Phillyist Framed Returns!
Whole Hog Is All Heart
Playlist Rewind: AFI at the Factory
Extra, Extra
Across the Ist-a-Verse
What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.
Dedication - Billy Crudup plays a malicious, misogynistic children's book author who, when his long-time collaborator and only friend (Tom Wilkinson) is taken ill, is forced to work with a beautiful, scattered young illustrator (Mandy Moore) to complete his latest book on time. Hey, you know what - we bet the illustrator will find a way to bring out the good person inside him, and they'll fall in love! Blargh. Yeah, we're not so much a fan of romantic comedies. But we do have to admit Crudup's character sounds pretty interesting. And sometimes it is comforting to watch a movie whose conclusion is foregone.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse
In the Valley of Elah - A war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones) and his wife (Susan Sarandon) search for their son, a soldier who went missing shortly after returning from the war in Iraq. Charlize Theron plays a detective working the investigation. This one sounds intense but interesting, and the reviews are generally good. Probably worth a trip to the theater.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse
Vanaja - Set in southern India, this film tells the story of the fifteen-year-old daughter of a poor fisherman who goes to work in a local landlady's house in the hopes of becoming a dancer, but is then raped by the landlady's son. It's an examination of class differences in Indian society, and it doesn't exactly sound like an upper. But if you're prepared for the subject matter, the reviews are good.
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse
December Boys - Argh! The catchphrase for this film is actually "After that summer nothing would ever be the same again." But we aren't familiar with the novel that the movie's based on; maybe it's the original source of that now terrible cliche. The story is about four orphan boys who grow up together at a Catholic convent in outback Australia in the '60s, and how competing for the attention of the same family affects their friendship. The big draw here is that one of the boys is Harry Potter - or rather, Daniel Radcliffe. Sounds like an interesting coming-of-age story, but the critics have mixed feelings about this one, so it's kind of a toss-up.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz Five
Most Likely to Rule: In the Shadow of the Moon - This is a fantastic documentary about the various American missions to the moon which we saw and reviewed during this year's Philadelphia Film Festival. We highly recommend it. It's an amazing, beautiful piece of work.
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz Five
Most Likely to Suck: Good Luck Chuck - The ads for this movie suggest that it's just Jessica Alba performing a series of elaborate prat falls while Dane Cook looks on, aghast. But the plot summary suggests it's at least slightly more interesting than that: Cook's character has been cursed such that every woman he sleeps with finds true love - with the next guy she meets. Which means he's despaired of finding the perfect girl, until he runs into the accident-prone Cam (Alba). A real romance blossoms, and he has to find a way to break his curse before their relationship goes too far and she wanders off to find true love with the next guy. See, that actually sounds kind of fun. But those ads look stupid and the reviews are terrible, so we say give this one a miss.
Trailer
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge
Resident Evil: Extinction - The third and supposedly final installment in the series of films based on the popular video game about killing zombies. Milla Jovovich is back, but this time with genetically-engineered super-powers, which she ironically intends to use to take down the company that gave them to her: the evil Umbrella Corporation, who are responsible for the virus that's turning everybody into the shambling undead. Jovovich is joined by old friends Carlos and L.J., as well as survivors Claire (Ali Larter), and Nurse Betty (Ashanti). We can't imagine this film can be anything but awful, although we can't deny the appeal of watching a super-powered Jovovich kick zombie ass.
Trailer
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge
Sydney White - This is some kind of odd, comedic retelling of Snow White with Amanda Bynes playing a college freshman who "aligns herself with seven social outcasts in an attempt to influence change over the school's flawed social hierarchy." So, Revenge of the Nerds, but this time the nerds are led by a girl only slightly less popular and pretty than the popular and pretty people. Uh... okay. This one is obviously for the tweens and the teens, but if you're out of that age range and end up getting dragged along anyway, be of good cheer: it doesn't look like it'll be completely unbearable.
Trailer
Showing at: UA Riverview
DocumentaChile - This program of acclaimed documentaries from Chile has been playing at the International House since Wednesday, and ends tonight with a double feature which consists of Pablo Insulza's The Damned, the Story of the Fiskales Ad Hok and Paulo Figueroa's Camera in Hand. The first film tells the history of the Fiskales Ad Hoc, who are apparently the most important Chilean punk rock band ever (we didn't even know Chile had punk rock bands!). Their story is also the story of the last 18 years of Chile's history. The second film in the double feature follows four public school students as they attempt to capture on film the true identity of Antofagasta, the second largest city in Chile. Director Paulo Figueroa will appear in person at the screening.
Showing at: The International House
Teen Rebellion Triple Feature - Just in time for the start of a new school year, Exhumed Films presents a three-film program of school-age kids fighting back against the system. First up is that old Roger Corman classic, Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979), which features The Ramones as themselves helping a rebellious student overthrow her evil, rock music-hating principal. Next up is Satan's Cheerleaders (1977), a film whose title alone begs you to watch it. It's about a janitor at a high school who kidnaps the cheerleading squad so his coven of Satanists can sacrifice them - but unbeknownst to him, one of the squad is a witch, and you know what that means: Satanist janitor versus cheerleader witch FTW!! Keep an eye out for John Carradine in this one. Last but not least is Joysticks (1983), which is about a video arcade's employees and patrons fighting back against the evil businessman who wants to shut the place down. This one's got inimitable B-movie character actor extraordinaire Joe Don Baker, so you know it has to be bad good!
Showing at: The International House
Image via Internet Movie Poster Awards Gallery
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