The Grand Illusion

30th anniversary of the legendary cult classic!

Running from a troubled past and possessed of a raw and riveting dancing talent, Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) is soon introduced to the arena of the sensual, pulsating stage shows on the storied Las Vegas Strip, and the powerful men and women who run them. One of those drawn to Nomi’s beauty and talent is Zack (Kyle MacLachlan), the ambitious entertainment director at the Stardust. Another is Cristal (Gina Gershon), the glamorous, coke-snorting star of the stage show “Goddess,” who may make Nomi… or break her. As the complex bonds of jealousy and love form between them, Nomi is drawn deeper into the world she so desperately desires and the allure of the spotlight she craves. It’s a world of passion, power, and personal moral choices where everything–and everyone–has a price.

Part of our Summer Camp series at Here-After.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“Showgirls is one of those movies that doesn’t so much divide opinion as defy it.” Steve Rose, The Guardian

“Showgirls is the north star of camp.” Joshua Goodstein, Screen Speck

Jessie Maple became one of the first Black women to direct an independent film with this raw, unflinching portrait of heroin addiction and recovery. Shot on location in Harlem, WILL stars Obaka Adedunyo as the title character, a former All-American basketball star who has fallen from grace because of his dependence on junk. Soon after Will promises his wife, Jean (Loretta Devine, in her screen debut), that he’ll go straight, he becomes a father figure to Little Brother (Robert Dean), a street-tough teen who appears to be following in Will’s footsteps. By wising Little Brother up to the needle’s harsh realities, and by coaching a girls’ basketball team, Will renews his sense of purpose and begins to come out from under the influence—though dangerous temptations loom for both him and his young charge. This landmark of Black cinema was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress and embodies Maple's trailblazing determination to reflect the stories of her community onscreen.

Restored from the 16mm camera negative and magnetic sound elements by the Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Time-Based Media Archives and Conservation staff, and the Center for African American Media Arts, with generous funding provided by the SI-NMAAHC Robert Frederick Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History.

“A blunt cinematic instrument of immense power… Will’s crisis has a spiritual dimension, and Maple evokes it, dramatically and symbolically, in a wide-ranging and documentary-based view of Harlem.” Richard Brody, The New Yorker

“A hard-hitting, slice-of-life drama… Maple’s love for her neighborhood and her neighbors is obvious, as she paints an unflinching portrait of the struggle and resiliency of the community.” Tambay Obenson, IndieWire

Tickets available soon!

From the mind of Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, co-writer and star of HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, LAKE MICHIGAN MONSTER is a visually inventive, absurdist cryptozoology tale that combines the spirits of Lovecraft, Raimi, and MST3K and is guaranteed to appeal to the big kid in all of us. Shot on a shoestring budget in black and white, this irreverent ode to classic monster movies of yesteryear finds Captain Seafield (writer/director Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) wishing to slay the hellish sea monster prowling the murky depths. As Seafield’s vengeful obsession with the creature that killed his father consumes him, can his colorful crew hold the show together?

Arrive early to hang out, get great drinks from the brewery and good food from either the food truck onsite that evening or whatever the fine folks at Dirty Couch happen to be cooking up.

“If the creator of Spongebob Squarepants took all the drugs and created a Halloween episode, it’d look a lot like Lake Michigan Monster.” Joshua Speiser, Film Threat

“It’s a woozy, briny daydream. a gleefully idiotic antidote to everything. Lake Michigan Monster literally makes no sense, and that’s why you need to just hold your breath and dive in.” Richard Whittaker, The Austin Chronicle

Free for members of Scarecrow Video and the Grand Illusion. $10 for non-members, space-available after all members have been seated.

The debut feature from playwright Fernando Arrabal, founder of the Panic Movement alongside Alejandro Jodorowsky, VIVA LA MUERTE is a tour-de-force considered by many to be the pinnacle of Spanish avant-garde filmmaking. During the Spanish Civil War, young Fando lives with his protective mother and, due to his arrested father, endures the taunts of his schoolmates. Though he loves his mother, Fando indulges in sadistic fantasies when he suspects his father didn’t kill himself in prison as she claims. As fantasy and reality blur, Fando’s reveries become increasingly more depraved. Fueled with fantastical images of violence, sexuality and biting political commentary, this is one of the strongest films in the Seventies’ surrealist canon—fit for arthouses, but packed with some of the more extreme imagery outside of an Italian cannibal film.

Become a Grand Illusion member here. Become a Scarecrow member here.

45th anniversary of the woefully underseen summer camp classic!

In the fleeting summer days of 1980, fifteen-year-old girls Ferris (Tatum O’Neal) and Angel (Kristy McNichol) attend Camp Little Wolf outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Coming from different walks of life, with the privileged Ferris at odds with the scrappy, streetwise Angel, the two immediately end up in a disagreement during their bus ride to camp, which is only exacerbated by their lodging accommodations once they arrive, bunking next to one another. Fueled by their competitive peers, the two enter into a contest to see who will lose their virginity first. Through the trial, the two learn as much about each other as they do themselves, turning a ribald competition into budding days of friendship.

Long elusive on home video, LITTLE DARLINGS was recently restored from archival elements and looks more pristine than ever. This charming teen sex dramedy is an evocative, funny, and surprisingly tender antidote and precursor to the more raucous (and masculine) sex comedies of its era, full of more earnestness and sophistication than its original advertising might lead one to believe. Written by Dalene Young and Kimi Peck, and featuring supporting performances from Armand Assante and a very young Matt Dillon, LITTLE DARLINGS is the epitome of an underrated gem.

Part of our Summer Camp series at Here-After.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“…what’s truly ahead of its time about this cult classic is the respect it showed for the vulnerabilities and preternatural wisdom of a generation of girls forced to grow up fast. O’Neal and McNichol share a magnetic chemistry but McNichol, in particular, delivers a fierce, iconic performance that sparked countless young gay crushes.” UCLA Film & Television Archive

We gnaw what chew did this summer! Seventeenth encore screening!

Our friends at Central Cinema are generously helping us keep the beavers gnawing away while we search for a new home. 60% of ticket sales go to our relocation fund!

In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.

Created by Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the duo behind the modern cult hit LAKE MICHIGAN MONSTER (2018).

Named one of the 10 best movies of 2024 by Ty Burr of The Washington Post and Amy Nicholson of The Los Angeles Times.

“Starts strange, gets stranger, and yet remains resolutely adorable… embraces the defiant glee of art cinema and distills it into something so thoroughly pure and sincere that it is surely hard not to fall in love with it.” Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Alliance of Women Film Journalists

“It’s sure to develop a significant cult following with its unique mix of silent-era slapstick, animation elements, theme-park-style critter costumes, and general air of inspired absurdity.” Dennis Harvey, Variety

“Steroidally swollen with gags and smarts.” Guy Maddin

We’ve partnered up with Eastlake Community Council and Scarecrow Video to bring you two free outdoor screenings this summer! Wes Anderson’s whimsical and poignant pre-teen romance Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13) kicks things off on July 31. On August 7 we show the surreal, sci-fi tinged marital comedy The One I Love (R), starring Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass.

A mind-boggling, psychedelic techno-satire written and directed by Peter Vack. Rachel (Betsey Brown in an unforgettable performance) doesn’t realize she has grown up in captivity working for an advertising agency where her job is to assess Mommy 6.0 (Chloe Cherry), her favorite pop star in the whole entire world.

Please note: This feature contains material of a very explicit nature. Viewer discretion is advised. Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“A bonafide midnight movie!” Eugene Kotlyarenko, director of The Code and Spree

“A genuinely bizarre piece of outsider art… a unique experience that will certainly stick with whoever is willing to roll around with it for a while.” Dan Scully, ScullyVision

IT’S SCENTSATIONAL!

For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse, Divine, to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: Baltimore housewife Francine Fishpaw, a heroine worthy of a Douglas Sirk melodrama. Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine turns to the bottle as her life falls apart—until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (vintage heartthrob Tab Hunter). One of Waters’ most hilarious inventions, POLYESTER is replete with stomach-churning smells, sadistic nuns, AA meetings, and foot stomping galore.

Each attendee will get an official Odorama card at the door in order to smell along with the movie. With Odorama, smelling is believing!

Part of our Summer Camp series at Here-After.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“It’s a very funny [movie], with a hip, stylized humor that extends beyond the usual limitations of [Mr. Waters’s] outlook.” Janet Maslin, The New York Times

A paranoid young man launches a bizarre crime spree against the citizens of Toronto. Rishi Rodriguez, Spencer Rice (Kenny vs Spenny), and Paul Bellini (Kids in the Hall) star in this psycho-spiritual thriller-comedy that blends suspense, absurdity, and satire into a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“Amid all the absurdity, the film still manages to capture a lot about alienation, especially in a very digital world, as well as the absolute terror and humiliation of getting poop dumped on you. For all its familiarities, it’s delightfully unlike anything you’ve seen before.” Micco Caporale, Chicago Reader

A gaudily-colored camp-romp satire, Jamie Babbit’s beloved queer comedy stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan, a high school senior with a secret eye for her fellow cheerleaders. Hoping to nip their daughter’s nascent lesbianism in the bud, Megan’s parents send her to the True Directions conversion therapy camp, where she winds up meeting and falling for the rebellious Graham (Clea DuVall). Adding to the fun is a crackerjack supporting cast featuring Cathy Moriarty, Melanie Lynskey, Michelle Williams, John Waters regular Mink Stole, and an out-of-drag RuPaul as the camp’s ostensibly cured counselor.

Part of our Summer Camp series at Here-After.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“A delightfully subversive sendup of homophobia and ridiculously rigid gender roles that still feels all too relevant more than 20 years after its release.” Abbey Bender, Nylon

Tickets on sale Thursday, July 24th.

The long-awaited modern-day retelling of Troma’s legendary 1984 classic, starring Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, and Elijah Wood.

A horrible toxic accident transforms downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Dinklage), into a new evolution of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

25th anniversary of one of the greatest dance movies ever made!

A dozen adolescents begin their training at the renowned American Ballet Academy, where they encounter tremendous physical and mental stress while vying for a coveted spot in a celebrated dance company. Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull) has talent but the wrong proportions, the fiery Eva Rodriguez (Zoe Saldaña in her feature film debut) can’t seem to get along with her instructors, and Maureen (Susan May Pratt) is having a hard time enduring the emotional highs and lows that accompany ballet school.

Along with Schull, the film features a bevy of real-life professional dancers, such as Ethan Stiefel and Sascha Radetsky, both of whom were principals with the American Ballet Company. And although it’s far from the first film one would think of when considering campy movies, CENTER STAGE could conceivably be described as camp-adjacent. Regardless of its camp credentials, our Summer Camp series provides as good an opportunity as any to showcase this cult classic for its silver anniversary.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“…an irresistible mélange of teen movie, dance drama, and clog-stuffed ’00s-era time capsule.” Hillary Busis, Entertainment Weekly

“…has proven itself to be the greatest dance movie of our generation. Thanks to its intense rivalries, dramatic dance-offs, and a memorable soundtrack, Center Stage was granted a place by fans among canonical dance films… It delivered camp… and incredible ballet sequences.” Ilana Kaplan, Marie Claire

Robert Zemeckis’s riotous, vicious black comedy, which features innovative and Academy Award-winning early employment of CGI, unforgettable performances from Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, and has since been adapted to a hit Broadway musical.

Fourteen years ago, aspiring writer Helen Sharp (Hawn) found herself chucked aside by her plastic surgeon fiancé (Bruce Willis) after his wandering eye landed on her narcissistic actress frenemy, Madeline Ashton (Streep). But today, Helen appears to have gotten the last laugh, not having aged a day when she finally reappears in their lives, thanks to a magic potion (courtesy of Isabella Rossellini) that offers immortality—something that comes in handy when this acrid love triangle turns into all-out war.

Part of our Summer Camp series at Here-After.

Please note: Here-After is a 21 and over establishment. The entrance is via the alley in back of The Crocodile building. Get there early to order tasty beverages from the bar and delicious food from Tat’s Deli!

“Insistently grotesque, relentlessly misanthropic and spectacularly tasteless, Death Becomes Her isn’t a film designed to win the hearts of the mass moviegoing public. But it is diabolically inventive and very, very funny.” Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune

“Death Becomes Her is clever, different and dementedly entertaining, while commenting on our unhealthy obsession with youth and beauty.” Jeff Menell, The Hollywood Reporter