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Cinema Chat: Live events coming to the Michigan Theater, plus 'The Exorcist: Believer' and the 40th anniversary of 'Stop Making Sense' open downtown

The State Theatre
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The State Theatre

LIVE EVENTS COMING TO THE MICHIGAN THEATER

COMING SOON

"Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour" — OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 AT THE STATE AND MULTIPLEX

The cultural phenomenon continues on the big screen! Immerse yourself in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic view of the history-making tour. Taylor Swift Eras attire and friendship bracelets are strongly encouraged! From director Sam Wrench.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW - michtheater.org

Beyonce’s new Concert Film is also soon coming to a theater Downtown! Stay Tuned!

"Joan Baez: I Am a Noise" — COMING SOON

Neither a conventional biopic nor a traditional concert film, this film is a raw and intimate portrait of the legendary folk singer and activist that shifts back and forth through time as it follows Joan on her final tour and delves into her extraordinary archive, including newly discovered home movies, diaries, artwork, therapy tapes, and audio recordings. Baez is remarkably revealing about her life on and off stage -- from her lifelong emotional struggles to her civil rights work with MLK and a heartbreaking romance with a young Bob Dylan. A searingly honest look at a living legend, this film is a compelling and deeply personal exploration of an iconic artist who has never told the full truth of her life, as she experienced it, until now.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" — OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 WITH A SPECIAL SCREENING ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 AT THE STATE

From director Martin Scorsese and based on David Grann's best-selling book. Set in 1920's Oklahoma, the film depicts the serial murder of member of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Nero, Lily Gladstone, and Jesse Plemons.

OPENING AND RE-OPENING DOWNTOWN

"The Exorcist: Believer" — OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT THE STATE AND THE MULTIPLEX

Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Tony winner and Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; "One Night in Miami," "Hamilton") has raised their daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett, "Good Girls") on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (newcomer Olivia Marcum), disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).

"Stop Making Sense" (newly restored 40th anniversary screening) — OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT THE MICHIGAN

A 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983, when the group was touring to promote their new album Speaking in Tongues. The concert serves as a band retrospective, featuring many of their popular songs from their first single "Psycho Killer" (1977) through to their most recent hit "Burning Down the House" (1983). The group also performs songs from frontman David Byrne's solo career, and from Tom Tom Club, the side project of two other band members.

The band raised the budget of $1.2 million themselves. The four core members of Talking Heads—lead singer and guitarist David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, guitarist and keyboardist Jerry Harrison, and bassist Tina Weymouth—are joined on stage by an extensive supporting band, including backing singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt, guitarist Alex Weir, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and percussionist Steve Scales.

This film is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest concert films of all time, and a cult classic. The film is a pioneering example of the use of early digital audio techniques. In 2021, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

SPECIAL SCREEENINGS DOWNTOWN

International Fly-Fishing Film Festival — PLAYS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 7-9 PM AT THE STATE

The International Fly-Fishing Film Festival (IF4), the world’s leading fly-fishing film event, is a curated collection of stories showcasing the pursuit of wild spaces and peaceful places where fish seem most willing, the water appears in its purest form and our community connects. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Trout Unlimited.

"Seoul Station" — PLAYS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 9:30 PM AND THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Nights at the State series

In this animated prequel to "Train to Busan" (2016), a man desperately searches for his runaway daughter as the government struggles to shut down the area around a zombie outbreak. Written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho.

"Goodfellas" — PLAYS MONDAY, OCTOBER 9 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the 50 Years of Scorsese film series

A young man grows up in the mob and works very hard to advance himself through the ranks. He enjoys his life of money and luxury, but is oblivious to the horror that he causes. A drug addiction and a few mistakes ultimately unravel his climb to the top. Based on the book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi. From director Martin Scorsese and starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.

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

"Kapr Code" — PLAYS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT 7 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Ann Arbor Film Festival Presents Series

A “documentary opera” reconstructing the life of Jan Kapr (1914-1988), a contradictory Czech composer who was at first a prominent communist, a Stalin Award laureate who was later banned in socialist Czechoslovakia and erased from public memory. Director Lucie Králová starts a philharmonic dialogue with Kapr by mixing newly composed opera songs (written by Jirí Adámek) with Kapr’s never-before-shown private archive, revealing his humor, inner struggles, and desire to leave a mark.

"Relentless" — PLAYS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT 6 PM AT THE STATE

A new 90-minute documentary film narrated by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons (the Farmer's Insurance guy) is the story of the sea lamprey invasion and crash of Lake Superior fish populations in the mid-1900s.

"Jumanji" — PLAYS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 AT 7:15 PM AT THE STATE

Coinciding with author Chris Van Allsburg’s Penny Stamps lecture at the Michigan Theater at 5:30 PM.

When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped in it for decades - and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game. From director Joe Johnston and starring Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce.

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"A Haunting in Venice"

An American supernatural mystery film co-produced, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1969 novel "Hallowe'en Party" by Agatha Christie. The film serves as the sequel to "Death on the Nile" (2022), and it is the third one overall in which Branagh portrays the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The ensemble cast includes Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, andMichelle Yeoh.

The film is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

"Dumb Money"

A 2023 American biographical comedy-narrative film directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo. It is based on the 2021 book "The Antisocial Network" by Ben Mezrich and chronicles the GameStop short squeeze of January 2021. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen.

The ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall videogame store) into the world's hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich -- until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

"Bottoms"

This film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2023.

The film, a refreshingly unique teen comedy, focuses on two girls, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. Their bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed.

From director Emma Seligman ("Shiva Baby," a 2020 American comedy film written and directed by Emma Seligman, Seligman’s feature directorial debut. The film starred Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a directionless young bisexual Jewish woman who attends a shiva with her parents).

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Contact David: dfair@emich.edu
Russ Collins is the executive director of Marquee Arts, the nonprofit that oversees the Michigan Theater and State Theatre in Ann Arbor.
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