In a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles’s legendary 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast, the hoax that terrified millions into believing Martians were invading America, citizens face what they think is their last night on Earth.
Here’s a look at the upcoming film BRAVE NEW JERSEY where the aliens never show up.
The over-worked town’s mayor Clark (Tony Hale, “Veep”) will take a chance on love. The neglected housewife, Lorraine (Heather Burns, “Manchester By The Sea”) will break free from her big-cheese husband (Sam Jaeger, “Parenthood”). The demure schoolteacher Peg (Anna Camp, “Pitch Perfect”) will become a warrior. The aimless reverend (Dan Bakkedahl, “Life in Pieces”) will rediscover his faith. The scared Sheriff (Mel Rodriguez, “The Last Man on Earth”) will find his courage. And the reclusive war veteran (Raymond J. Barry, “Training Day”) will become a hero as he convinces the town to fight the aliens. All these characters join forces for a final “battle” that leads to a surprising and hilarious outcome.
Directed by Jody Lambert ( People Like Us, Of All the Things), the alien invasion comedy opens IN THEATERS & ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 4, 2017.
“Trees and people used to be good friends. I saw that tree and decided to buy the house. Hope Mom likes it too. Okay, let’s pay our respects then get home for lunch.”
MY NEIGHBOR TORTORO kicks off STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2017 on Sunday June 25th at 1pm (dubbed) and Monday June 26th at 7pm (subtitled) For details and a list of participating theaters, go HERE
GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events, are proud to announce a partnership to bring the biggest series of anime titles to U.S audiences throughout 2017. STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2017 is a first-of-its-kind monthly series featuring six iconic animated classics from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. In addition to big screen presentations of these larger-than-life films, each event will also feature an exclusive edition of GKIDS Mini-Fest, an ongoing showcase of some of the best short animation from around the world.
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO was made back in 1988 and tells the story of Mr. Kusakabe and his two daughters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new home in rural Japan so they could be close to their sick mother. Their new home is run down and filled with soot spirits, but the family soon settles in. One day Mei meets a strange giant creature called Totoro, a large furry animal who has two minions. No one believes Mei at first but after Mei disappears Satsuki has to call Totoro for help. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a strange little film, but Miyazaki does have an understanding of a child’s imagination (either that or he takes a lot drugs). There is a certain Alice in Wonderland feel about the film, with Mei going down a hole and Totoro and the Catbus (one of the weirdest ideas ever) looking like the Chester Cat. But the main focus of the film is the relationship between the young girls and the father who is obviously overwhelmed with his caring for them, having a wife in hospital and continuing with his job. The children are energetic and believable and the film is about the wonders of a child’s imagination.
Here’s the rest of the line-up for STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2017:
Kiki’s Delivery Service – July 23-24 Castle in the Sky – August 27-28 Nausicaa On the Valley of the Wind – Sept 24-25 Spirited Away – Oct 29-30 Howl’s Movie Castle – Nov 26-27
I genuinely have no idea what to make of ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENICE. Like, why was it made? Who thought “yes, this is definitely the best we can manage” and released it to the public? Just before I looked up the career of co-writer / director Mark Cullen, I had the creeping realisation that this felt like a double episode of a basic-cable light drama show like “Burn Notice”, only not quite as good; it turns out Cullen has previous form in TV, being the creator of two failed shows (“Back In The Game” and “Mr Robinson”), and also the writer of “Cop Out”, the comedy that director Kevin Smith described as the most miserable experience of his life.
But I feel like Mr Cullen shouldn’t get the lion’s share of the blame for this – that must go to top-billed Bruce Willis, who also starred in “Cop Out”, where he regularly ignored his script, direction and co-stars for no reason other than he could. Well, that was a big budget cinema release, and this isn’t, and it’s safe to say Willis had a great deal more say about how this one turned out.
He plays Steve Ford, the only private detective in Venice Beach. Really? No, sorry, can’t get sidetracked this early. The basic plot is sort of about his friend’s dog, which is kidnapped by a drug dealer, and there’s a guy trying to sell an apartment block that a graffiti artist keeps defacing with exceptionally graphic art (the movie’s sole remotely funny running gag), and he’s got a best friend going through a divorce, and an assistant who’s also the movie’s narrator. The dog is the only creature in the movie who appears to be trying. There’s a few scenes with trans sex workers, and in case you were wondering, they’re so dumb that it’s difficult to take offence, or have any other sort of emotion than pity.
How I assume it worked is, Bruce made a few phone calls to his friends and got anyone who had a few days to spare to come along to Venice and shoot a few scenes, leading to an exceptionally baggy movie, one that feels far far longer than its 94 minute running time. He also wanted to have sex with a couple of women young enough to be his granddaughters (Willis is 62, and neither of the women he’s with look older than 25), so that happens as well. Sidetracked again! The drug dealer is Jason Momoa, his best friend is John Goodman, Goodman’s wife is Elizabeth Rohm, the real estate guy (called “Lew The Jew” but it’s cool because he calls himself that) is Adam Goldberg, Kal Penn pops up to play the guy who runs the corner convenience store, Famke Janssen is the dog’s owner and his assistant is played by Thomas Middleditch.
Now, the opening scene might have you believe that Middleditch is the star, and his unnecessary voiceover is our constant companion. His sole purpose, though, is to do the scenes that Willis couldn’t be bothered to, as the two men share almost no screen time and don’t have enough character between them to make two separate people. Their interactions have the strong whiff of improv, too, like Willis couldn’t be bothered to learn his lines, or he knew that Middleditch was an improv guy and wanted to try his hand at it as well (here’s a spoiler: he probably should have just stuck to the script).
If you like seeing movies where old men have sex with young women and fight huge, strong guys, then…I’d still not recommend this. There’s also a scene at the beginning where Willis is naked, on a skateboard (he’s a former skateboard champion as well as being a disgraced cop, two potential plot areas that are completely ignored after the first few scenes) and is chased through the streets. Do you want to know what a completely insulated-from-reality elderly A-lister thinks is funny? You’ll see it here, and you’ll also see the most obvious nudity-double ever, one so obvious that a better movie would have played it for laughs.
It’s nice, I suppose, to see Willis in light-comedy mode, a reminder that there was a good reason he was once one of the biggest stars on the planet. But he seems to be treating his waning years in slightly the same fashion as Marlon Brando or Nicolas Cage – Brando for the doing whatever he liked on set; and Cage for the choices themselves, although admittedly he hasn’t slipped quite as far into straight-to-video obscurity as Cage occasionally has.
Pepper in a few plot holes (if you had an eight-figure real estate deal about to go south thanks to a graffiti artist, would you hire a proper security firm…or the laziest private eye in town?) and you’ve got yourself a movie. Sort of. I kept hoping one of them would step up, but Middleditch looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, Willis looks like he doesn’t care and everyone else looks like they’re not sure what they’re supposed to be doing. There’s a curious mix of low-key improv comedy and slapstick, like they couldn’t decide which to do, and they really don’t go well together, in this instance.
“You were right. I’m a rebel. I am! I just channeled my rebellion into the mainstream.”
SOMETHING WILD screens Friday, June 23rd at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). This is the fifth film in their ‘Tribute to Jonathan Demme’ The movie starts at 8:00pm.
Director Jonathan Demme’s SOMETHING WILD (1986) more than lives up to its title. This rolicking, road trip melodrama about coincidences and happenstances features a slippery-fingered bohemian babe, a staid businessman, and a psychotic criminal on the lam. Charlie Driggs (Jeff Daniels) neglects to pay his bill one day, and a complete stranger, Lulu (Melanie Griffith) confronts him about it outside of the restaurant. Afterward, Lulu takes the hopelessly conventional Charlie on a wild ride that concludes with her handcuffing him to a bed in a sleazy motel and tearing off his clothes. Impulse prompts them to careen off with Charlie still wearing the cuffs. Eventually, they collide with Lulu’s ex, a sadistic, uninhibited parolee, Ray Sinclair (Ray Liotta) who epitomizes recklessness.
The first half of the action depicts the lunacy of Charlie and Lulu right down to an impromptu meeting with Lulu’s mother, while the second half waxes conventional with Ray and his criminal exploits. Liotta steals the show with an electrifying performance as an unhinged, gun-toting, ex-convict on parole. He is a force to be reckoned with and shows no qualms of giving into his violent urges. Ray makes a hypnotic villain and the confrontation between Charlie and he at the former’s suburban residence will have you screaming for Ray’s death (or maybe Charlies). The thing about SOMETHING WILD is its unpredictable passion. You don’t have any idea where it is going, even when it turns formulaic during its second half. Having Melanie Griffith running around naked the whole movie doesn’t hurt, but even on that note there’s a weird realistic edge to all the sexuality in the film. It’s unbelievably sexy without being dirty, cliché’, or overdone. So revisit this little gem when it screens Friday night at Webster University.
Admission is:
$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$4 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
Here’s the rest of the line-up for the other films that will be part of the ‘Tribute to Jonathan Demme’: 6/24 – Married to the Mob (1988) 6/30 – The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 7/1 – Philadelphia (1993)
MONSTER HUNT, one of China’s highest-grossing movies of all time is currently available on DVD in the US via FilmRise and MVD Entertainment Group.
Now you can own the MONSTER HUNT DVD. We Are Movie Geeks has TWO copies to give away.All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘MONSTER’ in the title? (mine is FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL!). It’s so easy!
Good Luck!
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.
Made for around $50 million, MONSTER HUNT has grossed over $390 million to set China’s all-time box office record. It beat out several foreign titles to get there, including Furious 7, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Avatar. Directed by Shrek the Third co-director Raman Hui, the live-action / CG fantasy epic centers on a war between monsters and humans. At the center of the story is Wuba, a baby monster born to a human man. Yes, a man.In a mythical ancient world, monsters rule their land while humans keep to their own kingdom. But when adorable baby monster Wuba is born to a human father and the monster queen, mortals and creatures alike set out to capture the newborn, and Wuba’s epic adventure begins. This is the latest film from Raman Hui – whose animated work includes modern-day children’s classics “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Antz.” “Monster Hunt” smashed box office records when it became the highest-grossing film in China’s history. This family-friendly version is intended for kids of all ages and has been dubbed in English.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson & Ryan Reynolds Star in the Edge-of-Your-Seat Sci-Fi Thriller LIFE Debuting on Digital June 2 On 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ & DVD June 20th. Includes Never-Before-Seen Astronaut Diaries & Three Immersive Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
Experience extraterrestrial life like you’ve never seen it before, in the heart-pounding sci-fi thrillerLIFE, debuting on digital June 2 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD June 20 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Skydance Productions. Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Best Supporting Actor, Brokeback Mountain, 2005), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) star as a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station who discover a rapidly evolving life form that threatens the crew and all life on Earth. Also starring Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine), Ariyon Bakare (Rogue One), and Olga Dihovichnaya (House of Others), the film was directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) and written by Deadpool screenwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Hailed by critics as a “non-stop thrill ride, with high stakes, terror, and intense moments around every corner” (Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com), LIFE also features the ultimate twist ending.
Packed with bonus materials, the Blu-ray, DVD and digital releases of LIFE include deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes featurettes and the never before seen “Astronaut Diaries”. In “Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space,” director Daniel Espinosa and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick take fans through their dynamic approach to creating the tense cinematic thriller. Fans dive deep into the scientific reasoning behind the creation of Calvin and learn why it inspires wonder and fear in “Creating Life: The Art and Reality of Calvin.” In “Life: In Zero G,” the cast and crew dive into the challenges of filming an entire film mimicking zero gravity. Finally, in “Astronaut Diaries,” Rory Adams, Miranda North and Hugh Derry reveal their inner most feelings about their mission and life, in video diaries pulled directly from the station.
LIFE is an intense sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life-form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, LIFE was produced by
David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn; with Don Granger and Vicki Dee Rock serving as executive producers.
Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD & Digital Bonus Materials Include:
Deleted Scenes
Three Featurettes:
“Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space”
“Life: In Zero G”
“Creating Life: The Art and Reality of Calvin”
“Astronaut Diaries”
LIFE has a run time of approximately 102 minutes and has an R rating for language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror.
Zoe Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Scarlett Johansson, and Jillian Bell star in Lucia Aniello’s bachelorette party comedy ROUGH NIGHT, Photo by Macall Polay. Courtesy of Columbia/Sony Pictures.
Scarlett Johansson leads a cast of raucous women characters in a comedy that does more than just flip the usual bachelor party trope on its head, in ROUGH NIGHT. The result is a refreshing take on buddy comedy that not only turns the tables on gender but completely nails how women really interact with each other, in a fitfully funny comedy.
Besides a strong female lead cast, ROUGH NIGHT is directed by a woman, Lucia Aniello, who also co-wrote the script and is one of the producers. Unlike the typical male-written script, these female characters are spot-on and interact like real women do, even if the situation is over-the-top comedy. While the women characters and how they interact is refreshingly accurate, the humor is sometimes uneven. Still, the film has much to recommend it – including not being another Bridesmaids wanna-bee.
Not surprisingly, the humor is on the raunchy side and leans a bit dark, although it mostly skips the potty humor, a nice change from many recent comedies. The plot follows the general outlines of other bachelor-party-gone-wrong comedies like THE HANGOVER, where one bad decision leads to another, with bits from WEEKEND AT BERNIES and VERY BAD THINGS as well.
Ten years after college, best buds Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), and Blair (Zoe Kravitz) reunite with bride-to-be Jess (Scarlett Johansson) for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. Alice has it all planned out, and the friends are set up in a beach-side home for the weekend, because just one day won’t be enough – at least for Alice. These four musketeers are joined by the bride’s Aussie pal Pippa (Kate McKinnon, sporting a wavering Australian accent but unerring comic instincts) who met Jess during a college study-abroad term but has never met her other college friends.
Although the women were inseparable pals and all wild partiers during college, each has gone her own way since. A flashback that starts the film shows us the college-aged characters that were, with best friends Jess and Alice teaming up to take on the frat boys at beer pong. Post-college, Jess has transformed into a sincere but awkward would-be politician, nervously shooting a political ad for TV, dressing perfectly, and constantly worrying about her image. Alice, meanwhile, is now a grade school teacher but she is always looking back to her college days with overwhelming nostalgia. The once inseparable friends and lovers Frankie and Zoe now are worlds apart, with Frankie an unconventional social activist and Zoe an wine-sipping, upscale urbanite mother, who is now separating from her husband.
Alice, who has orchestrated this whole weekend party, is determined to get the old gang back together, and particularly to rekindle her bond with best-friend Jess. Things go wrong when a male stripper they hired ends up dead. Although it was an accident, drugs and liquor lead to all the wrong decisions, and comedy chaos ensues.
Director Aniello and co-writer Paul W. Downs do more than switch the narrative around in this refreshingly real women-centric comedy. The comedy is built around the relationships between the women, not the men in the their lives, and many women in the audience will smile in recognition at several scenes. These women are smart, complicated and out for fun – until they are out to save their skins.
Setting the R-rated, sometimes dark comedy in brightly colored Miami adds the right touch of lightness to the mood, and also provides a fantasy-playground location, where the absurd can happen. One of the best comic bits is the concurrent bachelor party for Jess’ equally buttoned-down groom-to-be Peter (played by co-writer Paul Downs) – a wine tasting. Peter and his friends share their feelings about women while a sommelier serves them pinot noir in an elegant wood-paneled room. A comic bit that references a real-world incident with an astronaut is hilarious.
The film is R-rated, with plenty of raunchy humor, drugs and general misbehavior. Some of the humor around the dead body is a bit edgy, but this barrier has already been crossed in other comedies, including WEEKEND AT BERNIES. But there is nothing so off-putting that the absurd humor does not still come through.
The performers sparkle in this film, both in the comedy and in some dramatic scenes. Scarlett Johansson is terrific as the bride-to-be at the center of this mad weekend, whose mind is always working while just trying to go along with the fun and spirit of things. A running theme is built around her relationship with college bestie Alice. Although this is a comedy, it is also a film about women’s friendships. Both men and women will recognize the dynamic between Jess and Alice, the friend who is almost possessive and always pulling her friend back to the past “glory days.” Both Johansson and Bell portray the layers and the back-and-forth of this dynamic between them brilliantly, particularly in a later confrontation.
Meanwhile, McKinnon is fabulously funny as the crazy one in this group, as well as the unknown quantity as the new girl in the old crowd. McKinnon’s Pippa is endlessly upbeat, and ever ready with the next bad idea or even just the nerve to carry it out, the kind of character who might take to any bad suggestion with a “why not – I’m game” attitude. She’s always the most unpredictable and often the most hilarious in the group.. Her Aussie accent may be less than perfect but the non-American viewpoint is a nice addition to the humor.
Kravitz and Glazer are the other friends-at-odds pair, mirroring the dance between Alice and Jess, but with a different twist. Glazer and Bell also play the sex-obsessed and risk-taking pair contrasting to Johansson’s and Kravitz’s more cautious, are-you-nuts pair. Demi Moore and Ty Burrell add an extra comic twist playing a creepy-funny couple in the neighboring beachfront apartment, next to where the women are staying.
ROUGH NIGHT is just as it says a rough night for these friends but it is overall a refreshing kind of comedy, even if it is not non-stop hilarious. It certainly whets the appetite for more comedies with real women, a largely untapped well of humor just waiting for the next film to dive in.
As we creep along to the midway point of Summer, this can only mean one thing at the multiplex (aside from added matinees): another installment of a big studio franchise (formerly a series) will be occupying several screens. We’ve already had a new Alien, and another Depp pirate pic as the Planet Apes and Transformers wait in the wings, along with that wall-crawling wonder. I suppose we’re due for an animated sequel, but this one’s from the most celebrated studio of the last couple of decades, Pixar. Aside from Toy Story, they avoided follow-ups to their other hit films until 2011 when the CARS gang refueled for CARS 2. Then one of the other hits got a prequel, MONSTER UNIVERSITY, and another spawned last year’s box office smash, FINDING DORY. Now here’s the automotive, track-burnin’ “hat trick” as good ole’ number 95, Lightning McQueen roars back onto the cinematic raceway to thrill lil’ speed demons everywhere with CARS 3.
Since we last saw McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson), he’s still collecting trophies at races all around the world. Though he heads back to Radiator Springs to rest up with pals Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Sally (Bonnie Hunt) between competitions, Lightning is feeling the heat from a new breed of young, streamlined vehicles, especially “up-and-comer” Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). Unfortunately Storm and his pals “get into McQueen’s Head” prompting him to take risky chances, which leads to a devastating crash. While he heals up back home, McQueen’s managers over at Rusteze get bought out by the big mud-flap mogul, Mr. Sterling (Nathan Fillion). Sterling’s mainly interested in marketing the McQueen name, slapping his image on all manner of products, but insists that Lightning will return to the race circuits after training at his ultra-high tech, state of the art facilities. McQueen is eager to work out on the giant screen simulated track, but first he must endure the exercise program led by trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo). Lightning has no patience for these “silly” warm-up and jumps onto the simulator before he’s ready, wrecking the machine. During its repair, McQueen takes Cruz along with him for his own training program, including racing along the beach. Later they zip through the forests and sneak into a backwoods race (which is really a demolition derby). Lightning fondly recalls the lessons taught to him by his mentor Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) and decides to locate Doc’s old trainer Smokey (Chris Cooper). He’s gotta’ hurry because the big championship race is coming. Can Lightning redeem himself or is it time to retire to Radiator Springs for good?
The veteran voices of the previous CARS flicks expertly recapture their characters, particularly Wilson as a more mellow and wiser version of the great #95. The old confidence seeps through, but he’s got a greater appreciation of the sport’s history, especially the “fabulous Hudson Hornet”. As for the newbies, Hammer is an excellent villain, all cocky and arrogant, a guy who seems to truly enjoy the “trash talk”. Storm’s sleek and speedy, but doesn’t come equipped with any empathy. The breakout is the energetic, enthusiastic Cruz voiced with great energy and excellent comic timing by Alonzo.
I’ve got to lay my cards on table and say that the original CARS is one of my least favorite films in the Pixar cannon (just slightly above A BUG’S LIFE). The fact that it would have two sequels before any follow-up to THE INCREDIBLES annoyed me to no end (they’re finally working on one, thank you Brad Bird). But when the teasers and trailers starting appearing for this installment, I was more than a bit intrigued. As opposed to the dimwitted spy hijinks from CARS 2 (putting Mater as the main focus was a huge mistake), this looked to be going dark, with images of McQueen hurling to his doom. Sure, they’re not gonna’ kill this merchandising “cash cow”, but they do follow through somewhat. That crash figures in, but the script (credited to seven writers) tackles more adult issues such as loss and the realities of aging. The new guys, the young racing Turks are just going to get faster and faster, and McQueen may have to accept it. What was hidden in those teasers was the emergence of Cruz has a new hero, a speedy four-wheeled sister to the current queen of the box office, Wonder Woman. She signals a new direction, much like teenage Andy giving his beloved playthings to shy, little Bonnie in TOY STORY 3. I was also pleasantly surprised at the big part the memory of Doc Hudson, voiced by the much-missed Paul Newman, figured into the tale. He was briefly referred to in CARS 2, but here he gets the proper tribute. As for the look of the movie, well those Pixar wizards still work their magic. Two great sequences truly stand out. McQueen watches old footage of Doc Hudson, that seems like real news clips till we see Doc’s big blinking eyes. But the best action set piece is when McQueen and Ramirez cover themselves with mud (and phony numbers) and enter the big Thunder Hollow (an homage to Robert Mitchum’s classic THUNDER ROAD) race which turns into a “crazy 8” demolition derby, dominated by a tricked-out school bus that seems right out of a Mad Max flick. It’s thrilling and very funny. And thankfully Mater stays in Radiator Springs and doesn’t take over this entry (a little of him goes a looong way). Oh, and be sure you get to the theatre on time, so you don’t miss a minute of the charming short that precedes the feature, a playground fairy tale called “Lou”. The main event still seems a tad long (maybe it would work better as a one hour TV special), but CARS 3 careens over the end of trilogy curse and sends everyone off to that great salvage yard in the sky. But…I wouldn’t count on that final lap just yet.
3.5 Out of 5
I’ll be talking about this and other currents films this Friday, 6/16, on the Paul Harris Show from 4:15 to 5 PM on KTRS 550 AM. Stream it or tune in live.
America has Ghibli fever and the only cure is….a year of Miyazaki Madness!
STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2017 is a first-of-its-kind monthly series featuring six iconic animated classics from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. In addition to big screen presentations of these larger-than-life films, each event will also feature an exclusive edition of GKIDS Mini-Fest, an ongoing showcase of some of the best short animation from around the world.
Following the success of the Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke cinema events, GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events, are proud to announce a partnership to bring the biggest series of anime titles to U.S audiences throughout 2017.
Starting in June, the series features six of Studio Ghibli’s revered animated classics offering both dubbed and subtitled versions.
For details and a list of participating theaters, go HERE
With respect to those most Righteous of Brothers, this new film could’ve been title, “They’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin””. Yes, it’s an “anti-rom-com.”. It covers what happens long after the “meet cute”, the “mis-communications”, and the “reconciliations after the misunderstandings” that lead right to the fade-out proposal or nuptials (or both). These two have definitely “hit the skids”, but instead of “turning into said skid”, they take an unusual detour. Rather than undergoing major marriage “surgery”, like a gold band extraction, they believe that the way to heal old emotional may only require a simple BAND AID.
Married thirty-somethings (er…late thirty-somethings) Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally) seem to be stuck into a deep, deep, rut. A failed writer, Anna earns a buck now by being a Uber driver (cue the montage of zany, obnoxious passengers), while Ben designs company logos and corporate art from home on his laptop (ah, the smell of procrastination). When Anna returns home, the two immediately clash, particularly over kitchen clean-up (“I only used one bowl”), escalating into screaming matches ( “FU” bounces back and forth between them like a tennis match). They’ve gotta’ get out of their one-bedroom LA cottage, so they reluctantly go to her friend Grace’s (Hannah Simone) for her kid’s birthday party (Anna and Ben are childless, not for lack of trying). There, amongst the “kinder-chaos”, a magical thing occurs. Anna and Ben pick up a “kiddie” toy microphone and guitar and improvise a song. The fighting has ceased, and they’re laughing with joy. Maybe this is a new way to bond, to mend the cracks in their relationship. Returning home, they dig out their old electric guitars from the storage pile in the garage. What could be the basis for their songs? How about their arguments and annoyances? Their next door neighbor Dave (Fred Armisen) hears the tunes emanating from the garage and drops by, telling them that he had once played drums for a band. Anna and Ben nod politely, giving him the ole’ “brush-off”. As their playing begins to take over every spare moment, the duo decide that they need to be a trio and finally invite the eccentric Dave to be their drummer. Hearing of an “open mike night” at a local bar, they plot to make their big debut. Could this mean a new career and more importantly, an invigorated relationship for Anna and Ben?
Despite wearing three hats (creative-wise) for this flick, Lister-Jones delivers a compelling performance as the damaged (but not destroyed), endearing and often frustrating focus of the story. For much of the early scenes, Anna is an angry, open wound, quick to lash at her hubby, and later reel from guilt. Then Lister-Jones shows us how that inner happiness is slowly ignited until her joy from creating music is a roaring flame. We’re then shown her great comic skills, especially as she gulps down some natural “creativity enhancers”, and later as she over medicates before a public concert. It’s not long before that flame is nearly extinguished, and Anna is tumbling toward despair. Pally (so funny on TV’s “The Mindy Project”) is excellent as her life/song partner as his Ben rediscovers his child-like exuberance. But as a new career beckons, Ben is “gun shy”, too afraid that the rug will be pulled out from under him once more. On a different, quirkier level is the performance by Armisen as an oddball who’d be another citizen of his beloved TV show “Portlandia”. As he awkwardly tries to join the band, his Dave seems like a strange semi-stalker. This makes Anna and Ben’s visit to him (to offer the drummer gig) even more hilarious as Armisen switches gears to make Dave the neighborhood’s “Hef”, being waited on hand and foot by two gorgeous women. Then we see him take charge and focus the duo when arguments begin to derail the band’s journey. The rest of the cast is filled with familiar faces from stand-up and “indie”TV with Susie Essman scoring with a role that’s far from her lauded work on TV’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as Larry David’s foul-mouthed nemesis. Shirley, Ben’s mom, is set up as a typical clueless matriarch, but when things fall apart, she’s the nurturing voice of reason that her son desperately needs.
Now, those other hats I mentioned earlier about Lister-Jones, are director and solo screenwriter. As a film maker she does a good job of pacing in the first two acts, effortlessly shifting gears from domestic despair to tune-filled, uniting liberation. It’s not until the band’s emerging success and the rift between the couple when the story starts losing its momentum and plunges into a bit of somber “navel-gazing”. There’s a nice comic energy to the kid’s party (thanks to the over-indulgent parenting), and a concert montage all set during one song works very well. The emotional fireworks, and “water-works”, really strain the script structure, unfortunately. Oh, and the original music’s pretty good, as is the glimpse of the collaborative creative process. It’s with those sequences along with the terrific cast that make BAND AID really sing.
3 Out of 5
BAND AID opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre
I will be talking about this and other films on the Paul Harris Show, Friday 6/16 from 4:15 to 5 PM on KTRS 550AM. Tune in or stream live.
