Buffalo Movies: A variety of new films are set to open in Buffalo are theaters this weekend. Film Focus is your guide for what’s playing in WNY.

(Above: Charles Chaplin in The Great Dictator (1940). Photo by Bettmann/Bettmann Archive – Image courtesy gettyimages.com).

By M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

CORPORATE RETREAT (NR) How did it take so long for someone to come up with this as the setting for a slasher movie? Starring Odeya Rush, Sasha Lane, Ashton Sanders, Alan Ruck, Kirby Johnson, and Rosanna Arquette. Directed by Aaron Fisher. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

DRISHYAM 3 (NR) Malayalam-language crime thriller sequel. Starring Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, and Murali Gopy. Directed by Jeethu Joseph. Regal Elmwood 

I LOVE BOOSTERS (R) Shoplifters versus a mean fashion designer in this comedy adapted from the song of the same name. Starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore. Directed by Boots Riley. Dipson Capitol, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

KARUPPU (NR) A god disguises himself as a lawyer to investigate corruption in the Indian legal system. Starring Suriya, Trisha Krishnan and Balaji. Directed by RJ Balaji. Regal Elmwood 

PASSENGER (R) A young couple on the road is stalked by a relentless supernatural being. Starring Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo. Directed by André Øvredal (The Last Voyage of the Demeter). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942, NR) Gary Cooper as first baseman Lou Gehrig in this Hollywood classic inspirational drama. With Teresa Wright, Walter Brennan, and various NY Yankees as themselves. Directed by Sam Wood (Goodbye Mr. Chips). North Park 

SACCHARINE (R) Yet another horror movie, this one about a young woman haunted by the ghost of the person whose ashes she ate. I swear I didn’t make that up. Starring Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, Madeleine Madden and Robert Taylor. Directed by Natalie Erika James (Apartment 7A). Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

STALAG 17 (1953, NR) Revival of Billy Wilder’s typically dark comedy set in a German prison camp, where cynical William Holden is suspected of being an informant. The ensemble cast includes Don Taylor, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Peter Graves, Sig Ruman, and Otto Preminger. North Park 

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (PG-13) Advance box office predictions are not great for this umpteenth Star Wars sequel. Starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, and Sigourney Weaver. Directed by Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens). AMC Maple Ridge, Angola, Aurora, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In

TWO PIANOS (NR) French drama starring François Civil as a famous pianist who returns to his home town of Lyon. With Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Charlotte Rampling and Hippolyte Girardot. directed by Arnaud Desplechin (Brother and Sister). North Park 

TWIN PEAKS series 2 episode 1 (1990) (NR) David Lynch wrote and directed this feature length opening of the second series of his WTF television show. Remastered for theatrical release Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Peggy Lipton, Russ Tamblyn, and of course Jack Nance. North Park 

NOW PLAYING:

HOKUM (R) Scary stuff with Adam Scott as a novelist in a haunted Irish B&B. With Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, and Austin Amelio. Directed by Damian McCarthy (Oddity). Regal Elmwood, Transit Drive-In

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

IN THE GREY (R) A team of elite operatives is hired to retrieve a billion dollar fortune stolen by a ruthless despot. Staring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Kristofer Hivju, and Rosamund Pike. Directed by Guy Ritchie (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare). Dipson Capitol, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

IS GOD IS (R) Aleshea Harris directed this adaptation of her play about two sisters tasked by their mother to kill their abusive father. Starring Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, and Vivica A. Fox. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

KARUPPU (BLACK) (NR) In this Tamil language action drama, a village lawyer moonlights as a costumed superhero seeking justice for his neighbors. Starring Suriya, Trisha Krishnan, RJ Balaji, and Yogi Babu. Directed by RJ Balaji. Regal Elmwood

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

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY: THE SORCERY OF NYMPH CIRCE (PG-13) Anime. Wouldn’t you hate to be the guy who had to put this title up on a theater marquee? Regal Transit

MORTAL KOMBAT II (R) Sequel. Starring Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, and Karl Urban. Directed by Simon McQuoid. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

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, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

PROJECT HAIL MARY (PG-13) Science fiction adventure starring Ryan Gosling as an astronaut who wakes up on a spaceship light years from Earth with no memory of who he is. Which is gonna make it hard for him to save the world. With Sandra Hüller. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit 

SHREK (PG) 25^th anniversary re-release. With the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson. Regal Walden Galleria

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (PG) British comedy about murder mystery-loving sheep who decide to investigate the death of their shepherd (Hugh Jackman). Co-starring Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, and Emma Thompson, with the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, and Patrick Stewart. Directed by Kyle Balda (Minions). Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (PG) The all-star voice cast features Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Issa Rae, Luis Guzman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Brie Larson, and Glen Powell. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Dipson Capitol, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

ETC. 

BABY DRIVER (2017, R)—Hotshot young crime driver versus gangsters. Starring Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm and Kevin Spacey. Directed in what appears to be a shameless effort to sell out to Hollywood by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Sun only)

THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980, R)—John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd brought their SNL musical act to the big screen in this comedy that defined the phrase “over the top” until the advent of CGI. It’s worth seeing for performances by James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and (briefly) John Lee Hooker, along with cameos from an endless line of familiar faces including Henry Gibson, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Kathleen Freeman, Steve Lawrence, Twiggy, Frank Oz, Charles Napier, Steven Spielberg, Joe Walsh, Chaka Khan, and Paul (Pee-wee Herman) Reubens. Directedly by John Landis (Animal House). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Mon only)

E.T.: THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (1982, PG)—What can there possibly be left to say? Starring Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore, C. Thomas Howell and Erika Eleniak. Shamelessly directed by Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park

FARGO (1996, R)—Joel and Ethan Coen’s first big hit was this comic noir based on a true story of a Minnesota car salesman (William H. Macy) who plans a fake kidnapping of his wife to get a ransom from his rich father-in-law. Frances McDormand won an Oscar as the pregnant sheriff on the case. With Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare, and John Carroll Lynch. 10 pm Friday. Market Arcade

THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940, NR)—As a barber who is mistaken for a certain German dictator, Charlie Chaplin satirizes fascism, antisemitism, and Nazism in a movie that will maybe teach the world something: we don’t seem to have learned quite yet. With Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, Reginald Gardiner, and Billy Gilbert. Market Arcade (Sun, Weds only)

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013, R)—The Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961 is the setting for this Coen Brothers film starring Oscar Isaac as a singer whose career and life are at a dead stop. With Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and F. Murray Abraham. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Thurs only)

LEGALLY BLONDE (2001, PG-13)—Reese Witherspoon has the title role in this comedy about a California sorority queen who gets dumped by her politically ambitious boyfriend. To get him back, she follows him into Harvard Law School. With Luke Wilson and Selma Blair. Directed by Robert Luketic. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Sun, Weds only)

MODERN TIMES (1936)—Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp never says a word as he and a companion (Paulette Goddard) try to navigate the world of the depression. Nearly a year was spent filming what is universally considered one of the cinema’s greatest comedies. With Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford and Chester Conklin. Market Arcade (Sat, Mon only)

PITCH PERFECT (2012, PG-13)—Twice-sequeled comedy about a college acapella singing group. Starring Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt and Brittany Snow. Directed by Jason Moore. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Sat only)

POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING (2016, R)—Andy Samberg and a bunch of other SNL performers and writers make fun of boy bands. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Weds only)

ROCKETMAN (2019, R)—You get a lot more of Elton John’s music than biography in this standard Hollywood biopic. Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, and Bryce Dallas Howard Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Tues only)

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015, R)—Bio-drama about the 1980s rap group NWA, whose members included Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell and Neil Brown Jr. Directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday). Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria (Fri only)

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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