Film & TV

...Tibbs Drive-In is open! And it's not just open, it's the only open drive-in theater left in these parts! Starting at 7:30 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, you can load up the car and enjoy movies under the stars on four ginormous screens.

Ticket prices:
Adults, 13 and over- $9.00
Children - 4 thru 12 $4.00
Children 3 and under- Free

Visit the Tibbs Drive-In website for more information.

I first saw The Seventh Seal in college, but it was late, and pretty much all I remember was how cool it was that a knight was playing a game of chess with death. And yes, playing chess with death is still a very good reason to like this movie, but as I discovered upon a second, more lucid viewing (prompted by my continued quest to see 1001 great movies before I die) this is a wonderfully rich film that has as much to say about death as it does life.

The Seventh Seal is set in medieval times (the epoch, not the dinner theater) during the crusades and the plague, and centers around a knight, Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), who is returning home after 10 years of “spreading the gospel” with his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand).

Continue reading "The Seventh Seal"

February 9 at the Indiana History Center: Actor/director/producer Sydney Pollack (a Lafayette native!) will show and discuss his new documentary film Sketches about architect Frank Gehry. Pollack will hold a Q&A session with the audience following the screening. Visitors can also learn more about Pollack's foray into film by visiting the IHS exhibition Hoosiers in Hollywood. Program support for this event provided by Heartland Film Festival.

Call 317.232.1882 to order tickets ($15, or $12 for IHS and Heartland Circle of Friends members).

I didn't see last year's Sin City because it's violent, and I'm chicken. But I was very interested in the design of the thing—the black and white graphic-novel style. Last night I got me some of that, when I went to see Renaissance.

Renaissance is playing at the Landmark Keystone Arts—and I just noticed its run there ends tonight! So, go now if you want to see it on the big screen...

Continue reading "Movie Review: Renaissance"

Two movies on almost exactly the same subject were made within the last couple of years. Capote was released in late 2005 to much acclaim, and is now available on DVD. Infamous—made at the same time, but shelved for a year to avoid direct competition—is playing now at the Landmark Keystone Arts theater.

Fair warning: One might call this article "spoiler-laden" if one were completely unaware of Truman Capote and his most famous work, In Cold Blood.

Continue reading "2 Movie Reviews: Capote vs. Infamous"

I suspect that it's just because I've been living under a rock lately, but I haven't heard too much in the news about the Indianapolis International Film Festival (April 26-May 4th), other than having a friend forward the link to me.

The films are being shown at the new Keystone Arts Cinema at the Fashion Mall, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the Indiana Historical Society downtown (although elsewhere on the site they mention that there are four venues.)

116 Films are in the line-up, from a variety of different programs and with several premieres on the list, including the award winning film Tsotsi.

Looks like you can currently by tickets by "All Access Pass" and "ten ticket bundle" formats, with individual tickets going on sale after April 13.

I happened to catch the movie trailer for for the independent film Lonesome Jim on Apple:

Jim (Casey Affleck) begrudgingly returns to his hometown in rural Indiana after failing to make it on his own in New York. He soon remembers why he left: a doting but overbearing mother (Mary Kay Place), a distant father (Seymour Cassel), and a depressed older brother (Kevin Corrigan) whose “accidents” seem suspect at best.

Internet Movie Database has more, including some reviews from folks who saw the film at festivals.

Great (or very good) performances do not necessarily a great (or very good) movie make.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Mrs. Henderson Presents"

I read in the Star recently that Kerasotes Theaters has a special "club" where you can see certain movies for $5 at any time of day. This applies generally to movies that have been playing for at least two weeks.

Sign up online and they'll mail you a card, which you can present along with $5 for admission. It allows one admission per card, so families need one card per person. See details and a list of participating theaters at www.fivebuckclub.net.

I frequent the Kerasotes Showplace 12 at Glendale, where the usual matinee price is something like $6.25, with evening showings at $8.75 – so this will save you money no matter what time of day you go!

I recently listed my favorite "forbidden/unrequited love" movies as Brief Encounter (1945), Remains of the Day (1993), and Far from Heaven (2002). I think Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain will probably be added to that list. It really was good.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Brokeback Mountain"

Movies whose screenplays are adaptations of well-loved books usually suffer in comparison to their source material. I'll admit I'm guilty of making the comparison in this review—it's hard not to, when the book is one of my all-time favorites.

Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of Chiyo, a young girl from a poor coastal town who is sold to an okiya, or geisha house. Her blue-gray eyes set her apart from the other potential geisha, and Chiyo finds herself under fire from the okiya's beautiful but jealous and cruel breadwinner, the geisha Hatsumomo.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Memoirs of a Geisha"

I saw Steven Spielberg's Munich. I did not sleep much or well last night.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Munich"

Due to the large box-office success in its limited run, the movie Brokeback Mountain will open in Indianapolis on Wednesday, December 28th at the Keystone Arts Cinema, rather than the originally scheduled mid-January release date.

We've discussed it before, and the event is closer to happening: the new Landmark Theater's Keystone Art Cinema will open at Keystone at the Crossing Mall on December 9th.

The new theater (which is billing itself as "upscale") will have 7 screens, a lounge outside the theater featuring live music and a bar--and you can take your drinks into the theater with you. 8 of the intially scheduled films:

Syriana
The Squid and the Whale
Bee Season
Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
The Passenger
Capote
Memoirs of a Geisha
Mrs. Henderson Presents

Conspicously absent: Brokeback Mountain, which doesn't have Indianapolis on it's list of "soon to be showing at." If this new theater means this movie won't find it's way to Indianapolis at what happens to be an opportune time, I'll take back all the cheerleading I did back in March.

The Indiana Historical Society will be showing the classic Christmas special "A Christmas Story" (set in Indiana) on family days throughout the holiday season. (Family days are December 3, 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

In addition, they have a display of Christmas scenes from the past, including a depiction of the "leg lamp" living room scene from the movie.

And, to top it off, you can buy A Christmas Story merchandise through the IHS store, including your very own "major award" leg lamp. (Click on the "A Christmas Story" link in the left column.) Rumor has it that at one time there was a snowglobe of Flick with his tongue stuck on the lamppost, but it's not in the store now.

Of course, if you don't want to visit the Historical Society, you can always turn on whatever television station it is that broadcasts the movie 24 hours a day on Christmas day, like my family does. I think the year that I saw the movie 8 times in the same day and no one would let me change the channel really changed the way I feel about it.

Maybe if I read the book (author Jean Shepard is an Indiana native who's books are also available in the store) I regain my fond feelings for Ralphie and his Red Ryder.

According to Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV Preview, one of this fall's new crime investigation shows, "Close to Home" on CBS will be set in Indiana:

A new (Jennifer Finnigan) tries to balance breast pumping with prosecuting rapists and killers in... suburban Indiana?

I'm not sure what's up with that incredulous-sounding question mark. Apparently we don't have crime in Indiana, according to Entertainment Weekly? Or maybe we just don't have exciting crime here.

They further explain that the show is another Jerry Bruckheimer crime show, but not a "procedural" show like CSI; they will explore the character's personal life as well. Which is okay, because Jennifer Finnigan is pretty hot.

I'll be curious to see what the "suburban Indiana" setting is like. I'm guessing non-descript, non-recognizable and maybe even anonymous, which is too bad, because it would be pretty funny if Fishers or Carmel showed up on television. It would be even funnier of they made snarky comments about Fishers or Carmel like we do. Maybe I should write them about the comedic possibilities of commentary on the Carmel Arts District.

The show debuts Tuesday, October 4th at 10 p.m. on CBS and is part of their Tuesday lineup. Because it's on right after the Amazing Race, it probably stands a decent chance of being watched, although it's up against Law & Order SVU.

I had strong reservations about going to see The Aristocrats. I knew it was a documentary. I knew it was about a joke. A single joke. A very offensive single joke. How could they really fill up an hour and a half with the telling of a single offensive joke, over and over again? I mean... wouldn't that get dull after the shock value wore off?

I had no idea.

Continue reading "The Aristocrats"

My list of popular or critically acclaimed movies that I hated... and why. Disagree? Agree? Add your own list.

Continue reading "Popular Movies That Stunk"

I'm a Ball State Alum, so seeing the movie "Breaking Away" wasn't an obligatory part of my college education the way it seems to have been for Indiana University grads. I've lived in Indiana for 23 years and I never saw it, so when I noticed it on cable the other day, I TIVO'ed and watched it to round out my Hoosier education. The 1979 movie is set and filmed in Bloomington, Indiana, and is a nice, quiet "coming of age" movie about four Bloomington High School graduates who are not planning on going to college (AKA "cutters"), and their interaction with I.U. students during the "Little 500" bicycle race.

Continue reading "Breaking Away"

My friend Doug loaned me the DVDs for several TV shows to watch while I'm home recuperating from heart surgery. So my girlfriend and I watched the first season of "Mad About You" over the last couple weeks. I always liked the sitcom about a happy New York couple, Paul and Jamie Buchmann (played by Paul Rieser and Helen Hunt), and it was very fun to watch now that I have a partner, because when it originally aired I was single. It's fun to snuggle on the couch and watch a TV show about being a couple with my other half.

Continue reading "TV Shows on DVD"

Sunday wasn't a bad day to hang out with my friends, Maura and Clif, as the agenda called for seeing the latest Jet Li action flick, Unleashed. It felt more like fall than spring on Sunday, which was perfect for us as we donned our best black and headed out for some grub.

Continue reading "Unleashed"

I've complained about it before on our "About Indianapolis" page -- although we're the 12th largest city in the U.S., when a film opens in limited release, say in 20 or even 100 screens, it never hits here in Indianapolis. For people who love films that can be frustrating, and for fans of the Oscars, it's tough to see some of the nominated films before the awards. Often a smaller or independent film won't be released here until it's taken home a statue. We've needed a larger, newer theater for independent and art films for a long time. The two art theaters in existence in Indy have done great work for a long time, but both are beset with flaws.

Continue reading "Seven-Screen Art Theater - Woo hoo!"

I saw Finding Neverland last weekend, in my quest to see more of the Oscar nominees before this Sunday's ceremony. This movie is up for seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Finding Neverland"

I saw Million Dollar Baby on Friday night. It's important to note that this isn't a "boxing movie" — it's a movie about a boxer, and that distinction matters absolutely to the soul of the story.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Million Dollar Baby"

I just got a DVR, yay! I've been wanting this for a while, as I have no working VCR and need some way to resolve the time-slot conflict between Alias and The West Wing at 9:00 on Wednesday nights. I'm also looking forward to recording some of the great movies shown on TCM in the middle of the night.

Continue reading "TV Toys: DVR from Comcast"

Critically acclaimed since its debut in 2002, The Wire is another in the long line of excellent original series from HBO. I recently watched the first season of this show on DVD.

Continue reading "TV Review: The Wire, Season One"

Over the holidays I was given a book called 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Surely, I thought, I’d seen at least 600, if not 700. So I eagerly headed for the index, pen in hand, in order to check off the movies I’d already seen.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Aguirre, the Wrath of God"

Over the weekend, I saw The Phantom of the Opera, the movie based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, itself based on a book by Gaston Leroux.

Continue reading "Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera"

Dan (Jude Law) is walking down the street one day when he runs into Alice (Natalie Portman) who, while staring at Dan, is hit by a car. He helps her to the hospital, and then begins a romance with her, despite the fact that she looks like jailbait and there's not a single hint of chemistry between them at all.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Closer"

I've always wanted to be a spy, but I have a terrible poker face, so I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work out. (And no, I will not play poker with you for money.) I love all things spy-related, and there are some great spy-themed books, movies, and TV shows available today. One of my current favorites is the BBC production known here as MI-5, which airs on the A&E network on Saturday nights at 10:00.

Continue reading "TV Review: MI-5"

On New Year's Day, I saw Alexander Payne's Sideways. Somehow this movie has made it onto many critics' Top Ten lists for 2004. I disagree — I just don't see it as a wholly successful movie, no matter how good a few of its parts may be.

Continue reading "Movie Review: Sideways"

I received some sad news yesterday: the Video Vault is going out of business. This independently-owned video store had the best selection of old, foreign, and art-house movies in Indianapolis. The Lutz family owned this business for more than 19 years, and are finally unable to compete with the likes of BlockBastard, WalMart, and NetFlix.

Continue reading "End of an Era"