Thinking Outside the Multiplex

by MIKE MACCOLLUM

Ed Wood Jr., Mike Tyson, Jessica Biel and Noel Coward:  They may never appear together on some future version of “Meeting of the Minds,” but all four are connected in some way to films showing in and around Indianapolis in the coming week.  For more, read on below…

Adaptation – The multi-part video installation continues for another week at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Go to this page to read more.

Alien Trespass – Parody of 50s science fiction films has more showings this week at Fort Wayne’s Cinema Center.  See the link to their site at the right for more information.

Americorps Movie – If you know anything more about this than the title, then you’re one up on me.  This is showing on Thursday evening, June 25, at the Earth House Collective, 237 N. East Street, Indianapolis – but the Earth House site has only the film’s title, and nothing more (not even the show time).  Other films at Earth House have started at 7 PM, so that might be the time to aim for if you want to check this out.

The Back Nine – A documentary about a man who tries to become a pro golfer at the age of 40.  Showing on Thursday, June 25, at the Kerasotes Showplace 16 and IMAX on Indy’s south side (where it will start at 8 PM) and Plainfield’s Metropolis 18 (where it starts at 7:30).  Go to the film’s official site for more information. 

The Brothers Bloom – Continuing for another week at Landmark’s Keystone Arts in Indianapolis, and opening this week at Fort Wayne’s Cinema Center.  Click on the respective links at right for show times.

Crossing Over – Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta star in this drama, which continues through June 29 (except for the 23rd and 24th) at Nashville, IN’s Lotus Petal Cinema.  See the Lotus Petal link for show time information.

The Drink and I – The combination of sketch comedy, improv and a drinking game has two performances this weekend (at 9 PM on Friday and Saturday nights) at the Greenbriar Cinema Grill on 86th Street.

Easy Virtue – Jessica Biel, Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth star in this adaptation of Noel Coward’s play of the same name; it was co-written and directed by Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).  Starts Friday at the Keystone Arts in Indianapolis and the Regal Village Park 17 in Carmel.  It might not play the whole week at the latter location, however.  They don’t have their schedule up for next Wednesday and Thursday due to the opening of the Transformers sequel on Wednesday – and if Easy Virtue is a low-grosser at the Village Park 17, it will no doubt make way for the giant robots.  This may be the only time in human history that Noel Coward has made way for Michael Bay, but I haven’t researched this all that extensively. Visit the film’s official site for more information.

Forbidden Lies – The Ryder in Bloomington has several more showings of this documentary over the weekend; click on their link at right for show times.

Goodbye Solo – Roger Ebert said, “Wherever you live, when this film opens, it will be the best film in town,” while A. O. Scott of The New York Times called it “An almost perfect film” – but I guess those of us in Naptown will have to wait for the DVD.  Yes, yet another movie bypasses Indianapolis theaters for a run elsewhere in Indiana as this drama opens Friday at the Yes Cinema in Columbus.  Former Elvis Presley associate Red West stars with SoulÉymane Sy SavanÉ in this film from director Ramin Bahrani (who also made Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, two other movies that didn’t make it to any Indianapolis theaters).  For more rapturous review quotes, go to the “press” page of the film’s official site; click on the Yes Cinema link at the right of this page for show time information.

Kids Club Cartoon Classics – This compilation of old (public domain?) cartoons continues for another week at both Indy’s Georgetown 14 and the Studio 10 in Shelbyville.  Both theaters will have this at 1 PM daily.  (If you want to speculate on which cartoons are part of the show, click on the link at right to go to the G14′s home page, and scroll down for a look at the “poster” (?) for this one.)

Movers & Stakers: Stories Along the Indiana National Road – This hour-long documentary has a free screening at 2 PM on Saturday, June 20, at the East Washington Branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, 2822 E. Washington St.  (So a film about the National Road in Indiana is showing at a location ON the National Road IN Indiana.  Cosmic!)  Go to the film’s official site for more information.

Munde U.K. De – An Indian film showing only twice, at 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday evenings, at the Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis.  As of Thursday evening, the website for manoranjaninc.com hasn’t been updated with any information about whether or not this has English subtitles; try clicking the link for manoranjan at right to see if this has changed.  (I have looked around a little bit on the web, and found that this is a comedy about two British-born men of Indian ancestry who travel to Punjab for the first time in their lives.  And while I haven’t found any definitive information on subtitles, a good deal of the film’s official site is in English, for whatever that’s worth.) 

The Narrows – Kevin Zegers, Vincent D’Onofrio and Sophia Bush star in this crime drama, which was an official selection at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.  The Narrows will have two showings per day from Friday through Tuesday at the Rave Metropolis 18 in Plainfield.  (It won’t be there the whole week because the Transformers sequel opens Wednesday on four or five screens.  Blechh!)  The evening shows on Saturday through Tuesday will be at 10:30 PM, but the Friday evening showing is at 9 PM; it is followed by a “live Q & A with the cast,” according to the film’s official site.

1 Giant Leap – Described on the Lotus Petal Cinema’s site as “a collaborative project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe,” this documentary features LOTS of famous folks (including Michael Stipe, Brain Eno, Ram Dass, Kurt Vonnegut and Dennis Hopper).  Showing at 6 and 8 PM on Tuesday at the Lotus Petal as part of their “Reel Matters” documentary series.

Plan 9 from Outer Space – Ed Wood’s best-known title isn’t a movie you would naturally associate with an art museum, but it will be shown outdoors at the Indianapolis Museum of Art this Friday night as part of the “Summer Nights” film series.  Click on the IMA link at right for more information.  (Coincidentally, another contender for the title of “Worst Movie Ever,” Troll 2, will also be shown at the IMA this summer as part of the Indianapolis International Film Festival, which also features Best Worst Movie, a documentary about the Troll 2 phenomenon.  Click here to see the IIFF’s full schedule.)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show – On the big screens at the Studio 10 in Shelbyville (on Friday night at 10) and the Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis (on Saturday night at 10) for another week.

Summer Hours – The new drama from acclaimed French director Olivier Assayas starts Friday at the Keystone Arts.  Juliette Binoche and Edith Scob are in the cast; go to the film’s official site for an impressive number of excellent review quotes.

Sunshine Cleaning – Continues for another week at the Greenwood Cinemark.

Two Lovers – Showing for another weekend at The Ryder in Bloomington.  Click on their link at the right of this page for show times.

Tyson – Director James Toback’s documentary on the boxer was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival; it starts this Friday at the Keystone Arts.  The film’s official site is here.

NEXT WEEK: The Bollywood film New York opens at the Georgetown 14, along with Spooky Tales (official site), while Away We Go is scheduled to start at the Landmark.  See you then!