Trader Joe’s Silent Movie Mondays at the Paramount are always a good deal: silent film classics screened with live music from the mighty Wurlizter organ and tasty, healthy snacks from the beloved grocery chain.

Every series has a theme and the current one is appropriate for anyone looking for the winter, mild as it’s been, to be over: Silents from the South Seas showcases the South Pacific, a favorite locale for early filmmakers due to its beautiful landscapes and exotic cultures. Tonight’s film was LeGong: Dance of the Virgins. Following a brief presentation by Balinese dancer Niluh Saraswatini and a talk by Dr. Christina Sunardi (UW professor of ethnomusicology), came the film. Totally exploitative but a genuine artifact of the sentiments of director Marquis Henry de la Falaise, LeGong was a two-color Technicolor story of a sacred dancer who falls in love with a young musician.

Next up is Sadie Thompson, screening March 15. Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore and Raoul Walsh, who also directed, star in a film about a South Sea island lady of the night who seduces a hellfire preacher. Shocking to 1928 audiences, Sadie Thompson is rather tame for modern filmgoers, but remains an excellent example of Ms. Swanson’s vast talent – the role earned her an Academy Award nomination.

March 22 see FW Murnau’s Tabu: A Story of the South Seas. Murnau’s final work was a collaboration with documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty that tells the tale of a fisherman who falls in love with a young woman who has been offered up to the gods, making her the “taboo” of the title.

March 29 is the Trader Joe’s Wild Card. Stop by a local Trader Joe’s and vote for your choice of short films from the catalog of works by Charlie Chaplin – the top three vote getters will be screened this night. No matter which films win, you can’t go wrong with Charlie.