This week's film openings

Plus one-time-only screenings and other movie listings

This week's openings and one-off events include right-wing doc Obama's America; Cosmopolis starring Robert Pattinson; Princess Bride at Stone Brewing and a Back to the Future double-feature.

Wednesday, August 15,2012
Film

‘Searching for Sugar Man’ is a magical mystery tour

It’s clear why Malik Bendjelloul’s new documentary was a hit at Sundance

By Anders Wright

Back in 1970, a Detroit singer-songwriter called Rodriguez released the album Cold Fact. He was soulful and intelligent, his lyrics were intriguing, personal and anti-establishment.

Wednesday, August 15,2012
Film

‘Killer Joe’ takes Matthew McConaughey pretty far

William Friedkin’s new one leads our rundown of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

It’s easy to look at Killer Joe and just see a Matthew McConaughey thriller. But it’s worth noting that this is a movie made by William Friedkin, a guy with a serious résumé.

Wednesday, August 8,2012
Film

Baby, you can ‘Drive’ this movie

Sharp, violent thriller, playing at midnight this week, tops our coverage of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

If you’ve seen it, you know just how good it is and why it’s well suited to screen at midnight. If you haven’t, get your tickets.

Wednesday, August 8,2012
Film

Ai Weiwei is the man

The Chinese artist fights the power in a new documentary

By Anders Wright

We want our artists to be fearless and unafraid of retribution for speaking their minds. That’s easy to say in this country, where the usual consequence for controversy is either having your funding pulled or wild commercial success.

Wednesday, August 1,2012
Film

The folks behind Little Miss Sunshine discuss Ruby Sparks

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris re-team with Paul Dano and his off-screen girlfriend Zoe Kazan for this wordy romantic dramedy

By Anders Wright

After the success of Little Miss Sunshine, which earned a pair of Oscars and was enormously profitable at the box office, it’s surprising that co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris waited six years to release another film.

Wednesday, August 1,2012
Film

Latino Film Festival hops aboard the zombie bandwagon

‘Juan of the Dead’ tops our coverage of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

Yeah, zombies are everywhere these days, even gracing CityBeat’s cover on July 11. People can’t seem to get enough of them as they mindlessly shamble into any multiplex that features the walking dead on a big screen, stuffing their brainholes with popcorn and sugar water.

Wednesday, July 25,2012
Film

Todd Solondz makes a comeback

For creepy director, ‘Dark Horse’ marks a return to doing what he does best

By Anders Wright

Like most indie-film geeks from the ’80s and ’90s, I had a love affair with Todd Solondz. Welcome to the Dollhouse was refreshing, painful and funny, and his follow-up, Happiness, was cringe-inducing, uncomfortably amusing and absolutely fearless.

Wednesday, July 25,2012
Film

‘The Queen of Versailles’ reveals first-world problems

Lauren Greenfield’s documentary tops our rundown of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

There’s no place like home, especially when your home is 26,000 square feet. But that’s not big enough for Jackie and David Siegel, who are building a 90,000 square-foot home at the beginning of Lauren Greenfield’s new film The Queen of Versailles, which opens at Hillcrest Cinemas on Friday, July 27.

Wednesday, July 18,2012
Film

Rob Reiner plays it safe with The Magic of Belle Isle

Director’s latest is for folks who don’t like surprises

By Anders Wright

There was a time when I wanted to know what Rob Reiner was up to, back when he was making movies like This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, Stand by Me and, perhaps most of all, When Harry Met Sally.

Arts & Culture Features

Head Crammers

Nudge these nuggets into your noodle

A new app called Buycott makes it easier for you to make informed decisions about what goes in your pantry, plus more things we like.

By CityBeat Staff

New doc about Ricky Jay plays its cards close to the vest

If you know who he is, you know how cool he is, and if you don’t know who he is, you should

There are two sorts of people in this world: those who are fully aware of Ricky Jay and his work and those who haven’t yet had the pleasure. Now, there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you aren’t familiar with him.

By Anders Wright

Cult of personality

Fiona Maazel’s beguiling new novel about the perils of loneliness

Either Fiona Maazel—named in 2008 to the National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" list—possesses psychic powers or her novels are remarkably prescient.

By Jim Ruland

Canvassed

Photographer Monica Hoover's latest project, boisterous Balkan music and more cool events

Our weekly Red List roundup

Digable causeCityBeat's had its eye on photographer Monica Hoover ever since she opened Voice 1156 gallery back in 2004, where she featured street-inspired and lowbrow work by artists ...

Mike Giant signing in North Park

The graffiti icon stops by Home Mercantile to launch his new book

The name Mike Giant elicits responses like "that dude's sick" in the graffiti world. He's been a fixture in the art, graffiti, tattoo and skateboarding scenes for decades.Giant will stop by Home Merca...