Film Focus, Feb. 7-13, 2025
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Film Focus, Feb. 7-13, 2025

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By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

BADASS RAVI KUMAR (NR) Hindi-language musical action film. Starring Himesh Reshammiya, Prabhu Deva and Kirti Kulhari. Directed by Keith Gomes. Regal Elmwood

BLUE VELVET (1986)—While walking home, all-American youth Kyle MacLachlan finds a severed ear in a vacant lot, and his life will never be the same. Nor was American cinema after this, the movie that made David Lynch a household name. With Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell and of course Jack Nance. Hamburg Palace

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (PG-13) Documentary chronicling the early days of the band that was originally called the New Yardbirds. Directed by Bernard MacMahon. Regal Transit; opens Feb 13 Dipson Amherst

BRING THEM DOWN (R) Tensions between neighboring Irish sheep ranchers escalate to tragic proportions in this debut film by writer-director Christopher Andrews. Starring Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Nora-Jane Noone, Paul Ready and Susan Lynch. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read M. Faust’s review here

HEART EYES (R) Horror comedy about two co-workers stalked by a killer who thinks they’re a romantic item. Remember when we used to get romantic comedies on Valentine’s Day? Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, and Devon Sawa, Directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within) AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

I’M STILL HERE (PG-13) Oscar nominee for Best Feature and Best Actress based on the true story of a Brazilian woman (Fernanda Torres) who fought for years to find out what happened to her husband after he was “disappeared” by the military dictatorship in 1971. Directed by Walter Salles (Central Station). Dipson Amherst, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read M. Faust’s review here

LOVE HURTS (R) Action comedy starring Ke Huy Quan as a onetime hit man pulled out of his new life as a Milwaukee realtor by old ties. With Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu and Sean Astin. Directed by former stunt man Jonathan Eusebio. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NARAYANEENTE MOONAANMAKKAL (NR) Malayalam comedy, aka Three Sons of Narayani. Starring Joju George, Alencier Ley Lopez, and Garggi Ananthan. Directed by Sharan Venugopal. Regal Elmwood

RENNER (NR) Frankie Muniz as a computer nerd who develops an AI program to find love but makes the mistake of basing it on his mother. With Violett Beane and the voice of Marcia Gay Harden. Directed by Robert Rippberger. Regal Quaker

THANDEL (NR) Telugu language drama about a Srikakulam fisherman who gets caught by the Pakistan forces in international waters. Starring Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Sai Pallavi, and Shiva Alapati. Directed by Chandoo Mondeti. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit

VIDAAMUYARCHI (NR) Tamil language remake of the 1997 movie Breakdown, about a man trying to rescue his wife from a terrorist group. Starring Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, and Trisha Krishnan. Directed by Magizh Thirumeni. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit

NOW PLAYING:

BRAVE THE DARK (PG-13) A high school drama teacher tries to help a troubled young student. Starring Jared Harris, Sasha Bhasin, and Will Price. Directed by Damian Harris (The Wilde Wedding). Regal Quaker 

THE BRUTALIST (R) Oscar frontrunner starring Adrien Brody as a Bauhaus-trained architect trying to make a new life in American after fleeing Hungary after World War II. With Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach De Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola. Directed by Brady Corbet (Vox Lux). Dipson Amherst, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here

COMPANION (R) Thriller/sci/fi movie whose makers say the less you know about it going in the better. So who am I to go against their wishes? Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend and Harvey Guillén. Directed by Drew Hancock. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

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). Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (NR) New adaptation of the classic tale, reportedly the most expensive French film of 2024. Starring Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, and Anaïs Demoustier. Directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. North Park

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA (R) Sequel. If you saw the original, you know what it was about, and if you didn’t why would you want to see the sequel? Starring Gerald Butler, O’Shea Jackson and Evin Ahmad. Directed once again by Christian Gudegast. AMC Market Arcade, Regal Quaker

DEVA (NR) Hindi language movie starring Shahid Kapoor as a “brilliant yet rebellious police officer,” and that’s all I’ve got. With Pooja Hegde and Pavail Gulati. Directed by Rosshan Andrrews. Regal Elmwood

DOG MAN (PG) In this animated adaptation of a series of graphic novels, an injured cop and his police dog are merged by a surgeon into one body. With the voices of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root, and Ricky Gervais. Directed by Peter Hastings (The Country Bears). 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

GLADIATOR II (R) Sequel. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi. Directed by Ridley Scott (Napoleon). Aurora Read M. Faust’s review here

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. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

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, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NICKEL BOYS (PG-13) Adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed novel about two young men incarcerated in a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Starring Brandon Wilson, Ethan Herisse and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Directed by RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening). Spotlight Theater of Warsaw 

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. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

ONE OF THEM DAYS (R) Comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA as roommates struggling to come up with the month’s rent. With Vanessa Bell Calloway, Katt Williams and Maude Apatow. Directed by Lawrence Lamont. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria 

PRESENCE (R) Steven Soderbergh directed this haunted house thriller in which the camera takes the POV of the ghost. Starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, and Julia Fox. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Read M. Faust’s review here

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. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

VALIANT ONE (R) American soldiers have to battle their way out of North Korea after their helicopter crashes there. Starring Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, and Desmin Borges. Directed by Steve Barnett. Regal Quaker

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). Dipson Capitol, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read the review by Mia Ciechalski here

WOLF MAN (R) The Blumhouse juggernaut sets its sights on another classic horror genre. Starring Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott, and Sam Jaeger. Directed by Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

ETC.

Love Bites Vampire Double Feature: GANJA AND HESS (Bill Gunn, 1973) andTHE ADDICTION (Abel Ferrara, 1995)—Double feature of off-kilter vampire movies presented as a benefit for the Buffalo International Film Festival. Tickets (which include wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and Valentine’s day candy) are $20 (in advance), $25 (at the door) and can be purchased here. 7 pm Fri Feb 14. Hallwalls. 

SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH—Compilation of the late director’s early work, including Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) (1966), The Alphabet (1968), The Grandmother (1970), The Amputee (1974), and The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988), with Harry Dean Stanton, Tracey Walter and Jack Nance.. Sat 11:30 am, 5:15 pm, Sun 11:30 am, 9:45 pm. North Park

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)—Rob Reiner’s fractured fairy tale, adapted by William Goldman from his own novel, with a cast of comedians poking fun at children’s fantasy stories. Starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Billy Crystal, Robin Wright Penn, Peter Falk, Peter Cook, Mel Smith, and Carol Kane. Sat, Tues 7:30 pm; Sun 1 pm, Fri Feb 14 5 pm, 8 pm. Screening Room

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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