October 20, 2008

Two rarely seen films will be part of the program when the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) holds its 2008 Film Forum at the Michigan Theater on Nov. 2-4.  The showings will be open to the public as well as to theatre managers from all over the country who will meet in Ann Arbor to discuss programming challenges.
 
Both films are presented as part of the Michigan Theater’s 80th anniversary celebration:
 
• Sunday, November 2 at 7:00 pm – The Man Who Laughs (1928, silent) stars Conrad Veidt as a good man whose disfigured face is contorted in a permanent smile.  Taken from a novel by Victor Hugo, it's a classic of German Expressionism directed by Paul Leni. Veidt's character inspired The Joker in the original Batman comics.  The film will be accompanied by a live score performed by Steven Ball on the Barton Theater Organ. (Not rated. 110 minutes.)
• Monday, November 3 at 7:00 pm – In The House of Wax in 3-D (1953) Professor Jarrod (Vincent Price) survives a catastrophic fire and builds a new House of Wax with a "Chamber of Horrors" which showcases recent crimes. A visitor makes a discovery that leads to the horrifying truth behind the House of Wax.  Gasp-inducing (and tongue-in-cheek) 3-D scenes like the museum fire, paddleball man and can-can girls let the film stand up as a horror classic in 2-D as well. (Rated PG. 90 minutes.)
 
The LHAT conference, Film Exhibition in the 21st Century: A Programming Forum for Historic Theatres, will NOT be open to the public.  The Michigan Theater, an Ann Arbor cultural treasure, received the 2006 Outstanding Historic Theatre Award from LHAT.
 
Advance tickets for both events are available at Ticketweb.com and at the door. Reserved section tickets are $15 ($12 for Michigan Theater Members). General admission is $9.00, $7.00 for students, seniors and US veterans, $6.50 for Michigan Theater members. 
 
Please visit the Michigan Theater web site for more information and a complete schedule with show times: http://michtheater.org.