By: Michael Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

200% WOLF (PG) Sequel to 100% Wolf, which apparently followed the animated adventures of a were-poodle. Honestly, I don’t make this stuff up. With the voices of Ilai Swindells, Elizabeth Nabben and Jennifer Saunders. Directed by Alexs Stadermann (Maya the Bee). Dunkirk Multiplex.

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (R) Carol Kane as a septuagenarian music teacher who decides to convert to Judaism. If I had to make a list of the problem with contemporary movies, somewhere in the top ten would be that there are not enough movies with Carol Kane. Co-starring Jason Schwartzman, Dolly De Leon, Caroline Aaron and Robert Smigel. Directed by Nathan Silver (The Great Pretender). North Park, Regal Transit.

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. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In.

THE CROW (R) Reboot of the 1994 comic book fantasy about a rock musician (Bill Skarsgård) who returns from the dead to seek vengeance on his killers. With FKA Twigs and Danny Houston. Directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson McKinley, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

DEMONTE COLONY 2 (NR) Tamil language supernatural thriller. Starring VJ Archana, Arulnithi and C. Arunpandian. Directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu. Regal Elmwood.

MARUTHI NAGAR SUBRAMANYAM (NR) Telugu comedy about an ordinary family man (Rao Ramesh) who discovers a huge amount of cash in his bank account. With Indraja and Ajay. Directed by Lakshman Karya. Regal Elmwood.

NUNAKKUZHI (NR) A young man is caught in a web of lies and mistaken identities in this Malayalam language drama. Starring Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal and Shyam Mohan. Directed by Jeethu Joseph. Regal Transit.

STRANGE DARLING (R) Early reviews are unanimous in advising that this movie be seen with no foreknowledge other than the promotional tagline “A day in the twisted love life of a serial killer.” Starring Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey. Directed by JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

STREE 2 (Woman 2: Terror of the Headless) (NR) Sequel to the 2019 Hindi comedy about a small town beset by ghosts. Starring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi Directed by Amar Kaushik. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit.

VAAZHAI (NR) Tamil language drama about a boy entering adulthood in a rural village. Starring Dhivya Dhuraisamy, Nikhila Vimal and Kalaiyarasan. Directed by Mari Selvaraj Regal Elmwood.

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. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson Amherst, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Hamburg Palace, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In.

BORDERLANDS (PG-13) Apparently in the mood to go slumming after her Oscar-nominated performance in Tár, Cate Blanchett stars in this video game adaptation that sounds more than a little like Guardians of the Galaxy. Co-starring Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramírez and Jamie Lee Curtiss Directed by Eli Roth (Hostel). Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria.

CORALINE (PG) Revival of the 2009 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. Directed by Henry Selilck (The Nightmare Before Christmas). AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

CUCKOO (R) Horror movie that kicks off when an American teenager is shipped off to live with her father and his new family at a resort in the German Alps. Starring Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt and Marton Csokas. Directed by Tilman Singer (Luz). Regal Elmwood.

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 Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson Amherst, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In.

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. AMC Maple Ridge, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In.

DIDI (R) Coming of age story set in 2008 about a Taiwanese American boy in the summer between eighth grade and high school. Starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen and Shirley Chen. Written and directed by Sean Wang. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria.

FLY ME TO THE MOON (PG-13) In 1969, marketing whiz Scarlett Johansson is hired by mysterious government agent Woody Harrelson to film a faked moon landing as backup in case the cameras for the real one don’t work. This makes NASA honcho Channing Tatum very grumpy. Read M. Faust’s review here. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon). Aurora.

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON (PG) In this live action/animation mix, the now adult hero (Zachary Levi) of the beloved children’s book continues to use his crayon to refashion the world around him. Co-starring Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, Benjamin Bottani, Jemaine Clement and the voice of Alfred Molina. Directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age). Joylan, Regal Quaker.

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. AMC Maple Ridge, Capitol (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In.

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, AMC Market Arcade, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson Amherst, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In.

LONGLEGS (R) Nicolas Cage as a serial killer stalked by FBI agent Maika Monroe. With Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt. Directed by Oz Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House). Regal Quaker MY PENGUIN FRIEND (PG) Based on the true story of a fisherman (Jean Reno) who rescues a penguin from an oil spill. Read Sarah T. Schwab’s review here. Directed by David Schurmann (Little Secret). Capitol (Dipson), North Park, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria 

ROB PEACE (R) Chiwetel Ejiofor directed, scripted and stars in this drama about a young man (Jay Will) who risks a promising future to try to get his unjustly condemned father out of prison. With Mary J. Blige, Camila Cabello, Michael Kelly and Mare Winningham. Regal Transit 

RYAN’S WORLD THE MOVIE: TITAN UNIVERSE ADVENTURE (PG) Live action/animation fantasy based on a YouTube series popular with kids. Directed by Albie Hecht. Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Walden Galleria 

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). AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria 

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). AMC Maple Ridge, Capitol (Dipson), Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Flix (Dipson), Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In.

WIDOW CLICQUOT (R) British biodrama about the 18^th century Frenchwoman (Haley Bennett) who turned her inherited vineyard into one of the world’s leading Champagne houses. Read M. Faust’s review here. Co-starring Tom Sturridge, Sam Riley, Ben Miles, Natasha O’Keeffe and Nicholas Farrell. Directed by Thomas Napper (Baptiste). North Park.

ETC: 

DARKMAN (R, 1990)—In between The Evil Dead and Spider-Man, Sam Raimi made this B-movie tribute staring Liam Neeson as a scientist horribly injured in a criminal attack who seeks revenge on those responsible With Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake and Jenny Agutter; look for cameos by Raimi’s filmmaking buddies the Coen Brothers, John Landis, William Lustig and William Dear. Sat 5 pm. The Screening Room.

EVIL DEAD 2 (NR, 1987)—George Romero meets the Three Stooges in the film for which the term “splatstick” was coined. Fans recognize it as the film for which Sam Raimi will be best remembered no matter how many billion dollars his Spider-Man movies made. Starring Bruce Campbell, of course. Thurs 7;30, 9:45 pm. Dipson Amherst.

HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (R, 1973)—Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this classic western as a gunfighter tasked with protecting the citizens of a town that doesn’t necessarily deserve his help. It’s generally considered one of his best films, certainly by local filmmaker Greg Lamberson, who will introduce each screening. Fri, Sat, Tues 7:30 pm. The Screening Room.

WAYNE’S WORLD (PG-13) and BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (PG)—Dumb duos dominate this week’s 80s retro drive-in double feature. Tues dusk.Transit Drive In.

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

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/