Sunday May 19 / 7pm

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The current debate is a distraction.

The national debate on gun violence focuses on the object itself, without understanding the emotional connection Americans have with it. AMERICAN TOTEM seeks to reframe the debate as it is currently asking the wrong questions. In an attempt to reduce gun-related deaths, the film takes a more nuanced approach in the context of recent social, economic and political changes. The film also explores the American narrative, its origins, and the search for community during uncertain times.

Post screening discussion with Filmmaker Sue Hilderbrand. All seats $8.00. Advance tickets available at the Pageant during box office hours (1/2 hour before and after showtimes)

Thursday May 23 / 7pm

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The Invincible Czars are bringing their new score to the 1925 American silent film The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney on a The 30-city tour including the Pageant in Chico!

A forerunner of the American horror film, and one of the most lavish productions of the silent cinema, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has inspired countless remakes and imitations. But none of its successors can rival the mesmerizing blend of romance and mystery that haunts every frame of the Lon Chaney original. Based on Gaston Leroux's novel, Chaney stars as the 'Phantom', living in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, who falls in love with the voice of a young opera singer. Infatuated, he kidnaps her, dragging her to the depths below where she will sing only for him.

The Invincible Czars have been performing their own scores for early 20th century silent films for nearly a decade. The scores and their performances complements the tone and emotion on-screen at any given moment with as much cinematic flare as possible. The Invincible Czars’ score for Phantom is mysterious and understated featuring violin, piano, bass guitar, flute and sounds effects.

All seats $10.00 Advance tickets recommended! Available at Blackbird Books and Cafe located at 1431 Park Ave in Chico (530) 433-1577

Starts Friday May 24

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1913, Budapest, in the heart of Europe as World War I approaches. The young Irisz Leiter arrives in the Hungarian capital with high hopes to work as a milliner at Leiter, the legendary hat store that once belonged to her late parents; but she is quickly sent away by the new owner, Oszkár Brill. While preparations are under way at the store, to host important, wealthy, royal guests, a man abruptly comes to Irisz, looking for a Kálmán Leiter, who he says is her brother. Refusing to leave the city, the young woman follows Kálmán’s tracks, her only link to a lost past. Her quest brings her through the dark streets of Budapest, where only the Leiter hat store shines, into the turmoil of a civilization on the eve of its downfall. From award winning filmmaker László Nemes (Son Of Saul)