Film Focus: Dec. 20-26, 2024
9 mins read

Film Focus: Dec. 20-26, 2024

M Faust0

OPENING FRIDAY, DEC. 20:

By M. Faust

MUFASA THE LION KING (PG) Animated sequel, or prequel or whatever. With the voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Tiffany Boone. Directed by Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 (PG) Sequel. A live action Jim Carrey joins a voice cast including Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, and Keanu Reeves. Directed by Jeff Fowler. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF KITTIES (R) In this spin-off feature from the Canadian TV series Trailer Park Boys, Bubbles and his band are invited to tour Europe opening for Billy Bob Thornton. Starring Mike Smith, Robb Wells and John Paul Tremblay, with guest appearances by Ronnie Wood, Duff McKagan, Eric Burdon, Rick Nielsen, Martin Freeman and others. Directed by Charlie Lightening. North Park

VIDUTHALAI – PART 2 (NR) Telugu language sequel. If I knew what it was about I’d tell you. Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Manju Warrier, and Soori. Directed by Vetrimaaran. Regal Elmwood

OPENING WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 25: 

BABY JOHN (NR) Hindi-language action thriller film. Starring Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh and Wamiqa Gabbi. Directed by Kalees Regal Elmwood

BABYGIRL (R) Nicole Kidman as a CEO who risks her family and career for an affair with an intern. With Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas. Directed by Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies). Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria,

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (R) Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in a biography that culminates with his appearance with an electric band in 1965. Co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, and Scoot McNairy. Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria,

THE FIRE INSIDE (PG-13) Ryan Destiny as Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Co-starring Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi and De’Adre Aziza. Directed by Rachel Morrison. AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria.

NOSFERATU (R) Writer-director Robert Eggers (The Northman) inches toward the mainstream with this adaptation of the 1922 German horror film based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

NOW PLAYING:

A REAL PAIN (R) Comedy-drama starring Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed) as odd-couple cousins taking a trip to Poland to visit the home of their late grandmother and maybe work out their personal problems. With Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, and Kurt Egyiawan. Dipson Amherst Read M. Faust’s review here ENDS TUESDAY

GLADIATOR II (R) Sequel. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi. Directed by Ridley Scott (Napoleon). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read M. Faust’s review here

KRAVEN THE HUNTER (R) This looks like standard action movie fare, but it gets at least some cred for being directed by J.C. Chandor, who has some very good films to his credit—All is Lost, Margin Call, A Most Violent Year. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBosek, Alessandro Nivola and Russell Crowe. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (PG-13) Animated prequel. With the voices of Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto and Luca Pasqualino. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 the Last Human). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

MOANA 2 (PG) Animated sequel. With the voices of Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, and Nicole Scherzinger. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

QUEER (R) Adaptation of William S. Burroughs early autobiographical novel about his salad days living in Mexico City. Starring Daniel Craig, Daan de Wit, and Jason Schwartzman. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). Dipson Amherst ENDS TUESDAY

RED ONE (PG-13) Big-budget CGI holiday movie starring Dwayne Johnson as a North Pole security agent tracking a kidnapped Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons). Co-starring Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt, and Nick Kroll. Directed by Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: The Next Level). AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw Read M. Faust’s review here

WICKED (PG) Adaptation of the long running musical that tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch. N.B.: This is only part one. Starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage. Directed by John M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw Read the review by Mia Ciechalski here

ETC.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)—The Coen Brothers’ patently oddball take on the Raymon Chandler genre has aged into a genuine cult classic, one that rewards multiple viewings. The endlessly quotable dialogue is delivered by a once in a lifetime cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jon Polito, Flea and Ben Gazzara. Fri Dec 27 5 pm. Screening Room

ELF (2003)—Will Ferrell as a foundling raised as an elf who goes to Manhattan in search of his real father (James Caan) after he gets too big for Santa’s Workshop. Any film that has Edward Asner as Santa Claus and Bob Newhart as his head elf can’t be all bad, and Zooey Deschanel brightens up things considerably as the requisite love interest. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man). Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)—Jimmy Stewart gets to see what life for his friends and community would have been like had he never lived in Frank Capra’s holiday classic. Co-starring Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, Gloria Grahame, H.B. Warner, Frank Albertson, Sheldon Leonard, and Charles Lane. Fri 7:30 pm, Sat 1, 7:30 pm, Mon 7:30 pm. Screening Room

SCROOGE (England, 1951)—Most people who’ve seen it consider this the best film version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, with Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. Look for Patrick Macnee, “The Avengers’” John Steed, as the young Jacob Marley. Also starring Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Michael Hordern, Miles Malleson, Ernest Thesiger, and Hattie Jacques. Sat, Mon 5 pm. Screening Room

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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