CinePhillyist

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.

Infamous - The real-life story of Truman Capote and his experiences while writing his book on a real-life murder case, In Cold Blood. Wait a minute, that sounds familiar. Where have we heard of this movie before? Oh, that's right! It was called Capote, and they made it last year! Seriously, what are they thinking putting out another movie about the exact same story barely a year later? Who's going to want to go see this movie, besides complete Capote freaks? Admittedly, this film seems to be focusing more on the relationship between Capote and convicted killer Perry Smith, and it is packed to the gills with stars (including Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hope Davis, Isabella Rossellini, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Daniels, Daniel Craig as Smith, Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee, and Toby Jones as Capote). But can it possibly compare to the critically acclaimed Capote? And can anyone stand to listen to somebody do an impersonation of that annoying voice for another two hours? It doesn't look that way.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

Jesus Camp - A documentary about a super-creepy born-again Christian summer camp in North Dakota where they train kids as young as 6 years old to be incredibly fanatical members of "God's army," who will fight to "take back America for Christ," via prophecy and politics. Probably scary as hell, but probably also utterly fascinating. Extremists are bad people, but they're definitely something to see.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

Most Likely to Rule: Matador - Not the more recent film with Pierce Brosnan, but the mid-'80s Pedro Almodovar flick, now re-released for your viewing pleasure. This sounds like a particularly disturbing film from Almodovar, about a washed-up matador named Nacho Martinez who is now secretly starring in snuff films, and a young would-be matador named Angel (Antonio Banderas), terrified of drawing blood, who looks to the older man for guidance. Angel ends up raping Martinez's girlfriend to prove he's a man, but when no one believes his confession, he claims he's also responsible for a recent string of serial killings which were actually perpetrated by (dum dum dum) Martinez! To make things worse, Angel's feminist attorney may turn out to be Martinez's next victim. Sex, violence, and insane plot twists - yep, it's Almodovar, all right!
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints - Writer/director Dito Montiel decided to stick with what he knew and made his first movie about his own life. The frame story follows the older Dito (Robert Downey Jr.) coming back to his hometown of Astoria, NY and dealing with the family and friends he left behind. His return stirs up memories which are the real meat of the film - a coming-of-age story told in flashbacks. A lot of Dito's friends ended up dead, on drugs, or in prison, but with the help of certain "saints" he survived and made his way out. Starring folks like Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, and Eric Roberts, this one looks like it could be pretty good, if it doesn't get too melodramatic and preachy.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz Five

More after the jump...