Milwaukee Film Brings Unique Series to the Historic Oriental Theatre This Spring

MILWAUKEE – Monday, April 29th  – Spring has sprung at the historic Oriental Theatre, and Milwaukee Film is thrilled to bring audiences three meticulously curated film programs. From the return of our Alfred Hitchcock Retrospective, to a month-long Mother’s Day extravaganza, followed by a Father’s Day inspired series, the next few months at the OT will have something for every cinephile.

Step into the suspenseful world of cinematic mastery with our Alfred Hitchcock Retrospective! Immerse yourself in the timeless classics that defined the thriller genre. Experience the brilliance of Hitchcock’s storytelling on the big screen. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to relive the tension, mystery, and intrigue that only the Master of Suspense can deliver.

One of Hitchcock’s earliest films, the silent classic The Lodger, will be accompanied by a live score performed on Milwaukee Film’s newly restored Wurlitzer organ, played by Richard Hills, who is widely acknowledged as one of the very few musicians to have bridged and mastered the divide between the classical and theatre organ worlds. Having studied with William Whitehead at Rochester Cathedral he went on in turn to the organ scholarships of Exeter College Oxford, Portsmouth Cathedral and Westminster Abbey where his teachers included Rosemary Field and David Sanger. He now combines a freelance solo career with continuo, choir-training and teaching work and is the Organist of St Mary’s, Bourne Street, a central-London church noted for its Anglo-Catholic Liturgy and fine musical tradition.  In January 2022 he also took up the position of Director of Music and Organist of the West London Synagogue, and is only the fifth holder of that post since 1859.

Organist Richard Hills

“We’re very excited to have Richard Hills performing at the Oriental Theatre,” enthused Kristen Heller, Chief Operations Officer at Milwaukee Film. “When we were working to install the Wurlitzer organ these past few years, we did so with the intent of the Oriental Theatre continuing to create unique and special cinematic experiences, for audiences across generations to enjoy. Richard is one of the top organists in the world, and truly the perfect pairing with Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger. It’s going to be a very special evening; we’re all looking forward to it,” she concluded.

Alfred Hitchcock Retrospective:

• Strangers on a Train– 5/8/24
• The Lady Vanishes – 5/15/24
• Dial M for Murder (in 3D!) – 5/20/24
• The Lodger (w/ Live Organ Accompaniment!) – 5/28/24
• To Catch a Thief – 6/5/24
• North By Northwest – 6/12/24
• Rope – 6/19/24
• The Man Who Knew Too Much – 6/25/24

Throughout the month of May join us for the Cool Moms Film Series, featuring an all-star lineup of the most badass, heartwarming, and downright cool moms in cinema. Ditch the breakfast in bed routine and join us for a tribute to the matriarchs who mastered the art of cool under pressure, from espionage experts with a baby on the hip to matriarchs managing mayhem with a smirk. These films celebrate motherhood in all its glory – from the women who can pack a lunch, parallel park, and plan an epic escape from danger all before noon, to the ones whose love and wit keep their families (and audiences) in stitches.

Cool Moms Film Series: 

• Carrie – 5/3/24
• Lady Bird – 5/4/24
• A Woman Under the Influence – 5/5/24
• We Need to Talk About Kevin – 5/9/24
• Almost Famous – 5/10/24
• Mother! – 5/11/24
• 20th Century Women – 5/11/24
• Terms of Endearment – 5/12/24
• Everything Everywhere All at Once – 5/17/24
• Grey Gardens – 5/18/24
• Secrets & Lies – 5/19/24
• Serial Mom – 5/23/24
• The Brood – 5/24/24
• Hereditary – 5/25/24
• The Manchurian Candidate – 5/25/24
• Mother – 5/26/24
• Imitation of Life – 5/26/24
• Postcards from the Edge – 5/27/24

Forget the grills and goofy ties; we’re celebrating the month of June and Father’s Day with the hottest papas in cinema. The Hot Dads Film Series spans the gamut from action-packed thrillers where dad saves the day, to heartwarming comedies where he burns the turkey but wins our hearts. Whether they’re fumbling through dad jokes or saving the world, these fathers remind us why we love them – despite their questionable fashion choices.

Hot Dads Film Series: 

• Easy A – 5/31/24
• The Conjuring – 6/1/24
• To Kill a Mockingbird – 6/1/24
• Boyhood – 6/2/24
• Us – 6/6/24
• Interstellar – 6/7/24
• The Killing of a Sacred Deer – 6/8/24
• Addams Family Values – 6/8/24
• Minari – 6/9/24
• Parasite – 6/13/24
• Aftersun – 6/14/24
• Field of Dreams – 6/16/24
• There Will Be Blood – 6/20/24
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – 6/22/24
• Beginners – 6/23/24
• Twilight – 6/28/24
• Sleepless in Seattle – 6/29/24
• May December – 6/30/24
• Marriage Story – 6/30/24

Programming Director Kerstin Larson commented, “We are so excited to showcase the myriad parenting styles documented in film history over the months of May and June. Are the Cool Moms cool because they are hip or emotionally cold? You be the judge. But the Hot Dads are indisputably smokin’.”

All Tickets and showtimes can be found online at mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.