Thinking Outside the Multiplex
strong>by MIKE MACCOLLUM
Magical ponies, Andy Griffith as a widower-turned-lothario, Coco Chanel and a couple meeting cute, Bollywood style, all feature in movies opening theatrically in central Indiana this week. No, they aren’t all in the same film (we should be so lucky); to see which elements feature in which films, read on below for more.
Note: This is week one for a new look/configuration for the opening section of this column, based on some great suggestions by my editor, Helen. If any of you out there have any thoughts, please add a comment below. Unfortunately it’s also a week where my computer crashed, so some sections are abbreviated. With luck full listings will return in next week’s edition.
THEATRICAL FILMS OPENING THIS WEEK – For showtimes and directions, follow the links in the “Outside the Multiplex: Moviegoing in the Hoosier State” section of the sidebar.
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani – Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor star in this Bollywood romantic comedy about a young dreamer who wants to make everybody happy, and who accidentally kidnaps a beautiful young woman. (I’m not sure how one would accidentally kidnap anyone, but that was in the story summary I saw on the film’s official site.) There are a number of ‘60s-style comic book/Pop Art graphics on the official site, apparently because the daydreaming male lead has fantasies of himself as some sort of a superhero. Ajab Prem etc. starts Friday at the Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis, and a number of other theaters across the country.
Coco Before Chanel – The star of Amelie, Audrey Tautou, has a more serious role here in this biopic on the French fashion designer; Anne Fontaine directed. Coco Before Chanel starts Friday at the Keystone Arts in Indianapolis, the Yes Cinema in Columbus, and the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne.
The Damned United – Michael Sheen stars as an ultra-controversial English football coach in this well-reviewed film, which also features Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent and Colm Meaney (as Sheen’s rival). The Damned United starts Friday at the Keystone Arts in Indianapolis.
Ghost Stories 3- The last in a trilogy of documentaries by Indiana filmmaker Dan T. Hall about spooky occurrences in the Hoosier state, this film has had a few special screenings over the last few weeks, but starts an actual theatrical run on Thursday, November 12 at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville.
My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure – This is one intriguingly titled movie, for those of us who have never heard of a “twinkle wish” – much less a twinkle wish adventure – before. It apparently involves a yearly winter festival in which a magic star grants a wish to each of the ponies; the star disappears, however – so the ponies have to go on a quest to find it (raising the nail-biting question of whether they’ll make it back for the festival before it’s too late). This movie for kiddies also sounds like it could be a million laughs for certain adults out there – not me, but you know who you are – under the (ahem) “right conditions”… My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure will show at 1 and 2 PM daily at the Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis this week; it will also have (for the most part) weekend-only shows at other theaters across the state.
The Perfect Gift – A mysterious drifter offers messages about the true meaning of Christmas and commitment to a bratty girl, her mother, and a doubtful minister in this film from the same folks who made Clancy (which played at the Georgetown 14 and other theaters back in March). I didn’t see anything about this on the film’s official site, or on the movietickets.com schedule for the G14, but this movie will play at the Georgetown 14 this week, according to the theater’s weekly email; it will also open at the Village 8 Theatres in Louisville.
Play the Game – Andy Griffith stars in this film as a lonely widower, whose Don Juan grandson teaches him how to have a little more luck with the women in his retirement community. Soon, though, the grandson finds that he cannot win over his dream girl, so it’s up to grandpa to teach some lessons of his own about true love. Play the Game – which has been playing city-by-city at theaters across the country since late February – makes its central Indiana debut this Friday at the AMC Greenwood Park 14. (Note: The film’s official site features the indelible image of Andy Griffith boogieing; click at your own risk.)
Thomas & Friends: Splish, Splash, Splosh – An unrealized dream project of the late Stanley Kubrick*, this children’s film involves Thomas the Tank Engine and company waiting for a famous opera singer to arrive on a wet, rainy day. From the plot summary on the official site, it seems like two other stories are told in this “movie,” which makes it sounds like three short films/TV episodes edited together. Whatever this is, it will be playing at 12:45 on Saturday and Sunday only at the Rave Metropolis 18 in Plainfield; it also starts Saturday at a number of other theaters across the US.
THEATRICAL FILMS HOLDING OVER, SPECIAL SCREENINGS, REVIVALS, FILM FESTIVALS, AND NON-THEATRICAL SHOWINGS
Aida – An Encore showing of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi’s epic work will take place at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, November 11, at the AMC Castleton Square 14, Kerasotes ShowPlace 16 and IMAX and the Galaxy 14 in Indianapolis, along with the Hamilton 16 and IMAX in Noblesville, and 11 other locations throughout the state (go to the Fathom events website for more details); there will also be a matinee showing at 1 PM on Thursday, November 12, at the Castleton Square 14, Hamilton 16, Portage 16 and Eastside 9 (in Lafayette).
The Answer Man – Continues through Monday, November 9, at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville.
Arranged – This drama – about two women of different faiths who become friends and find that both of their upcoming nuptials will be arranged weddings – will be shown as part of the Jewish Community Center’s Ann Katz Festival of Books on Saturday, November 7, at 7 PM.
Bliss – Ryder
Bright Star – Keystone Arts; also at theFort Wayne Cinema Center @ Indiana Tech through Monday.
Departures – IU’s Fine Arts building in Bloomington will have showings of this film – which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film – again this weekend, courtesy of The Ryder Magazine and Film Series.
Dinosaurs Alive! 3D – This 2007 film will be showing again this week at the IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis.
8 ½ – Fellini’s classic film will be shown at 3 PM on Sunday, November 8, at the University of Notre Dame’s Browning Cinema.
Good Hair – This documentary with Chris Rock continues for another week at the Merrillville 10 in Merrillville; also at theFort Wayne Cinema Center @ Indiana Tech through Monday.
Harvest Moon Film Festival- Starts Thursday in Muncie, according to its official site.
The Headless Woman – This film from Argentina – about a woman who thinks she might have run into someone while driving her car – will be shown in Bloomington this weekend.
Homeless for the Holidays – Continues for another week at the Rave Jefferson Pointe 18 in Fort Wayne.
It Happened One Night – Friday and Saturday at the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin.
It Might Get Loud – Continues for another week at the Keystone Arts in Indianapolis, with two showings per day (at 1:40 and 6:50 PM).
Lemon Tree – Continues through Monday, November 9, at the Lotus Petal Cinema in Nashville.
Lewis and Clark: The Great Journey West – This 2002 film will be showing again this week at the IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis.
London Dreams – The UA Eagle Highlands 10 will have two showings of this Bollywood musical drama this week, on Friday and Saturday nights only, at 9:45 PM.
Mall of America and 0% Down – These two short films by Josephine Meckseper will be shown simultaneously (on different walls of the same gallery) at the Indianapolis Museum of Art through February 7, 2010.
Omer Fast: The Casting – This fourteen minute, four channel video installation continues at the Indianapolis Museum of Art through March 14. The piece intercuts excerpts from the artist’s conversations with a soldier about to leave for his second tour of duty in Iraq with footage of actors mimicking the dialogue.
Ordinary Radicals – This documentary about the growing number of churches with a progressive political leaning will be shown at the Earth House Collective in Indianapolis on Thursday, November 12, at 7 PM.
Race Across the Sky: Leadville Trail 100 Encore – Lance Armstrong appears in this documentary film on the super-difficult Colorado mountain bike race, which will have a repeat showing at 8 PM on Thursday, November 12, at the Galaxy 14 in Indianapolis, the Hamilton 16 in Noblesville and the Eastside 9 in Lafayette.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show – After several showings of Rocky Horror last weekend, this weekend we’re back to just one – the usual 10 PM showing on Saturday at the Georgetown 14.
Strong Bodies Fight: Rough Cut – Browning, Friday, 9:30 PM
The Sweet Smell of Success – Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis star in this classic film, which will be shown at Bloomington’s Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Sunday, November 8, at 3 PM.
To Be or Not to Be – Jack Benny stars in Ernst Lubitsch’s 1942 classic, which will be shown at 7 PM on Thursday, November 12, at the University of Notre Dame’s Browning Cinema.
Turandot – The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Puccini’s last work – as directed by Franco Zeffirelli – will be shown live at 1 PM on Saturday, November 7, at the AMC Castleton Square 14, Kerasotes ShowPlace 16 and IMAX and the Galaxy 14 in Indianapolis, along with the Hamilton 16 and IMAX in Noblesville, and other locations throughout the state (see the Fathom events link for more details).
War Child – This documentary will be shown at Nashville’s Lotus Petal Cinema on Tuesday, November 10, at 6 and 8 PM.
Whalesong – This film was shown at 7 PM, Friday, November 6, at the Epworth United Methodist Church on Allisonville Road in Indianapolis. From the event’s official site: Part concert, part whale show and part surrealistic madness, Whalesong is an unforgettable documentary about a unique musical experiment featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Bach Choir, opera singers Judith Forst and Mark Pedrotti, and three killer whales, Hyak, Finna and Bjossa. The Indianapolis Young Bassists Ensemble, under the director of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Assistant Principal Contrabassist Robert Goodlett, will kick off the evening with a short selection of classical works arranged for the double bass, the “whale” of the orchestra. Free-will donations will be accepted to help offset costs.
Young @ Heart – Bookmamas, Friday 7 (?) PM<
OPENING ELSEWHERE – Lotsa titles, only one of which – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – will make it to Indy (Nov. 20, Keystone Arts, UA EH 10 and other theaters).
NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND – Indpls LGBT Film Festival next weekend; no news from Keystone Arts; De Dana Dan at G14 Nov. 27?
*Of course it wasn’t; just checking to see if you were awake out there.
I’m really looking forward to The Damned United. Great cast, great trailer.
Just what is it with these “the true meaning of Christmas” movies opening the first weekend of November?!
edited to add additional information in the “Theatrical Films” etc. section
I watched The Damned United last night, great film.
Addendum to NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND – Two film festivals will be on offer in central Indiana next week. The Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival will take place at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the IUPUI Campus Center next weekend, while the Other Side of Paradise Short Film Festival is on Tuesday, November 17, at a venue yet to be determined.
An Education is still scheduled to start at the Keystone Arts on November 13; there have been no updates since last week to that theater’s upcoming slate of limited release/art films, as far as I know.
A recent check of the manoranjaninc.com site revealed no Indian films scheduled to play at the Georgetown 14 starting next week, but that could change. Also, no titles have been added to the manoranjaninc site’s schedule, but two new titles have shown up in their “movie spotlight” – which seems to be the equivalent of unofficial additions to the schedule – in recent days. The first of these, Paa, stars Amitabh Bachchan and his son, Abhishek Bachchan, and they are playing father and son in the film – except Abhishek is playing Amitabh’s father here. Paa looks like it is a Bollywood version of Francis Ford Coppola’s insufferable Jack, and there also are flash-cut shots of clock mechanisms – like something out of Benjamin Button – in the trailer. They also might be using Benjamin Button-style special effects in the film, in addition to prosthetic make-up, or maybe they went with make-up alone; I couldn’t tell from watching the trailer. Either way, the film is scheduled for release in India (and possibly here) on December 4. The second of these titles is De Dana Dan, a romantic comedy starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif; the release date for that one (in India and at least parts of the US, presumably) is November 27.
A recent visit to the G14 revealed two more possible titles. The first is 3 Idiots, which had a trailer before the film I saw, in addition to some print materials (two small signs, to be specific) in the lobby. This comedy stars Aamir Kahn and Kareena Kapoor, and is scheduled to be released on Christmas Day; it apparently concerns the adventures of some university students who are a good deal smarter than everyone else seems to think. As for Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, all I know is that it looks like a comedy, it stars Ranbir Kapoor, it is scheduled for release on December 11, and there was a lobby standee for it at the G14.
The Damned United is a lot of fun: good pacing, clever comic timing, enjoyable acting. It’s a film about ambition, and you don’t need to know British football rules to have a fine time. Sadly, attendance was very weak at the weekend showing I attended — so go there this week before Landmark substitutes a depressing multiplex movie.