A first from Takeshi Kitano, Under the Gun‘s probably unnecessary controversy, and Swiss Army Man
Wednesday
Rashomon (7:00p — Bos Meadery)
As a slithering bandit, Toshiro Mifune’s Tajōmaru stands on trial for murder, taking unabashed pleasure in his claims to swindling a samurai and then “wooing his wife.” But in his own mind, he is no ruthless villain. Of course, their respective stories (and fates) differ depending on whom you ask. The Rashomon effect has been en vogue for years, as this Wikipedia article alone proves, but there’s no beating the original, which set both the Akira Kurosawa and his new face on a path to international renown. (Doors at 5:30p. Admission is FREE).
La bête humaine (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
(Admission is FREE).
Thursday
Under the Gun (6:30p — Central Library, Rm 301)
Stephanie Soechtig has three documentaries under her belt, with each successive entry unearthing increasingly insidious “truths” about American epidemics. Tapped (2009) indicted the bottled water industry for its pollution, and childhood obesity exposé Fed Up (2014) got Kevin Smith to drop 85 pounds. Their latest, on responsible gun ownership, wades into politically fraught territory; just take a gander at the conspiratorial nonsense lobbed at its trailer. Now, Soechtig and, to a lesser extent, executive producing partner Katie Couric are in hot water for a Bowling for Columbine-esque edit that makes gun dealers look doofy. By all accounts, gun lobbyists have rallied around the addition of a few seconds when in fact every documentary is an argument, no matter its claims of objectivity. The real merits of Under the Gun will depend on the strength of that argument, pushing (as some critics have already argued) an anti-gun stance without its talking heads ever explicitly saying it. (Admission is FREE).
Violent Cop (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
There’s plenty to enjoy in Cinematheque’s special presentations this summer, but no selection is more exciting than this directorial debut from Takeshi Kitano. With Kitano also in the starring role, Cinematheque compares Violent Cop to Clint Eastwood’s vigilante justice, but its quagmires of gang violence and police corruption recall the full-throated pulpiness of John Woo’s Hard Boiled, too. With a Blu-ray release set for later this year, Madison’s repertory program has found an opportune time to score a DCP chapter in Kitano’s long history with Yakuza stories, and long before he was playing everyone’s favorite worst teacher. (Admission is FREE).
Friday
The Time of Their Lives (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
(Admission is FREE).
All freakin’ weekend
Swiss Army Man (Sundance, AMC Star, Marcus Point)
Stranded and alone, Paul Dano has only the farting corpse of Daniel Radcliffe to make his way back to safety. I know what you’re thinking. “But we’ve seen this story a thousand times already!” Yes, but have you played with the interactive human whoopie cushion tie-in? Dano rides his flatulent corpse like a jet ski and uses its erection as a compass in maybe the most roundabout exploration of friendship ever. Co-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have a knack for using gross hooks as vehicles for intimacy (check out My Best Friend’s Sweating) and with this Sundance breakout, the self-dubbed “Daniels” are giving a whole new meaning to artsy fartsy.
Monday
American Graffiti (9:00p — Memorial Union Terrace)
There was a time when the name “George Lucas” wasn’t synonymous with Star Wars — or “Narrative Art” museums, for that matter. After THX-1138 scratched the experimental itch from his days at USC, Lucas went back to his first love: classic American muscle. American Graffiti is a rose-colored look back at the time of Lucas’s youth in Modesto, California, light on story and greased down with a rockabilly and doo wop soundtrack perfect for mid-60s cruising. It’s the kind of movie Richard Linklater has based much of his career on, and he has at least one person to thank for it in Lakeside Cinema’s latest time warp. (Admission is FREE).