Movies playing in WNY, August 30, 2024 – September 6, 2024

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK

1992 (R) Action drama set in the tense period leading up to the LA riots, as two men (Tyrese Gibson, Ray Liotta) try to mend relationships with their adult sons. Co-starring Scott Eastwood and Christopher A’mmanuel. Directed By Ariel Vromen (The Iceman). AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria.

ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE TREES (NR) Adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s 1950 novel about a dying army officer (Liev Schreiber) recalling his career and failed marriages. With Matilda De Angelis, Josh Hutcherson and Danny Huston. Directed by Paula Ortiz (Teresa). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit.

AFRAID (PG-13) Blumhouse horror movie about a family experiencing the dark side of an AI device programmed to run their house. Starring John Cho, Katherine Waterston and Keith Carradine. Directed by Chris Weitz (American Pie). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

SARIPODHAA SANIVAARAM (NR) Action movie from the Indian subcontinent. Sorry, that’s all I know about it. Starring Nani, S.J. Suryah, Murli Sharma, Aditi Balan. Directed by Vivek Athreya (Brochevarevarura). Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit.

SING SING (R) Widely praised drama based on a true story about men incarcerated at the infamous prison who gain new leases on life in a theater company. Starring Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin and Sean San Jose. Directed by Greg Kwedar (Transpecos). North Park.

SLINGSHOT (R) Psychological sci-fi drama starring Casey Affleck as an astronaut undergoing emotional problems on a lengthy mission to the moons of Saturn. With Laurence Fishburne, Emily Beecham, Tomer Capone, and David Morrissey. Directed by Mikael Håfström (1408). Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw.

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE (PG) Family sports drama based on a true story about an underdog Texas Little League team that made it to the top in honor of their cancer-stricken coach. Starring Sarah Gadon, Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, Michael Cash and Molly Parker. Directed by Ty Roberts (12 Mighty Orphans). Dipson Capitol, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit.

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NOW PLAYING 

ALIEN: ROMULUS (R) Reboot or remake? Leave that to the fanboys. Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson. Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced. Directed by Fede Alvarez, who also helmed the reboots of Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (R) Comedy-drama starring Jason Schwartzman as a cantor grieving over the death of his wife and Carol Kane as his childhood music teacher who wants to convert to Judiasm. Read Sarah T. Schwab’s review here. Co-starring Jason Schwartzman, Dolly De Leon, Caroline Aaron and Robert Smigel. Directed by Nathan Silver (The Great Pretender). Regal Transit. See Sarah T. Schwab’s review in The Buffalo Hive here.

BLINK TWICE (R) Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut with this mystery about a social climbing waitress (Naomie Ackie) who wangles an invitation to a party at the island resort of tech billionaire Channing Tatum. Co-starring Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan, and Alia Shawkat. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

CORALINE (PG) Revival of the 2009 puppet animation fantasy based on the book by Neil Gaiman, about a girl who finds an alternate family in the old house her parents have just moved her to. With the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, and Ian McShane. Directed by Henry Selilck (The Nightmare Before Christmas). AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

THE CROW (R) Remake of the 1994 comic book fantasy about a rock musician (Bill Skarsgård) who returns from the dead to seek vengeance on his killers. With FKA Twigs and Danny Houston. Directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (R) The MCU answer to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Leslie Uggams and a whole buncha superhero cameos. Directed by Shawn Levy (The Adam Project). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

DESPICABLE ME 4 (PG) The usual gang is joined by Gru Jr. With the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Will Ferrell, Sofía Vergara, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert and Laraine Newman. Directed, as usual, by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage. AMC Maple Ridge, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

FLY ME TO THE MOON (PG-13) In 1969, marketing whiz Scarlett Johansson is hired by mysterious government agent Woody Harrelson to film a faked moon landing as backup in case the cameras for the real one don’t work. This makes NASA honcho Channing Tatum very grumpy. Read M. Faust’s review here. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon). Aurora. Read M. Faust’s review here.

INSIDE OUT 2 PG) In this sequel to the 2015 Pixar hit, the now-pubescent Riley adds a whole new slew of emotions to the horde rumbling around in her head. With the voices of Kensington Tallman, Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

IT ENDS WITH US (PG-13) Romantic drama with a dark edge, based on the best selling book by Colleen Hoover. Starring Blake Lively, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj and Justin Baldoni, who also directed. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson Amherst, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In.

LONGLEGS (R) Nicolas Cage as a serial killer stalked by FBI agent Maika Monroe. With Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt. Directed by Oz Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House). Regal Quaker, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw.

STRANGE DARLING (R) Early reviews are unanimous in advising that this movie be seen with no foreknowledge other than the promotional tagline “A day in the twisted love life of a serial killer.” Starring Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey. Directed by JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

STREE 2 (Woman 2: Terror of the Headless) (NR) Sequel to the 2019 Hindi comedy about a small town beset by ghosts. Starring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi Directed by Amar Kaushik. Regal Elmwood.

TRAP (PG-13) Josh Hartnett takes his teenaged daughter to a concert, not realizing that the crowd contains dozens of cops hunting a serial killer. Co-starring Hayley Mills and Alison Pil. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

TWISTERS (PG-13) The non-stop score of country music and the glaring absence of the phrase “climate change” say everything about the intended audience for this big-budget reboot. The special effects may be better than in the original Twister, but they’re also less effective, sorely lacking the iconic images of mile-high spinning storms that the 1996 movie used so effectively. And are Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell (whose perpetual smirk is the visual equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard) really what passes for movie stars these days? (MF) Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Mon only).

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ETC.

THE BIRDS (1963)—Alfred Hitchcock’s macabre fable about a small town in northern California beset by inexplicable avian attacks. Starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy. Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room.

CEMETERY MAN (Italy, 1994)—Making sure the corpses in his care stay dead and buried is only the start of cemetery caretaker Rupert Everett’s problems. Based on a popular Italian comic strip, the references to political situations in modern Italy may be lost on American audiences, but the outrageous style of this horror comedy comes through intact. Directed by Michele Soavi. Sat 7:30 pm. Screening Room.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (2022)—Spinoff/prequel to the animated Despicable Me series. Featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, and Taraji P. Henson. Directed by Kyle Balda and Brad Ableson. Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park.

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THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

AMC Maple Ridge, 4276 Maple Road, Amherst www.amctheatres.com

AMC Market Arcade, 639 Main Street, Buffalo www.amctheatres.com

Aurora Theater, 673 Main Street, East Aurora https://theauroratheatre.com/

Dipson Amherst, 3500 Main Street, Buffalo. www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson Capitol Theater, 720 Builders Way, Niagara Falls www.dipsontheatres.com

Dipson McKinley, 3701 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg www.dipsontheatres.com

Dunkirk Multiplex, 10520 Bennett Road, Dunkirk

Flix, 4901 Transit Road, Depew www.dipsontheatres.com

Hamburg Palace, 31 Buffalo Street, Hamburg www.hamburgpalace.com

Joylan, 11 W. Main Street,, Springville https://joylantheater.com/

North Park, 1428 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo https://northparktheatre.org/

Regal Elmwood, 2001 Elmwood Avenue., Buffalo www.fandango.com

Regal Quaker Crossing, 3450 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park www.fandango.com

Regal Transit, 6707 Transit Road. Williamsville www.fandango.com

Regal Walden Galleria, Galleria Mall, Cheektowaga www.fandango.com

The Screening Room, Boulevard Mall Amherst www.screeningroom.net

Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, 23 S Main Street, Warsaw www.thespotlighttheaters.com/

Transit Drive-In Theatre, 6655 S. Transit Road, Lockport https://www.transitdrivein.com