Film Focus for the week of Nov. 1-7, 2024
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Film Focus for the week of Nov. 1-7, 2024

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By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK:

ABSOLUTION (R) Liam Neeson as an aging gangster whose mob associates won’t let him retire in peace. With Ron Perlman and Frankie Shaw. Directed by Hans Petter Moland (Cold Pursuit). Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

BAGHEERA (NR) Kannada-language superhero film starring Sriimurali as a police officer who moonlights as a murderous vigilante. Directed by Dr. Suri Regal Elmwood

BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 (NR) Hindi-language comedy horror sequel starring Kartik Aaryan as a con artist posing as an exorcist. Directed by Anees Bazmee. AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

BLOODY BEGGAR (NR) Tamil-language comedy drama. Starring Kavin, Redin Kingsley and Prudhvi Raj. Directed by Sivabalan Muthukumar. Regal Elmwood

BROTHER (NR) Tamil-language comedy starring Jayam Ravi as a ne’er-do-well who moves in with his sister and her family after flunking out of law school. Directed by M. Rajesh. Regal Elmwood

CORALINE (PG, 2009) Henry Selilck (The Nightmare Before Christmas) directed this 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. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

DIRECTOR’S CUT (R) Horror movie about a Long Island punk band that travels to Pennsylvania where a director has promised to shoot a music video for them. Starring Louis Lombardi, Danielle Kotch, Darrin Hickok. Directed by Don Capria. Regal Walden Galleria

GODZILLA MINUS ONE (PG-13, 2023) Re-release with bonus footage of the widely praised Japanese movie that got lost in the shuffle a year ago. (Confusion with the awful American Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire didn’t help). Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. AMC Market Arcade, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

HERE (PG-13) Adaptation of a graphic novel about the residents of a New Jersey house over 125 yers. Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery and Ophelia Lovibond. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

HITPIG (PG) Animated adventures of a bounty hunting pig. Hopeful sign: it was written by “Bloom County” cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. With the voices of Jason Sudekis, Lilly Singh, Rainn Wilson and RuPaul. Directed by Cinzia Angelini and David Feiss. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE (PG) Sylvester Stallone produced this adventure about a twelve year old boy (Ethan Slater) who becomes—well, read the title. With Caitlin FitzGerald and Paul Sparks. Directed by Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger (Tater Tot & Patton). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

LUCKY BASKHAR (NR) Indian crime drama starring Dulquer Salmaan as a bank cashier in 1980s Mumbai whose drive to become rich leads him into some shady ventures. Screened in Telugu and Malayalam versions—check theater for details. Directed by Venky Atluri. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit

SINGHAM AGAIN (NR) Hindi-language action sequel. Starring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Directed by Rohit Shetty. AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (PG-13) Sequel. Starring Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Danny DeVito and Burn Gorman. Directed by Tim Burton. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Flix, Dipson Capitol, Dipson McKinley, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only). Read M. Faust’s review here.

CONCLAVE (PG) Adaptation of the best-selling novel set during the Catholic Church’s secretive process to elect a new Pope. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Jacek Koman, Lucian Msamati, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

HOCUS POCUS (1993, PG) Halloween reissue. With Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. Directed by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical). Regal Transit 

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX (R) Sequel. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Steve Coogan. Directed by Todd Phillips (Starsky & Hutch). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker 

SATURDAY NIGHT (R) A fictional recreation of the ninety minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Starring Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cooper Hoffman, Lamorne Morris, Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons. Directed by Jason Reitman (Ghostbusters: Afterlife). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

SMILE 2 (R) Horror sequel. Starring Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley. Directed by Parker Finn (Smile). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

THE SUBSTANCE (R) Horror film starring Demi Moore as an aging celebrity who takes a black-market cell-replicating drug to make her appear younger. Gee, do you suppose there could by any negative side effects? Co-starring Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge). Regal Walden Galleria

TERRIFIER 3 (NR) Horror sequel. Caveat emptor: It’s two hours and five minutes long. Starring Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Jason Patric, Daniel Roebuck, and Samantha Scaffidi. Directed by Damien Leone. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993, PG) Re-issue of the two-holiday puppet animated film that, contrary to what you might expect from the title, was actually directed by Henry Selick (Coraline). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

TRANSFORMERS ONE (PG) Animated origin story, because that’s how they keep these franchises pumping away. With the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key. Directed by Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4). Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE (PG)-13 MCU stuff. Starring Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham, Rhys Ifans and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Directed by Kelly Marcel. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In (Fri-Sat only)

WE LIVE IN TIME (R) Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star in this time shifting romance following a couple from their first meeting through one’s battles with cancer. Directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

WHITE BIRD (PG-13) In France during World War II, a Jewish girl is sheltered by the family of a polio-stricken boy who had been derided by her classmates. Starring Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson, and Bryce Gheisar. Directed by Marc Foster (Monsters Ball). Aurora, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw Read M. Faust’s review here

THE WILD ROBOT (PG) Pixar animation adapted from the popular children’s books about a robot stranded on an island and the animals it befriends. Of course they are talking animals, providing voice work for Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy and Stephanie Hsu. Directed by Chris Sanders (The Croods). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

ETC.

ELF (PG, 2003) and THE POLAR EXPRESS (G, 2004)—First Christmas screenings of the year. At least they waited until after Halloween Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

MESSIAH OF EVIL (NR, 1974)—An American horror movie that could only have been made in the 1970s, slowly unravelling a Lovecraftian tale of an ancient cult inhabiting a California coastal town. The muted but weird ambiance is helped by sets designed by Jack Fisk (Eraserhead). Starring Michael Greer, Marianna Hill, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano, and Elisha Cook Jr. Written and directed by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (Howard the Duck), Sat 7:30 pm. Screening Room

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (PG, 1974)—Mel Brooks’ loving parody of classic Universal monster movies is his most consistent comedy. Some of the humor is forced, but if you can’t laugh at Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder, who also wrote the screenplay) and his monster (Peter Boyle) doing a soft-shoe to “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” there’s no hope for you. With Teri Garr (RIP!), Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Gene Hackman and Cloris Leachman. Fri 7 pm. Screening Room

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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