Due to the ever-changing nature of the movie biz, showtimes as they appear in any and all newspapers should always be double-checked with the theaters before setting off for a night at the flicks. Please call theater for times.
Designates items highlighted in this week's issue.
Click here for movie theaters and showtimes
|
|
Conversations with God
If most people told their friends that God was speaking to them, their sanity might be in question. Author Neale Donald Walsch turned his dialogue with the divine into a multimillion-dollar bestseller. Now a very successful guru of sorts, Walsch shares his spiritual transformation through a film produced by Stephen Simon (
What Dreams May Come
).
UA DeVargas, PG, 109 min.
Running with Scissors
Augusten Burroughs' memoir
Running with Scissors
is one of those true-life tales that is so fantastical that it almost has to be true. The film adaptation shows the young Burroughs (Joseph Cross) sent by his philosophy professor father and poet mother to live with her psychiatrist's insane family. With Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Evan Rachel Wood and Brian Cox.
UA DeVargas, R, 116 min.
Saw III
The vicious murderer Jigsaw has an apprentice, and she's as deranged as her master. In this bloody third installment, the new teacher's pet kidnaps a doctor in order to keep her master and their newest victim alive for selfish reasons. Bring a sick bag; you'll need it.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, R, 107 min.
Unidentified
Three pesky reporters poke around a small Texas town after a possible UFO sighting. They find the supernatural, and different beliefs tear them apart.
Unidentified
looks to be a Christian film hidden under the guise of sci-fi.
UA South, PG, 95 min.
Beetlejuice
The 1998 Tim Burton classic fills the big screen on Halloween night only. We all know the story: a pre-shoplifting Winona Ryder plays the depressed teen who befriends a couple of ghosts (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) who hate her parents (Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones) almost as much as she does. Together they try to get back at Mom and Dad by employing Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rude, disgusting salesman who relishes haunting the living.
7 pm. $5. The Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco St., 988-1234
Design in Motion
Santa Fe Design Week continues with two special presentations at the Santa Fe Film Center. "Design: History as Context" is explored through Lebanon: Bits and Pieces, breaking through the myths and preconceptions of present-day Lebanon through the voices of the country's women. "Design Is All Around Us" continues with a double billing of
Your Name in Cellulite
, about the difference between natural and commercial ideas of beauty, and
Here's Looking at You: A Celebration of Body Art
.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, run times vary
Design Week
In conjunction with Santa Fe Design Week, the Screen offers up some designer flicks. First up is Fellini's
La Strada
, the first-ever winner in the Academy Awards Foreign Film category. The poor, carefree Gelsomina is sold to a traveling entertainer (Anthony Quinn) and endures years of emotional and physical suffering. Thursday offers a double feature of the short
Summer of the Serpent
followed by the 1938
Pygmalion
. Both films feature a young woman discovering herself through an eye-opening relationship with an older man.
The Screen, ratings and run times vary
D
isarm
Filmmakers Mary Wareham and Brian Liu take on the world with their critical work about land mines. More than a dozen countries were visited in the making of
Disarm
to bring some of the most diverse imagery of the problem to the screen.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 67 min.
Heroic Grace II: Kung Fu Film Festival
When famed swordsman Chu Liuxiang (Di Long) is framed for the murders of three clan chiefs, he must leave his houseboat and poetry-spouting friends to find the real killers. In a gender-bending twist, Chu employs the help of a grotto-dwelling clan of female fighters in
Clans of Intrigue
.
The Screen, NR, run times vary
Kids First!: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Anyone who is a kid or has been a kid
has
to see the 1966 classic cartoon. Is the Great Pumpkin real? Will he visit Linus this year, after so many years of patiently waiting? Will he show up in Santa Fe after the screening? We can only hope!
Santa Fe Film Center, G, 25 min.
Man with Van
College of Santa Fe grad Nick Van Deamer roams the coast of California and the deserts of New Mexico in search of the elusive van dwellers. At the time of filming, Nick lived out of his own Dodge van, drawing on his own life experience to explain this misunderstood counter culture. Meet colorful characters like Steve the Ski Patrolman, General Freedom and Love the Clown and the customized vans they call home.
CCA, NR, 72 min.
Stairways to Heaven: The Practical Magic of Sacred Spaces
A documentary exploring the space between the worlds: as in, ours and the next. Using ancient monuments (like Stonehenge, presumably actual size, not 18 inches tall or made of refrigerators), great Gothic cathedrals (with secret Templar messages hidden in them) and the fairly recent advent of crop circles, the "spiritual technology" of the ancients is revealed. We humbly predict this film will play in Santa Fe well into the next ice age.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 54 min.
Stealing America: Vote by Vote
A new feature-length documentary on the 2004 national elections by Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman. Harvey Wasserman of the Free Press writes that
Stealing America
is "powerful, moving, infuriating, comprehensive and brilliant." The filmmaker will attend screenings and discuss the filmmaking process at the post-debut question-and-answer session in Santa Fe on Sunday, Oct. 29. Attorney John Boyd, who has been the chief litigator in the election reform lawsuits and is featured in the film, will also participate in the Santa Fe discussion session. The paper ballot lawsuit in New Mexico is an important aspect of this documentary on election.
CCA, NR
Terror at the Opera
Master of Italian horror Dario Argento's flick about the curse that follows the lead in one company's
Macbeth
production is an über-cool meld of pop and classical culture. The soundtrack features music from Verdi to Brian Eno, so put on your best Maria Callas costume and get scared.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 107 min.
Vajra Sky
A passionate depiction of Buddhist religious practices set in its native land of Tibet. Witness the melodious lengths to which its people will go to engage in their spiritual ceremonies with a backdrop of some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. An inspiring score by some of Tibet's most celebrated musicians accompanies this cinematic offering to the country's people and their plight.
CCA, NR, 89 min.
¡Viva Pedro!
Kick off the Pedro Almodóvar Festival with two of his most sensational depictions of passionate females and the people who dress like them.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
follows a colorful Spanish soap star during a-gasp-midlife crisis. The laughs and tears keep coming with
All About My Mother
, a stunning story of a mother who loses her son and finds a family in a transvestite hooker and a pregnant nun.
Flower of My Secret
reveals the inner workings of a romance novelist who's had enough with her marriage and turns her frustration on her work.
CCA, ratings and run times vary
Wattstax
On Aug. 20, 1972, a group of black musicians threw one hell of a party in Watts. The seven-hour event featured Carla Thomas, the Staples Singers, Black Moses and Isaac Hayes playing tunes, Richard Pryor cracking jokes, and Melvin Van Peebles and Jesse Jackson MCing. You can't go back in time to actually go to the concert, but it's still a great film to watch.
Santa Fe Film Center, R, 98 min.
Whisky
Jacobo Koller seems to have life under control. But when his long-absent brother shows up, the machismo persona he's been portraying is revealed as false and Jacobo is forced to discover that there is more to life than appearances.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 99 min.
All the King's Men
Columbia Pictures casts its net for the upcoming award season with this star-studded remake of a triple-Oscar-winning 1949 film. Sean Penn fills the screen with charisma as Willie Stark, a cunning Southern populist who turns a corrupt government on its ear in his race for governor. Based on Robert Penn Warren's novel on the life of Louisiana Governor Huey Long, the film adaptation stars Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 120 min.
The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club
Life after retirement has never been sweeter than at the Boynton Beach, Fla., "active living community." Lois, Harry, Marilyn, Sandy and Jack meet at a bereavement meeting meant to provide emotional support after the loss of a loved one. What they find instead is that love has no age and that it is never too late to bring someone new into your life.
The Screen, NR, 105 min.
The Departed
Martin Scorsese kicks the cop drama up a notch with his newest criminal masterpiece, filled with serious Hollywood acting machismo. Jack Nicholson (back to his classic
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
persona) plays a cunning and twisted crime boss. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon star as talented undercover agents, but there is a mole in their midst. This psychological roller coaster ride packs a mean street punch.
Dreamcatcher, UA DeVargas, UA North, R, 150 min.
Employee of the Month
Jessica Simpson, Dane Cook and Andy Dick star in this flick filmed at Santa Fe's new Lowe's hardware store on Cerrillos Road. Simpson works hard playing the hottie while two fellow male employees try to impress her and the bosses, vying for employee of the month honors and a chance at Simpson's love.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG-13, 103 min.
Fearless
In his reportedly last action flick, Jet Li plays an amoral fighting master transformed by a great tragedy. Legendary fight choreographer Yuen-Wo Peng livens up the pretty period piece in which Li returns to fight the foreigners (including some Americans) who have taken over his hometown. Intended as a crossover film for Li,
Fearless
spends as much time watching him farm as fight, a decision about which his fans will surely have something to say.
UA South, PG-13, 104 min.
Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood takes moviegoers to the battle of Iwo Jima in his latest attempt to add another Oscar to the shelf. Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach star as the men whose heroism proved to the American public that WWII would end in victory.
UA North, R, 132 min.
Flicka
Starring Alison Lohman, Tim McGraw and Maria Bello, this adaptation of Mary O'Hara's beloved novel follows the dream of a 16-year-old girl and a wild mustang. Katy (Lohman) has no ambitions other than to live and work on her father's ranch in modern-day Wyoming. Her father, understandably, wants more for her, but enter an untamed thoroughbred and a penchant for the races, and all aspirations may change.
Dreamcatcher, UA North, PG, 94 min.
Gridiron Gang
Kids at a juvenile detention center find self-empowerment through football and their coach, played by The Rock. Against all odds the segregated delinquents come together as a team to take on the league champs.
UA North, PG-13, 120 min.
The Grudge 2
See Sarah Michelle Gellar get killed by chalky Japanese children in this sequel to a mediocre remake. If you are trying to talk your girlfriend out of wanting kids, take her to see
The Grudge 2
, which follows evil spirits as they escape the house that held them and go on a murderous rampage. Hopefully this will follow
The Ring Two
to a fate of shelving before it can incur the label "trilogy" (see
).
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG-13, 95 min.
The Guardian
After the
Waterworld
fiasco of 1995, it's surprising that anyone would let Kevin Costner near the water again. This time, instead of Dennis Hopper and his band of postapocalyptic gang members, he's got Ashton Kutcher as the thorn in his side. Costner plays the badass Coast Guard diver who doesn't want his thunder stolen by cocky rookie Kutcher. Yes, the plot is formulaic, but the stunts are cool, and moms and daughters can sigh together when Kutcher takes his shirt off for a swim.
UA North, UA South, PG-13, 136 min.
The Illusionist
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser. A magician, Eisenheim (Edward Norton), uses his unusual talents to woo his ill-fated childhood sweetheart, Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), and derail the class system in Victorian Vienna. Upon returning from exploring the world, Eisenheim finds that Sophie, with whom he's still in love, is engaged to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Eisenheim strikes up an unlikely friendship with Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) in his quest to win back his lady love.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 109 min.
Infamous
Toby Jones plays the effeminate Truman Capote as he researches his bestseller
In Cold Blood
, falls for one of the killers and freaks out the Kansas folk with his penchant for fur coats and a squeaky voice.
UA DeVargas, R, 110 min.
Keeping Mum
If Mrs. Doubtfire was British and a female, she would be Grace (Dame Maggie Smith), the inspirational and no-nonsense housekeeper in
Keeping Mum
. In a small, rural parish, a vicar (Rowan Atkinson) becomes consumed with his work and ignores his increasingly volatile family life. His wife (Kristen Scott Thomas) shamelessly flirts with her golf instructor (Patrick Swayze), his daughter is boy-crazy and his son a punching bag for the local bullies. Enter Grace, a gift from heaven sent to whip the family back into shape.
CCA, NR, 103 min.
Little Miss Sunshine
A mixed bag cynical road trip that halfway morphs into a family situation comedy lovefest. While precisely stylized use of the camera evokes a boldness reminiscent of
The Graduate
or early Woody Allen, endearing moments are the glue holding this frequently cynical movie together. When the family finally arrives at its destination, the depiction of child pageant queens, at once disturbing and hilarious, is the cherry on top of this wild ride. The result is a climactic scene that is pretty near perfect: both laugh-out-loud surprising and endearingly inevitable. With Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin and Greg Kinnear.
UA DeVargas, R, 110 min.
Man of the Year
In a nation where the intellect of comedian and activist Bill Maher often ranks higher then that of the president, hasn't the thought crossed some people's minds that a switch might be in order? Written and directed by Barry Levinson, this comeback vehicle for funny man Robin Williams employs the no-longer-improbable idea that an entertainer could be elected president. But it isn't all smiles and high fives in the oval office-sometimes the most terrible thing is to get what you wish for.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG-13, 115 min.
Marie Antoinette
Sophia Coppola's indie rock fantasy about the life of Marie Antoinette stars Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman and was shot on location in Versaille. It's more than caviar dreams for the young queen. Steeped in
outré
fab garb and surrounded by sumptuous delicacies
à la Français
, the film-and its title character-blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Indulge anyway and see both sides of the notorious Marie Antoinette (see
).
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 125 min.
The Marine
Ushering in a new exploitation genre is
The Marine
, a story about a He-Man-esque soldier who goes on a rampage to find his kidnapped wife. While perhaps not the hat-tipping homage the military deserves, it will raise a lot of pride in their ability to kick arse. Starring John Cena and Robert Patrick and directed by John Bonito.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG-13, 93 min.
One Night with the King
Ah, finally, a Biblical rags-to-riches story for the big screen. Hadassah, orphaned by the murder of her parents, becomes Esther in order to try to win the heart of Xerxes. She does, becoming the queen of Persia. A great cast, including John Rhys-Davies and the first collaboration for Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole since
Lawrence of Arabia
.
UA North, PG, 122 min.
Open Season
Ever wonder what happens when captive animals are released into the wild? Well, here's your chance to find out. Martin Lawrence provides the voice of Boog, a 900-pound grizzly bear who finds himself in the wild three days before hunting season. Completely naive to the ways of the wild, he's forced to rely on a mule deer named Elliot, played by Ashton Kutcher. With hunters on their trail, the animals prepare to fight back in this hilarious animated adventure.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG, 99 min.
The Prestige
Two of Hollywood's hunkiest foreigners, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, play two exceptional magicians locked in a rivalry that could destroy them both. The question is, who will be famous and who will be left infamous? The answer, isn't as interesting to discover as one from Christopher Nolan (
Batman
,
Memento
) should be. Scarlett Johansson does a repeat of her role in
The Black Dahlia
as the woman between them.
Dreamcatcher, UA DeVargas PG-13, 135 min.
The Science of Sleep
The creative whims of former music video director Michel Gondry find endless outlets in his new flick in which dreams and reality become one. Gael García Bernal stars as Stéphane, an artist who lives in his own mind. His weak grasp on the external world makes it difficult to win the heart of his neighbor Stéphanie, a toy maker played by the exquisite Charlotte Gainsbourg.
UA DeVargas, R, 105 min.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Before heading out to Vietnam, two young men and their girlfriends take a road trip through Texas. B-list actors get chopped up by maniacs. Jordanna Brewster, recognizable from such works of art as
The Fast and the Furious
and
Annapolis
, gets first billing, which means the longest life in horror movies.
Dreamcatcher, UA North, R, 84 min.
