March 8, 2023
Charles Coleman, charles@facets.org
Paul Gonter, paul@facets.org
Series features The Crow (4/28), Suspiria (4/29), and Matilda (4/30), along with specialty cocktails and an interactive re-creation of the “Olga’s Apartment” set from Suspiria.
CHICAGO— FACETS is excited to announce the 2nd annual Halfway to Halloween film series, running April 28-30, 2023, with special guest Barbara Magnolfi in-person for a special Suspiria screening event. The full series includes a screening of Alex Proyas’s The Crow on Friday, April 28 at 7:00 pm; the Suspiria screening and special event with actress Barbara Magnolfi on Saturday, April 29, starting at 6:30 pm; and a “Family Frights” screening of Danny DeVito’s Matilda on Sunday, April 30 at 1:00 pm.
All screenings take place at FACETS (1517 W. Fullerton). Tickets will be available to purchase in advance through FACETS’ website on Friday, March 10. Special ticketing for the Suspiria event includes three levels with different perks (see below for details), and general admission for The Crow and Matilda are $12 per screening and $10 for FACETS Members with proof of active membership.
April 28-30, 2023
Last year’s Halfway to Halloween series was so successfully spooky, FACETS has decided to make it an annual tradition. Dust off those Halloween costume ideas, gather your ghouls, and get ready for some hair-raising cult-horror classics – including the cult-horror “final boss:” Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) with actress Barbara Magnolfi in person for live pre- and post-screening Q&As.
Kicking off the series is The Crow (1994), Alex Proyas’s masterful mix of Gothic horror, comic book flick, and otherworldly love story. Up next is the special Suspiria screening event, featuring exclusive pre- and post-screening Q&As between co-programmer Stephanie Sack and star Barbara Magnolfi, and an interactive re-creation of “Olga’s Apartment,” one of the film’s most iconic sets. Closing out the series is a “Family Frights” screening of the Danny DeVito-directed version of Matilda (1996), an offbeat 1990s update of the beloved book from Roald Dahl.
Spooky specialty cocktails will be available at each screening, and everyone is encouraged to don their spookiest garb. It may be six months until the real Halloween, but it’s simply too much fun to only celebrate once a year!
Halfway to Halloween was co-programmed by guest curator Stephanie Sack, FACETS‘ Community Engagement Manager John McDevitt, and CICFF Programmer Deidre Searcy.
Friday, April 28 @ 7:00 pm
A deceptively simple story of revenge beyond death, The Crow’s masterful mix of Gothic horror, comic book flick, and otherworldly love story transcends the confines of any particular genre, arriving at an idiosyncratic style of its own.
Alex Proyas, USA, 1994, 101 minutes, DCP
Saturday, April 29 @ 6:30 pm
Screening: A rapid assault on the senses paired with a whirling rejection of sanity, Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) is a masterclass in the colors of murder, the sounds of terror, and the feelings of fear – the perfect film to celebrate Halfway to Halloween! Screening starts at 7:30 pm.
Dario Argento, Italy, 1977, 100 minutes, DCP
Barbara Magnolfi Live Q&As: If you’ve ever wondered about the who, when, where, and why about Dario Argento’s 1977 ballet school freakout Suspiria, you won’t want to miss the two Q&As with the film’s leading lady, Barbara Magnolfi, with the pre-screening Q&A at 7:00 pm and the post-screening Q&A 9:30 pm. Stephanie Sack, Chicago’s very own “La Gialloholique,” sits down with Barbara for two intimate chats about everything Suspiria. Expect to hear all about about Barbara’s audition for Argento, her character’s development on set, and the film’s epic legacy as one of the “greatest of all time.”
VIP Meet & Greet in Olga’s Apartment: Join Barbara for a pre-screening petite soiree in Olga’s Apartment with casual conversation and killer photographs. With its eye-catching black and white wallpaper, fabulous silver lamp, and gorgeous pink calla lilies, Olga’s Apartment is one of Suspiria’s most iconic sets! Join Barbara Magnolfi and other VIP “Suspirians” for a special reception in FACETS‘ studio, which will be transformed into a replica of this most fabulous flat.
Ticket Packages: Three special ticket packages with different levels of perks will be offered for the Suspiria screening event:
Sunday, April 30 @ 1:00 pm
Come dressed as your favorite Matilda character and receive a free popcorn at this special “Family Frights” screening! And keep a look out for more “trick or treat” surprises to be announced soon… An offbeat 1990s update of the beloved book from Roald Dahl, this film adaptation directed by Danny DeVito tells the story of Matilda, an extremely intelligent and mature young girl who shares a home with parents who ignore her and a brother who mistreats her.
Danny DeVito, USA, 1996, 98 minutes, DCP
Barbara Magnolfi, Special Guest: Born and raised in Rome, Barbara Magnolfi began studying ballet at age four. Falling in love with the art of dance, she rose to the level of lead ballerina by age 10. This training translated perfectly to her standout performance in 1977 as the slinky, scene-stealing Olga, the gossipy girl who harasses her fellow dance students in Dario Argento’s moody masterpiece of the macabre, Suspiria. In 1996 she accepted what proved to be a fateful invitation to visit Southern California. Although she didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles, to her surprise she was recognized especially for her role as Olga in Suspiria! A sold out screening of Suspiria at the American Cinematheque at which she was a guest of honor marked Barbara’s arrival in Hollywood. Today, Barbara continues to connect with international audiences both in front and behind the camera. She is currently writing her autobiography, and in between projects she sits on expert panels at cultural conventions and serves as a judge for genre film festivals.
Stephanie “La Gialloholique” Sack, Co-Programmer: A native daughter of Chicago, Stephanie was raised in Lincoln Park, educated in Old Town and Evanston, and lives in the South Loop. She has been known to trespass city limits, cross state lines, and even tesseract over oceans just to see her favorite films. As a lifelong auto-didact, Stephanie taught herself everything she knows about European film; after decades of actively consuming and studying 20th century cinema, she is arguably an expert in the sprawling sub-genre of seventies Italian horror, the Giallo. Having first seen — and loved — Argento’s Suspiria at the tender age of 13, she is beyond honored and humbled to screen the film in her hometown and discuss the details with Barbara Magnolfi! When she is not working in France for her family’s luxury travel business or running around Italy to meet the titans of European cinema, you can find her in Chicago, teaching Yin yoga in Motor Row or producing midnight movie events in Lakeview.
John McDevitt, Co-Programmer: John is a neurodivergent, queer lifelong filmgoer and video renter who now works at FACETS as the Community Engagement Manager. John grew up on Goosebumps books, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Universal Classic Monsters, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and anything else weird and wonderful within reach of their itty-bitty ghoulish raccoon paws. John took film and animation courses at Columbia College Chicago during their high school summers, studied English and Creative Writing at Loyola University Chicago, volunteered in the television and radio archives of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, and volunteered at the FACETS box office before joining the staff in 2018. John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer. John also programs Fetish Film Forum, a monthly screening series at the Leather Archives & Museum.
Deidre Searcy, Co-Programmer: Staff member Deidre Searcy is the Programmer for FACETS‘ Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF), which is preparing to celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary this November. Deidre is the former Project Director at Education Development Center is a media educator and arts education expert with 20 years of experience developing in and out-of-school curriculum. She is an experienced, media artist, instructor and trainer who has designed and led project-based trainings and workshops for youth and adults. She was previously Co-Director of Street-Level Youth Media where she worked to position media arts as a catalyst for change in inner city schools.
Established in 1975, FACETS expands perspectives and affirms a shared humanity through inclusive engagement with film. FACETS‘ mission is to create cinematic experiences for youth and adults that foster vital conversations and community action through film exhibitions, media education, and film resources. Learn more at facets.org
FACETS presents the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF), the largest children’s film festival in the world and an Oscar®-qualifying children’s film festival. Learn more at facets.org/cicff
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