Coming up in Philly repertory film: Oscar fever, Spanish horror, and more

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A scene from 'She's Gotta Have It,' screening February 28. Image via 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks.
A scene from 'She's Gotta Have It,' screening February 28. Image via 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks.

It’s Oscar season, and whether or not you care about the 88th iteration of the Academy Awards, it’s hard to escape the buzz. Movie lovers will gather for a swanky viewing party at the Roxy Theater on February 28, the evening of the ceremony. Champagne, cocktails, and small bites will be on hand, and the Philadelphia Film Society promises live entertainment, bingo, and a ballot competition with prizes. Ticket sales will go in part toward AIDS Fund.

Not everyone likes the Oscars, and the ceremony earned some harsh blowback this year for its second-straight lineup of all-white nominees in the acting categories. If you agree, then cineSPEAK, a local film nonprofit with a social-justice focus, has you covered. The same evening of the Awards, cineSPEAK will host a viewing of Spike Lee’s 1986 She’s Gotta Have It at the Yung Candy art space ($7 in advance, $10 at the door, but advance tickets are recommended). It will be the first screening in a series called #BoycottTheOscars, showcasing films that the Academy famously snubbed over the years.

Horror and fantasy

Exhumed Films, a local group that revels in b-grade horror flicks, will have its first screening of 2016 at International House on February 12. The bill features three mid-1970s Spanish films with wonderfully trashy titles: Horror of the Zombies, Night of the Howling Beast, and The House of Psychotic Women. Expect serial killers, werewolves, and undead Knights Templar.

For something a little more family-friendly (but which still counts as quality cinema), head to I-House on February 13 for a screening of Princess Mononoke. One of the most celebrated anime films of all time, Hayo Miyazaki’s 1997 fantasy epic still challenges and fascinates viewers of all ages.

Secret Cinema

Since 1992, Jay Schwartz has been showing obscure films and other video oddities at any venue in the city that will have him. His vast collection has filled rooms at Eastern State Penitentiary, Khyber Pass Pub, and a former trolley repair shop in Kensington. On February 20, Schwartz will screen a handful of rare, animated works — dating from the 1920s to the 1960s — at Fleisher Art Memorial. Then, on February 24, he will show the kitschy 1968 rock-star kidnapping flick, The Touchables, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Local documentaries

Two Philadelphia-focused documentaries will have screenings this month. From February 26 to March 3, the Roxy Theater will show King Georges, a much-heralded look at Georges Perrier, the French chef behind Philadelphia’s storied Le Bec-Fin restaurant.

And on February 29, Scribe Video Center will host a screening of Cuentos: The 20G Story, a (significantly lower-budget) doc about “Philadelphia’s oldest Latino gang,” whose members emerged as de facto guardians of their neighborhood.

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