Thinking Outside the Multiplex in Indiana (November 23, 2011)

by HELEN GEIB

More variety than usual in Indianapolis thanks to the continuing crush of new arthouse releases at the Keystone Art Cinema, less variety than usual in the rest of the state due to the university towns shutting down over the Thanksgiving break. What’s on your moviegoing plate this holiday weekend?

TOTM aspires to completeness! If you know of a limited release film, special screening, festival, or other movie-related event coming up, or something happening this week that isn’t listed here, please leave a comment or send me an email using the “contact us” form.

Note: Title links lead to the movie’s official website.

OPENING THIS WEEK IN LIMITED RELEASE

The Descendants- A man who has been drifting away from his marriage and his daughters is forced to re-examine his life when his wife is critically injured. George Clooney stars in the new film from indie favorite Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways). The Descendants starts today at the AMC Showplace Schererville 16 and the Landmark Theatres Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Desi Boyz- This Bollywood film, set in London, looks to be a comedy-drama with an absurd premise and lots of musical numbers. (Is it my fault that generic description fits so many Bollywood films?) Akshay Kumar and John Abraham star. Desi Boyz starts today at the Republic Theaters Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis.

The Skin I Live In- Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas together again. I’ve been avoiding reading plot summaries, but it has to do with a mad doctor obsessed with creating the perfect artificial skin and the woman he kidnaps to be his test subject. Check out the trailer at the official site for a glimpse of the fantastical visuals. The Skin I Live In starts today at the Landmark Theatres Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

My Week With Marilyn- That’s Marilyn Monroe, and she’s played by Michelle Williams in this dramatization of an interlude in the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. My Week With Marilyn starts Friday at the Landmark Theatres Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil- This well-received Canadian horror comedy, which features Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as hillbillies wrongly suspected of being serial killers by a group of clueless college students on a camping trip, starts Friday at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne (for one week only; no show on Tuesday). Tucker & Dale actually had its Indiana premiere last week with weekend showings at the Cinema Center @ Indiana Tech, but I’m giving it a spot in this section anyway since this is its first regular engagement.

THEATRICAL HOLDOVERS (AND “RE-OPENINGS”)

Note: Films listed play through Thursday, December 1 unless otherwise noted.

Higher Ground- “Acclaimed actress Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) makes her directorial debut with this look at a tight-knit spiritual community thrown off-kilter when one of their own begins to question her faith.” Higher Ground holds over at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne; the Cinema is closed tomorrow.

Like Crazy- This indie romantic drama was a prize winner at Sundance. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones star as a couple navigating a long-distance relationship. Like Crazy holds over at the Landmark Theatres Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Martha Marcy May Marlene- Elizabeth Olsen stars in this well-reviewed dramatic thriller about a young woman who runs away from a cult and its charismatic leader (John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone), but remains trapped in a psychological prison. Martha Marcy May Marlene holds over at the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis for two more days.

Melancholia- From the Landmark’s website: “In this beautiful movie about the end of the world, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite Claire’s best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth… Melancholia is a psychological disaster film from controversial director Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Antichrist).” Melancholia holds over at the Landmark Theatres Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Rockstar- From what I gather (from the awkwardly written summary on the official site), this is a dramatic-comic-romantic-musical tale- sounds about right for Bollywood- of an unsuccessful musician who dreams of being a rockstar and concocts a ridiculous plan to make his dream come true. The music is by A.R. Rahman (Dil Se, Lagaan, Slumdog Millionaire) and the soundtrack is already a hit on the Indian charts. Rockstar, which is in Hindi with English subtitles, holds over at the Republic Theatres Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis.

The Way- Martin Sheen stars as a father whose son dies while hiking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, and decides to complete the journey in his stead. The movie was filmed on location and was directed by Sheen’s real-life son Emilio Estevez. The Way holds over at the Yes Cinema in Columbus through tomorrow only and at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne through Tuesday (no shows tomorrow or Monday).

FESTIVALS, REPERTORY SCREENINGS, AND MORE

For additional information on venues and showtimes, follow the links under “Outside the Multiplex” in the sidebar.

Indianapolis and Central Indiana

Heidi, starring Shirley Temple, is the weekend movie at the Artcraft in Franklin.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show returns for its monthly midnight movie engagement at the Irving Theatre in Indianapolis on Saturday night. As always, refer to the Irving’s website for the list of what you can and can’t bring in the way of props.

The IMA will show the documentary We Were Here, about the early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, on Thursday, December 1 to mark World AIDS Day; the film will play three times in the DeBoest, and admission is free.

Southern Indiana

Family-friendly free movies Friday and Saturday at Shelbyville’s Strand Theatre: Elf Friday, with shows at noon and 6:30, and a Saturday marathon, starting at 1:00, of the Abbott and Costello vehicle Jack and the Beanstalk, MGM musical spectacular Til the Clouds Roll By, Crosby and Hope’s Road to Bali, and Lady Frankenstein (1971) (visit the Strand’s website for showtimes).

The IU Cinema is on Thanksgiving break until Thursday, December 1, when it kicks off a weekend run of international arthouse favorite Aki Kaurismaki’s latest film Le Havre and the band Sigur Ros’ new music performance film Inni.

Northern Indiana

The Cinema Center @ Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne is closed over the holiday weekend, but will reopen on Monday for two shows of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

South Bend’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center is also closed for Thanksgiving, reopening on Tuesday for a showing of Gangs of New York.

And, there is no Cinematheque for All screening tonight, but the series returns next Wednesday at 7 (on the Purdue campus) with In a Better World, the most recent winner of the Oscar for best foreign language film.

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND

The Artcraft Theatre in Franklin is the place to see seasonal favorites A Christmas Story, White Christmas, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the big screen.

The “coming soon” listing on Manoranjan’s website includes Bollywood romantic comedy Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl, which I’m going to go out on a limb and guess has an inveterate ladies’ man as the main character.

Bloomington’s Ryder film series is on Thanksgiving break until Friday, December 2, when it will return with Mozart’s Sister.

The IU Cinema follows on its Herrmann and Hitchcock series with Herrmann and Welles: Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons on the big screen, for free, on December 10-11.

On Sunday, December 11, the Indianapolis Public Library’s “Movies That Move the Arts” series returns with a screening of ’70s satire Putney Swope; the complementary book is Trout Fishing in America. The movie will be followed by a moderated discussion.

Films and events scheduled for next Friday:

A Christmas Story at the Artcraft

Susanne Bier double feature at the DeBartolo: In a Better World and After the Wedding

Le Havre and Inni double feature continues at the IU Cinema