Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis 40 years in the making, Kate Winslet as American war photographer Lee Miller, and much more

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK

AZRAEL (R) Dialogue-free horror thriller starring Samara Weaving as a young woman battling for her life against the members of a post-apocalyptic cult. Directed by E.L. Katz (Small Crimes). AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

BAGMAN (PG-13) Horror adventure with Sam Claflin as a man trying to protect his family from the demon that nearly killed him as a child. With Stephen Cree and Antonia Thomas. Directed by Colm McCarthy Regal Quaker, Regal Transit.

DEVARA: PART 1 (NR) Telegu-language action epic centered about a seafaring hero who fights for his people, not knowing that his brother is plotting against him. Starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor.Directed by Koratala Siva (Acharya). Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (PG) 20^th anniversary re-release of the classic Studio Ghibli animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw.

LEE (R) Kate Winslet as the American photographer and war correspondent Lee Miller, who battled personal demons as she reported on World War II. Featuring Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, and Andy Samberg. The feature directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria. Look for Sarah Schwab’s review in The Buffalo Hive.

MEGALOPOLIS (R) Francis Ford Coppola put four decades and $100+ million of his own money into this futuristic epic reimaging ancient Rome as a new American utopia on the brink of ruination. The cast includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter and Dustin Hoffman. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

MERCHANT IVORY (NR) Documentary about the filmmaking team responsible for some of the biggest arthouse hits of the 1980s and 1990s, including A Room with a View and The Remains of the Day. Directed by Stephen Soucy North Park.

MY OLD ASS (R) On her 18^th birthday, a young woman (Maisy Stella) gets an unexpected visit from her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). Directed by Megan Park (The Falllout). AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

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, 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, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only).

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. Regal Walden Galleria

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (PG-13) Sequel. 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, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only). Read M. Faust’s review here.

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). Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat 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. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat 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, Hamburg Palace, Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, 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). Regal Quaker

NEVER LET GO (R) Halle Berry stars in this horror drama as a mother trying to protect her family from an evil presence that has confined them to their house. Directed by Alexandre Aja (Oxygen). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (PG-13) Prequel. No, none of it was shot in Buffalo. Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou. Directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig). Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only)

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 Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, 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). AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, North Park, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

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). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-in (Fri-Sat only).

ETC.

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (Italy, 1980)—In a Salem graveyard, a portal to hell is opened by the suicide of a priest. Lucio Fulci’s follow-up to his international hit Zombie draws from H. P. Lovecraft for atmosphere but otherwise mines the same territory. Starring Christopher George and Catriona MacColl. The screening will feature a guest presenter, DJ and a pop-up shop in lobby. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Sat 7:30 pm. Screening Room.

FRENZY (England, 1972)—New restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate film, a black comic thriller about London police hunting a rapist-serial killer (Barry Foster). It’s the only Hitchcock film to have earned an R rating; at times it seems primarily designed to shock his fans who expected the Master to be relatively genteel. With Jon Finch, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, and Anna Massey. Fri, Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room.

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017)—Yorgos Lanthimos bleak satire adapted from the Greek myth of Agamemnon and Iphigenia stars Colin Farrell as a heart surgeon who is forced to choose between killing a member of his family or watching them all die slow, painful deaths. With Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan and Alicia Silverstone. You can read M. Faust’s review of it here. Tues Regal Quaker.

ONE HAND CLAPPING—Paul McCartney and Wings in performance from 1974 in footage released for the first time. (Yes, that makes it 50 years old.) Sun Regal Transit.

STOP MAKING SENSE (1984)—Jonathan Demme’s documentary of the Talking Heads in performance at the height of their fame is, without a doubt, the best concert film ever made. This presentation of the recent restoration will be on the IMAX screen. Weds 7 pm Regal Transit.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)—Fans weaned on 21st century horror films may be disappointed at the lack of blood and gore in this, arguably the first modern horror movie. Instead director Tobe Hooper got effects from implication: the constant and vivid threat is what keeps us involved. Spotlight Theater of Warsaw (Tues, Weds), Regal Walden Galleria, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit (Weds, Sun).

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