A sublime silent treatment for dads

To celebrate fathers this weekend, it’s going to be all “The Kid” all the time -- well, a few times anyway.

The Silent Movie Theatre is unspooling a special matinee screening Sunday of Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 comedy-drama in which the Little Tramp raises an abandoned child (Jackie Coogan).

Later that night, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer will introduce the 1971 adaptation of his black comedy, “Little Murders,” starring Elliott Gould and directed by Alan Arkin. www.silentmovietheatre.com.

The gang’s all here

Meanwhile, Charlie Lustman, the former owner of the Silent Movie Theatre, is also presenting “The Kid” with two screenings on Sunday and live musical accompaniment by pianist Rick Friend at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Lustman also will feature a “Felix the Cat” cartoon and the last silent Our Gang comedy, 1929’s “Saturday’s Lesson.” But wait! There’s more. There will also be a Chaplin look-alike contest -- scruffy youngsters optional. www.santamonicaplayhouse.com.

Open up

In a cross between an open-mike night and “The Gong Show,” the Hammer Museum presents “Open Projector Night” tonight hosted by twin comedians the Sklar Brothers. This showcase invites filmmakers to bring their film and video shorts -- 10 minutes or less -- to be screened and judged in front of an audience. Submissions are accepted from 7 to 7:30 p.m. www.hammer.ucla.edu.

Intergalactic fest

The American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre is having a blast this weekend with its Far Out Space Films festival. The fun begins tonight with 1980’s extravagant adventure “Flash Gordon,” directed by Mike Hodges, starring Sam Jones as the superhero and with Queen belting out the theme song. The second feature is the campy 1980 Roger Corman production “Battle Beyond the Stars,” penned by John Sayles and starring Robert Vaughn, John Saxon and George Peppard. Be warned, though, the Aero says the print is faded on this cult fave.

On tap for Friday are two sci-fi blockbusters from Steven Spielberg: 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and 1982’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Maybe the Aero will supply the Reese’s Pieces.

Scheduled for Saturday is a “Battlestar Galactica” marathon -- no, not the recently concluded Sci Fi series, we’re talking the 1978-79 original. The screening kicks off with the theatrical version of the pilot for the ABC series, to be followed by the two-part installments “Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack” and “Conquest of the Earth.”

The retrospective ends Sunday with 1956’s “Forbidden Planet,” a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” and France’s animated “Fantastic Planet,” which won the special grand prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. www.aerotheatre.com.

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susan.king@latimes.com