Movies This Week: Ice and Enemies

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Afghan Star

It's been a helluva couple weeks for celebrity deaths, hasn't it? As we head into Independence Day weekend, additional tributes to Michael Jackson continue at the Alamo, where the love is on for the gloved one's music, but both of them are sold out.

On a happier note, Fantastic Fest has announced the date of the first lineup announcement and shown off their annual poster design. On top of all that, the fest is presenting a screening of The Collector later this month. Slackerwood will be covering Fantastic Fest as well as its teaser events from now until the fest ends in October.

Many new movies are having mid-week openings, so Movies This Week is on Wednesday this week to accommodate this change. We'll move back to Fridays when the film releases do.

Opening This Week

Public Enemies is Michael Mann's latest, but unfortunately it's a case of too much of a good thing. Or bad things, as the case may be. At a time when bank robberies were common and the FBI was a new organization, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) was a mythic figure. Filmed on several locations where the events took place, with a cinema verite style, there are simply too many characters and too many closeups, and not enough time devoted to character development. With such a talented cast, that's a shame to cram them into a Cliff Notes-style film.

I can't help thinking Mann would have done more service to the stories, because there are many, as either a mini-series or multiple films. It kept reminding me of his two hit television series, Miami Vice and Crime Stories. Still, Depp is as charismatic as Dillinger was rumored to be, despite any historical inaccuracies.

Whatever Works stars the just as manic and neurotic, but with an edge of meanness, Larry David. The film will likely please die-hard Woody Allen fans but few others. The story felt like a rushed first draft, and didn't seem to respect its characters all that much, or give more than a passing thought to dialogue or character development. Evan Rachel Wood manages to make a poorly written, ridiculously stupid character into a somewhat interesting one, despite the writing. David is exactly what you'd expect with his character from Curb Your Enthusiasm, only meaner.

It's a shame, because Whatever Works felt like it could have been an outstanding movie, with a little more heart, even in its misanthropic lead character, who has a lot of friends, and clients, despite hating people. However, the "French" joke is well set up and almost redeemed the whole movie.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is also opening. I haven't bothered with this series since the first film, and since there were no advance screenings in Austin, I can't tell you anything about it other than what you see in the trailers. If I was going to spend the money, I'd go see Up again, which is still playing around town, and still in gorgeous 4K digital 3D at the Alamo Village.

[Jette interrupts, as she likes to do, to note that she's seen Up both in 3D and traditional 2D at this point, and recommends the plain old 2D. It's less distracting -- 3D doesn't do much for this movie. Go see it at Alamo South, where you get a great pre-show of Pixar shorts.]

Still playing and worth your attention are Away We Go, Easy Virtue, Food, Inc., Lemon Tree and Burma VJ.

Wednesday
The Alamo Summer Kids' Camp continues with Horton Hears a Who! Monday through Friday at South Lamar, and The Goonies moving over to The Village (all shows 11:00 am).


Dionysium
takes place at Alamo South Lamar, 7:00 pm. I've never been, but I'm intrigued, as the program includes a presentation, a lecture, a cartoon, Art, and a debate.

AFS Documentary Series is screening Afghan Star (pictured above) at South Lamar, 7:00 pm. This documentary on Afghanistan's version of Idol won both the audience and directing awards for world cinema at Sundance, so check it out.

Tony Manero plays tonight and twice more in the next week. This Chilean film, an official submission to the 2009 Academy Awards, is a study of obsession and loss of identity in the Pinochean era. You can watch a trailer by using the link above.

The Paramount Summer Film Series has You Can't Take it with You and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Jean Arthur paired with Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper? Enough said.

Thursday
Tender Mercies and To Kill A Mockingbird at The Paramount. Both films feature Robert Duvall, and both were scripted by Horton Foote.

Friday
Another Alamo Tribute to Michael Jackson with a sing-along, at Alamo Ritz. Only it's sold out, so don't bother to try to get tickets now.

Tender Mercies and To Kill A Mockingbird at The Paramount. Tonight's show includes a special $12 ticket for a lawyer networking happy hour. If you want (need?) to meet a lawyer, wouldn't you want one that likes Atticus Finch?

Saturday
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back at the Alamo Village every Saturday of July, including Independence Day. The shows start at midnight. It's so much more than a movie; if you're a Rocky Horror Virgin, use the link to learn more.

The last known scheduled Alamo Tribute to Michael Jackson with a sing-along, takes place Saturday night at Alamo South Lamar. You'll have to wait until October to start the official practices for the Alamo and Austin's next obliteration of Thrill The World records. I didn't make it last year, but I'd already planned to make it this year, before the gloved one died.

Sunday
Exodus is playing on one of the rare days where only one film plays The Paramount. Otto Preminger's star-studded adaptation of Leon Uris' novelization of the founding of Israel stars Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint. You can get free admission if you bring
any non-perishable "Newman's Own" food item to the box office this week (items will be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank).

While it's not a film per se, the Alamo Rolling Roadshow is doing a Tour de France event at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop. Cycle nuts and Francophiles should have a good time.

Monday
Cool Hand Luke and Harper play The Paramount. Again, this is Paul Newman tribute week, so you can get free admission if you bring any non-perishable "Newman's Own" food item to the box office this week.

Tuesday
You could take a movie break since tomorrow, Moon, and Bruno open. But instead, you should go this week's AFS Essential Cinema presentation, In Love We Trust. I'm still pondering the beauty and some of the surprisingly contemporary techniques in the rediscovered films of Shimizu Hiroshi, particularly The Masseurs and a Woman.. In Love We Trust (Zou You) has a similar theme to the new Hollywood release My Sister's Keeper, with the parents of a kid with cancer considering options, only this film focuses on the ways the divorced and remarried couple considers their options with the complications of new marriages, government restrictions and other obstacles.