Silent and Classic Film Series at Somerville Theatre

To some, Ian Judge, who's been director of operations at Somerville Theatre in Davis Square for about 10 years, might seem overly particular about his movies.

“All of our in-house screenings are on 35mm film. We hate video or digital formats,” Judge said. “Nothing can beat a beautifully struck archival print projected the way we do it—proper, and often rare, formats, proper bulb amperage and focus, and on the best projectors ever created: Norelco DP-70’s.” 

Talking with Judge, it becomes clear that an unmatched passion for movies permeates his work at Somerville Theatre.

“My favorite thing about the theater is that it is still doing the exact same thing for the community today that it did in 1914 when it opened—showing films, hosting live shows,” he said. 

Classic film series
This summer, Judge and his staff have put together a series of classic films, silent films and midnight screenings at Somerville Theatre. The event starts tonight with a midnight showing of Animal House.

See the full schedule here

Judge described the midnight film series as “a mix of what plays well as a midnight”–such as fan favorites like The Breakfast Club, The Goonies, The Princess Bride, and Pulp Fiction–“and other stuff that just seemed perfect for a midnight show, like Rubber, which is an incredibly odd and offbeat movie about a rubber tire that goes on a killing spree after it witnesses a tire fire.”

The classic film series includes multiple viewings of Captains Courageous, Double Indemnity, The African Queen, Singin’ In the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, Ninotchka, and Jaws.

“It is a mix of my own tastes, what I think will be popular and what was available—it can be really tough booking old movies,” said Judge, who pointed out that "it's not always a priority for studios to, A, have a copy of a film available and, B, get back to you quickly. They make very little money off of their older titles.”

Buster Keaton
The silent film series features a number of Buster Keaton pictures dating back to the 1920s. Judge’s rationale: “You really can’t go wrong with Buster Keaton!”

The first showing, on June 5 at 7 p.m., is of Our Hospitality, in which a man falls in love with a young woman whose family happens to have a blood feud with every member of his family. The feature will include two classic short Keaton comedies. All of the screenings will be accompanied by a musical composition by Jeff Rapsis, who suggested showing the films, said Judge.

“We first met him when he performed as part of the Sci-Fi Marathon, where he played to a rare print of the 1916 version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. We appreciated his talent and passion for silents, and he loved that we could present these films properly, and in the perfect setting, a 97-year-old theater!”

Rapsis also has a deep-seated love of old films, and he shares an interest in preserving the 35mm experience. On the Somerville Theatre's website, he's quoted as saying, “Recreate those conditions and the classics of early Hollywood leap back to life in ways that still move audiences today. They featured great stories with compelling characters and universal appeal, so it’s no surprise that they hold up and we still respond to them.”

Judge agrees. “Seeing a classic film in a classic setting, with those velvety curtains rising up as the lights dim, it's just timeless—that moment, in the dark, experiencing why seeing movies in a theater can be magic. It’s what has been lost at the average multiplex.”

It's a tough business
Indeed, Somerville Theatre is not your average multiplex, a statement that's true when it comes to the theater's decor, character and film selection, but also its bottom line. “I've had incredibly supportive owners behind me who have invested far more in the building than they have ever gotten out of it,” Judge said. “Somerville and I are very lucky. But it’s a tough business … when the new cinema opens at Assembly Square in a few years, I'm sure it will hurt us.”

Still, Judge is optimistic. He estimates needing about 100 patrons per title to break even with the series, and added, “Just wait until we wrap up our 70mm installation. We're planning a huge 70mm festival way down the road!”