Cinema returns to Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre for three weekends in March. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece “Vertigo,” “Michelangelo: Love and Death” and the groundbreaking documentary “Journal to Normal: The Women of War Come Home” will be shown on the Towngate big screen.
“Michelangelo: Love and Death,” Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4
A giant artistic force and universally loved, Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance – and perhaps of all time. Discover why in “Michelangelo: Love and Dea
th,” as it takes a cinematic journey from the print and drawing rooms of Europe, through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to explore the tempestuous life of Michelangelo. Spanning his 89 years, the film goes in search of a greater understanding of this most charismatic figure, his relationship with his contemporaries and his valuable artistic legacy. Through expert commentary and Michelangelo’s own words, this film takes a fresh look at an enigmatic man whose life is celebrated in every mark and every stroke he made.
Show times are 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday, March 3, and 4 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Tickets for all screenings can be purchased at the door and are $7 per person. Box office opens one hour prior to each screening. Beer, wine, soda, water, popcorn and candy are available for purchase at all Towngate movies.
The film is part of “Exhibition on Screen,” which is the originator and pioneer of bringing exhibition-based art films to the cinema.
“Vertigo,” Friday, March 9
Hitchcock’s masterpiece “Vertigo” stars Jimmy Stewart as a nice guy driven mad by longing for a lost woman.
Every 10 years, the venerable British film journal “Sight and Sound” conducted a poll of critics and scholars about the world’s best film
s. For half a century the poll always named “Citizen Kane,” until the most recent poll in 2014 identified “Vertigo.” The film initially bombed at the box office. Hitchcock, stung after pouring so much emotion into the film, literally suppressed its re-release for decades. Finally returned to theaters in the 1980s after Hitchcock’s death, it has grown in prestige ever since. A ravishingly romantic view of America’s most beautiful city, San Francisco, is the backdrop for a devastating view of romantic obsession.
Presented by the Wheeling Film Society, the film screening takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 9. Conversation about the film takes place at noon on March 13 at the Ohio County Public Library. Both events are free and open to the public.
A special addition to this year’s Wheeling Film Society lineup is the option to have dinner in Towngate’s social room prior to the film screenings. Buffet dinners will be served promptly at 6:30 p.m. before each Wheeling Film Society screening. The cost for dinner is $15 and includes all food, soft drinks, coffee, tea, water and a box of popcorn to enjoy during the film. Beer and wine are available for purchase.
Reservations for dinner must be made by 5 p.m. Wednesday prior to the screening at oionline.com or by calling 304-242-7700. You don’t need to make reservations for the film.
Ye Olde Alpha provides the food for the March 9 dinner and a movie. The menu features London broil, Woodsdale chicken, leek risotto, grilled asparagus with lemon, romaine salad, mixed green salad and sourdough bread and honey butter.
“Journey to Normal,” Sunday, March 11
The Wheeling Vet Center presents a free screening of “Journey to Normal: The Women of War Come Home” at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 11.
A discussion follows the screening with film producer JulieHera DeStefano, director Andrew Swensen and staff members from the Wheeling Vet Center.
“Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home” chronicles the journey of today’s extraordinary female combat warriors and sheds light on the struggles they face after returning home from military deployments.
This groundbreaking documentary recounts the unprecedented story of women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The project explores the psychological and social dynamics of their service, follows their reintegration into civilian life, and preserves their stories.
RSVPs are requested and can be made by calling the Wheeling Vet Center at 304-232-5087. Walk-ins are also welcome. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
