Egyptian Theatre counting down top 10 movies of all time

“We wanted to bring an artistic, cultural event to the theater to appeal to a variety of people,” said Heather Carr, the theater’s marketing and membership director.

The Egyptian Theatre is partnering with Northern Illinois University and KishHealth System to host the American Film Institute’s top 10 movies of all time, beginning with “The Wizard of Oz” on Feb. 2.

“‘The Wizard of Oz’ is the most-watched film of all time,” Carr said of the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer classic. The movie is ranked No. 10 on AFI’s list. The theater will move up the list each week until it gets to the No. 1, “Citizen Kane,” on April 9.

“The AFI list is often a very popular list, but it’s also a heavily debated list, which can be fun too,” said Scott Balcerzak, assistant professor of film and literature at NIU and one of the organizers of the film series. Balcerzak also is helping to schedule local experts in film, theater, art, history, dance and literature to provide introductions and lead post-film discussions.

“The movies dictated who to reach out to,” Balcerzak said. “For ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ for instance, we reached out to a professor from the history department.”

The tentative list of experts includes NIU professors, local historians and other experts in a variety of fields.

Ticket prices for the films are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. A discounted package for admission to all 10 films is $50 for adults and $30 for students and seniors.

There is no charge to watch “Schindler’s List” on Feb. 12.

“These will be fun movies to see on the big screen,” Balcerzak said.

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Top 10 Movies of All Time

The American Film Institute's Top 10 movies of all time will play at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St. in DeKalb. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. There is no cost to attend the Feb. 12 show. To purchase advance tickets or for more information, visit www.egyptiantheatre.org.