Buffalo Theater: Spirited Away creator Hayao Miyazaki has works featured at the North Park Theater, plus more films releasing this weekend.

(Above: Bob Bergen, Daveigh Chase, and Rumi Hiiragi in Spirited Away (2001). © 2001 – Studio Ghibli via IMDB).

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK:

DHAMAAL 4 (NR) A group of friends hunt for a hidden fortune in what sounds like a Hindu version of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Starring Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, and Jaaved Jaaferi. Directed by Indra Kumar. Regal Elmwood

EVIL DEAD BURN (R) Producer Sam Raimi continues to cash in on the “Evil Dead” name with another unrelated sequel. Starring Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand. Directed by Sébastien Vaniček (Infested). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS (R) From the creative team behind Wet Hot American Summer, a comedy starring Zoey Deutch as a woman who goes to Hollywood to even the score after her fiancé’s infidelity. With Jon Hamm, Ken Marino, John Slattery, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang and Thomas Lennon. Directed by David Wain. Market Arcade, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

I, NOBODY (NR) Malayalam language action drama about an innocent man who becomes a suspect in a bank robbery. Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Hakkim Shahjahan. Directed by Nisam Basheer. Regal Elmwood

IDHAYAM MURALI (NR) Tamil-language romantic drama, and that’s all the information I have. Starring Atharvaa, Kayadu Lohar and Preity Mukhundhan. Directed by Aakash Baskaran. Regal Elmwood

THE INVITE (R) Olivia Wilde directed and stars in this comedy about a repressed couple who encounter their sexually liberated neighbors. With Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

LENIN (NR) A Bollywood biopic of the Russian revolutionary leader. Starring Akhil Akkineni, Bhagyashri Borse, and Sunil. Directed by Murali Kishor Abburu. Regal Elmwood

MADDIE’S SECRET (NR) in this affectionate parody of Lifetime Channel dramas, a restaurant employee’s newfound fame as a chef is stymied by her history of bulimia. Starring Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Vanessa Bayer, Kristen Johnston, Chris Bauer, and John Early, who also directed. Regal Transit

MOANA (PG) The latest Disney live-action adaptation of one of its animated hits. Starring Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, and Rena Owen. Directed by Thomas Kail. AMC Maple Ridge, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, , Transit Drive-In

NIGHT NURSE (NR) Arthouse drama about a nurse who becomes oddly involved in the lives of her patients while trying to protect them from a scam. Starring Cemre Paksoy, Bruce McKenzie, Eleonore Hendricks and Mimi Rogers. Directed by Georgia Bernstein. Market Arcade, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

SAKR W KANARIA (NR) A mercenary’s attempts to retired are frustrated when a writer obsessed with the spy game enters his life in this Egyptian adventure-comedy. Starring Mohamed Emam, Chico, and Khaled El-Sawi. Directed by Husain El-Minbawi. Regal Elmwood

NOW PLAYING:

BACKROOMS (R) Horror film adapted from an internet webseries and creepypasta. (Look it up – I had to.) Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass. Directed by Kane Parsons., Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In Theatre

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 (PG-13) Sequel. Starring Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci. Directed by David Frankel (Marley and Me). Regal Transit

DISCLOSURE DAY (PG-13) The secret is out about alien life on Earth in this new collaboration from Steven Spielberg and writer David Koepp (War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park). Starring Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Jane Blankenship, and Colman Domingo. Read M. Faust’s review here. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In Theatre

JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (R) Old and new footage are combined for what is reportedly the last film in this franchise. Wanna bet we’ll be seeing Jackass: The Next Generation in a few years? With Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, and the other usuals. Directed by Jeff Tremaine. Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In Theatre

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (PG-13) New fantasy adventure based on the Mattel toy. Starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, and Idris Elba. Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee). Regal Quaker

MICHAEL (PG-13) Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar plays his most famous uncle in a biopic that only goes up to the late 1980s. With Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). Regal Quaker

MINIONS & MONSTERS (PG) This year’s sequel to the spin-off series begun with Despicable Me. Director Pierre Coffin provides the voices of the leading characters, joined by Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, and Bobby Moynihan. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Joylan, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In Theatre

OBSESSION (R) In a new variant on the classic story The Monkey’s Paw, a nerd is granted his wish for his childhood crush to become madly in love with him. Starring Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, and Cooper Tomlinson. Directed by Curry Barker (Milk & Serial). AMC Maple Ridge, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

SCARY MOVIE (R) The Wayans brothers return to spoofing horror movies with this reboot retread regurg whatev. The Wayans are joined by Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Kenan Thompson, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, and Heidi Gardner. Directed by Michael Tiddes (Fifty Shades of Black). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (PG-13) Umpteenth Star Wars sequel. Starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, and Sigourney Weaver. Directed by Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens). Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

SUPERGIRL (PG-13) DC steps up to the bat now that the Marvel franchises all seem played out. Starring Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, and Jason Momoa. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

TOY STORY 5 (PG) Sequel. The usual ensemble of voice actors (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, et al.) is joined by Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, and Craig Robinson. Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In Theatre

YOUNG WASHINGTON (PG-13) Don’t expect a lot of historical authenticity in this effort from “faith-based” Angel Studio to make George Washington a divinely inspired action hero. Starring William Franklyn-Miller, Joel Smallbone, Kelsey Grammer, and Andy Serkis. Directed by Jon Erwin. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

ETC. 

AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000, R)—Film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s much-reviled satire of materialism in the Reagan 80s. Director Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol), who co-scripted with Guinevere Turner, strips away most of the sex and carnage from this tale of Patrick Bateman, Wall Street scion who spends his days in relentless pursuit of materialistic perfection and his nights in orgies of sex and slaughter. Starring Christian Bale, Willem DaFoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Bill Sage and Samantha Mathis. Mon 7 pm. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker

GOLDFINGER (1965, NR)— The third and for many the best of the James Bond films. Starring San Connery, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, and Harold Sakata. Directed by Guy Hamilton. Sat-Sun 12:30 pm, Mon-Weds 7:15 pm Market Arcade

MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001, R)—David Lynch’s most accessible realization of his peculiar vision, a noirish masterpiece about an amnesiac actress searching Los Angeles for clues to her identity. Starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Dan Hedaya, Robert Forster and Michael C. Anderson. Fri 10 pm. Market Arcade

STUDIO GHIBLI FEST—A week of films from the Japanese animation studio, including Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. Check the theater’s website for times and language information. North Park

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THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

AMC Maple Ridge, 4276 Maple Road, Amherst https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/buffalo/amc-maple-ridge-8

Angola Theatre, 72 N. Main St., Angola, NY https://angolatheatre.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 Flix, 4901 Transit Road, Depew www.dipsontheatres.com

Dunkirk Multiplex, 10520 Bennett Road, Dunkirk https://www.dunkirkmultiplex.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/

Market Arcade, 639 Main St., Buffalo https://www.btmcinemas.com/our-locations/g0fz6-scene-one-market-arcade-cinemas/

Regal Elmwood, 2001 Elmwood Avenue., Buffalo https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Quaker Crossing, 3450 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Transit, 6707 Transit Road. Williamsville https://www.regmovies.com/

Regal Walden Galleria, Galleria Mall, Cheektowaga https://www.regmovies.com/

Riviera Theater, 67 Webster Street, North Tonawanda https://rivieratheatre.org/

The Screening Room, Boulevard Mall Amherst www.screeningroom.net 

Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, 23 S Main Street, Warsaw https://www.spotlighttheater.com/movie-theater/warsaw

Squeaky Wheel, Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main Street, Suite 310, Buffalo https://squeaky.org/

Transit Drive-In Theatre, 6655 S. Transit Road, Lockport https://www.transitdrivein.com