Thinking Outside the Multiplex
by MIKE MACCOLLUM
Adam and Paper Heart hope to repeat the (relative) box office success of thematically similar (500) Days of Summer, while a full slate of Indian films plays the Georgetown 14. For more on these and other films opening in Indianapolis and around Indiana this week – and a complete listing of limited release films opening around the country – read on…
Adam – Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne star in this romantic comedy (official site) about a man with Asperger’s Syndrome who falls for his new neighbor; it starts Friday at the Keystone Arts.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – The 1919 Expressionist horror classic from Germany will be shown at 7 PM on Wednesday, August 26 in the Clowes Auditorium of the Indianapolis Central Library. “[L]ocal experimental musicians” will provide the music for the film, according to the site for the event; admission is free, as far as I can tell. More information at the library’s website.
The Class – This French Academy Award nominee (for Best Foreign-Language film) continues through Monday, August 24, at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville. Click on the Lotus Petal’s link in the sidebar for more information.
Every Little Step – This documentary on A Chorus Line will be at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne this week; click on their link in the sidebar for show time info.
Food, Inc. – This well-done (and wide ranging) documentary about the American food supply continues for another week at the Keystone Arts, although with only one show a day (at 1:00 PM).
Goodbye Solo – The much-praised drama – which never had a theatrical release in Indianapolis – starts on Thursday, August 27 at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville. Click on their link in the sidebar for show time info.
The Hurt Locker – Continues for another week at the Keystone Arts, with three shows (at 3:50, 7:00 and 9:50) on both Friday and Saturday, and two shows a day (at 4:45 and 8:00) on Sunday through Thursday.
In the Loop – This well-reviewed political satire (with Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Steve Coogan, David Rasche and Anna Chlumsky in the cast) holds over for another week at the Keystone Arts.
Kaminey – This worth-a-look Bollywood action comedy (with a little bit more violence than you might expect) will be shown at the Georgetown 14 on Friday (at 9:35) and Saturday (at 9:15), according to manoranjaninc.com (follow the link in the sidebar for more information). (It will also be shown on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8 PM, according to the movietickets.com page for the theater. However, manoranjaninc.com’s page says nothing about this so far, so you might want to call the theater, or re-check with manoranjaninc.com closer to the middle of the week to see what is really going on here.)
Kandasamy – A Tamil-language film (as far as I can tell), without English subtitles, apparently, and apparently about a superhero of sorts. At least the visual for the film on the manoranjaninc.com site looks interesting… Kandasamy will be shown three times on Sunday and once on Monday at the Georgetown 14; go to their site or the manoranjaninc.com link in the sidebar for show time info.
Love Aaj Kal – This Bollywood romantic drama will have one screening (on Friday night at 7) at the Georgetown 14 this week; the manoranjaninc.com site calls it the film’s “last show” at the theater.
Made in L.A. – This documentary (official site) about a trio of Latina women who work in a sweatshop and their labor fight against a clothing retailer will be shown at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville at 6 and 8 PM on Tuesday, August 25; it is part of the Lotus Petal’s “Reel Matters” series of documentaries.
Maghadheera – This Telegu language film (without subtitles, apparently) will be shown at the Georgetown 14 on Saturday at 6 PM.
Malayalam movie – I have no idea what the title of this Malayalam-language movie is; apparently, it does not have English subtitles. Whatever it is, it will be showing at the Georgetown 14 on Saturday, August 22 at 3 PM.
The Owl and the Sparrow – Continues for another week at The Ryder in Bloomington; click on their link in the sidebar for show times.
Paper Heart – The sorta-kinda documentary/romantic comedy starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera (official site) starts Friday at AMC’s Castleton 14, which is getting its second (?) exclusive release, following Valentino: The Last Emperor. Reviews have been mostly positive, but not overwhelmingly great.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Showing again this Saturday night at 10 at the Georgetown 14.
Rudo y Cursi – Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal are already gone from the Keystone Arts in Indianapolis, but this Mexican comedy/drama starts Friday at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne, and on Thursday, August 27 at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville. Click on the respective links in the sidebar for show time info.
Tokyo Sonata – Continues for another week at The Ryder in Bloomington; click on their link in the sidebar for show times.
Tony Dungy’s Red Zone 09 – The former coach of the Indianapolis Colts presents what is being called the national kickoff for the high school football season; it will be screened at 8 PM on Tuesday, August 25 at several theaters in and around Indianapolis, and around the state. Click on the Fathom Events link in the sidebar for more info.
Tyson – James Toback’s documentary on boxer Mike Tyson continues through Monday, August 24, at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville. Click on the Lotus Petal’s link in the sidebar for more information.
V for Vendetta – This overpraised (in one person’s humble opinion, at least) adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel will be shown on Friday evening at the Indianapolis Museum of Art as part of their “Summer Nights” series. Click on the IMA’s link in the sidebar for more information.
OPENING ELSEWHERE – As usual, the number of films opening outside of Indiana this week is in the double digits – but only one or two have any chance of making it to a theater screen hereabouts. This week’s likeliest contenders are My One and Only (which has a name cast and mostly positive reviews on its side) and (maybe) Academy Award nominee The Baader Meinhof Complex. Nominations didn’t help Everlasting Moments or Revanche make it to Indy (although the latter may still have an outside chance), but I’m hoping that TBMC does make it to the Keystone Arts – that movie and the latest from Melvin Van Peebles are the two most interesting titles on the list below this week, in my opinion. (Although Sikandar – one of several titles on the list below about young people involved with sports – looks intriguing as well, as do all of the docs….)
American Casino – Maybe this documentary on the subprime lending fiasco actually started last Friday in Chicago; I’m placing it on the list this week to correct that oversight, and because it is opening this week in San Francisco.
Art & Copy – A documentary on the people who have made some of the most successful advertising campaigns of recent times starts Friday in NYC, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle.
The Baader Meinhof Complex – This German film about the ‘70s terrorist group is the last of the Academy Award Best Foreign-Language Film nominees to make it into US theatrical release; it starts Friday in NYC.
Casi Divas – A Mexican musical comedy (supposedly a smash hit in that country) about several young women competing in a talent contest; the winner gets to be the lead in a new movie. Casi Divas opens Friday on (at last count) fourteen screens in NYC, LA, San Diego and Miami.
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-Itchy Footed MUTHA – That’s the title as it appears on a poster on the site of actor/writer/director Melvin Van Peebles (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song); it’s his first American theatrical film as a director since 1973, if the IMDb is to be believed. Van Peebles plays himself in the film, which opens Friday in NYC. (And it’s going to be at Facets in Chicago on August 28, in case you want to make the drive – something I would seriously consider doing, if I were able to.)
Fifty Dead Men Walking – Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan and Jim Sturgess are in this drama about a Belfast man who is recruited to infiltrate the IRA in 1980. Fifty Dead Men Walking starts Friday on ten screens in the Boston, Chicago and NYC areas.
Five Minutes of Heaven – While the title may strike you as a desperate attempt to pass as a prequel to that ‘80s smash Seven Minutes in Heaven, this is actually a film about two men on opposite sides of the struggle over Northern Ireland who meet on a TV talk show decades after one of them committed a political killing. Liam Neeson stars in this dramatic thriller, which starts Friday in NYC.
Gospel Hill – Actor Giancarlo Esposito makes his directorial debut with this film, which stars Angela Bassett, Esposito himself, and Danny Glover. It’s been out on DVD for about half a year already, but will open theatrically in NYC on Friday nevertheless. (In fact, it’s been on DVD for so long that its official website has already been taken over by some sort of squatter/parasite site.)
The Marc Pease Experience – Some sites on the web claim that this comedy – which doesn’t have an official site, as far as I can tell – is getting a minimal (ten city) release this week because somebody at Paramount Pictures (or their current corporate parent) pulled the plug on specialty label Paramount Vantage. However, that didn’t stop The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard from being released on over 1800 screens under the Paramount Vantage label last week. So why is Marc Pease- which stars Jason Schwartzman (in the title role) and Ben Stiller – getting a theatrical dumping? Is it an intelligent comedy that the distributor just didn’t understand, or a dud being released in a contractually-mandated minimum number of screens to spare the expense of a wider release that would never make any money? According to director Todd Louiso on the site Cinematical.com, this film starts Friday in Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle… and “maybe” Boston – so you’ll apparently either have to go to one of those cities or wait for the DVD to find out for sure.
My One and Only – Renee Zellweger stars as a ‘50s mom who goes on a road trip with her sons in this comedy directed by Richard Loncraine; Kevin Bacon, Nick Stahl and Eric McCormack are also in the cast of this film, which starts Friday in NYC and LA.
Passing Strange – A documentary by Spike Lee about the creation of the stage show of the same name; starts Friday in NYC.
The Perfect Game – William Dear (probably most famous for Harry and the Hendersons) directed this film about a team from Mexico competing to win the Little League World Series. This starts Friday somewhere in the US, according to at least one trustworthy site – but I have yet to find any confirmation of this anywhere else on the web. (It doesn’t help that it is being distributed by Lionsgate, which NEVER puts this sort of helpful, possibly boxoffice-boosting info on their movies’ official sites.)
Sikandar – An Indian film about a soccer-loving teen who becomes a pawn in a struggle between several warring factions in Kashmir; starts Friday at several theaters in the Phoenix Adlabs chain of theaters (and on other screens as well, possibly).
Streetballers – A film about street basketball which won high praise at the St. Louis International Film Festival (and also won some prizes at other fests as well); opens Friday on two screens in that city.
Two Fists, One Heart – An Australian film about a young boxer, which may or may not be opening in the US this week. At least one site says it is, but I have found no confirmation anywhere; the only official site I found so far is from Australia, and it says nothing now about a US release date.
World’s Greatest Dad – Bobcat Goldthwait directed Robin Williams in this hard-R comedy with a PG-sounding title. Critics have been kind (by and large) so far; the film starts Friday in NYC and the LA region.
NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND – So what else is new? Both Little Ashes and Tetro were (as of my last check) off of the schedule again at the Keystone Arts; the by-now long-running mystery of “Will they ever play there, or won’t they?” continues…. The only other addition to the Keystone Arts’ schedule this week is 9, which will be a wide release. (I saw the short version of 9 twice, by the way, and enjoyed it both times; it will be interesting to see how it plays out at feature length.) The latest Keystone Arts unofficial word is that the extremely well-reviewed documentary Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg may be on its way to the Keystone Arts when the summer rush has calmed a bit. The Georgetown 14 (by way of manoranjaninc.com) doesn’t have any new titles on their schedule this week – or at least there isn’t anything new with a firm release date on it.
