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Cinema Chat: A glimpse into the fall film season, plus 'Passages' and the 20th anniversary of 'Oldboy' come to the State Theatre

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FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

  1. "Bottoms" – Opens September 1st, director Emma Seligman (‘Shiva Baby’)
  2. "The Exorcist: Believer"– Opens Oct. 13th, director David Gordon Green
  3. "Killers of the Flower Moon" – Opens Oct. 20th., director Martin Scorsese
  4. "Dune: Part Two" – Opens Nov. 3rd, director Denis Villeneuve
  5. "The Killer" – Opens Nov. 10th, director David Fincher
  6. "The Marvels" – Opens Nov. 10th, director Nia DaCosta
  7. "Next Goal Wins" – Opens Nov. 17th, director Taika Waititi
  8. "Napoleon" – Opens Nov. 22nd, director Ridley Scott
  9. "Poor Things" – Opens Dec. 8th, director Yorgos Lanthimos
  10. "Wonka"– Opens Dec. 15th, director Paul King

OPENING THIS WEEK

"Passages"— OPENS FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 AT THE STATE

A Sundance 2023 premiere – Celebrated filmmakerIra Sachs ("Love is Strange") makes a breathtaking return with this fresh, honest and brutally funny take on messy, modern relationships, starring Franz Rogowski ("Transit"), Ben Whishaw ("No Time to Die," "Women Talking") and Adèle Exarchopoulos ("Blue Is the Warmest Colour"). Set in Paris, this seductive drama tells the story of Tomas (Rogowski) and Martin (Whishaw), a gay couple whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas begins a passionate affair with Agathe (Exarchopoulos), a younger woman he meets after completing his latest film.

"Oldboy" — OPENS FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 AT THE STATE

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Park Chan-Wook’s cinematic masterpiece, the film will be released in theaters for the first time in 20 years, restored and remastered in stunning 4K.

After being mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned with no human contact for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is suddenly released without any explanation. In a twisted game of cat and mouse, he has only five days to retrace his past, track down his captors, and get his revenge.

Featuring one of best one-shot action sequences of all-time and 18 on Empire Magazine’s “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema

SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN

"Naussica of the Valley of the Wind" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2023 series

Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Hayao Miyazaki, this is an epic masterpiece of sweeping scope and grandeur that remains one of the most breathtaking and exhilarating animated films of all time.

A thousand years after the Seven Days of Fire destroyed civilization, warring human factions survive in a world devastated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects. The peaceful Valley of the Wind is nestled on the edge of the Toxic Forest and led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, whose love of all living things leads her into terrible danger, as she fights to restore balance between humans and nature. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.

"Inglorious Basterds" — PLAYS FRIDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 9:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Nights at the State series

From writer/director Quentin Tarantino – It is the first year of Germany's occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts of retribution against the Nazis, including the taking of their scalps. He and his men join forces with Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), a German actress and undercover agent, to bring down the leaders of the Third Reich. Their fates converge with theater owner Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), who seeks to avenge the Nazis' execution of her family. Also starring Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Daniel Brühl, B. J. Novak, Mike Myers and more...

"CatVideoFest 2023"— PLAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 2 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

CatVideoFest is back in theaters! A compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. Each year, across the country, they partner with a cat-focused charity near the theater, with proceeds from each show helping folks like us to keep looking out for our furry friends.

"Kiki's Delivery Service" — PLAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 3:30 PM AND THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2023 series

Celebrate this beloved coming-of-age story from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of 'Spirited Away', and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, about a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt.

It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation.

"King Kong" (1933) — PLAYS SUNDAY, AUGUST 20 AT 1:30 PM AND TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Summer Classics film series

Actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham's new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins. From directorsMerian C. Cooper andErnest B. Schoedsack.

"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" — PLAYS MONDAY, AUGUST 21 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the 50 Years of Scorsese film series

After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner. She intends to stay in Arizona just long enough to make the money needed to head back out on the road, but her plans change when she begins to fall for a rancher named David (Kris Kristofferson). From director Martin Scorsese and also starring Harvey Keiteland Diane Ladd.

The Series Continues - Mondays at 7:30 PM at the Michigan (mostly):

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"Jules" 

The film premiered at the Sonoma International Film Festival on March 22, 2023.

It follows Milton (Ben Kingsley), who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash lands in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.”

Things become complicated when two neighbors (Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors find meaning and connection later in life - thanks to this unlikely stranger.

"Theater Camp" 

A 2023 American comedy film directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman in their directorial debuts, from a screenplay by Gordon, Lieberman, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin. A feature-length adaptation of the 2020 short film of the same name, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Galvin, Gordon, Platt,Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele,Caroline Aaron and Amy Sedaris. Will Ferrell serves as a producer under his Gloria Sanchez Productions banner. It had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics.

As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York that's a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos, Rebecca-Diane, and their band of eccentric teachers and students to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.

"Barbie" 

A 2023 fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig, who wrote it with Noah Baumbach. Gerwig collaborated with her partner Noah Baumbach on several films, including "Greenberg" (2010) and "Frances Ha" (2012), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination, "Mistress America" (2015), and "White Noise" (2022). She also appeared in many other films including as a voice actor in Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" (2018). As a solo filmmaker, Gerwig has written and directed the coming-of-age films "Lady Bird" (2017) and "Little Women" (2019), both of which earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The film stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, who go on a journey of self-discovery after their expulsion from the utopian Barbie Land. Appearing in supporting roles are America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

The was first announced in September 2009. Following multiple writer and director changes and the casting of Amy Schumerand later Anne Hathaway in the titular role, Sony lost the rights, which were transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures in October 2018, with Robbie being cast in 2019. Gerwig was announced as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2021. Gosling and the rest of the cast were announced in early 2022. Filming took place primarily at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England from March to July 2022. Barbie premiered at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023.

After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie and Ken go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world. OR to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken.

"Oppenheimer"

An epic biographical thriller film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the 2005 biography "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons. The film stars Cillian Murphyas the title character, with a supporting ensemble cast including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

The film was announced in September 2021 when Universal Pictures won the bidding war. Filming began in late February 2022 and wrapped that May. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot the film in a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film—including, for the first time, sections in IMAX black-and-white analog photography. As on his previous works, Nolan utilized extensive practical effects and minimal computer-generated imagery. The film premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023. It is Nolan's first film not to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures domestically or internationally since "Memento" (2000).

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Contact David: dfair@emich.edu
Nick Alderink is the programming manager at Ann Arbor's historic Michigan Theater.
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