⌘Untitled Document
Click on the above links for more informaion.
Thursday, may 8:
• “War Is Not the Answer” Film
Series, 7 p.m., Midcoast Meeting House, 77
Belvedere Rd., Damariscotta. Film series portraying the folly and horror of
war begins with Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory”
(1957). FMI: 594-8082 or 354-9556.
Friday, may 9 – Thursday, may 15:
• colonial
theatre, Belfast:
“Speed Racer,” “Iron Man,” “Forgetting Sarah
Marshall.”
• Flagship Cinemas 10,
Thomaston: “Made of Honor,”
“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay,” “Baby
Mama,” “Nim’s Island,” “Iron Man,”
“Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” “Flawless,”
“Redbelt,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “What
Happens in Vegas,” “Speed Racer.”
• STRAND THEATRE,
345 Main St., Rockland: “Miss Pettigrew
Lives for a Day.” FMI: 594-0070.
Friday, may 9:
• Thomaston Library Film Series, 6:30 p.m., 60 Main St., Thomaston. Tonight: “La
Strada,” Federico Fellini’s Academy Award-winning film from
1956, with Richard Basehart and Giulietta Masina. Popcorn and drink
provided. Free, but donations are welcome. fmI: 354-2453.
• Belfast Free Library Foreign Film Series, 7 p.m.
“White,” the second of Kieslowski’s great trilogy, will
be shown. Free. Discussion following film.
• Short Films on Tour from Philadelphia, 7-9 p.m., Waterfall Arts, 256 High St., Belfast. 80-minute
reel of short films by Philadelphia artists. $3-$8 suggested donation. FMI:
338-1416.
monday, may 12:
• Classic Film Series, 5 & 7:
30 p.m., Skidompha Library, Main St., Damariscotta. “All My Sons” (1948),
starring Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians and Howard
Duff, is the movie version of the Arthur Miller play. $5 donation. FMI:
563-5513.
• “The Illuminated Chakras,” 6:30 & 8 p.m., LilyPond House, 120 Union St., Rockport
(in front of ymca).
Following film there will be a talk given by Sarabelle, who holds a degree
in healing science from the Barbara Ann Brennan School of Healing. FMI:
354-0264 or whitewolf444@verizon.net.
thursday, may 15:
• “Return to Oz,” 6:30 p.m., Rockland Library. Screening of the cult favorite in honor of L. Frank
Baum’s birthday. Free.
LOW-RISK DISCS
— by Gordon MacLachlan
And now, from the “I guess I’ll buy a
second version of this movie on DVD before I eventually buy it again on
Blu-Ray” category: to whet our appetites for the opening later this
month of the new “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull” installment, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is being
released this Tuesday as a single, stand-alone, Special Edition disc (it
was previously only available as part of a box set of the first three
Indiana Jones movies). Of course there are new special features included
with the disc, so you’re in the annoying position of being “The
Fan Who’s Supposed To Be Independently Wealthy Enough To Afford
Multiple Editions Of The Same Blessed Film.” This unfortunate sucker
is a close relative of “The Music Fan Who’s Supposed To Be
Independently Wealthy Enough To Afford Buying The Same Led Zeppelin Songs
Eleven Times Because They Keep Getting Remastered.”
But nothing is quite as annoying as George
Lucas’s continuing penchant for renaming every movie he’s
associated with. The theory is that we are expected to now call
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” by the name “Indiana Jones and
the Raiders of the Lost Ark,” just as we were expected to refer to
“Star Wars” as “Episode IV: A New Hope.” Of all the
things in this transient world I am sure of, one of them is that—and
I swear this on my unborn children—I will never, ever call them by
those names. (I’m waiting for “American Graffiti” to be
re-released as “Tagging in These United States.”) I suppose I
should be grateful that “Raiders” director Steven Spielberg has
resisted his own Lucasian urge to add or alter footage in the film itself.
Don’t these people have better things to think on, like whatever
their next record-breaking, cash-cow franchise could be? Having said all
this, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is still the best adventure
film I’ve ever seen. Enjoy it again.
Another of these California colleagues is Francis Ford
Coppola, who was the first breakout commercial success of the group that
included Spielberg, Lucas and Martin Scorsese in the golden era of American
filmmaking that was the early-to-mid-1970s. “The Godfather” and
its 1974 sequel are astonishing examples of the perfect blending of art and
entertainment; few art films are more layered, and few blockbusters are
more gripping. But that was a long time ago, and Coppola has labored under
the burden of repeating that kind of success ever since. He certainly
notched up another masterpiece with “Apocalypse Now” in 1979,
and “smaller” movies like “Tucker: The Man and His
Dream” have found a place in my own DVD collection. His most recent
offering, “Youth Without Youth,” arrives on DVD next week, and
it has received a wide range of critical evaluation. It’s clearly an
ambitious movie, with an eye on serious philosophical concerns and a
structure that teases and challenges. Some call it brilliant, others call
it pretentious. As for me, I just can’t not give a Coppola film a
chance.
I also have a soft spot for early “Saturday Night
Live” episodes, of which even Jane Curtin has said some are not as
funny as the mythmakers have led us to believe. I do think the original
cast—with the addition of Bill Murray and the exit of Chevy
“One-Note” Chase—was ingenious and hypertalented, and the
Third Season is more evidence of this. The Wild and Crazy Guys, The
Coneheads, Mr. Bill, Andy Kaufman—and if the rest isn’t
history, that stuff is. Even more than the sketches, I get a kick out of
the stellar roster of musical guests that appeared on the show that season,
which included Paul Simon, Taj Mahal, Ray Charles, Jackson Browne, Willie
Nelson, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Sun Ra,
and of course, The Blues Brothers.
(By the way, as far as I can tell, the only differences
between this “Limited Edition” box set and the regular set that
will be released in the near future are the physical packaging and the
inclusion of four collectible postcards in the “Limited” set.
Don’t hold me to this, but I’d guess that, as usual, it’s
worth waiting a little while.)
Finally I’d like to mention a movie that caught
my eye called “Autism: The Musical.” By all accounts this seems
to be both an accurate and moving documentary about a group of autistic
children, their parents, and the acting coach who helps the kids put on a
stage production. It’s refreshing to see a broad view of autism
taken, given our growing recent awareness of the varieties of forms the
condition can take. I’ll definitely find the time to check it out.
Gordon MacLachlan is a digital editor and cameraman
and the owner of SoundOnScreen Video Services in Camden. He teaches film at
the University of Maine at Orono. Contact him at gordon@soundonscreen.com.
Week of May 9 – May 15
In Our Theaters
— mostly by Lisa Miller
Short descriptions of movies that are playing locally
BABY MAMA PG-13/Comedy/Dir:
Michael McCullers (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Steve Martin) A
successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby discovers she
is infertile and hires a working-class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed PG/Documentary/Dir: Nathan Frankowski (Ben Stein and others)
A “documentary” attemptimg to show the merits of intelligent
design and discredit evolution.
Flawless PG-13/Suspense/Dir:
Michael Radford (Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Lambert Wilson) A crime/drama
set in 1960 London, where a soon-to-retire janitor convinces a
glass-ceiling-constrained American executive to help him steal a handful of
diamonds from their employer, the London Diamond Corporation.
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL R/Comedy/Dir:
Nicholas Stoller (Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd) Peter (Segel)
can’t get away from his ex-girlfriend, Sarah (Bell). She has ended
their 5-year relationship in order to be with Aldous, a Fabio knockoff.
Hoping to make a fresh start, Peter heads for a Hawaiian resort where he
runs into Sarah and Aldous and discovers he’s booked in the suite
next door to theirs – the only room left. Sarah isn’t about to
let Peter’s proximity ruin her trip, though Aldous hopes that he and
Peter can be friends.
HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
R/Comedy/Dir: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg (John
Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris) Zany Harold and Kumar (Cho and Penn)
reunite for this sequel. While jetting to Amsterdam and the promise of
legalized drugs, they are caught with a high-tech bong that looks like a
bomb. Hopeless during their interrogation, the duo is shipped off to
Guantanamo Bay. Once there, Kumar masterminds an escape to Texas where he
hopes a well-connected friend can right their legal woes.
IRON MAN PG-13/Action/Dir:
Jon Favreau (Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff
Bridges, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir) When industrial designer
Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) travels to Afghanistan to assess U.S. weaponry
needs, he is kidnapped by local warlords and forced to build them a
missile. Instead, Stark assembles an Iron Man suit used to decimate the
guards and, outfitted with jet propulsion, fly him back to the USA.
Subsequently, the industrialist loses all interest in warfare, but he
becomes Iron Man once again when Stark’s partner steals the
technology for himself.
MADE OF HONOR PG-13/Comedy/Dir:
Paul Weiland (Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kelly
Carlson) The film casts Dempsey as Tom, a womanizer who realizes his best
friend, Hannah (Monaghan), is the only girl for him immediately after she
becomes engaged to Scotsman Colin McMurray (McKidd). Hannah asks Tom to be
her maid of honor, a role he accepts knowing they’ll be spending time
together that he hopes to use to ignite a romantic spark. Competing for
Hannah’s attention with her hunky betrothed, Tom must also endure the
sarcastic scrutiny of Colin’s wealthy, uppity clan.
Miss Pettigrew LiveS For A Day PG-13/Comedy/Dir: Bharat Nalluri (Frances McDormand, Amy
Adams, Lee Pace) Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds
herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment
catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an
American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse.
NIM’S ISLAND PG/Fantasy/Dir:
Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin (Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail
Breslin) From the book by Wendy Orr. The story takes place at the idyllic
home of young Nim (Breslin), her marine biologist father (Butler) and her
many animal friends. Nim loves author Alex Rover’s (Foster) books
– stories centered around a macho adventurer. When Nim’s father
goes missing, Nim pleads for help from the author. In reality, Alex never
ventures beyond her own front door. Egged on, the author braves a dangerous
world to come to Nim’s aid. It’s no surprise when Nim must
rescue her scaredey-cat savior.
REDBELT R/Drama/Dir:
David Mamet (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga,
Rodrigo Santoro, Max Martini, Joe Mantegna, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon,
Ricky Jay) Mike, a Ju-Jitsu instructor, has long resisted getting into the
ring, due to his belief that “A competition is not a fight.”
Unfortunate circumstances, involving an accidental shooting and a movie
star (Allen), force Mike (Ejiofor) to earn much- needed cash by appearing
in a competitive bout.
SPEED RACER PG/Action/Dir:
Andy and Larry Wachowski (Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci,
Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox) Speed (Hirsch), a racer from a family of
racers, is obsessed with cars and the sport. His Mach 5 car, invented by
Speed’s Dad (John Goodman), looks like a tricked-out Corvette. When
Royalton Industries blackmails Speed to enter the same cross-country rally
that killed Speed’s brother, the young racer turns to his girlfriend,
Trixie (Ricci), and his mom (Sarandon) for help and moral support.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS . . . PG-13/Comedy/Dir:
Tom Vaughan (Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Corddry, Queen Latifah,
Lake Bell) Capping off a night of drunken revelry, strangers Joy (Diaz) and
Jack (Kutcher) tie the knot at a Vegas wedding chapel. The following
morning, blame is still being assigned when Jack puts Joy’s quarter
into a slot machine and hits a $3 million jackpot. Back in their home
state, New York, a conservative judge (Dennis Miller) freezes the
pair’s winnings and sentences them to six months hard marriage. If
either walks out during that time, they forfeit all claims to the jackpot.
Coached by their friends, the pair sets about trying to run each other off,
despite a growing attraction.
Videos & DVDs
Just Released 5/6 —
P.S. I LOVE YOU PG-13/Drama/Dir: Richard LaGravenese (Hilary
Swank, Gerard Butler, Harry Connick Jr., Kathy Bates) Hilary Swank wades
through melodrama as Holly, a youngish, Manhattan widow forced to pursue
happiness, thanks to bossy letters written by her dead, hunky hubby, Gerry
(Butler). She continues to be reminded of their connubial bliss, cut short
by his brain tumor, when letters arrive at regular intervals following his
death. Gerry’s missives send Holly to karaoke with girlfriends (Lisa
Kudrow and Gina Gershon) and on a trip to Ireland, where love is merely a
sentimental poem away.
Recent Releases —
27 DRESSES PG-13/Comedy/Dir:
Anne Fletcher (Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Ed Burns, Judy Greer) Heigl
plays Jane, who is obligated to appear in two weddings on the same day. To
make matters worse, Jane’s handsome but dim-witted boss (Burns)
passes up the chance to date the lovely and dedicated Jane in favor of
rushing Jane’s bimbo sister to the altar. Things start looking up
when she meets journalist Kevin (Marsden). However, the writer’s
interest is a ruse to gather material for his story about a perpetual
bridesmaid.
ATONEMENT R/Drama/Dir: Joe
Wright (James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa
Redgrave, Brenda Blethyn) Based on Ian McEwan’s novel and set in
southern England during the 1930s and 1940s. Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie
(McAvoy), a young noblewoman and housekeeper’s (Blethyn) son, are
drawn to one another only to be ripped apart by Cecilia’s vengeful
13-year-old sister, Britony (played at various ages by Garai, Ronan and
Redgrave). Years pass and all three become involved in WWII, sharing
shattered personal lives that can be traced back to Britony’s
deception. A compelling third act offers a surprise ending and the lovely
Vanessa Redgrave.
BEE MOVIE PG/Animation/Comedy/Dir:
Simon J. Smith, Steve Hickner (Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Kathy
Bates, Robert Duvall, Larry King, William H. Macy, Oprah Winfrey, Matthew
Broderick) Seinfeld penned the script, starring himself as black and yellow
Barry the Bee. While exploring Manhattan, Barry discovers people have been
helping themselves to bee honey. Determined to set things right, Barry sues
humanity in court as any true New Yorker would.
CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR R/Drama/Dir:
Mike Nichols (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman) Adapted
from George Crile’s book based on a true account, the film documents
unforeseen events arising out of the best of intentions. Encouraged by
socialite Joanne Herring (Roberts), Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson
(Hanks) single-handedly arranges to fund the Afghan Mujahideen to fight the
Russians. Arms are procured for the cause from Israel by Gust Avrakotos, a
maverick CIA operative played with scene-stealing comic timing by Hoffman.
Technically a drama, the film vibrates with irony as it enthusiastically
illuminates a little-known piece of history.
Juno PG-13/ComedyDir: Jason
Reitman (Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison
Janney) Juno (Page) is a wise-beyond-her-years 16-year-old dealing with the
complexities of an unplanned pregnancy in this breathtakingly hilarious and
heartbreaking comedy. With its clever dialog, sharp wit, and knockout
performances (especially from Page), “Juno” is being lauded as
one of the freshest, most intelligent of comedies.
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET R/Musical Comedy/Dir: Tim Burton (Johnny Depp, Helena
Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman) After a long unjust prison sentence,
19th-century barber Sweeney Todd (Depp) plots revenge against a corrupt
judge (Rickman) and the judge’s cronies. Todd’s victims become
filling for meat pies sold by Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Carter). Adapted from the
play, songs are trimmed and the plot slightly altered.
There Will Be Blood R/Drama/Dir:
Paul Thomas Anderson (Daniel Day-Lewis, Ciarán Hinds, Kevin J.
O’Connor) A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered
around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
