Welcome to another nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly roundup of what's happening beyond the multiplexes in this great land of ours. If you know of something cool going on where you live -- a small film festival, retrospective, midnight movies, etc. -- let me know! You can find me at Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
Frontiere(s)is a French horror flick whose history is almost as torturous as its content. It was supposed to be part of the After Dark series last fall, but its NC-17 rating made that impossible due to the contract that the After Dark people had with the theatrical venues. So now it's basically going straight to DVD -- but first it's being deposited in a handful of theaters today in New York, L.A., Denver, Seattle, Philly, Austin, and maybe a few other places. Cinematical's Scott Weinberg gave it a mixed review at Toronto last year.
The Fall: Remember The Cell, that freaky Jennifer Lopez movie from 2000? I know I do! (I never forget a movie with a vivisected horse.) The director, Tarsem Singh, is back now with The Fall, a visually stunning fable where a man in a hospital tells a little girl a story, and that story is craaaazy. Opens in New York and L.A. today.
More indie releases and a city-by-city list of cool events after the jump....
Today is the semi-official start of the Summer Blockbuster Season, but don't despair! The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar is here to fill you in on cool stuff happening outside the multiplexes in the coming week -- the perfect antidote to mainstream ennui. If you know of something interesting going on near you -- retrospectives, special screenings, etc. -- please let me know! Point your e-mail thingee at Eric.Snider@Weblogsinc.com and I'll put it on the calendar.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
I don't know if famed critic-hater David Mamet still counts as "independent," but I'm including his new film, Redbelt, here just in case. It's a heady drama about a martial-arts instructor who gets tangled up with a Hollywood film shoot, a misfired policeman's gun, and several other things. ME LIKEY. Opens today on a few screens in New York and L.A.
Son of Rambow was, hands down, the best film I saw at Sundance last year. It was snatched up by Paramount Vantage, which for some reason sat on it until now. It's a funny, creative, and sweet story about two British kids in the mid-'80s who film their own homemade version of First Blood (aka Rambo I). Cinematical's James Rocchi reviewed it at Sundance 2007 and loved it too, in case my word isn't good enough for you. It's in a few theaters today, with more to come.
After the jump, more indie releases in theaters, and a list of special events happening around the country....
Saddle up! It's time for another edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly roundup of movie stuff that's happening beyond the multiplexes. I've got my usual sources that I go to for info on things taking place in some of the major cities, but if you know of a cool event happening where you are, please let me know! You'll find me at Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com. I'll leave the key under the doormat.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
Deal is another gambling movie, this time about the World Series of Poker. It stars Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison, and Shannon Elizabeth, and opens today on a few dozen screens nationwide (mostly L.A., NYC, Chicago, and of course Las Vegas).
Then She Found Me, which has played at seemingly every film festival of the past six months, is the directorial debut of Helen Hunt, who also stars as a woman whose birth mother (Bette Midler) comes into her life just when it's at its most hectic. Cinematical's Ryan Stewart gave it a passing grade at Toronto last fall. It's in NYC and L.A. as of today.
Roman de Gare comes to us from France, where the title is a term for popular, disposable novels (think John Grisham). Fittingly, the film is being described as a watchable but forgettable story about a mystery novelist who gets wrapped up in a real-life mystery. Opens today in NYC.
More theatrical releases, plus a city-by-city list of special events, after the jump....
Well whaddaya know, it's time for another edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly sampling of some of the non-multiplex options for the savvy moviegoer over the next seven days. If you know of something cool happening -- revivals, small festivals, workshops, whatevs -- I beseech you to send me a link so I can include it on the calendar. I can be found at Eric.Snider@Weblogsinc.com.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? hits about 100 theaters today after playing at Sundance and South By Southwest, among other festivals. It's Morgan Spurlock's attempt to summarize the War on Terror, and Cinematical's James Rocchi reviewed it favorably at Sundance.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is a documentary about how people who believe in evolution are big meanies who don't understand why "Intelligent Design" (i.e., that God made everything) should be taught in science classes, too. Somehow the teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off is involved. The people distributing the film have been very careful not to let any critics see it, going so far as to require preview audience to sign nondisclosure agreements. You know it must be a great film when the only way you're allowed to see it is if you promise not to tell anyone about it -- anti-word-of-mouth. I almost don't even want to mention it here, except that it is an indie film and it is opening in several hundred theaters today. So there you go.
Up and at 'em, soldiers! It's time for another edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening (mostly) beyond the multiplexes over the next seven days. Revivals, retrospectives, series, midnight madness, it's all here. If you know of something cool happening near you -- or just something you think belongs on the calendar -- let me know! My e-mail address is Eric.Snider (at) WeblogsInc (dot) com.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
Two films that played at Sundance (they both played at other fests, too) are opening in New York and L.A. today. You can expect them both to expand in the coming weeks. They are:
The Visitor, starring Richard Jenkins as a man who returns to his New York City apartment to find an immigrant couple living there. The film is notable for being the sophomore effort by Tom McCarthy, whose Station Agent was an indie darling a few years ago. Cinematical's Scott Weinberg spoke favorably of The Visitor when he reviewed it at Sundance.
The ol' clock on the wall says it's Friday -- wait, what kind of clock is that? -- and that means it's time for The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, your weekly look at what's cool and happenin' beyond the multiplexes of North America. If you know of something nifty happening in your city that you think should be on the calendar, send me a link! My e-mail is Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com.
Now then! To the calendar!
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
My Blueberry Nights, the much-anticipated English-language debut from Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai, opens in New York and Los Angeles today. It stars singer Norah Jones as a woman recovering from a breakup and traveling across the United States. Cinematical's James Rocchi saw it at Cannes last year and quite liked it.
Meet Bill, formerly just called Bill, is a comedy starring Aaron Eckhart as a man with crumbling marriage who reluctantly becomes a mentor to a teenage boy. It premiered at Toronto last year and opens today in various places in the Midwest.
Welcome to another savory and nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all across America. If you know of something cool coming up in your city -- special screenings, workshops, retrospectives, etc. -- e-mail me at Eric.Snider at Weblogsinc dot com and I'll put it on the list. And away we go! Austin: To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Coens' beloved Big Lebowski, the Alamo Drafthouse is sponsoring a screening tonight at ... a bowling alley. You'll watch the movie, and you'll bowl a few frames. Dressing up as a Lebowski character is encouraged. So is drinking, I suspect, though it's not mentioned specifically.
Boston: The 48 Hour Film Project is a nationwide event where participants write, shoot, and edit a short film all in two days. This year's Boston contest happens next week; this weekend, they're showing some of the all-time favorite films to come out of past events. You can catch them at midnight tonight and Saturday at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
This week we're a little preoccupied with South By Southwest, which kicks off today and runs through next week. Several Cinematical staffers (including yours truly) are moseying along the streets of Austin as we speak, and we'll have a heapin' helpin' of mighty fine SXSW coverage here for the next seven days.
In the meantime, there's plenty of indie-related film merriment for you to enjoy elsewhere in the country -- including a few flicks opening today in limited release:
Snow Angels is the latest from David Gordon Green (All the Pretty Girls, George Washington), a contemplative drama about a town rocked by a tragedy. Cinematical's Kevin Kelly didn't think too highly of it at Sundance last year, but James Rocchi loved it.
Hey look! It's The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly rundown of the cool stuff happening beyond the multiplexes across the United States. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll try to include it.
Three indie films are hitting theaters in multiple cities today, so let's look at those first:
Bonneville has been bouncing around since it premiered at the Toronto film fest way back in September 2006; it finally opens today on about 75 screens, mostly in the "heartland" (i.e., not L.A.). It's a PG-rated family flick about three older women (Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, and Joan Allen) driving cross-country to dump one of their husbands' ashes. More than one commentator has compared it to The Bucket List, which I do not take to be a compliment, but we'll see.
Chicago 10 was the opening night film at Sundance last year, and I don't know why it took so long for it to finally come to theaters, but thank goodness it's here. It's a very unusual docudrama, using actual footage and animated re-enactments to tell the story of the hippies who went on trial for protesting at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Cinematical's James Rocchi had some issues with it at Sundance; Christopher Campbell's review is a bit more positive.
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
First, three indie films are hitting theaters in select cities this weekend, so have a look, and pray your city was selected:
The Signal bears an unfortunate (and coincidental) resemblance to Stephen King's novel The Cell, but never mind that. Told in three segments, each with a different tone and director, the horror-comedy is about a mysterious signal that goes out over all the TVs, radios, and cell phones and turns people into violent killers. Cinematical's Scott Weinberg saw it at Sundance 2007 and called it "one viciously fun little genre flick." For what it's worth, I was sitting next to him, and I thought the movie was awesome, too. Opens today on about 100 screens nationwide.
The Duchess of Langeais is based on a Balzac novella (tee-hee ... "Balzac") about a soldier whose old flame is now a nun. Sorry, that's all I got. It opens today in New York.
The Counterfeiters tells the true story of concentration camp prisoners forced by the Nazis to make fake British pounds and American dollars in order to flood the market and ruin those countries' economies. (If my paycheck is any indication, it worked.) It opens today in New York and L.A. -- and not a moment too soon, as it's up for a foreign-language Oscar on Sunday. It stands a good chance of winning, too, what with being about Nazis and all.
Now then! On to our city-by-city tour of what's cool for the next seven days....
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
The (M.) I.F.C. is back from a three-week hiatus necessitated by, in order, going to Sundance, recovering from a Sundance-acquired cold, and taking an unplanned trip to the Oxford Film Festival. But now things are back to normal, and I'll never, ever miss a week of the Calendar ever again. Or at least until South By Southwest.
A couple of heavily anticipated indie films are hitting theaters in New York and a few other major cities today. The movies are:
George Romero's Diary of the Dead, the fifth "... of the Dead" movie from the acclaimed horror-meister. This one, which Cinematical's own horror-meister Scott Weinberg praised when it played at Toronto, tells of the zombie apocalypse strictly through the camera lenses of a group of college students -- think Cloverfield, but with zombies.
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, which was Brazil's submission for the foreign-language category at the Oscars. A boy is left alone in a Jewish neighborhood in 1970, in the midst of a political revolution and the World Cup. It sounds very coming-of-age-y.
After the jump, some city-by-city suggestions of cool film stuff to do in the next seven days....
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
Most of the indie world has its eyes focused on Sundance as of today (OK, and Slamdance, too), and we'll get to that later. In the meantime, for those of you not lucky enough to be joining us in the snowy, frigid tundra of Park City, there's some new indie fare coming to your local theaters:
Teeth was one of the most-talked-about films at last year's Sundance Film Festival, and it's finally opening in limited release today. It's the story of a chaste teenage girl who discovers her vagina has teeth and will attack any, um, intruders. It's a horror film, it's a satire of puritanical sexual attitudes, and it's awfully funny. So said Cinematical's Scott Weinberg when he reviewed it a year ago, and I agree. Also, check out our interview with Teeth star Jess Weixler over here.
Taxi to the Dark Side addresses a much darker issue: It's a documentary about the torture practices used by the United States in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The director is Alex Gibney, who made Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and produced No End in Sight. Our James Rocchi has an interview with Gibney here.
Day Zero, set in the very near future, tells a hypothetical story about three young men (Elijah Wood, Chris Klein, and Jon Bernthal) who are drafted into the military and have 30 days to report before being sent to Baghdad. It's playing at the Angelika Film Center in New York and on Bainbridge Island, Wash. (I'm guessing it was filmed near there?), before heading to DVD next month.
Still Life, from Chinese director Zhang Ke Jia (The World, Platform), is a class-conscious drama about the aftermath of a village being flooded by the construction of a new dam. It opens today exclusively at IFC Center in New York.
After the jump, special screenings and events in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, L.A., New York, Portland, Seattle, and Park City, Utah....
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list!
There are no indie films hitting theaters this weekend, so let's get right to the city-by-city listing of special events:
Austin: Surely you've heard about how Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album supposedly syncs up nicely with The Wizard of Oz. The Alamo Drafthouse will help you discover the trippy coincidences for yourself with "Dark Side of the Rainbow," a Saturday midnight event where they'll play the movie and the CD together. Of course, the album is only 45 minutes long, so I guess after that it'll just be the plain ol' Wizard of Oz. Luckily, the movie has some music of its own to keep you hummin'.
Boston:The Brattle Theatre at Harvard Square offers an excellent opportunity Saturday at 11 a.m. for you to take care of something that everyone should do at some point: see Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho on the big screen in a theater surrounded by like-minded cinema-lovers. The Brattle is also running a special series all week of some of 2007's best films, including Ratatouille, Eastern Promises, Grindhouse, The Host, 3:10 to Yuma, and -- in an effort to be fair and balanced -- the hilariously bad I Know Who Killed Me.
Chicago: Hellraiser is the Music Box Theatre's midnight movie tonight and Saturday, but you should wait and see it Saturday. Why? Because Clive Barker will be there in person to introduce it! Eff yeah!
After the jump, we go to Denver, L.A., New York, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle....
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
It's a very slow week at the multiplexes, not just for wide releases (One Missed Call is the only one) but for indie films too. Previously released Juno and The Orphanage are expanding, and you should see 'em both! And opening brand-new at the IFC Center in New York City is...
The Killing of John Lennon. Written and directed by British TV director Andrew Piddington, it's the story of Mark Chapman's 1980 murder of John Lennon. Now, there's another movie floating around on the exact same subject, called Chapter 27, which premiered to derisive hoots of laughter at Sundance last year and starred a chubby Jared Leto doing a vocal impression of Chapman that sounded like a cross between Winnie-the-Pooh and the old pedophile on Family Guy. The Killing of John Lennon is not that movie. But Cinematical's Ryan Stewart has reviewed it and declared it to be "ultimately something of a bore." The Jared Leto one was bad, but it sure wasn't boring.
Now then. On to the special screenings and events!
Austin: I'm sure you're aware that Tuesday is Elvis Presley's birthday. To celebrate, the Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a sing-along, where subtitled video clips of the King will be played and the audience encouraged to join in. I don't know whether the clips will be from Elvis' movies or from other appearances, so technically this might not qualify as a "movie" event. But I don't care, because Elvis is the King and Tuesday is his birthday and you will show him some G.D. respect.
Welcome to the last 2007 edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
After a shload of films dropped last Friday and on Christmas, the multiplexes are spared any new releases today. Even the indie scene is quiet, with just two new flicks opening in New York and L.A. today. They are:
The Orphanage (El Orfanato), a suspense thriller from Spain that boasts Guillermo Del Toro as a producer. It's Spain's entry for the foreign-language Oscar, and Cinematical's resident horror guy Scott Weinberg pronounced it "entirely captivating from start to finish" when he reviewed it at Toronto.
Honeydripper, the latest from maverick indie filmmaker John Sayles. It stars Danny Glover as the owner of a nightclub in rural Alabama in the 1950s. Our Monika Bartyzel spoke favorably of it, overall, when she saw it at Toronto.
Things are fairly quiet elsewhere in the nation's independent cinemas, but here's some of what we could dig up for you:
Austin: As part of its "High for the Holidays" series, the Alamo Drafthouse has a rare 35mm screening Sunday night of Head, the psychedelic 1968 film produced by Jack Nicholson and starring The Monkees. In conjunction with the screening: a contest to see who has the best drug story from their personal life. Hooray for drugs!
Boston: If you can drag yourself out of bed on New Year's Day, the Brattle Theatre at Harvard Square has a Marx Brothers marathon starting at noon. See Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, Horse Feathers, and Animal Crackers the way they were meant to be seen: on the big screen, by people who are mildly hungover.
After the jump, events in Chicago, Denver, New York, and Seattle....
Welcome to another nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly roundup of what's happening beyond the multiplexes in this great land of ours. If you know of something cool going on where you live -- a small film festival, retrospective, midnight movies, etc. -- let me know! You can find me at Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com.
Today is the semi-official start of the Summer Blockbuster Season, but don't despair! The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar is here to fill you in on cool stuff happening outside the multiplexes in the coming week -- the perfect antidote to mainstream ennui. If you know of something interesting going on near you -- retrospectives, special screenings, etc. -- please let me know! Point your e-mail thingee at Eric.Snider@Weblogsinc.com and I'll put it on the calendar.
Welcome to another savory and nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all across America. If you know of something cool coming up in your city -- special screenings, workshops, retrospectives, etc. -- e-mail me at Eric.Snider at Weblogsinc dot com and I'll put it on the list. And away we go!
Hey look! It's 
Welcome to The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list. 
Welcome to the last 2007 edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly look at what's happening beyond the multiplexes all around North America. If you know of something indie-related happening near you -- a local festival, a series of classic restored films, lectures, workshops, etc. -- send the info to me at Eric.Snider(at)weblogsinc(dot)com and I'll add it to the list.
