The Music Box theater in Southport was one of my favorite place in Chicago.

The first time I went to the Music Box was when I saw 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu with my dearest friend Lorraine. She talked me into the Music Box and the Siskel, another art-house film theater in Chicago. It was the beginning of my love affair with the Music box.

Built in 1929 and designed to accommodate sound films as well as silent films (and porn movies in the 70′s) it has become the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It is independently owned. What I liked about the Music Box was the ‘cabaret-like’ atmosphere from the 1920′s, the retro neon sign at the entrance, velvet seats, and twinkling stars on the ceiling: it was old, it was imperfect, it had lots of character, it was out of the ordinary and the programming was great! I later saw the band’s visit, do not touch the loot, breathless, la danse, Art and Copy with Colleen. The list could go on and on.

I knew there would be many movie theaters in Paris. But which one would ‘replace’ the Music Box?  

Le Balzac! Perfectly located, two blocks down from the Arc de Triomphe near the Champ Elysées: Close from work! What it is all about? Well, “razor-sharp selection of internationally acclaimed films and an original presentation of classic films and avant-garde productions”.

Last night I went there for the first time to see the extraordinary documentary ‘Pina’ by Wim Wenders.   

Inaugurated in 1935, The Balzac Cinema created a sensation by offering American films in their original version, all the rage at the time.  After the liberation of Paris, the Cinéma Balzac earned a new reputation as the home of French cinema, presenting all the major films.  

Someone wrote about le Balzac, so I let you discover and enjoy reading in english . What is interesting for you is that you will get a nice perspective on the current economic forces shaping Culture on the Champs Elysées, and especially the film offering and the presence (or lack of) movie theaters.

Quotes

“‘There was nothing of the commercial atmosphere that reigns over most of otherwise beautiful Champs Elysees. Le Balzac was a space truly dedicated to the Seventh art.”

“Owned by the Schpoliansky family, Jean-Jacques Schpoliansky took over the family business started by his grandfather nearly 40 years earlier: his attention since 1986 has mostly been on developing and maintaining a top scale programme of screenings and events, on cultivating a dedicated audience, and on bulding bridges between cinema and other forms of artistic expression like music or photography.”

SO, what do you think? Is not this a great ‘replacement?’

Let’s go there together, one day!!