Pick of the Week:
Infernal Affairs (2002). Directed by Andrew Lau, Alan Mak. Starring Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong.
Playing at Cinemagic on Dec. 4! This is the legendary Hong Kong crime movie that our pal Ebert said: "The movie pays off in a kind of emotional complexity rarely seen in crime movies. I cannot reveal what happens but will urge you to consider the thoughts of two men who finally confront their own real identities—in the person of the other character." Go see this!
Also Playing:
The Monkey King Conquers the Demon (1985). Directed by Wei Te, Lin Wen Xiao, Ding Xian Yan. Starring Ke Bi, Zhào Bing, Weiqi Chang.
Playing on Dec. 4th at the Clinton from Church of Film. This is an awesome looking animated film adapting Chinese folklore/mythology about Sun Wukong aka The Monkey King who did all kinds of neat things like defying heaven and hell—just like me! If you are a fan of animation and/or epics you have to go see this.
This Week:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan plays at the Hollywood on Dec. 4th. Wait. Why are all of my top picks playing on December 4th? Are all 3 of the theaters above trying to do a Trap on me? Well shit. I better not go to the movies that day. This is the second best of the original Star Trek movies and is great. Look at Ricardo up there. He will be disappointed if you don’t go to the movies on Dec. 4th.
At 5th Avenue Cinema: The Taste of Things plays this weekend. This came out last year and is a French film about a cook and rich dude she works for. It looks like a sweet romance and Juliette Binoche is one of the stars! It was nominated for a bunch of awards.
At Cinema 21 this week:
The Fall continues-uh! to play-uh! This weekend! The Fall continues-uh! to play-uh! The Fall continues-uh! to play-uh!
Miracle on 34th Street plays on Nov. 30th. I am writing a 90s style kid power sequel in which Santa is being sued by a kid, who nobody liked, who didn’t get the toy he wanted for Christmas. Santa is jailed for life. And that little 90s boy who nobody liked? Well, he grew up to be JD Vance.
At Cinemagic: they are playing a bunch of Miyazaki movies—they are all great and they play around town all the time. As my dad might say, “it’s a great way of spending time with your kid without having to talk to them!” Thanks for not reading this, Dad! He unsubscribed last week. :(
At the Clinton:
This is What Democracy Looks Like plays on Nov. 30th. This is “A filmed account of the street protests against the World Trade Organization Summit in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1999. Narrated by Susan Sarandon” as we gear up for some, uh, not great days ahead.
The Shining plays on Nov. 30th. You know, the miniseries with Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay. Wait! There was a MOVIE?! Hold the phone! The guy from About Schmidt was in it!? It was directed by the guy who faked the moon landing?! Get outta town (and go see this movie).
Not a movie but I love Klaus Nomi so am listing this comics event on Dec. 1.
There will be holiday themed short horror films and drag on Dec. 3rd! Nothing scarier than the holidays.
At the Hollywood this week:
Blood Rage plays on Nov. 29th. Presumably about surviving family dinners? Oh right. Evil twin.
Stop Making Sense returns on Nov. 30th. I’m not a Talking Heads guy but I did just rewatch Silence of the Lambs so can recommend that.
The Birds plays twice! It’s about birds attacking, uh, everyone! It was based on a time in Hitchcock’s life when birds were trying to kill him.
Oddball 16mm Christmas films play on Dec. 1st for the Psychotropic Christmas Special.
Into the Unknown plays on Dec. 1st. “In this private screening in support of the film, local filmmaker Matthew Thomas Ross provides an original look into his personal journey of a rare cancer diagnosis in his 30s. Through expansive childhood home videos, vulnerable interviews, and intimate footage, we follow Matthew as he documents and edits his battle against Stage 4 appendix cancer. While traveling through the seasons, he struggles to navigate the physical and mental toll of a diagnosis full of so many unknowns. Ultimately finding hope and purpose in completing his first feature film— this documentary.” A portion of ticket sales will go to OHSU.
Breakup Season plays on Dec. 2nd. It’s a local film about breaking up over the holidays and character actor extraordinaire James Urbaniak is in it.
Riot plays on Dec. 3rd as part of B-Movie Bingo. Sugar Ray Leonard is in this!
At the Kiggins Theater this week:
The Princess Bride plays this week. I didn’t watch this movie as a kid so I don’t have a lot of fondness for it but lots of people do. I do think that the book is really funny—it’s mostly about a middle-aged man complaining about how his family hates him so I can relate!
Here’s what’s spitting out of the Tomorrow Theater algorithm this week:
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is playing on Nov. 29th with BINGO from Violet Hex before the movie. This is a charming movie and Violet Hex is a great performer so you should go see this. Plus there is no basket weaving or selling of cream before the show so nothing to make fun of here, sadly.
Gremlins plays on Nov. 30th. I love this movie. I have seen it over a dozen times in my life and every time I watch it I forget that Corey Feldman is in it. Perhaps a movie he was featured more prominently in for Night of 1000 Feldmans? Here are a list of movies that would fit this theme better: The Lost Boys, License to Drive, The Goonies, Stand by Me, my dreams.
Is on vacation this week! I ated too much pie.
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"I ated too much pie" is a thing that lives in my subconscious. It is also one of those things that makes me laugh when I think about it (which is often) but is also never, ever funny to someone who has not seen it in its original context. This holiday season, thank you for making me feel seen.