The years had not been kind to the Brawny Man
Thursday
SB: A Motion Graphics Exhibition (Union South)
Through Friday, Union South will be continuously showing a collection of short films from five UW undergraduates in Gallery 1308. And you thought that with school out the student stuff was over.
Friday
The Purge (Eastgate, AMC Star, Point)
Imagine, if you will, an America where the red tape that comes with overstuffed prisons and legal loopholes is cut away. Fine, don’t. Universal Pictures will imagine for you in its home invasion-thriller that makes robbery, assault, and even murder legal for one 12-hour period. But what if you poisoned someone within that window only to have your victim die 13 hours later? (Asking for a friend). Maybe ignore The Purge’s nonsensical premise and just hope for strong performances out of Ethan Hawke in the midst of a career resurgence and Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey, whom quite frankly I’m still really upset with.
The Internship (Eastgate, AMC Star, Point)
What could be funnier than seeing Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn recapture their Wedding Crashers magic as two down-on-their-luck salesman competing for jobs as lowly interns? According to the early buzz, a lot of things. From the director who brought you Real Steel and several Nights at the Museum comes a comedy that will probably feature a lot of “What’s a Tweeter?”-type jokes from out of touch white guys, judging from its trailer. I just wish they gave us some hint of which tech company they were working for, you know?
- Should the weather hold up this weekend, you can also catch The Internship alongside Epic at the Highway 18 Drive-In. Box office at 6:30, show’s at dusk.
Rooftop Cinema: The Hellstrom Chronicle (9:30p — MMoCA’s Rooftop Garden)
The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art begins its eighth consecutive season of avant-garde cinema with an uncharacteristic choice: a narrative feature. The Hellstrom Chronicle sees directors Walon Green and Ed Spiegel use stop-motion photography with micro- and telescopic lenses to create a parodic faux-documentary on humanity’s struggle with its greatest threat: really gross bugs. As always, Rooftop Cinema (located outside Fresco on State Street) is free for MMoCA members and $7 for the general public. Check out the full listing if you’re curious about what else MMoCA has in store this month.
Kon-Tiki (Sundance)
Kon-Tiki is a dramatic retelling of Thor Heyerdahl who, for some reason, decided to sail the 5,000 miles between Peru and Polynesia in 1947 on nothing more than a balsa wood raft, without any engines or equipment to guide him save his trusty volleyball companion “Wilson.” Kon-Tiki, named for the raft Heyerdahl used in his expedition, became Norway’s highest-grossing movie of all time and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at last year’s Academy Awards.
What Maisie Knew (Sundance)
Sundance also screens What Maisie Knew, a drama about the challenges of divorce as viewed through the eyes of a child (Onata Aprile). With a cast that includes solid performances from Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, and Alexander Skarsgård, What Maisie Knew looks to be a strong dramatic alternative to a summer schedule bloated from Men of Iron and Steel. Most amazing is that Rob Thomas thinks this is one film with a competent child actor in Aprile, and how often do we get that? Ever see that movie Knowing? Whoof.
Sunday
Madison Underground: Gretel and Anthony Wood (7:00p — Broom Street Theater)
Join Justin Schober and Madison Underground at the Broom Street Theater for a free screening of the new film Gretel. The picture looks to be a dark, claustrophobic retelling of the classic “Hansel and Gretel” fairytale and frankly already seems like an improvement on Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Stay after for a Q&A with Director of Photography Anthony Wood.
Monday
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (9:00p — Memorial Union Terrace)
An icy sci-fi classic of strategy, revenge, and fake chest pieces, Wrath of Khan remains the best of all the Trek movies. There’s also a good chance WUD Film’s latest Lakeside Cinema selection was inspired by this summer’s Star Trek Into Darkness, where Benedict Cumberbatch plays the diabolical and mysterious villain, Benedict Cumberbatch.
Wednesday
This is the End (AMC Star)
Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen have friendship problems. At least that’s what seems to be at the core of this comedy about the end of the world. Featuring a who’s-who of comedians and Apatow groupies, This is the End fashions itself as the raunchy genre heights Your Highness failed to live up to. I managed to catch an advance screening and would strongly suggest avoiding any and all trailers for this one, as co-directors Rogen and Evan Goldberg go to some crazy places best left unspoiled. Demonic, cannibal, devil wiener places…
Sundance Classics: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1:35p, 7:10p — Sundance)
Once again, Sundance Madison snubs a forgotten gem for a so-called “classic” movie in their so-called “Classics” summer movie series. Sure, I suppose you could go see Raiders of the Lost Ark at 1:35 or 7:10pm next week. Or (and hear me out here) you could stay home and watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Now there’s an underrated summer classic. Aliens, fridge-nuking, half-assed Soviet plots, the inexplicable presence of John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf’s LaBeoufstache. Really takes you back to the summer of 2008, doesn’t it?