Repertory Film

Your weekly guide to local film events, festivals and under-the-radar screenings.

Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net.

AMBLER THEATER 108 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-345-7855, amblertheater.org. Daydream Nation Eighteen animated shorts, music videos and dreamy art films made in Sweden. Thu., Dec. 6, 7 p.m., $4.50-$8. Home Alone (1990, U.S., 103 min.) Little cutenik Macaulay Culkin defends his home against thugs, even though his parents forgot to bring him on the family vacation. Sat., Dec. 8, time TBD, $3.50-$4.50.

ANDREW'S VIDEO VAULT The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., armcinema25.com. Fanny and Alexander (1982, Sweden, 312 min.) Ingmar Bergman's lengthy oeuvre focuses on the eventful life of a theater family, from the perspective of the children, Fanny and Alexander, in turn-of-the-20th-century Sweden. Thu., Dec. 13, 8 p.m., free.

ANNENBERG CENTER 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900, pennpresents.org. Limon: A Life Beyond Words (2001, U.S.) Ann Vachon, a Temple University prof and former dancer with the José Limon Dance Company, produced this biopic on the titular dancer/choreographer. Shown in conjunction with the José Limon Dance Company's performances at the Annenberg. (See Janet Anderson's Arts Agenda Just Do It on p. 51.) Sat., Dec. 8, 5 p.m., free.

THE BALCONY 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com. Superbad (2007, U.S., 114 min.) Michael Cera and Jonah Hill star as awkward but endearing high school seniors (and best buddies) trying to score beer and girls in this funny coming-of-ager. Mon., Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., $3 includes food and drink.

THE BRIDGE 40th and Walnut streets, 215-386-3300, bridgecinema.com. The Santa Claus Brothers (2001, Canada/U.S., 60 min.) Animated kiddie movie in which soon-to-retire Santa must hand down the Christmas wand to one of his three sons; he promises that the first one to discover the true meaning of the holiday gets the job. Sat.-Sun., Dec. 8-9, 10 a.m., $3.50.

BRYN MAWR FILM INSTITUTE 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-527-9898, brynmawrfilm.org. The Rape of Europa (2006, U.S., 117 min.) Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen and Nicole Newnham's doc details how the Nazis looted and destroyed European art during WWII, and what efforts have since been taken to recover the stolen treasures. Sat., Dec. 8, 11 a.m.; Wed., Dec. 12, 1:30 and 7 p.m., $4.50-$9.25. (See Shaun Brady's review on p. 61.) The Polar Express (2004, U.S., 99 min.) Tom Hanks plays several characters, including a train conductor and a hobo, in this animated Christmas stinker. Sat., Dec. 8, 11 a.m., $3.50-$4.50.

COUNTY THEATER 20 E. State St., Doylestown, 215-345-6789, countytheater.org. Elf (2003, U.S., 95 min.) A man raised by elves (Will Ferrell) leaves the North Pole and heads to NYC in search of his biological dad. Sat., Dec. 8, 11 a.m., $3.50-$4.50.

GERMAN SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA 611 Spring Garden St., 215-627-2332, germansociety.org. Joyeux Noel (2005, France/Germany/U.K./Romania, 116 min.) Christian Carion's film takes place on Christmas Eve, 1914, when enemy soldiers on the Western Front briefly ceased fire to drink and play soccer. Followed by discussion. Fri., Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m., $10-$15 includes a light meal.

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE 3701 Chestnut St., 267-765-9700, ihousephilly.org. Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan (2007, U.S., 87 min.) Gerard Barclay's doc on the influential hip-hoppers who sold more than 20 million albums in their heyday. Followed by discussion with the director. Tue., Dec. 11, 7 p.m., $5-$7. Savoring the Salt: A Celebration of the Film Work of Toni Cade Bambara Scribe Video Center's two-day program (which continues at the Scribe Video Center on Dec. 14) in honor of Toni Cade Bambara, a filmmaker/writer/activist who taught at Scribe from 1986 to 1995. The evening features a panel discussion with Linda Janet Holmes and Cheryl A. Wall, editors of Savoring the Salt, a new book about Bambara; poet Sonia Sanchez; and filmmaker Louis Massiah, followed by a screening of The Bombing of Osage Avenue (1986, U.S., 58 min.) Massiah's doc checks in with the people affected by that fateful day in 1985, when we bombed our own city. Narrated by Bambara. Thu., Dec. 13, 7 p.m., $10.

THE LITTLE THEATER 7141 Germantown Ave., 215-247-3020, mtairyvideolibrary.com. Hairspray (2007, U.S./U.K., 117 min.) John Travolta stars as Tracy Turnblad's large-and-in-charge mom in this remake of John Waters' classic, but his performance is less than Divine. Fri.-Sat., Dec. 7-8, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 9, 7 p.m., $5.

MOLLY'S BOOKSTORE 1010 S. Ninth St., bigteaparty.com. BiG TeA PaRtY Fundraiser and Movie Night This blog/video Web site/resource center, which started as a cooking/anarchy show on Drexel's cable TV station, is all about healthy and enviro-friendly living. You can watch their short films at this 10-year-anniversary party. Sat., Dec. 8, 7-10 p.m., $3 donation, $5 raffle tickets. (See A.D. Amorosi's artspick on p. 48.)

THE SECRET CINEMA Moore College of Art & Design, 20th and Race streets, 215-965-4099, thesecretcinema.com. Remember Pearl Harbor! Films of Vengeance and Fear The Secret Cinema looks back at the day that will live in infamy, on its 66th anniversary, with short films and a screening of Behind the Rising Sun (1943, U.S., 88 min.) A young Japanese man joins the Nipponese army when war breaks out, and becomes hardened by its atrocities. Shown with Samurai (1945, U.S. 78 min.) A Japanese orphan boy who is adopted by Americans and grows up to be a painter turns out to be more dangerous than he seems. Fri., Dec. 7, 8 p.m. (Behind the Rising Sun), 10 p.m. (Samurai), $7 for one or both programs.

WOODEN SHOE BOOKS 508 S. Fifth St., 215-413-0999, woodenshoebooks.org. Shortbus (2006, U.S., 101 min.) Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell shows us random New Yorkers, many of them first-time actors, making woopie in an underground club. Sat., Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., free.