New Spike Lee, the Apu Trilogy begins, LakeFrontRow Cinema & more
Thursday
“The Video of Vincent Grenier” (7:00p — Union South Marquee)
Vincent Grenier describes his own work as “fascinated by contingencies,” intersections between cinematic form and audience expectations. After a body of experimental work centered around 16mm film, the New York-based filmmmaker transitioned to digital formats in the late 90s — and judging by “Starlight Cinema’s” presentation, hasn’t looked back. WUD Film’s avant-garde program samples some of his later works, including New York’s Upper West Side-heavy Back View and Watercolor, the latter of which was inspired by Grenier re-appreciating a regular walk of his. (FREE.)
All freakin’ weekend
Chi-raq (AMC Star)
Spike Lee is at his best when he’s not holding back, and a recent string of independently-funded projects seem to have rejuvenated the director’s creative braggadocio. Case in point this satire of the very real surge in violence in Chicago. Named after Nick Cannon’s rapper and gang leader (and a wartime pun in and of itself), Chi-raq features the city’s young women (led by Mad Men‘s excellent Teyonah Parris) refusing to sleep with their men until their conflict resolution skills involve more than firearms. If that sounds ridiculous, that’s the point. Now, throw in Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, John Cusack’s fiery preacher, and Samuel L. Jackson, who by all appearances looks to double-down on his rampaging DJ in Do the Right Thing. Sold.
Krampus (AMC Star, Point)
The availability of Christmas-themed horror films is a sorry state of affairs, so it’s mainly from a sense of optimism that Michael Dougherty’s feel-bad holiday chiller gets an inclusion on this week’s calendar. Mainly. The promise of a boy summoning the titular demon from German folklore leaves plenty of intrigue, and performances from Toni Collette, Adam Scott and David Koechner will (hopefully) balance scares and levity in equal measure.
Friday
Pather Panchali (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
It shouldn’t be all that surprising that Pather Panchali is considered one of the greatest first films of all-time given that it’s Satyajit Ray behind the camera. Song of the Little Road is the deliberately-paced story of a young boy who grows up in the household of an impoverished priest. Scored by Ravi Shankar and featuring a host of untrained acting performances, it’s the first in Ray’s “Apu Trilogy,” which Cinematheque will present FREE in weekly installments — and just in time for Criterion’s Blu-ray restoration.
Saturday
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (5:30p — Union South Marquee)
One of the best documentaries in 2015 is getting two FREE screenings this weekend after premiering earlier this year at the Wisconsin Film Festival. From our original review:
For the whirlwind of crap Montage of Heckâs title brings to mind, [director Brett] Morgen wastes no time extemporizing on said crap, lifting from PSA footage and Gen X commercials in his opening titles. Later intertextual conversations âconversations between rejected poems and hindsight interviewees claiming to have predicted grungeâs self-imploding successes â are eventually cut short by Cobainâs death. Brett Morgen has resurrected the musicianâs spirit like some shaman of cinema, entreating an impossible dialogue with Cobain only to have his resurrectionâs flame cut out (almost) as abruptly. Itâs a conclusion doubly tragic for its textual recreation and fittingly appropriate.
Sunday
Funny Bunny (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
At one point slated to star John C. Riley and Greta Gerwig, Director Alison Bagnall Standefer’s third feature is the perfect oddity to wrap another season of low-budget gems from Micro-Wave Cinema. Micro-budget cinema champion Kentucker Audley steals the show as a garrulous canvasser for childhood obesity, whose life intertwines with wealthy oddball Olly Alexander and his online crush (Joslyn Jensen).  Bagnall Standefer will make a post-screening appearance via Skype. (FREE.)
Tuesday
LakeFrontRow Cinema presents Catalyst (6:30p — Central Library, Rm 302)
We conclude another season of Wisconsin-made cinema with Catalyst. The story of brothers Keeran (Nick Kavanaugh) and Terrence (Justice Rieth), Catalyst explores growing pains and social awkwardness with strained familial relations and the budding interests of its youths. Older brother Keeran is an artist and a reluctant romantic, while Terrence is a talented baseball star who still maintains a relationship with their estranged, alcoholic father (Scott Bailey). Filled with religious imagery and cozy, original songwriting, Catalyst is a promising feature-length debut from director Kyle Arpke, whoâs cut his teeth with Milwaukee-based projects like Billy Club and Geoffrey Broughe Handles Confrontation Poorly. Both Arpke and Bailey will appear in-person for a Q&A. (FREE.)