The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 Not Rated
Göran Hugo Olsson's documentary draws from the archives of Swedish television, which reported often on America during the tumultuous 1960s and '70s and focused on the African-American radicalism that grew from the civil rights movement. Assembled into a narrative with contemporary commentary by Danny Glover, Talib Kweli, Harry Belafonte, Erykah Badu and others, the Mixtape is a fascinating examination of the United States through the eyes of outsiders. Much of what was shown in the old Swedish TV footage should have been obvious even to American politicians. All this talk of the land of opportunity rang truer in the ears of whites than blacks. (David Luhrssen)
7 p.m. Feb. 13 at UWM Union Theatre
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island PG
Dwayne Johnson steps into this sequel as newly married Hank. Soon, stepson Sean (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role) receives an encrypted message from his grandfather (Michael Caine), a missing explorer who has found the Mysterious Island, a land lost in time. The island's volcano is poised to erupt, prompting Sean to attempt a rescue. Hank reluctantly accompanies the boy on a harrowing helicopter ride to "the most dangerous part of the sea." They crash-land at their destination along with the helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and the pilot's beautiful daughter (Vanessa Hudgens). In this sequel to a remake of a 1959 sci-fi B-movie, kids will be captivated by giant bees, tiny elephants and a volcano that spews gold—all in 3-D. (Lisa Miller)
Oscar-Nominated Short Films Not Rated
Those short, under-40-minute gems nominated each year for an Oscar seldom garner a wide release in theaters or even much public attention. But Times Cinema has long been committed to showing the shorts on the big screen. Among this year's highlights is the nominee for Best Short Documentary, God Is the Bigger Elvis, a film about Dolores Hart, who acted opposite Elvis and then left Hollywood to become a Benedictine nun. Pixar's beautiful La Luna, from first-time nominee Enrico Casarosa, is up for Best Animated Short. Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren are also first-time nominees, for the live-action Raju, about a German couple's adoption of a Calcutta orphan. Seeing these films, aside from the sheer entertainment value, can also help when trying to win that tricky Oscar pool. (Daniel Gaitan)
Feb. 10-26 at Times Cinema
Safe House R
Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a rookie CIA agent who feels he's languishing as the keeper of a South African safe house until renegade agent Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) is stashed there prior to his debriefing. An infamous seller of secrets and arms, Frost has information the government wants in exchange for his immunity. But before Frost's interrogators arrive, professional assassins attack the house. Weston and Frost barely escape with their lives. Realizing they've been betrayed, they must rely on one another until they can locate the mole. (L.M.)
The Vow PG-13
This romantic drama opens with happy newlyweds Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum), whose bliss is soon interrupted by an accident that leaves Paige with a severe head injury. Paige no longer recalls the past five years, which includes all memory of Leo. Still deeply in love, Leo sets out to win her heart once again, a task made more daunting by the radically different views and beliefs Paige held five years ago. Surely, such charming, attractive people must find their way back to true love—but only after viewers cry a river of tears. (L.M.)
West Side Story Not Rated
West Side Story is one of Broadway's greatest hits and one of the most riveting musicals Hollywood ever put on screen. The ambitious production restaged Romeo and Juliet as an operatic ballet on the meanest streets of Manhattan, where the abiding American problems with race and immigration played out in a tragic love story. The gritty tale of racially charged gang violence is set in a hyper-reality of lavishly suffused color and choreographed to Leonard Bernstein's gorgeous fusion of symphonic, jazz and Latin American music. West Side Story remains thrillingly dynamic cinema, a pinnacle among Hollywood musicals. (D.L.)
Noon Feb. 11-12 at Times Cinema
DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! Not Rated
The video collective Everything Is Terrible!, known for using VHS found in thrift stores and uploading unique pieces to the Internet, has made another thought-provoking comedy. Their third feature, DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez!, is made completely out of edited dog-related footage and promises to be an eclectic and, yes, weird piece of work. DoggieWoggiez! is a recreation of Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1973 The Holy Mountain, but twisted. Be sure to sniff out the film and live show—Everything Is Terrible! will perform, flea-free, in original doggie costumes. (Daniel Gaitan)
7 p.m. Jan. 29 at Riverwest Public House
(Updated Feb. 8)
The Grey R
An oil-drilling team is stranded in the Alaskan wilds by a plane crash, and team leader John Ottway (Liam Neeson) soon realizes they have been spotted by a hungry, territorial pack of wolves. Ottway, devastated by his impending divorce, struggles to retain self-control while leading the survivors on a perilous wintry trek with ravenous wolves hot on their trail. Writer-director Joe Carnahan films the action lean and mean, but makes time to explore his characters' motivations. He hits viewers with a surprise twist, trusting an unsuspecting audience to remain through the credits, when the mystery is finally resolved. (Lisa Miller)
One for the Money PG-13
Divorcée Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) persuades her bail-bonding cousin to hire her as a bounty hunter by promising to bring in bail-skipping cop Joe Morelli (Jason O'Mara), her high-school sweetheart. The assignment proves awkward—even worse, it attracts the attention of a serial killer. Debbie Reynolds stars as Plum's mouthy granny. The one-time romance between Plum and Joe isn't nearly as amusing as watching any character played by Heigl take a gun-handling class. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Janet Evanovich, but it appears that little effort has been invested in this adaptation. (L.M.)
(Updated Jan. 26th)
Bride of Frankenstein Not Rated
Today's audiences are more likely to smile than shudder at Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and its director, James Whale, would likely be pleased. Filmed on the shadowy soundstages of Universal Studios and haunted by ghosts of German Expressionism, Bride was horror brought to the level of high theatrical camp. As a story, it's often silly and delirious, but it deserves its standing as a classic of 1930s horror for three reasons. First: Boris Karloff communicated human emotion through the most memorable makeup job in cinematic history. Second: Elsa Lanchester's startling performance as the shrill, bird-like, shock-haired creature intended as the monster's bride. Finally: the climactic scenes in a laboratory perched on a rocky precipice, a storm raging and electrical sparks flying madly amid the weird apparatus of science gone horribly wrong. (David Luhrssen)
Noon, Jan. 14-15, at Times Cinema.
Contraband R
Now a family man well out of the criminal racket, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is compelled to pull one more job to save his young brother-in-law from a drug lord's (Giovanni Ribisi) wrath. Paying off the youth's debt requires Farraday to form a crew to smuggle millions in counterfeit bills out of Panama. The operation hits a major snag, prompting the drug lord to take Farraday's wife (Kate Beckinsale) hostage and forcing Farraday to engage in dangerous maneuvers to rescue his wife while evading both police and the drug lord. Adapted from a heart-stopping 2009 Icelandic hit, the American version is directed by that film's producer, Baltasar Kormakur. (Lisa Miller)
Joyful Noise PG-13
Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah square off as small-town residents at odds over the Divinity Church Choir's strategy for winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. Vi Rose Hill (Latifah) is determined to stick with their traditional—and losing—style, while wealthy widow G.G. Sparrow (Parton) is equally certain the group must transition into gospel pop. The argument heats up when G.G.'s grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) demonstrates an ear for directing the choir, but casts his eye on Vi Rose's talented daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer). A little bit of "Glee" and a lot of squeaky-clean melodrama, this sentimental offering will be cropping up soon on the "Hallmark Channel." (L.M.)
(Updated Jan. 10)
The Devil Inside R
After visiting her mother, Maria (Suzan Crowley), in a Catholic mental institution in Italy, Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) is convinced her mother suffers from demonic possession. Fearing the spirits will target her next, Isabella recruits a pair of young exorcists (Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth) to treat her mother and record their efforts on video. The filmmakers use a familiar documentary style to chronicle Isabella's battles against a handful of powerful spirits. This tried-and-true approach made Paramount Pictures a believer, prompting the studio to sign on as the distributor of this latest micro-budget horror. (Lisa Miller)
(Updated Jan. 5)
The Darkest Hour PG-13
Set in Moscow, this science-fiction action film showcases and destroys iconic city sites. Some young adults from America are vacationing in the Russian capital when Earth is attacked by extraterrestrial beings we are unable to see. They exist as nearly pure energy and arrive to consume our electricity, preferring to kill us rather than share. While it's possible to fight back, we can only do so by devising a means to see them before they turn us into ash with a mere touch. Emile Hirsch leads a group that climbs a steep learning curve while observing the murders of numerous friends. Whether the screenplay can generate sufficient scares from these ghostly, would-be conquerors is all that stands between this Christmas Day release and a mega-hit. (Lisa Miller)
We Bought a Zoo PG
Director Cameron Crowe's family drama is drawn from Benjamin Mee's memoir of a single dad verging on meltdown after the death of his wife (played in flashback by Stephanie Szostak). Matt Damon appears as Mee, a journalist who quits his job and purchases a dilapidated zoo (that includes a home) in Southern California. His brother (Thomas Haden Church) dubs the idea "insane," but Mee's 7-year-old daughter is ecstatic. Working with lions, tigers and bears, Mee and his troubled teen son Dylan begin to find common ground, but the cost of caring for dozens of wild animals requires Mee to make safety upgrades so he can sell tickets to the public. Scarlett Johansson appears as a volunteer animal caretaker, and the sort of woman Mee might love—once he completes the porcupine enclosure. (L.M.)
(Updated Dec. 22)
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