Film Clips: This weekend’s movie openings and more September 10 2010
The return of Hefner, Phoenix and Reiner.
- Photo Credit: 42 WEST
- Rebel with a cause, Hugh Hefner.
OPENING FRIDAY
FLIPPED (PG) Rob Reiner, who helmed This is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, directed and co-wrote this coming-of-age story about two young people who learn firsthand that opposites can attract. Grown-ups in the cast include Anthony Edwards, Aidan Quinn, Rebecca De Mornay and Penelope Ann Miller.
HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND REBEL (R) Brigitte Berman presents a documentary about the pajama’d Playboy magazine publisher, with a focus on his battles against the censorious forces of the U.S. government, the religious right and militant feminists.
I’M STILL HERE 3 stars (R) Casey Affleck directs this documentary about his brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix’s ill-received decision to quit acting in the name of establishing a hip-hop career. Phoenix’s attempts to meet with prospective producer Sean Combs can give the film the vibe of Christopher Guest’s humiliating showbiz comedies and raise questions about the film’s authenticities. But even if it is a hoax, Phoenix’s ambivalence about celebrity and his willingness to reveal the worst aspects of himself prove compellingly real as he burns the bridge to Hollywood behind him. — Curt Holman
LEGENDARY (PG-13) Actor/pro wrestler John Cena stars in this film about a booksmart teenager who seems joining his high school wrestling team as a means to reunite his estranged family.
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (R) Mila Jovovich stars in the fourth installment of the film adaptation of the shoot-em-up video game franchise. (The name “The Umbrella Corporation” always makes me smile.) This time, the bullets and zombie parts will fly in 3-D.
SOUL KITCHEN (NR) Acclaimed Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin directs a change-of-pace comedy about a Hamburg restaurateur who reinvents his eatery partly in an attempt to keep his girlfriend from leaving the country. Musical cues from American disco to world beat and electronica informed the script and play a crucial role on the soundtrack.