To all our Film Society members and supporters,
To show our gratitude to you for your continuing support, any guest that
attends an opening film on opening weekend can get FREE! small popcorn!
Offer through the end of June, so see any one of our opening films this
weekend! (Summer of 35mm excluded)
ALL Exclusive Engagements!!!
This week at the Broadway Centre and Tower!
THE BROTHERS BLOOM <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844286/>, Rian Johnson
(/BRICK) /directs a crowd of A-list actors in this jaunty adventure
story about con-men looking for one last score. Starring Mark Ruffalo,
Adrien Brody, and Rachel Weisz.
SITA SINGS THE BLUES
<
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sita_sings_the_blues/>, A wild and
whimsically animated version of the epic Indian tale of Ramayana set to
the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw.
THE GARDEN <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1252486/>, a powerful political
doc about the strifes of the America's largest community garden in South
Central LA, featuring Danny Glover and Daryl Hannah.
Starting at the Tower...
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
<
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/anvilthestoryofanvil>, a
hilariously true, /Spinal Tap/-like story documenting the unfortunate
careers-- past and present-- of Canadian rockers from the 80's
hair-band, Anvil.
Held over...
LYMELIFE <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/lymelife>, starring Alec
Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin, and Timothy Hutton.
SHALL WE KISS? <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/shallwekiss>, an
intricate and intelligent French romantic comedy weaving a story out of
the possibilities of a single kiss.
SUGAR <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/sugar>, from the
writer/director of /Half Nelson/
IS ANYBODY THERE? <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130088/>
SIN NOMBRE <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/sinnombre>
Last chance! Ending Thurs...
GOODBYE SOLO <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/goodbyesolo>, ****
Roger Ebert--"Wherever you live, when this film opens, it will be the
best film in town."
TOKYO! <
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/tokyo>
PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034325/>
SUNSHINE CLEANING <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862846/>
==============================
SPECIAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & PANELS
Our Midnight Summer of 35 schedule is complete and kicks off this week
with a special summer screening the THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/> complete with cast and props.
This special engagement takes place at the Tower at midnight (pre-show
starts at 11:30pm) on Sat 5/30 and tickets are on sale now for $10 at
the Tower, get 'em quick! See below for the detailed Summer of 35
midnight schedule.
PRIDE week approaching!
This summer Salt Lake Film Society staff and volunteers are proud to
collaborate with the SLC Film Center and Utah Pride Center on the 2009
6th annual DAMN THESE HEELS! LGBT Film Festival. You can be a more
active participant by coming to Club JAM tonight and celebrating the art
of karaoke with friends and bidding on amazing prizes (including free
movies all year at the Broadway and Tower!). Funding will directly
support the festival!
Follow the Film Society on Facebook and Twitter!
Hop aboard our social-networking for film lovers. We'll have frequent
updates and exciting deals and discounts through our FACEBOOK
<
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/group.php?gid=43745351125> page
and TWITTER <
http://twitter.com/SLFS> account. Both are free to join--if
you haven't already--and are great ways to stay in touch with our
organization and communicate with like-minded film lovers!
Utah Screenwriters Project!
Congratulations to all our chosen participants! Our first visiting
screenwriter is KEITH GORDON. Workshops begin next week and we will
continue to update you on participants progress.
Congratulations to Liz Dunn!
Liz has sold her screenplay "MAKE OFFER" which was developed through the
Utah Screenwriters Project. We will be closely following the production
of the film and will update you as to progress.
Members!
Wine and Cheese appreciation screening.
Don't forget to mark your calendar for our special members-only
appreciation and screening June 9 at 6pm with a special screening at 7pm.
==============================
MIDNIGHT MOVIES
at the Tower
Summer of 35 midnight lineup!
All on 35mm prints!
Special Summer of 35 pass good for all midnights and only $35 on sale
soon at the Tower!
In addition to Fridays and Saturdays at midnight, we will be adding a
"last chance" screening of the weekend's film at noon every Sunday for
all those who can't make the late night screenings.
Schedule:
5/30- THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/> (one night only special screening
w/ cast)
6/5-6/8- THE HOUSE OF WAX <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045888/> (1953
original w/ Vincent Price)
6/12-6/13- *Damn These Heels LGBT special midnights:
6/12- ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496328/>
6/13- OTTO; OR UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151384/>
6/19-6/21- TAXI DRIVER <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/>
6/26-6/28- WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/> (1971 original w/ Gene Wilder)
7/3-7/5- WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243655/>
7/10-7/12- HAROLD AND MAUDE <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/>
7/17-7/19- SPIRITED AWAY <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/>
7/24-7/26- THE GODFATHER <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/>
7/31-8/2- THE GRADUATE <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/>
8/7-8/9- BEETLEJUICE <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/>
8/14-8/16- TRAINSPOTTING <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/>
8/21-8/23- RUSHMORE <
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128445/>
8/28-8/30- REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
<
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963194/> (w/ live cast and audience
participation on both nights; get discounted tix with the purchase of
Rocky Horror ticket.)
==============================
QUICK LOOK at SHOWTIMES -
THIS WEEK
***** only through Thursday 5/28
_ Broadway _
Sunshine Cleaning 1:25, 7:05
Goodbye Solo 4:25, 9:15
Sin nombre 4:10, 9:20
Phoebe in Wonderland 1:20, 7:15
Lymelife 1:05, 4:05, 7:10, 9:10
Is Anybody There? 1:15, 4:20, 7:25, 9:30
Shall We Kiss? 1:20, 4:15, 7:20, 9:35
Sugar 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:25
_ Tower Theatre
_Tokyo! 4:30, 7:00, 9:30
NEXT WEEK
****** From Friday 5/29 - Thursday 6/4
__Broadway__
The Garden 1:10, 4:25, 7:20, 9:20
Sita Sings the Blues 1:05, 4:05, 7:10, 9:10
Sin Nombre 4:10, 9:40
Lymelife 1:25, 7:15* (* Sun 5/31 no 7 pm show)
Is Anybody There? 1:15, 4:20, 7:25, 9:30
Shall We Kiss? 1:20, 7:05
Sugar 4:15, 9:15
The Brothers Bloom 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:35
__Tower__
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2:30 Fri thru Sun only), 4:30, 7:00, 9:00
Sat 5/30 midnight show: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (pre show starts
at 11:30 pm)
=========================================================== TELL ME
MORE...PLEASE!
(all star ratings are based on 4 star rating systems)
THE BROTHERS BLOOM
Written and directed by: Rian Johnson . Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien
Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane
For as long as they can remember, the Brothers Bloom have had only each
other to depend on. From their childhood in a long series of gloomy
foster homes to their highflying lives as international con artists,
Stephen and Bloom have shared everything. Stephen brilliantly concocts
intricate stories that the brothers live out, but he's still searching
for the perfect con, the one where "everyone gets what they want."
Meanwhile, Bloom yearns for "an unwritten life"--a real adventure, one
not dreamed up by his old brother. Eager to retire, Bloom agrees to take
part in one last grand scam. He insinuates himself into the life of
Penelope, a bored, single New Jersey heiress. When a genuine romance
begins to blossom between them, he is reluctant to exploit her naivete,
but Penelope has already taken the bait. But as Stephen's elaborate web
of deceit pulls tighter, Bloom begins to wonder if his brother has
devised the most dangerous con of his life.
**** USA Today
The Brothers Bloom has it all: charming romance, jaunty adventure story,
witty dialogue, gorgeous cinematography and superb performances.
*** Entertainment Weekly
This time we expect to be played, but the twist is that we're also
touched -- which, the film implies, is the cinema's own form of deception.
*** Chicago Tribune
The jaunty, energetic first 10 minutes of The Brothers Bloom are easily
the best first 10 minutes of any film I've seen this year. And while the
succeeding hour and 43 minutes doesn't hold up to the movie's opening
scenes, the whole endeavor is still an awfully good time.
SITA SINGS THE BLUES
Written and directed by: Nina Paley
Director Nina Paley takes an innovative approach to the typical break-up
story with this whimsically animated film. Based on RAMAYANA, SITA SINGS
THE BLUES follows two broken relationships: Nina's failed romance with
her husband and the goddess Sita's estrangement from the god Rama. This
film festival favorite features music from classic jazz chanteuse
Annette Hanshaw.
**** Roger Ebert
To get any film made is a miracle. To conceive of a film like this is a
greater miracle.
**** Boston Globe
An almost indescribable pleasure from Brooklyn-based cartoonist and
animator Nina Paley. The film, dazzling and poignant and five years in
the making, retells the ancient Indian epic The Ramayana from a gentle
but insistent feminist perspective.
**** Variety
Constitutes an irrefutable argument for classic 2-D animation as a
viable, vibrant low-budget arthouse medium for adults.
THE GARDEN
Directed by: Scott Hamilton Kennedy . Starring: Daryl Hannah, and Danny
Glover
The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central
Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as
a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South
Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country's
most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their
families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level
their 14-acre oasis. The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from
the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall.
Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared
for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight
back, and demand answers: Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer
for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done
in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been
made public? And the powers-that-be have the same response: 'The garden
is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do'
If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?
**** The New York Times
This intricate and compelling documentary paints a saddening portrait of
American politics.
**** San Francisco Chronicle
A documentary about fighting city hall, the empty promises of
politicians, backroom deals, small victories over the Man and the cost
paid by a handful of farmers who endured all of the above. Imagine if
John Steinbeck rewrote the script for "Chinatown."
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
Directed by: Sacha Gervasi . Starring: Kevin Goocher, Glenn Gyorffy,
Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Robb Reiner, and Chris Tsangarides
At 14, Toronto school friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a
pact to rock together forever. They meant it. Their band, Anvil, went on
to become the "demigods of Canadian metal," releasing one of the
heaviest albums in metal history, 1982 Metal on Metal. The album
influenced a musical generation, including Metallica, Slayer and
Anthrax, that went on to sell millions of records. But Anvil's career
took a different path, straight into obscurity.
**** Entertainment Weekly
It's a hilarious, and unexpectedly moving, documentary about the
greatest metal band you've probably never heard of.
**** San Francisco Chronicle
Anvil lives somewhere in that thoroughly entertaining gray area between
self-parody and the triumph of human spirit.
**** The New Yorker
The most stirring release of the year thus far is a documentary.
LYMELIFE
Written and directed by: Derick Martini . Starring: Alec Baldwin, Kieran
Culkin, Rory Culkin, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, and
Emma Roberts
Set in the late 70's, seen through the innocent eyes of a fifteen year
old boy, Scott, "Lymelife" is a unique take on the dangers of the
American Dream. This funny, sad, violent and sometimes tragic look at
first love, family dynamics and divorce weaves an intricate tapestry of
American life during a time of drastic economic and emotional change.
***1/2 New York Post
Lymelife, set amid marital decay and teen frustration, isn't quite the
"American Beauty" of the 516 area code, but it'll do.
*** 1/2 Roger Ebert
Lymelife doesn't have the sheer power of "The Ice Storm," but it's not
just another recycling of suburban angst. By allowing their characters
complexity, the Martinis spill open those tiny model homes as thoroughly
as a dropped Monopoly game.
***1/2 Variety
Intense perfs by Rory Culkin and Alec Baldwin are standouts in a movie
that brims with vivid supporting turns.
SHALL WE KISS?
Written and directed by: Emmanuel Mouret . Starring: Julie Gayet, and
Michaël Cohen
While traveling to Nantes for one evening, Emilie meets Gabriel. Equally
seduced by one another, but both otherwise committed, they know they
will probably never see each other again. He would like to kiss her. She
as well, but a story prevents her from doing so: that of a married woman
and of her best friend who were surprised by the effects of a kiss. Of a
kiss that should have born no consequences.
**** Wall Street Journal
Shall We Kiss? gives us storytelling as art. Emmanuel Mouret's romantic
drama, in French with English subtitles, is expert, intricate, ineffably
droll, ultimately provocative and entirely enchanting.
**** Variety
This is upscale French entertainment at its best.
***1/2 Los Angeles Times
It is classical in form yet fresh and spontaneous.
SUGAR
Written and directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck . Starring: Algenis
Pérez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Michael Gaston, Jaime
Tirelli, José Rijo, Ann Whitney, and Richard Bull
Sugar follows the story of Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Sugar, a Dominican
pitcher from San Pedro De Macorís, struggling to make it to the big
leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing
professionally at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, Miguel
finally gets his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States'
minor league system; but when his play on the mound falters, he begins
to question the single-mindedness of his life's ambition.
**** The New York Times
It is both sad and hopeful, but the film's sorrow and its optimism arise
from its rarest and most thrilling quality, which is its deep and humane
honesty.
**** Washington Post
A film of rare intelligence, beauty and compassion.
**** Chicago Tribune
This one slice of the American experience amounts to one of the best
films of the year.
***1/2 Roger Ebert
Algenis Perez Soto plays the character so openly, so naturally, that an
interesting thing happens: Baseball is only the backdrop, not the
subject. This is a wonderful film.
GOODBYE SOLO
Written and directed by: Ramin Bahrani . Starring: Souléymane Sy Savané,
Red West, Diana Franco Galindo, Carmen Leyva, and Lane "Roc" Williams
On the lonely roads of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, two men forge an
improbable friendship that will change both of their lives forever. Solo
is a Senegalese cab driver working to provide a better life for his
young family. William is a tough Southern good ol' boy with a lifetime
of regrets. One man's American dream is just beginning, while the
other's is quickly winding down. But despite their differences, both men
soon realize they need each other more than either is willing to admit.
Through this unlikely but unforgettable friendship, Goodbye Solo deftly
explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing
face of America.
**** Roger Ebert
Wherever you live, when this film opens, it will be the best film in town.
**** The New York Times
Grace is also what defines Mr. Bahrani's filmmaking. I can't think of
anything else to call the quality of exquisite attention, wry humor and
wide-awake intelligence that informs every frame of this almost perfect
film.
**** San Francisco Chronicle
Almost frighteningly alive.
**** Washington Post
Goodbye Solo is visually simple and stunning, especially the haunting
nightscapes of Solo's perambulations. But more important, Goodbye Solo
is driven by deep feeling and sensitivity. Don't miss it.
TOKYO!
Written and directed by: Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and Joon-ho Bong .
Starring: Jean-François Balmer, Ayako Fujitani, Julie Dreyfus, and Nao
Omori
In Tokyo!, three of the world's greatest filmmakers come together for an
omnibus triptych examining the nature of one unforgettable city as it's
shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok!)
inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated Japanese
megalopolis - the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo. Triptych, rhapsody,
psychogeography, omnibus, urban valentine, freak show, mindwalk and many
other things, Tokyo! is a fantasy in three movements that will make you
see one of the world's greatest cities - if not any city - in
unpredictable new ways.
*** San Francisco Chronicle
An experiment that rarely works this well.
*** Philadelphia Inquirer
Tokyo! is a must-see for the Gondry segment, and a strange, diverting
pleasure for the rest.
*** Los Angeles Times
A fun jaunt around the city and a quick tour of the preoccupations of
three leading directors? Now there's a bargain.
IS ANYBODY THERE?
Directed by: John Crowley . Written by: Peter Harness . Starring:
Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey, and Leslie
Phillips
Christmas 1987 marks the one-year anniversary of Lark Hall's opening for
business as an old age home in an English seaside town. But ten-year-old
Edward isn't much in the mood to celebrate. He has had to give up his
room; and his Mum and Dad don't have as much time for him as they used
to, overwhelmed as they are with the day-to-day management of the home
and the struggle to stave off financial ruin. On the other hand, living
in an old folks' home offers a curious, clever child like Edward the
chance to explore what, exactly, comes after death. And went a retired
magician moves into the home, Edward shows him to believe in magic again.
**** Los Angeles Times
It is also hard not to see remnants of a younger Michael Caine --
beautifully seductive and enigmatic all those years ago in "Alfie." He
has said his wife cried when she saw the performance; you understand why.
*** Rolling Stone
Blending humor and heartbreak in a performance that makes a small movie
a richly satisfying one, Caine truly is magic.
SIN NOMBRE
Written and directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga . Starring: Paulina Gaitan,
Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Diana Garcia, Luis
Fernando Pena, and Hector Jimenez
Seeking the promise of America, a beautiful young Honduran woman, Sayra,
joins her father and uncle on an odyssey to cross the gauntlet of the
Latin American countryside en route to the United States. Along the way
she crosses paths with a teenage Mexican gang member, El Casper, who is
maneuvering to outrun his violent past and elude his unforgiving former
associates. Together they must rely on faith, trust and street smarts if
they are to survive their increasingly perilous journey towards the hope
of new lives.
**** Wall Street Journal
Mr. Fukanaga's purpose is to evoke the immigrants' experience, which he
does with such eloquence and power as to inspire awe.
**** Roger Ebert
It contains risk, violence, a little romance, even fleeting moments of
humor, but most of all, it sees what danger and heartbreak are involved.
It is riveting from start to finish.
**** Washington Post
An elegant, heartbreaking fable, equal parts Shakespearean tragedy,
neo-Western and mob movie but without the pretension of those genres.
PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND
Written and directed by: Daniel Barnz . Starring: Elle Fanning, Felicity
Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Campbell Scott, and Bill Pullman
Phoebe in Wonderland, which recently had its world premiere at Sundance
2008 and is based on Daniel Barnz's original screenplay, concerns a
young girl who longs to be in her school's production of "Alice in
Wonderland." After being cast in the lead role of Alice by her eccentric
drama teacher, Phoebe reveals a unique talent but, much like Alice
herself, is increasingly at odds with the world around her and begins to
retreat into a world of her imagination. Though her parents initially
see their daughter's unusual behavior as signs of creativity, they
gradually realize that Phoebe is at risk of falling "through the looking
glass."
***1/2 The Hollywood Reporter
The mesmerizing performance of Fanning as the gifted and troubled young
Phoebe sparks the picture.
*** San Francisco Chronicle
It's a delicate, intelligent movie about modern parenthood and the
pressures that children face, and it features a cast of talented actors
who were clearly committed to the movie's message.
SUNSHINE CLEANING
Directed by: Christine Jeffs . Written by: Megan Holley . Starring: Amy
Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton
Collins Jr., and Jason Spevack
Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback,
Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single
mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah, (Emily Blunt), is still
living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a
lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get
her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime
scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time,
the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other...
specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the
sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have
always craved finally blossoms.
***1/2 Los Angeles Times
A smartly done morality tale that couldn't be more in sync with these
troubled times.
*** San Francisco Chronicle
That Sunshine Cleaning was made by women is best revealed in the
filmmakers' willingness to let the story breathe on its own terms,
without bringing in anything extraneous, unwelcome and exciting.
*** Chicago Tribune
The director, New Zealander Christine Jeffs ("Sylvia"), loosens the
plotting as best she can, letting the interactions breathe. Her work,
and the film, is strictly about the performers.
=============================================================
FILMS TO COME
In no particular release order
TREELESS MOUNTAIN
LIMITS OF CONTROL (Jim Jarmusch)
TYSON
OUTRAGE
MOON
DEPARTURES
And many more....
Our staff here at the Salt Lake Film Society thanks all our supporters.
SLFS takes great care in hiring a staff that has a film history or
knowledge, so feel free to talk with any staff member about up coming
releases and our video collection at the Tower Theatre. They are a
wealth of knowledge and I'm happy to take all e-mail correspondence.
If you would like to volunteer for the Film Society events and earn
passes, please contact Amy Beth Leber at 801-746-0037
We thank you for your continuing support.
Tori Baker
Executive Director
Salt Lake Film Society...film festival all year long!
We do not sell any personal lists or information to any third
party...ever! If you would like to be removed from this list, please
reply to this e-mail. If you could also let us know why we lost you, we
can better serve our community.
Salt Lake Film Society thanks Xmission for their donation of services.
Salt Lake Film Society thanks Zoo Arts and Parks and SL County.
Salt Lake Film Society thanks George Q. Morris Foundation for sponsorship.
--
Tori Baker
Executive Director
Salt Lake Film Society
tori_baker@???
(801) 364-1088
