By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK:

THE 4:30 MOVIE (R) New comedy from Kevin Smith (Clerks) kicks off with a high school couple having their first date at a movie theater. Starring Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo, and Ken Jeong. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit.

AMAZING FANTASY FEST—Debut of a new week-long film festival headed by local filmmaker Greg Lamberson, one of the founders of the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival and the Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival. Read more about it here. Dipson Amherst.

AJAYANTE RANDAM MOSHANAM (A.R.M) From India, a 3D historical epic set in the Northern Kerala in 1900, 1950 and 1990. Starring Mohanlal, Sathyaraj and Tovino Thomas. Directed by Jithin Lal (Maravairi). Regal Elmwood.

ARDAAS SARBAT DE BHALLE DI Punjabi drama looking at diverse individuals on a pilgrimage to Sri Hazur Sahib. Starring Gurpreet Ghuggi, Jasmin Bhasin and Gippy Grewal, who also directed. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit.

THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS (NR) Hindi crime drama about a police officer (Kareena Kapoor) trying to get over the murder of her child by moving to a new town. With Keith Allen and Stuart Whelan. Directed by Hansal Mehta (Scam 1992). Regal Elmwood.

THE CRITIC (R) Sir Ian McKellen as a powerful London theater critic in the 1930s who reacts badly when his position is threatened. With Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai and Lesley Manville. Directed by Anand Tucker (Leap Year). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

DAN DA DAN: FIRST ENCOUNTER (NR) Anime feature compiling the first three episodes of the TV series Dandadan. Directed by Fûga Yamashiro. North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria.

THE KILLER’S GAME (R) Tired of action comedies about professional assassins yet? Well, here’s another one. Starring Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Terry Crews and Ben Kingsley. Directed by J. J. Perry (Day Shift). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

LAFF IN THE DARK (NR) Premiere of a new musical set at Crystal Beach from local filmmaker Peter McGennis (Buffalo Bushido, Queen City). McGennis co-stars with Josephine Hogan, Vincent O’Neill, Daphne Thompson and James Denzer. The Friday screening will be a red carpet premiere, so dress nice. North Park. Read The Buffalo Hive’s preview here.

MATHU VADALARA 2 Telugu language sequel. Starring Sunil, Vennela Kishore and Rohini. Directed by Ritesh Rana (Happy Birthday). Regal Elmwood.

SPEAK NO EVIL (R) Two couples who met on vacation have a less enjoyable time when they meet up at home in this Blumhouse adaptation of the 2022 Danish film. Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, and Scoot McNairy. Directed by James Watkins (The Woman in Black). 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, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sun only).

NOW PLAYING 

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). Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Transit Drive In (Fri-Sun only).

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 Market Arcade, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (PG-13) Sequel playing at every local theater except the North Park. Read M. Faust’s review here. 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, Aurora, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In (Fri-Sun only).

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. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, 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 Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sun 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. Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sun only).

THE FRONT ROOM (R) Psychological horror starring Brandy Norwood as a pregnant woman beset by her overbearing mother-in-law (Kathryn Hunter). Directed by Max and Sam Eggers, brothers of Robert. AMC Market Arcade, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sun only).

THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (NR) Tamil language action movie starring Joseph Vijay as a hostage negotiator called back from retirement for a crucial mission. With Trisha Krishnan and Prabhu Deva. Directed by Venkat Prabhu (Maanaadu). Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit.

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. Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Transit Drive In (Fri-Sun 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, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

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.

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). Read M. Faust’s review here. North Park.

THE THICKET (R) In a passion project that he has been working on for more than a decade, Peter Dinklage stars as an old West bounty hunter on the trail of a killer known as Cutthroat Bill (Juliette Lewis). With Levon Hawke, Esmé Creed-Miles, Arliss Howard and Andrew Schulz. Directed by Elliott Lester (Aftermath). Regal Transit.

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). Transit Drive In (Fri-Sun only).

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). Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sun only).

ETC.

THE BUGS BUNNY/ROAD RUNNER MOVIE (1979)—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Tweety and Sylvester, and every other Friz Freling/Chuck Jones/Robert McKimson creation that Walt Disney wasn’t fit to lick the boots of. Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park.

THE CARTOONS OF MAX FLEISCHER—Program of restored shorts from the brilliant animators Dave and Max Fleischer, who in the 1920s and 30s virtually created the form with characters like Betty Boop, Koko the Clown and Popeye the Sailor. Members of the restoration team will be present for a Q&A. Sat 4:30 pm. North Park.

CHARADE (1964)—As slick and sophisticated as you’d expect from a movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Hepburn’s recently deceased husband swindled a lot of money out of some men who want it back; Grant offers to help keep them off her tail, but is he after the loot too? A supporting cast including Walter Matthau, James Coburn and Ned Glass only makes it even more watchable. Fri 7:30 pm. Screening Room.

HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH (R, 2001)—John Cameron Mitchell’s adaptation of his virtually one-man New York stage show uses music, narration and drama to tell the sad but comically surreal story of Hedwig, nee Handsel, an East German-born transsexual rock composer and diva. A perverse spoof of commercial art and societal expectations that expertly recapitulates ’70s and ’80s popular music while parodying glam rock’s glitzy pretensions. The Saturday show includes a live Sing-A-Long by The Francis Bacon Experiment and special drag performances. Sat 8 pm, Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (1982)—The Buffalo International Film Festival presents a free screening of this classic documentary (newly restored) following writer James Baldwin on a trip retracing his visit to the American South during the Civil Rights movement. Directed by Dick Fontaine and Pat Hartley. Seating is limited, so reserve a spot here. Weds 7 pm. Hallwalls.

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

Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center Cinema, 431 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo https://www.hallwalls.org/

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