Movies This Week

Opening this Week

SXSW closing-night film (500) Days of Summer opens today, and it's likely to be the sleeper hit of the summer (pardon the pun). It's the type of romance film that guys really enjoy. I wasn't as impressed with it as some, but it's not a bad film, just makes a few missteps that distracted me. Check out Slackerwood's group review.

Debbie caught G-Force earlier this week, so you can check out her thoughts here.

Jette witnessed The Ugly Truth, and here she is barging in with her reaction:

The Ugly Truth made me realize how sick I am of formulaic romantic comedy. Formulaic dance movies can still have interesting choreography; sports movies often have some fascinating action sequences on the field or in the ring; action films have cool explosions. But the by-the-book romantic comedies offer nothing but attractive stars and sporadic cliched humor. We don't even get witty dialogue anymore.

If you haven't bought your tickets for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which Slackerwood already reviewed, you're probably going to have to wait a week, especially if you don't like morning showtimes.

Fear not, folks, you Have Options.

Moon continues at the Dobie and the Arbor, and The Hangover is still holding on despite the summer blockbusters. I haven't seen The Hangover yet, so I might remedy that this weekend. Food, Inc. also continues.

The Texas Spirit Theater over at the Texas History Museum (that's the non-IMAX theater) is showing Just a Little Bit Crazy, a documentary about the annual National Rattlesnake Sacking Championship in Taylor. The film, which played Austin Film Festival in 2004, screens 1-2 times a day all week; check the theater website for details.

With record-breaking temperatures all week, staying in the delicious chill of AC is ideal. Austin offers plenty of movie events to keep you busy this week.

Opening this Week
Many Austin film film fans ave been waiting impatiently for Moon to open locally after a very successful SXSW premiere, and our patience is finally rewarded. Director and co-writer Duncan Jones, along with Nathan Parker, have penned an old-fashioned science-fiction tale, the sort that utilizes an unfamiliar landscape to explore the human condition and social vistas. In this case, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is at the end of three-year stint alone on the moon, and has clearly been there too long, when he has a very personal encounter. It's the type of movie that screams for lengthy discussions after viewing, but works best the less you know.

Needless to say, it's not a typical post-millennium Hollywood movie, but one that is destined to become a classic. The underrated Sam Rockwell finally gets a lead role that really allows him to show his chops, far beyond his comedic turn in Galaxy Quest, or the shamefully under-viewed Joshua. It's playing at Dobie and Arbor, and if you don't see it, turn in your sci-fi geek card immediately. It's not quite a shame it's not playing at the Alamo, as you don't want to be distracted during this quiet, thoughtful, cerebral film.

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.

It's been a dramatic week, with three entertainment icons passing away. The Alamo team put together a post-midnight tribute edition of their signature Michael Jackson sing-alongs that sold out quickly. Another MJ Tribute sing-along is scheduled for tonight at the Ritz. Hopefully it will be a quieter weekend.

This week we're focusing on new releases, since it seems to be a light special-event week. Next week's edition of Movies This Week will be early -- on Wednesday -- for the holiday weekend, including Public Enemies.

You've already seen my review of Transformers: Rise of the Fallen included in a rant about mob mentality. Massawyrm has an eloquent, detailed review as a fan of Michael Bay and the first Transformers film at Ain't it Cool News. I demurred on the objectifying rant, but Kim Voynar over at MCN didn't.

[Ed. Note: Please welcome Slackerwood's newest contributor, Debbie Cerda.]

When Jette blogged in late March about the Austin Film Festival (AFF) "Made in Texas Film Series," the July 8 screening had yet to be set. I am quite pleased to see it's been announced and is one of my favorite films made in Texas, True Stories.

There are many reasons to appreciate this gem of a film beyond the fact it is set in Texas, beginning with the director and co-writer, David Byrne of the Talking Heads. Mr. Byrne brings the quirkiness of Texas urban legends to the screen, set to a well-blended soundtrack by the Talking Heads. When he was scouting locations for his film in 1985, he enlisted the assistance of a Dallas real-estate agent to find several pink houses for potential locations. This real-estate agent was the mother of a friend of mine who was quite happy to help his mom show David Byrne around Dallas, including a viewing of Mary Kay Ash's pink palace.

True Stories features a strong cast, including John Goodman, Swoosie Kurtz and the late Spalding Gray. Goodman's performance as Louis Fyne is both genuine and endearing. In my list of "Who Should Star in This Film?" I would wholeheartedly support Mr. Goodman if he were to star in the role of the late Don Walser, "the Pavarotti of the Plains." The droll but ever-amusing Spalding Gray delivers as well. Who knew that you could use food to represent modernization and industrialization?

The movie Transformers: The Rise of the Fallen opens on Wednesday and not surprisingly, the advance screening Monday night was very popular with press and public who were lucky enough to attend. Summer blockbuster screenings are usually pretty crazy to begin with -- they give away many more "standby" passes than theaters can accommodate -- and this one was no exception. The studio rep had to give out wristbands to manage the chaos and reduce line jumping. The next day, the PR company sent a stern reminder to local press about screening/RSVP guidelines.

But what stood out for me, as a veteran of preview screenings, was the mob mentality at its worst. At some screenings, especially when radio stations (co)sponsor the event, there are promotional giveaways. A lot of wily people attend these screenings, and they can be aggressive about getting the goodies. It's problematic to the point that the sponsors try to be equally wily in finding ways to distribute the booty without causing pandemonium. [Ed. Note: Jette recommends you see Jenn Garrison's locally shot doc Prizewhores for a good example of this mentality.]

No bike rally this week, so it's safe to be back on the streets again. Well, relatively speaking. It's certainly quieter, isn't it?

Opening this Week

Away We Go is the first-run film to see this weekend. It's a sweet, snarky, and smart road trip romantic comedy about a young couple (Maya Rudolph, John Krasinski) expecting their first baby. Unhappy in their living situation, and suddenly with no local connections, they embark on a transcontinental journey to find the perfect place to raise their child, near either friends or family. The film unfolds as a caustic examination of family value archetypes.

From Allison Janney's caustic (and hysterically funny) negligence to Maggie Gyllenhall's excessively new-age parenting philosophy, there's a lot to see that's both obvious and subtle. While Krasinski frequently falls into a Seth Rogan impersonation, Maya Rudolph steals every scene she's in, even if she's only widening her eyes -- whether it's a 'in-law' with belly appropriation issues or judgmental airline reps. This is one you'll regret not seeing in theaters, as it's bound to be on a lot of "Best of" lists. It's already topping my mental list for the best releases this year.

This weekend, downtown Austin is home to a biker rally, and the roaring of motorcycles is already filling the city. Luckily, there's plenty of movie action to keep you off the streets.

Tony Scott's re-imagining of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 opens today, putting his Dramamine-inducing spin on the 1974 classic. Scott replaced transit cop Walter Matthau with demoted control man Denzel Washington, making for a filler movie. Normally I don't mind Scott's overly kinetic shooting style, but it was often unnecessary and the changes to the story that seem to exist because the filmmakers don't trust an audience to have the attention span or brain capacity to appreciate a slower, more deliberate film.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is not bad, but it's just not memorable. Supporting characters that made the original interesting, like Hector Elizondo as Mr. Grey, are marginalized and replaced with non-speaking characters who, in this post-9/11 world, are of apparent Middle Eastern descent. The decorum of Robert Shaw's Mr. Blue is trashed by John Travolta's tattooed and retro facial hair as the foul-mouthed Ryder. In fairness, Scott did not introduce swearing to the script; it was in the original, although uttered by different characters.

Six new movies open this week, and there's something for just about everyone. That's not including all 15 other special screenings (and that's not breaking down all the Paramount movies into separate events).

Arthouse-wise, Lemon Tree is opening at the Dobie. The film stars Hiam Abbass (The Visitor) as a Palestinian widow whose new neighbor, the Israeli Defense Minister, threatens to destroy her lemon grove. Directed and co-written by Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride), it's likely going to be funny and heartbreaking.

The Arbor has Every Little Step opening (pictured above), a documentary about auditions for a revival of the legendary musical A Chorus Line. Considering that it's about auditions for a musical, references to life imitating art imitating life must abound.