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Cinema Chat: 'Sing Sing,' 'Didi' and 'Alien: Romulus' open downtown

The State Theatre
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The State Theatre

OPENING THIS WEEK

"Alien: Romulus" — OPENS TONIGHT AT THE STATE AND THE MULTIPLEX

While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. From director Fede Alvarez ("Evil Dead", "Don't Breathe") and starring Cailee Spaeny ("Civil War").

"Didi" — OPENS TONIGHT AT THE MICHIGAN

In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. From writer/director and Academy Award winner Sean Wang ("Nai Nai & Wài Pó").

"Sing Sing" — OPENS FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 AT THE STATE

A 2023 American drama film directed by Greg Kwedar, who co-wrote the screenplay with Clint Bentley. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the film centers on a group of inmates involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows through the program. It stars professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci, alongside many real-life formerly incarcerated men who were themselves alumni of the program during their incarceration.

The film premiered in the Special Presentations program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including a wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. From writer/director Greg Kwedar.

"Dance First" — OPENS FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 AT THE MICHIGAN

Literary genius Samuel Beckett lived a life of many parts: Parisian bon vivant, WWII Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband, recluse. But despite all the adulation that came his, way he was a man acutely aware of his own failings. Titled after Beckett's famous ethos "Dance first, think later," the film is a sweeping account of the life of this 20th-century icon. From director James Marsh ("The Theory of Everything", "Man on Wire") and starring Gabriel Byrne ("Hereditary", "Miller's Crossing")

CatVideoFest 2024 — PLAYS FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 AT THE MICHIGAN

10% of proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Huron Valley!

The world's #1 cat video festival is 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, local theaters partner with nearby cat-focused charities, animal welfare associations and shelters alike — a portion of ticket proceeds from every show goes directly to local cats in need.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN

"Army of Darkness" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Night Classics Film series

Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is transported back to medieval days, where he is captured by the dreaded Lord Arthur. Aided by the deadly chainsaw that has become his only friend, Ash is sent on a perilous mission to recover the Book of the Dead, a powerful tome that gives its owner the power to summon an army of ghouls. From writer/director Sam Raimi.

"Howl's Moving Castle" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2024 Film Series

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, comes the Academy Award®-nominated fantasy adventure for the whole family.

Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a curse on Sophie and turns her into a 90-year-old woman. On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure. But as the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, Sophie finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world.

"Eraserhead" — PLAYS FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 AT 9:30 PM AND THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Night Classics Film 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. From writer/director David Lynch.

Still to come:

"The Secret World of Arrietty"— PLAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 AT 1:30 PM AND THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2024 Film Series

From the creators of "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo," and Academy Award®-nominated director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, comes a gorgeous and adventure-filled adaptation of "The Borrowers," one of the most beloved children’s books of all time.

In a secret world hidden beneath the floorboards, little people called Borrowers live out of sight of humans. But when brave and tiny Arrietty is out gathering supplies, she is discovered by Shawn, a human boy, and they begin to form a friendship that blossoms into an extraordinary adventure.

Still to come:

"Searching for Sugar Man" — PLAYS SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 AT 1:30 PM AND TUESDAY, AUGUST 20 AT 7:30 PM

Part of the Summer Classics Film Series

Though he faded into obscurity in the U.S., an early '70s musician known as Rodriguez became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumored to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man's true fate. From director Malik Bendjelloul.

Still to come:

"All About My Mother" — PLAYS MONDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the Like it's 1999... Film Series

WINNER of Best Foreign Language Film at the 72nd Academy Awards.

New friends help a woman (Cecilia Roth) struggling to get her life in order after her son's (Eloy Azorín) death. From writer/director Pedro Almodóvar ("Parallel Mothers") and also starring Penélope Cruz.

Still to come:

"The Smell of Money" — PLAYS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the Cinema & Sustainability Film Series

What is the price some pay for the world's pork? North Carolina residents take on one of the world's most powerful companies in a fight for their rights to clean air, pure water, and a life free from the stench of pig feces. From director Shawn Bannon.

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"Cuckoo"

This is a 2024 horror-thriller film written and directed by Tilman Singer. It had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024.

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König (Dan Stevens), her father's boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen's mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn't seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family. From writer/director Tilman Singer.

"Kneecap"

When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed 'low life scum' Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, Kneecap fast become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue. But the trio must first overcome police, paramilitaries and politicians trying to silence their defiant sound -- whilst their anarchic approach to life often makes them their own worst enemies. In this fiercely original sex, drugs and hip-hop biopic, Kneecap play themselves, laying down a global rallying cry for the defense of native cultures. From director Rich Peppiatt.

"Coup!"

Isolated on a seaside estate during the 1918 Spanish Flu, an entitled journalist (Billy Magnussen) and his socialite wife (Sarah Gadon) take in a mysterious grifter as a private cook (Peter Sarsgaard). When the plague descends on the island, the wily cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion. Their wealthy employer suspects the cook’s coup is part of a more sinister agenda, and mind games between master and servant escalate into boisterous class warfare. From directors Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark.

"Deadpool & Wolverine"

Deadpool's peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse. From director Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

COMING SOON

"Seven Samurai" — PLAYS FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 AT THE MICHIGAN

Celebrating its 70th anniversary with a brand new 4K restoration! One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, it tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" — OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT THE STATE AND THE MULTIPLEX

Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it's only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice's name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. From director Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Willem Dafoe, Jenna Ortega and Catherine O'Hara.

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Mat Hopson is the local news producer for WEMU’s broadcast of Morning Edition. He also produces "On the Ground Ypsi" with Rylee Barnsdale. Plus, he assembles and publishes the news stories and special features found here on wemu.org.
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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