Sheila writes: The great Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki has enthralled audiences for 40 years with his beautiful sensitive films, filled with supernatural elements, dream-like images, and a vibrant sense of the small moments that make up human existence. Video-essayist Lewis Bond (you can view more of his work here) created a short documentary about Miyazaki called “Hayao Miyazaki: The Essence of Humanity.” Here it is, in full. Enjoy!
Trailers
Miles Ahead (2015). Directed by Don Cheadle. Written by Steven Baigelman . Starring Don Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Ewan McGregor Synopsis: An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis. Opens in US theaters on April 1, 2016.
The Automatic Hate (2015). Directed by
Justin Lerner. Written by
Justin Lerner, Katharine O’Brien. Starring Joseph Cross, Adelaide Clemens,Deborah Ann Woll . Synopsis: When Davis Green’s alluring young cousin Alexis shows up on his doorstep, he discovers a side of his family that had been kept secret his entire life. As the two get closer, they set out to uncover the shocking secret that tore their families apart. Opens in US theaters on March 15, 2016.
Get a Job (2016). Directed by Dylan Kidd. Written by
Kyle Pennekamp ,
Scott Turpel . Starring
Alison Brie,
Bryan Cranston. Synopsis: Life after college graduation is not exactly going as planned for Will and Jillian who find themselves lost in a sea of increasingly strange jobs. But with help from their family, friends and coworkers they soon discover that the most important (and hilarious) adventures are the ones that we don’t see coming. Opens in US theaters in limited release on March 25, 2016.
Imperial Dreams (2014). Directed by Malik Vitthal . Written by Ismet Prcic, Malik Vitthal. Starring
John Boyega, Rotimi, Glenn Plummer. Synopsis: A 21-year-old reformed gangster’s devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles. Release dates TBD.
Me Before You (2016). Directed by
Thea Sharrock . Written by Jojo Moyes . Starring
Emilia Clarke,
Jenna Coleman . Synopsis: A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she’s taking care of. Opens in US theaters on June 3, 2016.
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016). Directed by
Mike Thurmeier,
Galen T. Chu . Written by
Michael Berg,
Aubrey Solomon . Starring
Melissa Rauch,
Stephanie Beatriz. Synopsis: Scrat’s epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet. Opens in US theaters on July 22, 2016.
Creative Control (2016). Directed by
Benjamin Dickinson . Written by
Micah Bloomberg,
Benjamin Dickinson . Starring
Benjamin Dickinson,
Dan Gill
. Synopsis: In near future Brooklyn, an ad executive uses a new Augmented Reality technology to conduct an affair with his best friend’s girlfriend … sort of. Opens in US theaters on March 11, 2016.
Take Me to the River (2015). Written and directed by Matt Sobel. Starring
Robin Weigert,
Richard Schiff . Synopsis: A Californian teenager’s plan to come out at his Nebraskan family reunion gets derailed when a bloodstain on his young cousin’s dress makes him the unwitting suspect of abuse. Opens in New York on March 18, 2016. Wider release dates TBD.
Green Room (2015). *Red band trailer* Written and directed by
Jeremy Saulnier . Starring
Imogen Poots,
Callum Turner . Synopsis: A young punk rock band find themselves trapped in a secluded venue after stumbling upon a horrific act of violence. Opens in US theaters on April 29, 2016.
The Driftless Area (2015). Written and directed by Zachary Sluser (based on the book by Tom Drury). Starring
Anton Yelchin,
John Hawkes . Synopsis: A bartender comes back to his hometown after his parents die, and finds himself in a dangerous situation involving a mysterious woman and a violent criminal. Opens in US theaters April 26, 2016.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). Written and directed by Taika Waititi (based on the book by Barry Crump ). Starring
Julian Dennison,
Rima Te Wiata . Synopsis: A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush. Release dates TBD.
Nine Lives (2016). Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Written by
Matt Allen,
Dan Antoniazzi. Starring
Robbie Amell,
Jennifer Garner . Synopsis: A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family’s cat. Opens in US theaters on August 5, 2016.
The Confirmation (2016). Written and directed by Bob Nelson. Starring
Clive Owen,
Patton Oswalt. Synopsis: 8-year-old Anthony is uneasy about spending the weekend with his alcoholic carpenter dad Walt while his mom Bonnie and her new husband Kyle go to a Catholic retreat together. Walt is just as uneasy about spending time with Anthony, especially since their first day together is a series of characteristically unfortunate events. Opens in US theaters on March 18, 2016.
Disorder (2015). Written and directed by Alice Winocour. Starring
Matthias Schoenaerts,
Paul Hamy. Synopsis: Vincent is an ex-soldier with PTSD who is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he’s out of town. Despite the apparent tranquility on Maryland, Vincent perceives an external threat. Opens in the UK and Ireland on March 25, 2016. Other release dates TBD.
The American Dreamer (1971). * New trailer for theatrical re-release * Directed by
L.M. Kit Carson,
Lawrence Schiller. Synopsis: A documentary about actor/director Dennis Hopper, showing him at his home and studio putting together his film “The Last Movie.” Being re-released in the UK on February 5, 2016. Other release dates to follow.
Jacques Rivette 1928-2016
Sheila writes: So many of the writers who wrote tributes to the great French New Wave director Jacques Rivette speak of how he, almost single-handedly, got them interested in film. The loss felt personal. In Patrick Z. McGavin’s tribute to Rivette on Rogerebert.com, McGavin writes, “His loss is a significant one, for art and for its history. Few major figures devoted so much of their energy and work to explicating the meaning, texture and complex visions of other great directors.”
Here’s Roger Ebert’s Great Movies essay on Rivette’s 1991 film “La Belle Noiseuse.” Ebert writes, “Truffaut said that the French New Wave came into being because of Jacques Rivette (born 1928). He has never had the fame of his generation — Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Varda, Resnais. His films are said to be too long and difficult. There isn’t the slightest difficulty in “La Belle Noiseuse,” and I would not want it any shorter, because I have shared that combat and that bond in that studio, and its devastating outcome.”
Stanley Kubrick: The Lost Tapes
Sheila writes: In 1966, while filming “2001,” director Stanley Kubrick sat down with Jeremy Bernstein, who was doing a piece on Kubrick for The New Yorker. Kubrick, always interested in documenting everything from his earliest days, tape recorded the whole conversation. Kubrick talked to Bernstein about his life, his early years, the development of his art and how he thought about it. The tapes were thought lost until recently. Documentarian Jim Casey has made a short documentary, using Kubrick’s 1966 taped comments as the narration for the film. Take a look!
Sundance 2016
Sheila writes: The marathon of Sundance is over, and the team of Rogerebert.com contributors and editors worked overtime to provide dispatches from the festival, reviews of the exciting (or not) films being screened, plus interviews with key players. Here is the full Table of Contents. You can also check out the summing-up pieces: Best Films of Sundance 2016 and Best Performances of Sundance 2016. Quite a lot to look forward to!
Free Movies
Dishonored Lady (1947). Directed by Robert Stevenson. Starring
Hedy Lamarr,
John Loder. Synopsis: Madeleine is the fashion editor of a slick Manhattan magazine by day and a lively party girl by night. After a breakdown, she becomes interested in a handsome neighbor. He soon finds out about her past when an ex-suitor implicates her in a murder.
Watch “Dishonored Lady.”
Of Human Bondage (1934). Directed by John Cromwell. Starring
Bette Davis,
Frances Dee . Synopsis: A young man finds himself attracted to a cold and unfeeling waitress who may ultimately destroy them both.
Watch “Of Human Bondage.”
Crack in the World (1965). Directed by Andrew Marton. Starring
Dana Andrews,
Kieron Moore . Synopsis: A dying scientist fires a missile into the Earth’s center, and nearly blows the planet apart.
Watch “Crack in the World.”
Source:: http://www.rogerebert.com/ebert-club/270-february-6-2016
