Rosemary’s Baby, UW Cinematheque returns with two cuts of When Marnie Was There, Starlight Cinema begins a 35mm-centric revamp with Monsieur Verdoux, and Mistress America.
Thursday
Rosemary’s Baby (6:30p — Central Library, Rm 302)
The world is a frightening place, especially when it feels like everyone else is insane. But what if you’re the crazy one? Roman Polanski’s suffocating tale of trust, illusion and intimacy is September’s FREE sacrificial offering to the overlords of Madison Library’s “Cinesthesia.”
Monsieur Verdoux (7:00p — Union South Marquee)
After losing his job at a bank, Monsieur Verdoux starts a new hobby: murdering widows with deep pockets; think Max Bialystock, only with more killing. Both the first legitimate feature in which Chaplin’s “tramp” character was not channeled in some way as well as the beginning of America’s shunning of one of cinema’s greatest masters, Monsieur Verdoux also marks a turning point for WUD Film’s FREE Starlight Cinema program, which looks to venture into Cinematheque territory with forgotten classics like this 1947 black comedy — and with an emphasis on 35mm prints. Hey, the more the merrier.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (9:30p — Union South Marquee)
You know the Marvel Studios tropes by now. (1) New, unseen threat wags a finger at Earth. (2) Earth’s mightiest heroes show up and stop it. (3) James Spader voices a robot. (4) James Spader voices a robot? (5) James Spader voices a robot. (FREE.)
All freakin’ weekend
Mistress America (Point)
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig’s drama was only playing at Sun Prairie’s Palace Cinema last week. In hindsight, Marcus’ exhibition plans seem kinda flighty, but that’s wholly appropriate given the nature of Mistress America‘s Brooke (Gerwig, too), a flighty New York twenty-something. When Brooke’s father remarries, she meets awkward freshman Tracy (Lola Kirke), the daughter of Brooke’s soon-to-be mother-in-law. Less mean-spirited and a little broader, Baumbach and Gerwig’s newest collab seems markedly different from the pictures they’ve made before. (Don’t forget the Madfilm Meetup!)
Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine (Sundance)
Reconciling Apple innovations in computing, telecommunications or just you know, literally changing the way we consume information can be tough when one considers the tech giant’s co-founder wasn’t such a great guy. Alex Gibney attempts to get to the heart of this contradiction. With his third documentary this year, I’m starting to think it’s Gibney that’s the machine.
Meru (Sundance)
Mountain climbers are insane. Brave and impressively athletic, but insane. The latest piece of evidence is this documentary on a failed expedition up the Himalayas on the Meru Peak. The “Shark’s fin” route in particular was only successfully scaled by the same team of climbers three years later. Brave, impressively athletic, and insane dedicated*
The Transporter Refueled (AMC Star, Point)
If you want Jason Statham with hair, you’ll have to revisit his competitive diving days on YouTube. Orrr you could just get Luc Besson behind a prequel and recast the Frank Martin character (Ed Skrein, this time) that personified Statham’s gruff, no-nonsense brawler persona and an ability to improvise at ass-kicking.
Welcome Back (AMC Star)
Bhale Bhale Magadivoi (Point)
War Room (Point)
A couple (Priscilla Shirer and T.C. Stallings) finds their marriage on the rocks but after meeting an elderly woman through work, Shirer becomes a “prayer warrior” in an effort to save her crumbling relationship. The creators of Fireprooof, in which Kirk Cameron battles the evils of pornography, have produced their first predominantly black Evangelical film, which is legitimately great for both its appeal to an underserved audience and for its lack of Kirk Cameron.
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back) (10:00a, 12:30p, 3:00p — Point)
Marcus’ “retro football series” had some identity issues to be sure. This time, they’re punting it on reaching for tie-ins with a Peanuts-themed family film program that runs from Fri through Sun. Also Mon this weekend because of Labor Day. ($5.)
Friday
Avengers: Age of Ultron (5:30p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Leviathan (6:30p — Pinney Library)
(FREE.)
The Homesman (6:45p — Alicia Ashman Library)
Tommy Lee Jones ‘ melancholy western, The Homesman is at one with its midwestern plains, buttressed by the enduring spirit of Hilary Swank’s Mary Bee Cuddy as she helps Jones’ claim jumper escort three mentally-disturbed women to Iowa. Marco Beltrami’s dusted out soundscapes also made for one of the best film scores of 2014. (FREE.)
Macbeth (7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
Cinematheque’s back and ringing in the fall season with a victory lapper on their Orson Welles centennial programming. Welles stars in the title role and, as director, mercifully punches up the whole “witch thing” this time. Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender’s newest iteration likely won’t hit Madison for a while, but Cinematheque seems keen on questioning whether we need another version at all. (FREE.)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (7:45p — Madison Sourdough)
Luis Buñuel’s 1972 satire persistently interrupts its upper-class dinner guests. Featuring Fernando Rey, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Delphine Seyrig. FREE Patio Movie Nights begin at sundown.
Ex Machina (8:30p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
The Room (11:00p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Saturday
When Marnie Was There (2:00p + 7:00p — 4070 Vilas Hall)
With the studio on semi-hiatus and its retired co-founder retired and building the coolest nature preserve of all time for Japanese children, Ghibli fans may have to settle with Hiromasa Yonebayash’s adaptation of one of Hayao Miyazaki’s favorite children’s books for their last taste of animated greatness. And sloppy seconds or not, it’s a fine picture according to Madison Film Forum’s Jim Kreul. Or at least “your smart kids” will love it. And if they can’t speak Japanese (or read yet), the matinee screening has an English dub. (FREE.)
Ex Machina (5:30p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (8:00p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Rocky Horror Picture Show Brew ‘n View (10:30p — Majestic Theatre)
You know the drill. ($8 in advance. $10 day of.)
The Room (11:00p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Sunday
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (2:00p — Chazen Art Museum)
One would think that after an Orson Welles take on Shakespeare and *two* exclusive Ghibli screenings, I’d be numbed to the idea of seeing Kubrick’s wartime farce FREE on 35mm. One would think.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (3:00p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Ex Machina (6:30p — Union South Marquee)
(FREE.)
Monday
The Godfather (7:00p — Point)
After a head scratching “Ladies Night” entry with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Marcus’ retro mob series is more on point with the Coppola classic. Like all of hteir specialty programs, admission is $5. Aaaaaand sparing you an awful “offer you can’t refuse” joke now.
Wednesday
Stripes (2:25p, 7:45p — Sundance)
After losing everything save his friend Russel Ziskey (Harold Ramis), cab driver John Winger (Bill Murray) enlists in the army. Murray’s smart aleck persona may have been refined and perfected in the Ghostbusters movies, but it was first gifted to the world here.
The Godfather (7:00p — Point)
($5.)
The Visit (8:30p — Union South Marquee)
WUD Film presents a FREE advance screening of the latest oddity in M. Night Shyamalan’s two weeks notice of a Hollywood career, where two teens (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould) train it out to the Pennsylania wilderness to visit their grandparents for the first time ever and the encounter the inevitable “twist.” Call me crazy, but this doesn’t look half bad. (I said call me crazy.)