In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair catches up with Michigan Theater marketing manager Sarah Erlewine. Learn more about the movies playing this weekend!
Opening Downtown
Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost (Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history, confronting life's ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, “A Ghost Story” emerges ecstatic and surreal - a wholly unique experience that lingers long after the credits roll. “A Ghost Story” opens Friday.
"An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power"
A decade after “An Inconvenient Truth” brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, the riveting and rousing follow-up shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gorecontinues his tireless fight, traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy. Cameras follow him behind the scenes-in moments private and public, funny and poignant-as he pursues the empowering notion that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion. Our extraordinary former vice president invites us along on an inspirational journey across the globe that delivers the tools to heal our planet. The question is: will we choose to take the baton? “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” opens Thursday, August 3.
Special Screenings Downtown
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family. “The Shining” plays Thursday, July 27 at 9:30 PM as part of the Summer Classics: Kubrick After Dark series.
This is Alfred Hitchcock’s romantic story of obsession, manipulation, and fear. A detective (James Stewart) is forced to retire after his fear of heights causes the death of a fellow officer and the girl he was hired to follow. He sees a double of the girl, causing him to transform her image onto the dead girl’s body. This leads into a cycle of madness and lies. “Vertigo” plays Sunday, July 30 at 1:30 PM.
The classic suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted relentlessly by Vandamm’s associates, the harried Thornhill ends up on a cross-country journey, meeting the beautiful and mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) along the way. Soon Vandamm’s henchmen close in on Thornhill, resulting in a number of iconic action sequences. “North by Northwest” plays Tuesday, August 1 at 7 PM. Both “Vertigo” and “North by Northwest” play as part of the Michigan Theater’s Summer Classics: Hitchcock Goes Hollywood series.
Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple’s baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won’t stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry’s troubles. “Eraserhead” plays Thursday, August 3 at 9:30 PM as part of the Summer Classics: Lynch After Dark series.
Opening at the Multiplex
This is a high-stakes, global action-thriller that takes place in Berlin on the eve of the Wall's collapse. Charlize Theron portrays Lorraine Broughton, a top-level spy for MI6, who is dispatched to Berlin to take down a ruthless espionage ring that has just killed an undercover agent for reasons unknown. “Atomic Blonde” opens Friday.
The animated comedy takes place in Textopolis, a world inside a smartphone that's inhabited by various emojis There, an emoji named Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller) is ashamed that he has multiple facial expressions while his colleagues only have one each, and he embarks on a quest to be like everyone else. Featuring the voices ofJames Corden, Jennifer Coolidge, Maya Rudolph, and Patrick Stewart, “The Emoji Movie” opens Friday.
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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU. You can contact David at734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu
