Kip Mooney
On Entourage and The Rest Of This Weekend’s New Film Releases.
Entourage.
Director: Doug Ellin.
Writer: Doug Ellin.
Cast: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara.
Playing At: Wide.
The bros are back in town! Entourage may have outstayed its welcome on HBO by a couple seasons, but now Ari Gold is on the silver screen, trying to protect Vinnie (Adrian Grenier) and his directorial debut from the meddling hands of a worried studio. But you guys are just here for the babes, cars, parties and celebrity cameos, right? Oh yeah.
Insidious: Chapter 3.
Director: Leigh Whannell.
Writer: Leigh Whannell.
Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell.
Playing At: Wide.
Is America ready for another haunted house movie just two weeks after rejecting Poltergeist? History says yes, as this horror franchise has done well, making the most of its limited budget. This time, though, it's a prequel, as writer Leigh Whannell (Saw) appears to have run out of ways to haunt Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, the stars of the first two chapters.
Spy.
Director: Paul Feig.
Writer: Paul Feig.
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Statham.
Playing At: Wide.
Melissa McCarthy Fatigue may come one day, but our Javier Fuentes swears in his review of this film that today is not that day. Sure, audiences gave a shrug to Tammy, but that movie didn't have much more on its mind than making its gifted star fall down a lot. Spy reunites McCarthy with director Paul Feig, who has guided her to greatness in both Bridesmaids and The Heat. Here, she's a CIA desk worker who gets the chance to go into the field when an agent is killed. If nothing else, it’s been a long time since we’ve had an actually good espionage spoof. And before you protest, let me cut you off: Yes, those are needed.
Love & Mercy.
Director: Bill Pohlad.
Writers: Oren Moverman, Michael Alan Lerner.
Cast: Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti.
Playing At: Wide.
Critics at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival found this drama about the life of the Beach Boys' tortured genius Brian Wilson to be a cut above most musical biopics. I’m inclined to agree, mostly because Paul Dano and John Cusack — each playing Wilson, but at different points in the musician's life — are phenomenal. See for yourself if you pick up the good vibrations while watching. I very much did. Check out my full review of this film here.
Beyond the Mask.
Director: Chad Burns.
Writer: Paul McCusker.
Cast: Andrew Cheney, John Rhys-Davies, Kara Killmer, Adetkumboh M’Cormack.
Playing At: Cinemark West Plano.
Remove the blatant preaching from the trailer, and this might not be a half-bad revenge thriller, even if it looks like it steals elements from Zorro, Pirates of the Caribbean and that AMC show about George Washington that no one watches. Andrew Cheney plays a masked avenger who converts to Christianity and helps the U.S. Colonies win their freedom from the British. No, I’m not entirely certain this script wasn’t written by a robot created by Fox News.
Results.
Director: Andrew Bujalski.
Writer: Andrew Bujalski.
Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi.
Playing At: The Magnolia.
Writer-director Andrew Bujalski might hit the big time soon. Previously known for his awkward, small-scale, black-and-white comedies (Computer Chess, Mutual Appreciation), he goes somewhat mainstream with Results. Here, he guides Pearce and Smulders, who play rival, romantically entangled personal trainers that are competing for the business of an overweight but wealthy client played by the great Kevin Corrigan.
When Marnie Was There.
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Writers: Keiko Niwa, Masashi Ando, Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Cast: Kathy Bates, Ellen Burstyn, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara.
Playing At: Angelika Dallas, Angelika Plano.
The latest — and potentially last — Studio Ghibli film hits American shores and it comes with a supremely talented roster of voices. The story follows a young girl who spends the summer with relatives in a small coastal town. Thought she's told it's her first time in this locale, she can't shake the feeling that she used to live in a mansion here. Like all of Studio Ghibli's best movies, there’s a supernatural, mysterious element to the story that make it accessible for adults and wonderful for kids.
Sunshine Superman.
Director: Marah Strauch.
Cast: Carl Boenish, Jean Boenish, John Long, Carol Boenish.
Playing At: Angelika Dallas.
If you've got a fear of heights, it's probably best to steer clear of this one that focuses on the late Carl Boenish, one of the world's most renowned daredevils and the man who brought the concept of BASE jumping — parachuting off an extremely tall building or cliff — to the masses. He was probably crazy, but extreme sports fans owe him a huge debt. Even if the subject doesn’t interest you, the absolutely insane cinematography should. Boenish often strapped a camera to his person for his jumps, and now we get to revel in that footage.
The Nightmare.
Director: Rodney Ascher.
Cast: Yatoya Toy, Siegfried Peters, Steven Yvette.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Rodney Ascher returns to stretch the limits of documentary film-making with this one. Room 237, his last feature, was an exploration of several crazy conspiracy theories about Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. This one's even more out there, as it re-enacts the vivid nightmares of people who suffer from sleep paralysis. The trailer was enough to give me the willies.
Doomsdays.
Director: Eddie Mullins.
Writer: Eddie Mullins.
Cast: Justin Rice, Leo Fitzpatrick, Laura Campbell, Brian Charles Johnson.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Fred and Bruho are thieves enjoying their nomadic lifestyle, but they have to adjust when two new folks join their ranks. If you like off-beat comedy with lots of slapping, this one appears to be just for you.
Pixies.
Director: Sean Patrick O’Reilly.
Writer: Sean Patrick O’Reillly.
Cast: Alexa Pena-Vega, Bill Paxton, Christopher Plummer, Carlos Pena-Vega.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
This is cutting-edge animation for a nasal spray commercial, but pretty dreadful for a feature-length film. Save this only for the waiting room of a pediatrician’s office.
Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant.
Director: Sam Friedlander.
Writer: Mike Sikowitz.
Cast: Mark Feuerstein, Henry Winkler, Jayma Mays, Danny Pudi.
Playing At: LOOK Cinemas.
In the grand tradition of Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star comes Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant, which tells you everything that you needed to know. Why so many talented folks, including Stanley Tucci and Marcia Gay Harden, are wasting their talents in this low-brow “comedy” are beyond me. I mean, this is a movie that only named its character Larry Gaye so it could ask a room full of flight attendants, “Which one of you is Gaye?” Get it?! This one is not cleared for landing.
The Beaver Trilogy.
Director: Trent Harris.
Writer: Trent Harris.
Cast: Richard LaVon Griffiths, Sean Penn, Crispin Glover, Elizabeth Daily.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Showings: Saturday, June 6.
In 1979, director Trent Harris made a short about an Olivia Newton-John impersonator named Groovin’ Gary. A few years later, he remade it with Sean Penn. Then, he had Crispin Glover remake his remake. Whether any of the short films within The Beaver Trilogy are good is beside the point. This is really a grand, years-long experiment into what constitutes the concepts of originality, cinema and whether you're laughing with or at your protagonist. It's a fascinating, one-of-a-kind experience.
