Kip Mooney
On Black Mass And The Rest Of The Weekend’s New Film Releases.
Black Mass.
Director: Scott Cooper.
Writers: Mark Mallouk, Jez Butterworth.
Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon.
Playing At: Wide.
It's the moment I've been waiting on for a long time now — the moment Johnny Depp gave a shit again. For much of the late '90s, he was the most exciting actor onscreen, always investing himself in every quirky role. Then Disney backed up the money truck for him to keep playing Capt. Jack Sparrow and he spent too much time with the similarly off-the-rails Tim Burton. But now Depp is back, looking terrifying as notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger. Joel Edgerton plays his FBI handler, and that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the cast, which also includes Corey Stoll (The Strain), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) and Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights).
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.
Director: Wes Ball.
Writer: T.S. Nowlin.
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aidan Gillen.
Playing At: Wide.
Get ready for level two. This quickie sequel to last year's Maze Runner features the cast roaming the desert after escaping the labyrinth of the first movie. The child acting will be hit-or-miss, but the adults (Giancarlo Esposito, Patricia Clarkson and Lili Taylor) will be on their A-games as usual. Of course all I can think of is this Saturday Night Live parody.
Captive.
Director: Jerry Jameson.
Writer: Brian Bird.
Cast: Kate Mara, Michael K. Williams, Mimi Rogers, David Oyelowo.
Playing At: Wide.
In this real life story, Kate Mara plays a recovering drug addict and single mother, who is taken hostage by a murder suspect (David Oyewelo). Throughout the harrowing ordeal, the two talk a lot about forgiveness and redemption. The movie's not 100 percent open about its Christian message, but its cast shows a lot more promise than other recent faith-based films.
Everest.
Director: Baltasar Kormakur.
Writers: William Nicholson, Simon Beaufoy.
Cast: Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Kelly, Josh Brolin.
Playing At: Wide.
Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur dramatizes the tragic 1996 Everest climb that Jon Krakauer captured so vividly in his book Into Thin Air. House of Cards' Michael Kelly plays Krakauer, while Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal play the two expedition leaders. There are some breathtaking 3-D shots and, like Black Mass, this cast is also stacked, featuring Keira Knightley, Robin Wright and John Hawkes. But there's a sense of redundancy and inevitability to the proceedings as well. (Spoiler alert: Lots of people die.) Read a more in-depth review from our Angela Jones here.
Some Kind of Hate.
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer.
Writers: Adam Egypt Mortimer, Brian DeLeeuw.
Cast: Maestro Harrell, Grace Phipps, Brando Eaton, Spencer Breslin.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
A camp for troubled teens gets a lot more troubled when the ghost of a bullied girl starts haunting the kids. There will be plenty of gore and sex, but not much nuance. But that's to be expected from a movie with as blunt a title as Some Kind of Hate.
Queen of Earth.
Director: Alex Ross Perry.
Writer: Alex Ross Perry.
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston, Patrick Fugit, Keith Poulson.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Get ready to squirm in the theater. Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) plays Catherine, who experiences a total mental breakdown during a weekend getaway with her best friend Virginia (Katherine Waterston). Alex Ross Perry was previously known for his droll comedies, but this turn for the psychological thriller stretches his talent.
Paul Taylor: Creative Domain.
Director: Kate Geis.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Ballet fans know Paul Taylor, the prolific but guarded choreographer. This doc takes a look at his astounding creative process.
Cooties.
Directors: Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion.
Writers: Leigh Whannell, Ian Brennan.
Cast: Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Leigh Whannell.
Playing At: Alamo Drafthouse, Studio Movie Grill Northwest Highway
Yes, it's juvenile. But this horror-comedy brings both laughs and scares. Sure, it's got a few too many characters, and writer Leigh Whannel saves all the best lines for himself, but there's a sense of unabashed fun that will be in short supply in this fall's ultra-serious movies. Read a more in-depth review of this one from our Javier Fuentes here.
Pawn Sacrifice.
Director: Edward Zwick.
Writer: Steven Knight.
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Lily Rabe, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard.
Playing At: Angelika Dallas, Cinemark West Plano.
Tobey Maguire plays American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, this time as a paranoid man. Live Schreiber plays equally talented but slightly more grounded Russian champion Boris Spassky. The two go head-to-head in Iceland at the height of the Cold War while Fischer's mind slowly unravels. Expect quietly great work from Schreiber while Maguire overacts.
Rosenwald.
Director: Aviva Kempner.
Playing At: Angelika Dallas.
This doc takes a look at philanthropist and former Sears president Julius Rosenwald, who donated much of his fortune to build schools for African-American students in the early 1900s.
Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy.
Director: Roger Vadim.
Writer: Terry Southern, Roger Vadim.
Cast: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea.
Playing At: Texas Theatre.
Showing: Friday, September 18.
Objectively, Barbarella is not a good movie. But like a lot of cult movies, it's got style to spare and there's a great deal of fun to be had. Jane Fonda is legendarily sexy in the title role. The Texas Theatre aims to make the screening even more out of this world with a costume contest and dance party afterward.
