday, June 30 7pm & 10:15pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Saturday, July 1 Noon - Hook 3:15pm, 7pm, & 10:15pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Sunday, July 2 Noon - Hook 3:15pm & 7pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Monday, July 3rd 2pm, 6pm, & 9:30pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Tuesday, July 4th 2pm & 6pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Wednesday, July 5 4:30pm & 8pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Thursday, July 6 7pm & 10:15pm - 2001: A Space Odyssey Friday, July 7 7pm - Sleeping Beauty 9:30pm - Top Gun Saturday, July 8 Noon - Sleeping Beauty 2:30pm - The Agony and the Ecstasy 6pm - Spartacus 10:15pm - Interstellar Sunday, July 9 Noon - Lord Jim 4pm - West Side Story 8pm - Short Cuts Monday, July 10 2:30pm - Lord Jim 7pm - Sleeping Beauty 9:15pm - Kong: Skull Island Tuesday, July 11 4pm - Kong: Skull Island 7:30pm - The Agony and the Ecstasy Wednesday, July 12 4:30pm - Top Gun 7:30pm - West Side Story Thursday, July 13 2:30pm - Spartacus 7:30pm - Interstellar