Movies This Week: July 20-26, 2012
If you've been waiting all summer for The Dark Knight Rises, you'll no doubt be elated to hear that it's opening at no less than 23 theaters in the Austin area, on who knows how many screens. (According to my possibly imprecise calculation, Austin fans of the Caped Crusader can choose from 17,438 screenings -- and that's just on Friday night.) In fact, so many theaters are showing The Dark Knight Rises that it's this week's only major movie release.
To which non-Batman fans like me say meh and avoid the megaplexes. Please join me this weekend, cinephiles, at the Alamo, Arbor, Violet Crown or wherever you can catch the stunning Beasts of the Southern Wild or Moonrise Kingdom (arguably Wes Anderson's best film ever) or the hilarious Bernie, still chugging along in theaters three months after its release. Do this to reassure yourself that in quiet little corners of our culture, people still create and appreciate works of cinematic genius.
Another way to avoid the citywide batfrenzy is to leave town. The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow is screening Bottle Rocket (shown above) on Saturday night at the Days Inn in Hillsboro, where much of Wes Anderson's quirky debut feature was filmed. To complete your Bottle Rocket experience, you can even stay at the motel after the screening. No guarantee that you'll cross paths with the Wilson brothers or fall in love with a hotel maid, but Rolling Roadshow screenings always are a great time.
Or you can just stay home this weekend and wait until Tuesday, when the Paramount kicks off five days of classic horror films, starting with Nosferatu, a classic silent film featuring a real vampire who would make Twilight's wussy Edward Cullen run away in terror, screaming like a 10-year-old girl. The series continues with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Freaks, Dracula, Frankenstein and the Exorcist. See the Paramount and Stateside calendar for details.
Movies We've Seen
The Dark Knight Rises -- In the latest installment in the Batman franchise, terrorist leader Bane (not to be confused with Bain Capital) wreaks havoc on Gotham, and the Caped Crusader must defend the city that now considers him an enemy. Debbie's a great fan of the movie, saying, "Christopher Nolan's direction along with his and Jonathan Nolan's screenwriting not only respects Bruce Wayne's emotional turmoil but also those around him who've been party to the deception of Gotham involving the true nature of their 'White Knight' Harvey Dent. The climatic sequence literally left me light-headed from holding my breath in anticipation." Look for her review this weekend. (wide)