San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Decker’s been screening the Spike & Mike New Festival of Animation, a more sophisticated collection of shorts than the Sick & Twisted faithful are used to. But anyone thinking he’s lost his edge need only show up at the Ken Cinema this Friday, Dec. 3, when a new edition of Sick & Twisted, the first in three years, kicks off a weeklong run before heading to Encinitas for another week at La Paloma Theatre.
I haven’t seen most of this new collection, which Decker calls a “brand new show with a few old classics.” I have, however, seen one of the highlights, I Live in the Woods, and I’m here to tell you that it is, indeed, both sick and twisted. Decker says his favorite is Maakies Dinky the Crow, and that Chirpy might be the most messed-up movie the festival has ever presented. There are some names that will be familiar to S&M fans, as well, like a new Dr. Tran and a new Happy Tree Friends. And one thing is clear: This is the only San Diego festival of any kind that will present shorts called Stop MotherFucker and The Toke Before Christmas.
Luckily, the Ken Cinema is just down the street from the Ken Club. After the show—or possibly before—you might need a drink.
OPENING
Boxing Gym: Old-school documentarian Frederick Wiseman takes his cameras into the ring.
Four Lions: Like its protagonists, this satire about bumbling British jihadists doesn’t always hit its target. But when it does, it’s really funny. See our review on Page 20.
Heartless: What’s Jim Sturgess to do when he learns that the London street toughs he’s kicking it with are actually demons?
The Kids Grow Up: Writer-director Doug Block documented as much of his daughter’s childhood as he could. And now that she’s about to leave the nest, he’s sharing it with the rest of us.
The Nutcracker in 3-D: Not the next film in the Jackass franchise.
The Warrior’s Way: A deadly Asian warrior hides out in the American badlands after turning down a mission. Likely the first movie with both Geoffrey Rush and ninjas.
Welcome to the Rileys: James Gandolfini starts to sort out his marriage to Melissa Leo, which has suffered since the death of their daughter, through his platonic friendship with Twilight’s Kristen Stewart.
ONE TIME ONLY
El Brindis: The San Diego Latino Film Festival continues its Jewish Latino film series with a feature about a young photographer who travels to Chile to meet the father she never knew. There, she learns he’s terminally ill, and while she’s caring for him, she strikes up a relationship with one of his closest friends, a local rabbi. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at AMC Chula Vista.
GULF (A Movie): A documentary about the Katrina aftermath produced in conjunction with MiraCosta College’s High Water exhibit. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, in the Kruglak Gallery on the Oceanside campus. Free.
Whip It: Drew Barrymore’s roller-derby directorial debut is sweet, but it doesn’t have the power of an elbow to the jaw. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Free.
Warren Miller’s Wintervention: No one makes epic extreme winter sports movies like Warren Miller. His new one screens Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 1 and 2, at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas; Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla; and Sunday, Dec. 5, at Carlsbad Village Theatre. Check warrenmiller.com for showtimes.
San Diego Italian Film Festival triple feature: SDIFF concludes its anti-Mafia series with the documentary Peppino Impastato, followed by a pair of short films. Starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John: Terrific doc about a freaky farmer who makes art, grows organic and, naturally, makes his neighbors suspicious ’cause he’s a weirdo. Required viewing for organic artsy types. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at the Sierra Club office (8304 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 101). Free.
Cinema Paradiso: A movie about movies for movie lovers, Cinema Paradiso easily and deservedly took home the 1990 Best Foreign Film Oscar. Screens at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at the Senior Center in Carlsbad.
As Far as My Feet Will Take Me: Film about a German soldier turned Russian POW who escaped from his Siberian labor camp and spends years trying to get home to his family. Screens at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at the Little Theatre on the Oceanside MiraCosta College Campus.
Sex Magic: Documentary about Baba Dez, a renowned sex guru, who tries to will his best girl back to him by getting it on with lots of other ladies. Yes. A documentary. Screens at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4, at Reading Gaslamp Cinemas.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Leave it to Ron Howard and Jim Carrey to go all Jar-Jar Binks on an actual classic. Screens at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Birch North Park Theatre. Free.
Tokyo Sonata: When a Japanese businessman loses his high-powered job, his family starts to fall apart. Screens at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Central Library, Downtown. Free.
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then: Brent Green’s animated look at Leonard Wood, who spent 15 years building his cancer-stricken wife a healing house, even after her death, is something entirely unique. Screens at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Though it’s often thought of as Tim Burton’s movie, this alt.Christmas.show was actually directed by Henry Selick. Screens at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, at the Encinitas Library. Free.
Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic: Hopefully you already know that the correct answer to “paper or plastic?” is a snooty “I brought my own, thank you.” Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, at the Central Library, Downtown (free), and at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.
Wartorn: 1861-2010: Local musician Josh Damigo, whose brother is one of the subjects of this James Gandolfini-produced documentary about the toll war takes on American soldiers, will be on hand for a post-screening discussion. It starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Lestat’s West in Normal Heights. Free.
Make the Yuletide Gay: The FilmOut favorite kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the Birch North Park Theatre.
Life Cycles: Don’t worry, it’s about mountain biking, not woo-woo new-age stuff. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.
Die Hard: The granddaddy of Christmas action films. Yippie-kay-yay-insert-Bruce-Willis-jokehere. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Free.
NOW PLAYING
Kings of Pastry: This documentary from legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker and his wife, Chris Hegedus, will make you desperate for chocolate and hopeful for the chefs who are desperate to win this most famous of pastry competitions.
Break Ke Baad: A Bollywood rom-com complete with singin’ and dancin’.
Burlesque: Can Cher help small-town girl Christina Aguilera become the best burlesque dancer in L.A.? Yes.
Faster: After a string of family-friendly comedies, the Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, is back to killing people.
Love and Other Drugs: Anne Hathaway falls for pharmaceutical salesman Jake Gyllenhaal and has an endless supply of Viagra.
Tangled: Disney’s take on Rapunzel is surprisingly terrific. Mandy Moore is the singing princess, Zachary Levi the dashing thief, and they’re both upstaged by an animated horse. And for once, the 3-D contributes to the movie.
Waste Land: This documentary follows artist Vic Muniz as he travels from Brooklyn to the landfills of Brazil, where he meets folks who live and create art out of waste.
Wild Target: Hit-man comedy with Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt and Ron Weasley—er, Rupert Grint.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The first half of the two-part final installment assumes viewers know exactly what’s going on as the film opens. It’s as slow as the first half of the epic book it’s based upon, but fans of the Potter franchise won’t want it to end—because when it does, they have to wait until July 2011 to watch the final battle between Harry and Voldemort.
127 Hours: Danny Boyle changes pace once again. Instead of the frenetic energy of Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours is pretty much a one-man show, with James Franco playing Aron Ralston, a hiker forced to cut off his own arm to survive.
Galapagos: An IMAX look at the islands and the animals that made Charles Darwin famous. We’re most fond of the blue-footed boobie. At the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.
Leaving: Kristen Scott Thomas is in a loveless marriage with a successful doctor, so she fools around with a young ex-con working on their property.
Mademoiselle Chambon: A man falls for his son’s homeroom teacher, and the two do their best to keep their urges to themselves. You won’t be surprised to hear it’s in French.
The Milk of Sorrow: The journey of a Peruvian woman stricken with a pathological fear she got via her mother’s breast milk.
The Next Three Days: Russell Crowe stars in Paul Haggis’ new thriller about a man framed for a murder he didn’t commit. No, wait. It’s his wife that didn’t commit the murder, and he’s got to bust her out of jail and clear her. There’s a twist for you.
Vision: From the Life of Hildegard Von Bingen: Check out all the crazy stuff this medieval nun could do. Flying’s not on the list. Ends Dec. 2 at Hillcrest Cinemas.
Today’s Special: An aspiring chef (The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi) is forced to take over his family’s restaurant after his dad has a heart attack.
Unstoppable: Should be called “Denzel Washington and Captain Kirk versus the Death Train.”
Morning Glory: Cutie Rachel McAdams is charged with saving a flailing morning show, even though her two hosts—Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford—hate each other.
Skyline: A big-budget, aliens-invading-Earth movie the studio chose not to screen for critics.
Due Date: Road-trip comedy stars Robert Downey Jr. as a guy desperate to get across the country, but the only way he can do it is by catching a ride with insane Zach Galifianakis. Directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips.
Fair Game: Naomi Watts is Valerie Plame and Sean Penn is Joe Wilson in this look at how CIA agent Plame’s identity was leaked to the press after husband Wilson authored a controversial op-ed in The New York Times. The acting’s good, but this should have come out years ago.
Megamind: A new 3-D animated flick with Will Ferrell as the misunderstood bad guy, Brad Pitt as the hero and Tina Fey as the funniest person in the room.
The Girl Who Kicked the hornet’s Nest: The vast conspiracy at the heart of Steig Larsson’s books might be a little far-fetched, but this makes for a nice conclusion to the adventures of Lisbeth Salander. At least until the Hollywood remake.
Inside Job: Matt Damon narrates Charles Ferguson’s exhaustive documentary about which people, exactly, were responsible for the recent global finance crisis.
Hereafter: Is Clint Eastwood pondering his mortality? Possibly—his new movie looks at what happens when we die, and it does so through three disparate storylines. There’s the French journalist who sees the afterlife as she barely survives a tsunami, the British boy pining for his brother and Matt Damon, who plays a psychic who hates the fact that he can talk to the dead.
Paranormal Activity 2: Because one just wasn’t enough.
Jackass 3-D: Shit is flying in 3-D. Literally.
Nowhere Boy: A portrait of an adolescent John Lennon, played by Kick-Ass’ Aaron Johnson. turns out all he needed was love.
Red: Action-comedy starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and, best of all, Helen Mirren, as retired spies some young whippersnappers are trying to kill.
Secretariat: Thoroughly family-friendly PG version of how one of history’s most famous racehorses got his start.
The Social Network: David Fincher’s new film about the early days of Facebook is more entertaining than 99.9 percent of status updates.
The Town: Ben Affleck directs himself (not a euphemism). He’s a Boston thug torn between bad-guy buddy Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively, a bank manager he once stuck up (also not a euphemism). Oh, and FBI man Jon Hamm is hot on his trail (still no euphemism).
Mao’s Last Dancer: Bruce Beresford directs this biopic of Li Cunxin, who was chosen by the Chinese government to become a world-class ballet dancer.
The Ultimate Wave Tahiti: The latest IMAX entry at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park follows super surfer Kelly Slater as he does his thing on some massive waves.
Hubble: Leonardo DiCaprio lends his pipes to this IMAX film, which uses CGI and real footage to take a close look at saturn’s rings. Just stay away from Uranus. At the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The camp classic continues its ongoing run, Fridays at midnight at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.
