M. Faust tells you everything you need to know about going to the movies

By: M. Faust

OPENING THIS WEEK

CATVIDEOFEST (NR) This year’s compilation of adorable cat videos. Can you imagine having the job of whittling down hundreds of these into two hours? Proceeds raise money for cats in need. Dipson Capitol (Sat-Sun only), Dipson Flix (Sat-Sun only), North Park. Watch the official trailer below.

COUP! (NR) When the island location of a wealthy mansion is struck by the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, the house’s mysterious new cook rouses the staff to overthrow their employers. Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen and Sarah Gadon. Directed by Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark (The God Committee). Regal Transit. Watch the official trailer here.

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). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dipson McKinley Mall, Dunkirk, Flix, Geneseo, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw. Watch the official trailer below.

KNEECAP (R) In this acclaimed Irish comedy, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvai play characters based on themselves, a trio of rebellious Irish youngsters who set out to rescue their native language by forming a rap group. With Michael Fassbender and Josie Walker. Directed by Rich Peppiatt. Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria. Watch the official trailer here.

PEAK SEASON (NR) On vacation in Jackson Hole WY, an overworked NYC corporate consultant (Claudia Restrepo) longs for the simple life exemplified by her guide (Derrick Joseph DeBlasis). Directed by Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner (The End of Us). Regal Transit. Watch the official trailer here.

NOW PLAYING

AURON MEIN KAHAN DUM THA (NR) In this Hindi language drama, a man is reunited with his lost love after 20 years in prison. Starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Jimmy Shergill. Directed by Neeraj Pandey (M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story).  Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit. Watch the official trailer above.

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE (R) Buddy cop sequel. Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Tiffany Haddish. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Rebel).  Aurora. Watch the official trailer here.

DAARU NA PEENDA HOVE (NR) Punjabi-language comedy-drama starring Amrinder Gill as a bachelor who becomes the unwilling guardian of a young girl. Directed by Rajiv Dhingra (Shahkot). Regal Elmwood. Watch the official trailer 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) AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Brockport, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dipson McKinley Mall, Dunkirk, Flix, Geneseo, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

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, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dipson McKinley Mall, Dunkirk, Flix, Geneseo, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

THE FABULOUS FOUR (R) See Sarah Schwab’s Buffalo Hive review here. Four middle-aged women—two of whom haven’t spoken in 40 years—are reunited at a destination wedding in the Florida Keys. Will Lou (Susan Sarandon) and Marilyn (Bette Midler) bury the hatchet before the film ends? Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally round out the quartet of stars who deserved a better script than this formulaic comedy offers them. (SS) Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (Muriel’s Wedding). Dunkirk, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria. Watch the official trailer here.

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, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dunkirk, Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

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).  AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol Theater, Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

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).  Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

TRAP (PG-13) Josh Hartnett takes his teenaged daughter to a concert stalked by a serial killer. Co-starring Hayley Mills and Alison Pil. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin).  AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dunkirk, Flix, Geneseo, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

TWISTERS (PG-13) See M. Faust’s Buffalo Hive review here. 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, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol Theater, Dipson McKinley Mall, Dunkirk, Flix, Geneseo, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

THE WATCHERS (PG-13) Dakota Fanning as an artist trapped in a secluded Irish forest with three strangers who are stalked by mysterious creatures every night. Co-starring Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Charles Camrose. Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan (yes, his daughter; he produced this.) Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer here.

RESCREENINGS

BATMAN (1989, PG-13) The birth of the modern comic book movie. Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough and Jack Palance. Directed by Tim Burton (Beetlejuice). North Park. Watch the official trailer here.

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) and MEN IN BLACK (1997)—Is it possible that anyone could enjoy both parts of this drive-in double feature equally? Tues at dusk. Transit Drive-In. Watch the official trailer for E.T. here and Men in Black here.

LEGEND (1985) Tim Curry as the spectacularly imagined Lord of Darkness is the chief reason to see this pre-CGI fantasy movie starring Tom Cruise as a forest boy tasked with saving the world from. With Mia Sara, David Bennent, Billy Barty and Cork Hubbert. Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien). Fri, Sat, Tues 7:30 pm. The Screening Room. Watch the official trailer here.

THE STRANGER (1946)—Orson Welles directed and co-stars in this suspenseful thriller about a government agent (Edward G. Robinson) tracking down an escaped Nazi living under an assumed name in suburban Connecticut. Welles and John Huston both worked on the script, though they’re not credited. Co-starring Loretta Young and Richard Long; look closely for “Brother” Theodore Gottlieb. Sat 5 pm. The Screening Room. Watch the official trailer here.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990)—If you were born in the 1980s, you may still consider this one of the greatest movies ever made. Starring Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas and Josh Pais; look fast for Sam Rockwell and Skeet Ulrich as thugs. Directed by Steve Barron (Electric Dreams). Sat 9:35. North Park. Watch the official trailer above.

LOCAL MOVIE THEATERS

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/

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

M. Faust is a veteran film critic and a contributor to The Buffalo Hive