Thursday
The Limits of Control (6:30p — Central Library, Rm 302)
En route to his next hit, an assassin (Isaach De Bankolé) makes repeated stops at assorted Spanish coffee houses, bumping into the likes of Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, John Hurt, and the never-clothed Paz de la Huerta along the way. The “Cinesthesia” classic and contemporary cinema program has entertained a love affair with Ohio’s white-haired eccentric for some time now and while The Limits of Control is hardly among Jim Jarmusch’s essential work, it remains a reflection of the director’s fascination with its opaque dialogue and archetypal characters. FREE.
Heaven Adores You (7:00p — Point)
Thanks to Good Will Hunting and the delayed embrace of XO and Figure 8 during the indie boom, Elliott Smith’s popularity has only grown after his suicide in 2003. Nickolas Rossi’s documentary weaves Smith’s music through three cities the sweet-voiced singer-songwriter called home for a meditative alternative to the Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck‘s personalized frustrations.
Song of the Sea (7:00p — Union South Marquee)
In the first of two Wisconsin Film Festival curtain calls this week, the fest’s “Big Screens, Little Folks” program teams with WUD Film for a pair of family-friendly screenings of Song of the Sea. Counted among the best of 2014’s animated films, Book of Kelis‘s Tomm Moore presents this Celtic fairytale of two siblings who learn that one of them is a selkie, a creature divided by one existence on land and another in the sea. FREE.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (9:15p — Union South Marquee)
James Bond will return… in November, but for spy enthusiasts who can’t wait for Spectre, Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar might have a temporary remedy. Kingsman: The Secret Service plucks a scrappy ne’er-do-well (Taron Egerton) and puts him under the perfectly-pressed duster of secret agent Colin Firth. What ensues sounds like a breezy, dynamic riff on the espionage genre. And Adidas product placement. Lots and lots of it. FREE.
All freakin’ weekend
Ride (Sundance)
Helen Hunt must have really liked Brenton Thwaites’ cardboard performance in The Giver because she’s cast him as her son in this directorial effort. When her son (Thwaites) ditches college for the waves of California, a New Yorker editor (Hunt) follows suit and discovers the freedom of the waves (and having a charming instructor in Luke Wilson).
Salt of the Earth (Sundance)
German standby Wim Wenders presents this personal and intimate look at the life and photography of Sebastião Salgado. The prize-winning Brazilian photojournalist has become a staple in 20th century photography by capturing vanishing ecosystems, mass migration, and the struggles of manual laborers. The catch to Salt of the Earth? Wenders co-directs with Salgado’s son.
Merchants of Doubt (Sundance)
A look at the expert blowhards making a name for themselves in cable news and sensationalist media punditry.
The D Train (Sundance, AMC Star, Point)
Hot Pursuit (AMC Star, Point)
Friday
Les Miserables (4:30p — Hawthorne Library)
Presented FREE courtesy of Hawthorne Library’s teen film series.
Paddington (6:00p — Union South Marquee)
Apparently, it’s Colin Firth weekend at the Marquee, as the actor voices the Peruvian bear with an impossibly roomy suitcase and love of marmalade. Look, the trailers were awful but judging by its beefy Rotten Tomatoes score and sizable earnings at the box office, it looks like director Paul King (and Nicole Kidman) have made a quality family flick. “Firth Mirth” rolls on! (FREE)
Tale of the Spotted Cow (7:00p — Capitol Theater, Overture Center)
Dan and Deb Carey of Wisconsin’s prized New Glarus Brewing Company will be on hand to answer questions following the screening of this Wisconsin Film Festival 2015 alum. With a few exceptions, the festival’s food-themed program seemed more like a cute cross-promotion than a cinematic experience, but with the brewmasters there in person, maybe somebody can get an official judgment on that bar in Maple Grove? (Tickets are $15)
Celebrity + Okay, America! (7:00p + 8:30p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
Tay Garnett is undoubtedly best known for his 1946 noir The Postman Always Rings Twice. Er, perhaps he’s only known for it. Fortunately, Cinematheque is shining a light on the underrated Classic Hollywood director with a double feature that closes out its repertory calendar. The silent gagster Celebrity finds a publicist who passes off his prizefighter as an inspired poet (featuring live accompaniment from David mother#$%@ing Drazin). In 1932 newspaper talkie Okay, America!, Lew Ayres’s (All Quiet on the Western Front) columnist gets mixed up in a scandal inspired by the Lindbergh baby kidnapping that same year. FREE.
The Wind Rises (8:30p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Wet Hot American Summer (11:00p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Saturday
UW Communication Arts Student Showcase (7:00p — Union South Marquee)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Communication Arts showcase is a dependable highlight of every Cinematheque calendar, presenting works from both aspiring filmmakers at UW-Madison and those just making their way through a prerequisite course. Instructor-curated selections offer diverse shorts and glimpses at semester-long feature projects. Attendance has always been overly enthusiastic (who doesn’t want to watch their own stuff on the big screen?), so this year, things are moving to the much roomier Marquee Theater. Come enjoy UW’s best and brightest enjoying themselves. FREE.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (9:30p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Wet Hot American Summer (11:59p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Sunday
Song of the Sea (3:00p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Paddington (5:30p — Union South Marquee)
FREE.
Monday
Heaven Adores You (7:00p — Point)
Tuesday
Jaws (6:30p — Pinney Library)
With one exception, Pinney’s FREE “Blockbusters of Summers Past” program is looking thoroughly 80’s centric. This is that exception. Light refreshments provided.
RiffTrax Encore presents The Room (7:30p — Point)
Wednesday
Steel Magnolias (2:00p, 7:50p — Sundance)
Food for Thought, Food for Life (6:30p — Central Library)
Susan Rockefeller’s conversation starter hopes to engage audiences with the question of where our food comes from and the unintended consequences of living life in an ever-changing and constantly accelerating modern world. A panel of guests will be on hand afterward including Michelle Miller, Associate Director of the UW-Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, and the Willy St. Co-op’s Kirsten Moore and Megan Minnick. FREE.