Film Focus: ‘Nobody 2,’ ‘Americana,’ ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ among others in theaters today
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Film Focus: ‘Nobody 2,’ ‘Americana,’ ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ among others in theaters today

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By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

AMERICANA (R) The discovery of a valuable Native artifact leads to a fight for possession among various western characters. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, and Eric Dane. Directed by Tony Tost. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

COOLIE (NR) Indian gangster adventure. With Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Aamir Khan, and Soubin Shahir. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit

EAST OF WALL (R) In this feminist western, a young rancher (Tabatha Zimiga) must make hard decisions to deal with her fractured family, financial uncertainty, and unresolved grief, all while providing refuge for a group of wayward neighborhood teens. With Porshia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy, and Jennifer Ehle. Directed by Kate Beecroft. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE (1977, NR) Concert film recorded at what was supposed to be the band’s final show, at San Francisco’s Winterland in 1974. This new version contains previously unreleased footage. Directed by Jerry Garcia. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit (Fri-Sun only)

THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958, NR) 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s samurai story that was the inspiration for Star Wars. Starring Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara and Minoru Chiaki. North Park

HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (R) Spike Lee’s remake of the Akira Kurosawa police drama High to Low, starring Denzel Washington as a businessman facing a moral dilemma when kidnappers mistakenly take a friend’s child instead of his own. With Ilfenesh Hadera and Jeffrey Wright. Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol

JIMMY AND STIGGS (NR) In this experimental horror film shot in bits and pieces over the pandemic, a down on his luck director comes to believe he has been kidnapped by aliens, and enlists the aid of a friend to fight them off when they return. With Matt Mercer and Joe Begos, who also directed. Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE LAST CLASS (NR) Documentary about former Secretary of Labor and political analyst Robert Reich as he ends his teaching career. Directed by Elliot Kirschner. North Park

NOBODY 2 (R) The return of Bob Odenkirk as an assassin turned suburban dad. Remember when they only made sequels to hit movies? With Christopher Lloyd, Connie Nielsen, Sharon Stone and RZA. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Shadow Strays). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

SHIN GODZILLA (2016, PG-13) Re-release of what fans consider one of the better of the zillion recent Godzilla movies. Starring Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi and Satomi Ishihara. Directed by Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno. North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990, PG) 35th anniversary re-release. But who’s counting? Starring Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas and Josh Pais. Directed by Steve Barron (Coneheads). AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

WAR 2 (NR) Over the top action sequel from India. It’s a long way from Satyajit Ray. Starring Hrithik Roshan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Kiara Advani. Directed by Ayan Mukerji. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

WENT UP THE HILL (NR) In a remote New Zealand village, a man and the widow of the mother who gave him up for adoption at birth commune with her ghost to address the tragedies in her life. Starring Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps. Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven (Sequin in a Blue Room). Regal Quaker

WITCHBOARD (R) Remake of the 1986 horror movie about a demonically possessed Ouija board. Starring Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez and Mel Jarnson. Directed by Chuck Russell (The Mask). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

THE BAD GUYS 2 (PG) Animated sequel. With the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Colin Jost, Natasha Lyonne, Richard Ayoade, and Alex Borstein. Directed by Pierre Perifel. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Angola (closed Tues, Weds), Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In 

F1 THE MOVIE (PG-13) Brad Pitt as a Formula 1 driver. With Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Javier Bardem. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit 

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (PG-13) The beginning of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Which either means something to you or it doesn’t. Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss‑Bachrach and Julia Garner. Directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

FREAKIER FRIDAY (PG) Sequel to the 2003 remake of the 1976 Disney comedy. Reportedly the cast all play age-appropriate roles. Starring Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon. Directed by Nisha Ganatra (Late Night). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (PG) Another live action remake of an animated classic. Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerald Butler and Nick Frost. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who also did the animated version. Transit Drive In 

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (R) Remake of the 1997 horror movie, don’t ask me why. Starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In

IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY (NR) Documentary about the musician who died in 1997 after the release of his only album. Directed by Amy Berg (West of Memphis). Regal Quaker

JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH (PG-13) Illustrating Joe Bob Briggs’ law of sequels: When you make a sequel, it should be as much as possible the exact same movie as all the others. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

LILO & STITCH (PG) Another live-action remake of a Disney animated movie. Didn’t they learn anything from Snow White? Starring Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). Regal Quaker

MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA (NR) Hindi mythology is the basis for this animated adventure beginning what is projected to become the Indian equivalent of the MCU. Directed by Ashwin Kumar. Regal Elmwood

MY MOTHER’S WEDDING (R) Kristin Scott Thomas co-wrote, directed and stars in this drama as the mother of three adult daughters who reunite for her third wedding. Co-starring Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham, Freida Pinto and Mark Stanley. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

THE NAKED GUN (PG-13) Slapstick comedy series rebooted to give 73-year-old Liam Neeson a break from having to run around in action movies. With Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser and Danny Huston. Directed by former SNL writer Akiva Schaffer. 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, Transit Drive-In

SKETCH (PG) The grotesque drawings made by a child grieving for her dead mother come to life in this family adventure that every review seems compelled to compare to the films of Steven Spielberg. Starring Tony Hale, D’Arcy Carden, and Bianca Berry Tarantino. Directed by Seth Worley. Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

SUPERMAN (PG-13) Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) takes over the task of trying to turn the original superhero into a studio tentpole. Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Bradley Cooper, Skyler Gisondo, and Wendell Pierce. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

TOGETHER (R) Horror stuff starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple whose troubles get worse when they move to the country. Directed by Michael Shanks. AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Transit Drive-In

WEAPONS (R) A community slowly unravels after all of the local third graders except one disappear overnight. Starring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Alden Ehrenreich. Directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian). 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, Transit Drive In

ETC:

48-HOUR FILM PROJECT— The best of this year’s entries in the local competition in which teams of filmmakers are assigned a random genre, a character and a line of dialogue from which they have 48 hours to devise, film and edit a short film. Sat-Sun 11 am. North Park

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)—Perhaps the quintessential film noir, with Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman who gets talked into murder by scheming Barbara Stanwyck. With Edward G. Robinson. The script (by director Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, loosely adapting the novel by James M. Cain) is chock full of the most quotable dialogue you’ll ever hear. Part of the Buffalo Film Seminars. Tues, Fri 22 7:30 pm. Screening Room

MAMMA MIA (2008, PG-13)—Jukebox musical built around the songs of ABBA. Starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady). Fri 7:30 pm. Screening Room

NAIL GUN MASSACRE (1985, NR)—Rapists are stalked and killed by someone armed with—well, see if you can guess. Starring Rocky Patterson, Ron Queen and Beau Leland. Directed by Bill Leslie and Terry Lofton. Sat 7:30 pm. Screening Room

THE TERMINATOR (1984, R) and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1999, R)—What happens when AI is allowed to run amuck? Arnold Schwarzenegger, that’s what. Tues at dusk. Transit Drive-In

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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