ADVANCE TICKETS NOW ON SALE
"Bix: Ain't None of Them Play Like Him Yet" — PLAYS MONDAY, MAY 9 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Filmmaker Brigitte Berman will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A! Ticket includes a pre-film reception starting at 5:45 PM featuring food & drinks from The Blue LLama Jazz Club and live music from jazz band Justin’s Hot Five, led by local jazz trumpeter, Justin Walter!
"Bix" Beiderbecke (1903-1931) was jazz's man who got away - the James Dean, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain of his day. Oscar® winnerBrigitte Berman's acclaimed documentary paints a vivid portrait of a vanished era and brings to life the only trumpeter Louis Armstrongregarded as an equal (the quotation in the film's title was once spoken by Armstrong). Restored in 4K in 2020 by filmmaker Brigitte Berman.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" — OPENS THURSDAY, MAY 5 AT THE STATE
Benedict Cumberbatchstars in this film. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary. Directed my Michigan native Sam Raimi.
"Downton Abbey: A New Era"— OPENS WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 AT THE MICHIGAN
This charming film reunites the original principal cast. Downton creator and Academy-Award® winner Julian Felloweswill once again write the film’s screenplay. BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Simon Curtis ("My Week with Marilyn") will join the filmmaking team to direct the sequel. In the film, The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) mysteriously inherits a Villa in the South of France, providing a convenient escape for the Crawley family as the Downton Abbey estate is used for a film shoot.
OPENING THIS WEEK
"The Bad Guys" — OPENING FRIDAY, APRIL 22 AT THE MULTIPLEX
In the new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on the New York Times best-selling book series, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws are about to attempt their most challenging con yet--becoming model citizens. Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys--dashing pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell), seen-it-all safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), chill master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), short-fused "muscle" Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and sharp-tongued expert hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), aka "Webs." But when, after years of countless heists and being the world's most-wanted villains, the gang is finally caught, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal (that he has no intention of keeping) to save them all from prison: The Bad Guys will go good. Under the tutelage of their mentor Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade), an arrogant (but adorable!) guinea pig, The Bad Guys set out to fool the world that they've been transformed. Along the way, though, Mr. Wolf begins to suspect that doing good for real may give him what he’s always secretly longed for: acceptance. So when a new villain threatens the city, can Mr. Wolf persuade the rest of the gang to become... The Good Guys?
"The Northman"— OPENS TONIGHT AT THE STATE
This a 2022 epic historical action-drama film directed by Robert Eggers ("The Witch") and co-written by Eggers andSjón. Based on the legend of Amleth – a figure in a medieval Scandinavian legend, the direct inspiration of the character of Prince Hamlet, the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. Filming took place from August to December 2020 in locations throughout Ireland. The film has received critical acclaim, with particular praise aimed at its direction, production values, and the performances of the cast.
"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" — OPENS FRIDAY, APRIL 22 AT THE STATE
A 2022 American action comedy film directed by Tom Gormican from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Etten. The film stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself, along with a supporting cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish.
Its world premiere was at South by Southwest on March 12, 2022. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances and chemistry of Cage and Pascal.
In the film, Cage begrudgingly accepts a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a billionaire super fan. When things take a wild turn, Cage is forced to become a version of some of his most iconic and beloved characters in order to extricate his wife and daughter from the fan whom the CIA has informed him is a notorious arms dealer.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
"Shrek 2"— PLAYS FRIDAY, APRIL 22 AT 10 PM THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Late Night at the Michigan Series
After returning from their honeymoon and showing home movies to their friends, Shrek and Fiona learn that her parents have heard that she has married her true love and wish to invite him to their kingdom, called Far Far Away. The catch is: Fiona's parents are unaware of the curse that struck their daughter and have assumed she married Prince Charming, not a 700-pound ogre with horrible hygiene and a talking donkey pal.
"In a Lonely Place"— PLAYS SATURDAY, APRIL 23 AT 8 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
From director Nicholas Ray, Hollywood screenwriter Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) and his neighbor Laurel (Gloria Grahame) are just getting to know each other romantically when the police begin questioning Dixon about his involvement in the murder of a girl he met once. Certain her new love interest is innocent, Laurel stands by Dixon, but as the police continue pressing him, Dixon begins to act increasingly erratically. The blossoming love affair suffers as Laurel begins to wonder if Dixon really might be a killer.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
"Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore"
A 2022 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay byJ.K. Rowlingand Steve Kloves. It is the sequel to "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" (2018), the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and the eleventh overall in the Wizarding World franchise. Its ensemble cast includes Eddie Redmayne,Jude Law, Ezra Miller,Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen. Set several years after the events of its predecessor, the film sees Albus Dumbledore tasking Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission that takes them into the heart of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald's army. Principal photography commenced in September 2020, following the pandemic setbacks and the replacement of Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelsen.
A 2021 British romantic drama film directed by Eva Husson, from a screenplay by Alice Birch, based on the novel of the same name by Graham Swift. The film stars Odessa Young, Josh O'Connor, Olivia Colman, and Colin Firth. The film also marks the first appearance of Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson on a theatrical release in over thirty years, having last appeared in "King of the Wind" (1990).
Set in the wake of World War I, the film follows the life of Jane Fairchild (Young), an orphaned maid who spends Mothering Sunday with her wealthy lover. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 9 July 2021.
"Everything Everywhere All At Once"
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ("Swiss Army Man"), collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes.
2022 Oscars Winner of Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay & Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur!
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is the sole hearing member of a deaf family -- a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother. But when Ruby joins her high school's choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles. Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive!" "While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers.
Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
