Category: indie/arthouse

Gere faces ‘Arbitrage,’ the ‘Desires’ of film noir and more

September 14, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere in "Arbitrage"

A slow movie weekend, with only a couple of reviews: the Wall St-fatcat-in-trouble drama "Arbitrage," with Richard Gere, and "Dangerous Desires," a selection of film noir treats at the Northwest Film Center. We've also got "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse," "Levy's High Five" and "Retro-a-Gogo" to flesh out the week.

‘Samsara’ and ‘The Ambassador’ roam, the ‘Words’ and ‘Summer’ crash, and more

September 7, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

from "Samsara"

Not a lot of new stuff this weekend, as movie distributors try not to get their opening weekends blitzed by the dawn of a new NFL seasons. We have a handful of reviews: a comparison of two fascinating documentaries, "Samsara" and "The Ambassador"; a look at Spike Lee's back-to-the-old-neighborhood picture "Red Hook Summer"; and a slam of the inane literary drama "The Words." And, eternally, "Also Opening," "Indie/ArtHouse," "Levy's High Five" and (under the old name that it once again sports) "Retro-a-Gogo."

A ‘Killer’ diller, a wily ‘Robot,’ some ‘Lawless’ brothers and more

August 31, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Matthew McConaughey in "Killer Joe"

A nicely varied selection of films for this holiday weekend. We've got reviews of the NC-17 black comedy "Killer Joe"; the low-fi sci-fi tale "Robot & Frank"; the brothers-in-bootlegging film "Lawless"; the slow-burn drama "Oslo, August 31"; and the multi-character web-of-life film "360." And -- but you knew this already -- we've got "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse," "Levy's High Five" and "Vintage Vault."

A sleek ‘Cosmopolis,’ a speedy ‘Rush,’ an unreal ‘Imposter’ and more

August 24, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Robert Pattinson in "Cosmopolis"

A truly hectic week, as evidenced by the number of films to do with cars, bikes and travel. To wit: David Cronenberg's dark limo ride, "Cosmopolis"; the bike-messenger-on-the-run picture "Premium Rush"; and the darkly comic chase film "Hit and Run." We've also got reviews of the culture-clash comedy "2 Days in New York"; the exes-trying-to-stay-friends film "Celeste and Jesse Forever"; and the unbelievable but true crime story "The Imposter." Plus, like clockwork, "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse," "Levy's High Five" and (the newly renamed) "Vintage Views."

An animated ‘ParaNorman,’ a lost ‘Sugar Man’ and a wee bit more

August 17, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

"ParaNorman"

The widest national release this torrid weekend is "ParaNorman," which is, of course, of special interest to Portlanders as it's the second film by our local gang of animation wizards, Laika Entertainment. We've got a review, an interview with directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell, a brief history of stop-motion animation, the technique in which the film was made, and a roundup of other reactions. We've also got a review of the remarkable musical documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man," the less you know about going in the better, frankly. Plus: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse," "Levy's High Five" and "Retro-a-Gogo." Much more next week.

A ‘Recall’ reboot, a clueless ‘Queen,’ an ‘Ai Weiwei’ portrait and much more

August 3, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Colin Farrell in "Total Recall"

Last week, the opening of the Olympics seemed to scare new films out of opening in theaters. This weekend, we've got a massive haul of new stuff. Towit: the scifi remake "Total Recall"; the dark romantic fantasy "Ruby Sparks"; the art world documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"; the epic movie history "The Story of Film"; the rich folks gone bad documentary "The Queen of Versailles"; the French historical drama "Farewell, My Queen"; the Danish gross-out comedy "Klown"; and the dreary psychic-investigation thriller "Red Lights." And beyond that we have "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse," "Levy's High Five," and "Retro-a-Gogo."

Aliens challenge a neighborhood patrol in ‘The Watch,’ lovers in ‘Extraterrestrial,’ and more

July 27, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Ben Stiller in "The Watch"

Pretty light schedule this week, with a strange coincidence between our two featured reviews. Both "The Watch" and "Extraterrestrial" deal comically (or at least attempt to) with the results of an alien invasion, the first on the denizens of an American suburb, the second on a pair of lovers in Madrid. Other than those two, we have only the stalwarts: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five." Much, much more next week, we promise....

A grim ‘Knight,’ a melancholy ‘Waltz’ and more

July 20, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight Rises"

The big release of the weekend -- and likely the month and maybe the season or even the year -- is "The Dark Knight Rises," the final installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. We've also got reviews of Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen in the marital drama "Take This Waltz," the musical documentary "Neil Young Journeys," and "Trishna," a reimagining of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" in India starring Freida Pinto. All that plus "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: ‘Spider-Man’ reboots, Woody does ‘Rome’, bloody ‘Savages’ and more

July 6, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man"

The big movie opening of the week is "The Amazing Spider-Man," but there's plenty of variety out there, and we review much of it, including Woody Allen's Italian rondelay "To Rome with Love," Oliver Stone's bloody, sexy crime film "Savages," the Duplass brothers' warring-sibling comedy "The Do-Deca-Pentathalon," and a restored print of Jean Renoir's 1937 classic "Grand Illusion." On top of that, you can, as always, count on "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: ‘Ted’ swears, ‘Mike’ grinds, a lovely ‘Wish’ and more

June 29, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Matthew McConaughey in "Magic Mike"

There's an intriguing variety of new titles in Portland this weekend: the foul-mouthed living teddy bear comedy "Ted"; the male stripper seeking meaning drama "Magic Mike"; the dysfunctional family tale "People Like Us"; the moving Japanese tale of boys trying to reunite their estranged parents, "I Wish"; the Oscar-nominated animated film "A Cat in Paris"; and the based-on-truth comedy about politics "Grassroots." And when you've worked through all that, check out "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: A ‘Brave’ princess, a ‘Lincoln’ who kills, a sweet ‘End of the World’ and more

June 22, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Benjamin Walker in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

A little bit of everything in movie theaters this weekend. Pixar brings us the princess tale "Brave"; the brilliantly crazed Russian director Timur Bekmambetov offers "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"; Steve Carell and Keira Knightley meet up in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"; and "Your Sister's Sister" is a sweet, sad, offbeat indie romcom. All that, plus "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: Cruise is a ‘Rock’, Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Hysteria’ and more

June 15, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages"

Not very much new stuff in the hopper this weekend. We have reviews of the '80s metal love story "Rock of Ages," the invention-of-the-vibrator comedy "Hysteria" and a program of New Czech Cinema at the Northwest Film Center. Add to that the usual stuff -- "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five" -- and that's all she wrote.

Movies: a handsome ‘Prometheus,’ a lovable ‘Kingdom,’ a warm ‘Lazhar’ and more

June 8, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases in Portland-area theaters

Charlize Theron in "Prometheus"

Two highly anticipated titles among this week's offerings: Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel, "Prometheus," and Wes Anderson's return to live-action filmmaking, "Moonrise Kingdom." We've also got reviews of the Oscar-nominated schoolhouse drama "Monsieur Lazhar" and the time-travel-wannabe sort-of comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed." And we've got the evergreens: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

A noisy ‘Snow White,’ a daring ‘Not a Film,’ a choppy ‘Polisse’ and more

June 1, 2012 / Mad About Movies

This week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Charlize Theron in "Snow White and the Huntsman"

The big multiplex opening this weekend is "Snow White and the Huntsman," but we've also got reviews of the daring Iranian documentary "This Is Not a Film," the French police story "Polisse," the French buddy tale "The Intouchables" and the low-fi American indie comedy "The Color Wheel." And, yes, "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: a breezy ‘Men,’ a hard ‘Hit’ and more

May 25, 2012 / Mad About Movies

This week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

Josh Brolin (left) and Will Smith in "Men in Black 3"

Not a heck of a lot new at the multiplex this weekend, but the big picture, "Men in Black 3," a sequel that nobody eagerly awaited, is a nice surprise. We've got only one other in-house review: "Hit So Hard," a documentary about grunge drummer and addiction survivor Patty Schemel.

Other than that, the old standbys: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: a noisy ‘Battleship,’ a sweetly dark ‘Bernie,’ a dim ‘Dictator’ and more

May 18, 2012 / Mad About Movies

This week's new releases in Portland-area theaters.

"Battleship"

Lots -- and I mean lots -- of films and film events for this springlike weekend. At the multiplexes, we've got the boats-vs-aliens film "Battleship," the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy "The Dictator," and the star-packed mom-and-dad-com "What to Expect When You're Expecting." In the arthouses we have the dark marital comedy "Darling Companion," the dark true crime comedy "Bernie," the spree-killer satire "God Bless America," and the documentary "Mansome" about male grooming. We've also got a roundup of three local film events well worth catching: the annual Portland Queer Documentary Festival, the Great Northwest Film Tour of the documentary "Adventures in Plymptoons" about cartoonist Bill Plympton, and the brand new Experimental Film Festival Portland. Add a jam-packed "Also Opening" and "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five" and your cinematic cups run way the heck over.

Movies: The ‘Avengers’ assemble, the ‘Pope’ has cold feet, Studio Ghibli is celebrated, and more

May 4, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases from today's A&E.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) in "The Avengers"

The one big deal movie out there this weekend is, of course, "The Avengers," and I've got a review and a brief introduction to the characters. Other movies were mostly scared away from opening opposite such a blockbuster, but we review the Italian comedy "We Have a Pope" and a new retrospective of films from Japan's Studio Ghibli. And -- but you knew it, didn't you -- there's "Also Opening," "Indy/Arthouse," and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: a ravishing ‘Sea,’ quirky ‘Damsels,’ a funny ‘Goon’ and more

April 27, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases from today's A&E.

Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz in "The Deep Blue Sea"

What a busy, eclectic weekend -- and so many reviews! We recommend some little films: the deeply emotional tale of heartbreak and passion "The Deep Blue Sea"; the bloody and profane hockey comedy "Goon"; and the offbeat campus comedy "Damsels in Distress." We also like one of the big releases -- the animated "Pirates! Band of Misfits" -- but cannot recommend the Edgar Allen Poe-as-crimefighter movie "The Raven" or the rom-com "The Five-Year Engagement." And, reliably: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: the full ‘Marley,’ a ‘Lucky’ romance, a sweet ‘Salt’ and more

April 20, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases from today's A&E.

Bob Marley from "Marley"

Light week at the movies. We've got reviews of the epic-scale biographical documentary "Marley," the Zac Efron love story "The Lucky One," the Italian slice-of-romance comedy "The Salt of Life," and, off the wire, the nature documentary "Chimpanzee." And, as ever, no matter the weather, "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

Movies: a clever ‘Cabin,’ a heart-rending ‘Bully,’ fests of Jewish films and cycling movies, and more

April 13, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases from today's A&E.

"The Cabin in the Woods"

Among the movie highlights this week are two signature annual events celebrating milestone anniversaries: the Portland Jewish Film Festival, now in its 20th year, and Filmed by Bike, now in its 10th. We've also got reviews of the sharp and surprise-filled horror movie "The Cabin in the Woods," the deeply moving documentary "Bully" and "Blue Like Jazz," a film about education and spirituality shot in Portland. And, yes, the evergreens: "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

A quarrelsome ‘Footnote,’ a lively ‘Comic-con,’ a glum ‘Reunion’ and more

April 6, 2012 / Mad About Movies

Reviews of this week's new releases from today's A&E.

Jason Biggs in "American Reunion"

There's a lot of variety on offer this Easter weekend. The "American Pie" gang is back for an "American Reunion," you can visit a world of freaks and geeks with "Comic-con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope," there's a bickering family of scholars in the Oscar-nominated "Footnote," you can watch a lad come of age in "Boy," or you can investigate mysteries within mysteries in "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia." All that, plus "Also Opening," "Indie/Arthouse" and "Levy's High Five."

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