Tag Archives: texas theatre

Mid-Week Break: Turkish Madness, ‘Towering Inferno’

'3 Dev Adam' at Texas Theatre

'3 Dev Adam' at Texas Theatre

’3 Dev Adam’ at Texas Theatre

Different degrees of trashiness are on display in Dallas tonight.

At 7:30, you can head over to Landmark Magnolia and catch a disaster movie nominated for a Best Picture Oscar — from schlock producer Irwin Allen, no less!. The Towering Inferno, cobbled together from two novels, conjectures a fire in a deluxe skyscraper in San Francisco, playing on legitimate concerns that are still rarely addressed. In the post-9/11 era, this movie plays somewhat differently than it did back in 1974. Paul Newman (as the architect) and Steve McQueen (as the firefighter) lead the all-star cast, which includes William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Fred Astaire … and O.J. Simpson!

Later in the evening, head over to the Texas Theatre for the Tuesday Night Trash presentation, this week featuring Turkish madness in the form of TNT034: 3 Dev Adam, one of the legendary schlock-fests that should play well in the upstairs lounge, and that Batman flick plays in 35mm downstairs.

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Retro Scene: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ ‘Hanzo the Razor,’ ‘The Goonies’

Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (Paramount)
Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (Paramount)

Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (Paramount)

“Snakes! Why’d it have to be snakes?”

Of the many quotable moments in Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg based on a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, that one stands out for me, but there’s a baker’s dozen more that could have been featured, delivered by an outstanding cast led by Harrison Ford and the ever-lovely Karen Allen, a classic dame if every there was one. The film screens in 35mm at the Texas Theatre tonight, tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday.

In the Texas Theatre’s upstairs lounge tonight, Hanzo the Razor 2: The Snare unleashes a toxic brew of bloody and sex from 1973, while the Spanish flick Jamon Jamon, directed by Bigas Luna and featuring a very young Penelope Cruz in a supporting role, screens on Saturday.

All 80s kids probably have fond memories of Richard Donner’s The Goonies. I don’t happen to be one of them, but if that’s your thing, go and enjoy one of the midnight shows this weekend at the Landmark Inwood.

Indie Weekend: ‘Beyond the Black Rainbow,’ ‘Hysteria,’ and More

'Beyond the Black Rainbow' at the Texas Theatre

‘Beyond the Black Rainbow’ at the Texas Theatre

Ah, what to see, what to see, the eternal weekend question for moviegoers! Here are my picks, along with my new letter grading for the films I’ve seen:

Newly available in limited release (listed alphabetically):

  • Beyond the Black Rainbow. A head trip, and a science-fictional period tale, as a woman in the 1980s is treated at a very special institute. Wonderfully phantasmagorical. My roundup of reviews at Twitch. [B+]
  • HIGH School. Stoner comedy, featuring Adrien Brody and Michael Chiklis. Advance reviews have not been kind. Not previewed.
  • Hysteria. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars in a romantic comedy about the invention of the electric vibrator in 19th Century England. Reviews have been generally favorable. Not previewed.
  • The Intouchables. A cross-generational friendship blossoms between a street-wise caretaker and a wealthy disabled aristrocrat. Buoyantly funny. My review. [B-]
  • Moonrise Kingdom. A boy and a girl, aged 12, fall in love and run away together on a small island off the coast of New England in 1965; directed by Wes Anderon. My review. [A]

Continuing in limited engagements:

  • Angelika Dallas: Headhunters. My comments. [B].  Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
  • Angelika Dallas: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
  • Landmark Magnolia: Bernie; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; First Position.
  • Texas Theatre: God Bless America. My review at Twitch. [A-]

 

Opening in wide release:

  • Snow White and the Huntsman. Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron star in a new, dark version of the venerable fairy tale. Very stylish, very routine. My review at Twitch.  [C]
  • For Greater Glory. Andy Garcia Eva Longoria, Oscar Isaac, and Peter O’Toole star in a historical drama based on the real-life events of the 1920s Cristero War. Not previewed.

Other recent wide releases:

Retro Scene: ‘Rocky’ in 35mm

Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith in 'Rocky'
Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith in 'Rocky'

Sylvester Stallone and Burgess Meredith in 'Rocky'

Contrary to popular myth, Sylvester Stallone was not a complete unknown when he played the title role in Rocky. He’d already made good impressions in Death Race 2000 and The Lords of Flatbush. But he had enough experience under his belt to know that he if wanted to break out big, he’d need to create a role that would showcase what made him unique. So he wrote a script, which people loved, and then insisted that he star in it as part of the package.

With veteran director John G. Avildsen at the helm, the result remains a completely winning film, warm and appealing, not only for its virtues in celebrating the underdog, but for its understanding that all people want to do better, even if it’s in some small way that no one else can see. In Rocky Balboa’s case, he had the unexpectedly opportunity to showcase himself to the world, and gave it his best shot. In Sylvester Stallone’s case, not only is his script a marvel of construction and character, he delivered a very strong, very relatable performance.

Put the iconic moments that have become cliches back into the context of the movie, in which a working class man recognizes that he has limitations and chooses to ignore them, and you end up with Rocky, which, doggone it, can still make you stand up and cheer, more than 35 years after it was released.

Rocky began a limited engagement at the Texas Theatre last night in 35mm and continues through Sunday.

Last Call: ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at Texas Theatre

Emily Browning in 'Sleeping Beauty'
Emily Browning in 'Sleeping Beauty'

Emily Browning in 'Sleeping Beauty'

It’s all about prostitution in Oak Cliff. In the movies, I mean.

Tonight and tomorrow are the final opportunities to see Cannes sensation ‘Sleeping Beauty’ theatrically in the Metroplex. Emily Browning stars as a new employee in an elegant house of prostitution, where the ladies go to sleep while the gentlemen do with them what they will. Reviews have been mixed, but it should be a good conversation-starter for couples, I imagine.

If you go tomorrow night, you could make it a double-bill (separate admission charged), with the last show of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at 7:00 p.m., followed by the local premiere of ‘House of Pleasures’ at 9:20 p.m. The latter is a less-touted French film, also set in a brothel, but one where the ladies are fully awake while strangers do the deed. And while ‘Sleeping Beauty’ has a modern-day setting, ‘House of Pleasures’ takes place in the early 20th century. So, theoretically, you could compare and contrast, er, the time periods.

You’ll figure it out.

All screenings at the Texas Theatre. Check website for details. 

Alex Cox, Live in Dallas at Texas Theatre Tonight

Alex Cox
Alex Cox

Alex Cox

UPDATED FOR FRIDAY: Director Alex Cox will be at the Texas Theatre tonight to screen a double-feature of ‘Highway Patrolman’ and ‘Straight to Hell Returns.’ See links below for more information.

In the 1980s, Alex Cox followed up ‘Repo Man’ and ‘Sid and Nancy’ with ‘Straight to Hell’ and ‘Walker,’ an amazing little run of fiercely independent movies. He’ll be at the Texas Theatre tonight to screen and talk about ‘Walker’ and will return tomorrow night for a double-feature presentation of ‘Highway Patrolman’ and ‘Straight to Hell Returns.’

For more information, visit the Texas Theatre website. Read more about the films from the director himself at his official site: Walker | Highway Patrolman | Straight to Hell Returns.

Review: ‘The Other F Word’

dfn-other-f-word
'The Other F Word' (Oscilloscope)

'The Other F Word' (Oscilloscope)

With a tone that wavers between surprise and sympathy, The Other F Word explores the world of punk rock musicians who have become fathers — and discovers that they’re pretty much like all other fathers. Shocker!

The documentary, directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, is certainly engaging, and the interview subjects are gregarious, generally forthcoming, and frequently funny, acknowledging the contradictions in their lives that are obvious to outsiders. Yet it’s hard for me to shake the feeling that I was watching the pilot for a reality TV show. Perhaps I’ve watched too many episodes of The Osbournes.

Punk rock has its roots in the early 70s New York alternative art scene. It became political after New York bands like the Ramones toured England, where economic conditions and the predominance of bloated progressive rock groups inspired the Sex Pistols and a myriad other bands to create their own angry expression of nihilistic rebellion. Los Angeles had its own brand of punk rock by the late 70s, which quickly splintered into tinier sub-genres, which developed their own identities and either flourished or died.

The Other F Word picks up from that era in Southern California, as young men — many with abusive fathers and broken homes — came of age, found solace in a scene that encouraged aggressive expression, and formed their own bands. The “no future” punk rock ethos resonated with them, and influenced how their lived their lives. Unexpectedly, some of them have made a long-term career out of a high-energy scene that initially appeared to have a limited life-span. Of the men who survived into their 30s and 40s, a number now have children, and this is their story.

– From my review at Twitch.

‘The Other F Word’ opens today at the Texas Theatre.

Retro Scene: ‘The Thing’ at Texas Theatre

'The Thing'
'The Thing'

Kurt Russell in John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (1982)

Retro Scene is an occasional Dallas Film Now feature, highlighting retrospective screenings at area theaters.

The summer of 1982 was a glorious one for a young genre movie fan. It began with ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ moved onto ‘The Road Warrior’ (which raised the bar impossibly high), then the very satisfying ‘Rocky 3,’ the hugely successful comeback ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,’ followed by the amazing blockbuster entertainment that was ‘E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.’

No wonder ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘The Thing,’ released shortly thereafter, were lost in the shuffle. Both were dark visions, holdovers from the 70s, really, reflecting a bitter taste of disappointment and disillusionment. ‘The Thing’ was criticized sharply for its extreme, bloody violence, which was shocking at the time for mainstream audiences, and disappeared from theaters rather quickly.

Drawn by the lure of John Carpenter’s amazing string of films up to that point (‘Dark Star,’ ‘Assault on Precint 13,’ ‘Halloween,’ ‘Elvis,’ ‘The Fog,’ ‘Escape From New York’), I saw ‘The Thing’ as soon as possible. I was traumatized by the violence — it still gives me shivers whenever I see Wilford Brimley’s arms — and held completely spellbound by Carpenter’s storytelling.

The script by Bill Lancaster is a smart update, drawing both from “Who Goes There?,” the original novella by John W. Campbell, Jr., and ‘The Thing From Another World,’ the first filmed version by director Christian Nyby and producer Howard Hawks. Carpenter keeps the film in overdrive, as far as gut-clenching tension is concerned. Kurt Russell leads a very strong cast, including very good turns by Brimley, Donald Moffat, Keith David, Richard Dysart, and David Clennon.

Carpenter’s version holds up to many, many viewings, never losing an ounce of its power and strength, a disturbing vision that questions whether the human race really should survive — or if it’s already too late for all of us.

‘The Thing’ screens at the Texas Theatre on Saturday and Sunday. All screenings in 35mm. (Details here.)

Retro Scene: ‘The Deer Hunter’ at Texas Theatre

'The Deer Hunter'
'The Deer Hunter'

Robert De Niro in 'The Deer Hunter'

Retro Scene is a new, occasional Dallas Film Now feature, highlighting retrospective screenings at area theaters. First up: Michael Cimono’s controversial Vietnam-era dramatic epic.

Coming three years after the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam and admitted defeat, ‘The Deer Hunter’ was part of a mini-wave of films produced by the New Hollywood about a war that cost tens of thousands of lives, encompassing the documentary-style ‘Hearts and Minds,’ the romantic travails of ‘Coming Home,’ and the allegorical fantasy of ‘Apocalypse Now,’ among others.

Directed by Michael Cimino, who had debuted with the modest, impressive ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’ in 1974, ‘The Deer Hunter’ boasted a cast that seems even more impressive with the passage of time. Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, and Christopher Walken play friends from a small town in Pennsylvania who head off to serve in Vietnam, with Meryl Streep among those left behind to deal with the wreckage of their lives after they return. The performances are superb, and can still be savored for their sheer bravado.

While the sequences set in Vietnam are the ones that probably linger longest in memory, it’s the opening scenes setting up the characters that display Cimino’s artistic intent. You may not like where the story eventually ends up — and I’d agree that the Russian roulette scenes take things much too far, as far as literal-minded unreality goes — but there is great power in the contrasts drawn between the rituals of religion and routine, the sheer beauty of a peaceful landscape, and the horrors of war.

‘The Deer Hunter’ screens tonight at the Texas Theatre, and again on Saturday and Sunday. All screenings in 35mm. (Details here.)

‘Rubber’: Meta Isn’t All Bad

Rubber
Rubber

Robert the tire fights the law. (Magnolia Pictures)

A tire comes to life and begins killing people. Really, do you need to know any more than that to get you to the Texas Theatre this week and see the movie with your own eyes?

The most common criticism leveled at Rubber when I saw it at Fantastic Fest last fall is that it’s a one-joke concept that would be better suited as a short subject rather than an 82-minute feature film. But that would deny Rubber its unhurried pace, which allows for reflection upon the nature of serial killers and the sheer audacity of an inanimate object as leading man, a star much more magnetic than many equivalent (human) mass murderers.

Robert, the tire, is definitely masculine, a lonely dude abandoned in the desert, who begins to tremor and shake and discovers his hitherto hidden telepathic power to make living things explode. With the unabashed delight of a child, Robert begins testing the limits of his new-found ability, and soon turns his attention from small animals to humans.

All of this is set up with the premise that it’s guided by the “no reason” principle of movie-making, complete with an audience trucked in to watch the proceedings and comment upon the film as it develops. They’re the ostensible stand-in for you, the viewer, but they also provide an opportunity for writer/director Quentin Dupieux to ponder the meaning and distractions of meta-reality and meta-fiction and meta-whatever, without being slavishly devoted to the “rules” of any particular genre.

The film is aided and abetted by the presence of Stephen Spinella as an increasingly hysterical law enforcement officer, Wings Hauser as a wheelchair-bound crazy, and Roxanne Mesquida as Robert’s object of lust / love. It’s clever without being obnoxious or smug and, yes, it’s explosively funny.

Rubber plays for one week only at the Texas Theatre.