Thinking Outside the Multiplex in Indiana (August 24, 2012)

by HELEN GEIB

Plenty to see this week between the limited releases on the arthouse circuit and the various university town repertory series (however the students may feel about it, Indiana movie lovers should be happy to see school back in session). Don’t skip the “next week and beyond” preview of coming attractions if you’re a fan of B-movies, Hollywood classics on the big screen, or silent movies.

My Top Pick for the Week

The Cinema Center has again made me wish I lived within driving distance of Fort Wayne by picking up A Cat in Paris, one of last year’s nominees for best animated feature film. From the Cinema Center’s website: “Dino is a pet cat that leads a double life. By day he lives with Zoe, a little mute girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a detective in the Parisian police force. But at night he sneaks out the window to work with Nico – a slinky cat burglar with a big heart, whose fluid movements are poetry in motion – as he evades captors and slips and swishes from rooftop to rooftop across the Paris skyline.”

Note: For trailers, cast and crew, and suchlike follow the title link to the movie’s official website. For showtimes and directions for the non-multiplex venues, follow the links under “Outside the Multiplex” in the sidebar.

OPENING THIS WEEK IN LIMITED RELEASE

A Cat in Paris- One of the nominees for best animated feature film last year, A Cat in Paris starts today at the Cinema Center in Fort Wayne. There’s no show on Monday or Tuesday, but to make up for it there are extra matinees on Saturday- and the Saturday shows are free.

Farewell My Queen- In an amusing coincidence, this period drama set in the court of Marie Antoinette opens opposite a documentary that refers to the queen to make a satirical point about the American nouveau riche. Farewell My Queen follows the career of a calculating lady-in-waiting on the eve of the French Revolution. Diane Kruger co-stars as Marie Antoinette. It opens today at the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi- Unusually, this Bollywood romantic-comedy follows the adventures in love of a middle-aged couple played by Boman Irani and, in her acting debut, director Farah Khan. It starts today at the Republic Theaters Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis.

THEATRICAL HOLDOVERS (AND “RE-OPENINGS”)

Beasts of the Southern Wild- “In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), a six-year-old girl, exists on the brink of orphanhood.” Beasts of the Southern Wild has been receiving rave reviews for the individual vision of its first-time writer-director and the performances by the non-professional cast. It holds over at the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis and the Yes Cinema in Columbus.

Ek Tha Tiger- This Bollywood thriller, set in Dublin and starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, holds over at the Republic Theaters Georgetown 14 in Indianapolis.

Hysteria- An English sex comedy with a period Victorian setting, Hysteria returns to the state for an engagement at Fort Wayne’s Cinema Center (no show on Wednesday).

The Queen of Versailles- “With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows billionaires Jackie and David’s rags-to-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of the American dream. We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles.” The Queen of Versailles holds over at the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Ruby Sparks- In the new film from the directors of Little Miss Sunshine, Paul Dano plays a novelist suffering from chronic writers-block. When his newest character shows up in person, is he going crazy or is she the change he needs in his life? Ruby Sparks holds over at the Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis.

Take This Waltz- Michelle Williams stars as a woman contemplating leaving her husband (Seth Rogen) for the man she’s fallen suddenly, passionately in love with. Sarah Polley’s indie romantic drama Take This Waltz opens at Fort Wayne’s Cinema Center (no show on Thursday).

FESTIVALS, REPERTORY SCREENINGS, AND MORE

Indianapolis and Central Indiana

The penultimate movie in the IMA’s Summer Nights series of movies on the terrace is Pulp Fiction; full lineup and screening details.

Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm is the weekend movie at the Artcraft Theater in Franklin; shows today and tomorrow at 2 and 7:30.

The August movie in Vintage Movie Nights at Indy’s Garfield Park Arts Center is Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, finishing up a tribute series to renowned stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen; tomorrow at 8.

Southern Indiana

Tonight is the Strand’s monthly double feature of Werewolf of London (1935) and, unexpectedly, the silent Stan Laurel short comedy Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde with live accompaniment on the house organ.

Programming at the IU Cinema is in full swing again. Today’s lineup starts with a Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker lecture by indie filmmakers Joe Swanberg (director) and Amy Seimetz (director and actress), followed by showings of Sun Don’t Shine, Alexander the Last, and V/H/S (the last at midnight). Swanberg’s Hannah Takes the Stairs and LOL will be shown tomorrow evening. The other themed program this week is the (often bizarre) films of Czech animator Jan Svankmajer: Alice and Surviving Life on Sunday and Little Otik and Conspirators of Pleasure on Thursday; the retrospective runs through next Friday.

Also showing at the Cinema: the great 1950s western Shane is tomorrow at 3; Inglourious Basterds on Monday; and Les Blank’s documentary Burden of Dreams, about the making of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, on Tuesday.

The Well Digger’s Daughter, Take This Waltz, and The Pigeoneers are the weekend movies in the Ryder repertory film series in Bloomington.

Northern Indiana

The Cinematheque for All repertory series in West Lafayette resumes Wednesday with the critically lauded A Separation; fall season full lineup.

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND

Wherever you live in the state you’re probably within driving distance of a theater that runs the Fathom Events showings, which is very good news if you’re a classic movie lover. A several film “TCM Event Series” starts in September with The Birds. October is a double feature of Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein; To Kill a Mockingbird screens in November.

In B-movie news, the annual B Movie Celebration, now in its sixth year, is September 14-16 at the Yes Cinema; visit their website for this year’s lineup of movies, none of which I’ve heard of, which is good news for B movie lovers, no doubt! The same weekend and not far distant, Shelbyville’s Strand Theatre and Skyline Drive-In host “Super Monster Movie Fest” of classic horror and sci-fi movies on September 14 and 15. Also on September 14 and 15 and not far distant, you can see Gila, a remake of the 1958 “classic” The Giant Gila Monster, at the Artcraft Theater in Franklin- where the movie is set and was filmed.

It’s back to school time and that means exciting fall programs at the IU Cinema and DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. In exciting news, Werner Herzog will visit the Cinema in early September. (The IU Cinema program booklet is available here as a downloadable pdf.) At the DeBartolo, the Classic 100 series returns in September with the great silent films The Last Laugh, Man With a Movie Camera, The Passion of Joan of Arc, and The General; also in September is a Hayao Miyazaki festival.

The annual Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis is October 18-27. The regular screening venues this year are the AMC Castleton Square 14 and (in a change of location) the AMC Traders Point 12; opening and closing night events are at the IMA.

As of this writing, the coming soon list at the KAC is indie breakup comedy Celeste and Jesse Forever, indie drama Robot and Frank (starring Frank Langella as the latter), controversial indie thriller Killer Joe, indie relationship satire 2 Days in New York, and David Cronenberg’s new psychological drama Cosmopolis- all slated for August 31. Expect one or several to slip to a later week, or drop off the list entirely.

Films and events scheduled for next Friday:

“After Hours Short Film Festival” with Heartland selections, in Indianapolis at FLAT12 Bierwerks

The Sound of Music at the IMA

“Jan Svankmajer Shorts Program” and Lunacy at the IU Cinema

The Well Digger’s Daughter, Take This Waltz, The Queen of Versailles at the Ryder