Forbidden Fruits
In the tradition of Heathers, The Craft, Jawbreakers, and Mean Girls comes Forbidden Fruits. Adapted from a stage play by Lily Houghton, the story focuses on a group of young women (named after fruit) who work in a boutique at a Dallas shopping mall. At night they dabble in witchcraft and other sorcery, but when they initiate a fourth member named Pumpkin, the coven is complete, with bloody results. While some may dismiss the film as a “man-hating feminist story,” it’s more about the dynamics of female backstabbing a-la Mean Girls meets The Craft. Its dark humor earns it a horror-comedy classification. This one is put out by IFC Films, so catch it in its limited release in a theater and support independent horror! Starring Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp.
Now playing at the State Theater.
A Magnificent Life
Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belville, The Illusionist), one of the most inventive directors in animation, is back with A Magnificent Life. It is a biography of Pagnol—a playwright, novelist, and filmmaker—who became one of the most prolific and inventive artists from the 1930s to the 1950s. The story begins in 1955 with an aging Marcel Pagnol commissioned by Elle magazine to write a series of articles about his childhood. He realizes his memory may be escaping him. Chomet’s 2010 film The Illusionist, was based on the life of famed French actor and filmmaker Jacques Tati and, while neither of these artists may be well known to average American filmgoers, The Illusionist (and I expect A Magnificent Life), knowledge of these artists isn’t required to enjoy these films. While Chomet’s animation is nothing short of spectacular, hand-drawn ,2D, his films are complex stories made for adults, not small children. Highly recommended for those who love innovative films and animation. Starring Laurent Lafitte and Geraldine Paihas.
Opens Friday, April 17 at the Michigan Theater.
Fantasy Life
Amanda Peet (The Whole Nine Yards, Syriana) and writer/director Matthew Shear star in this smart romantic comedy set in New York City. Shear plays a law school dropout, Sam, fired from his job and having a panic attack in a coffee shop. He goes to see a psychiatrist (Judd Nelson) where the doctor’s receptionist (Andrea Martin) suggests he babysit her three grandchildren. He falls for the children’s single mom (Peet) who is trying to restart her acting career. The cast is stacked with great actors like Bob Balaban and Jessica Harper, but this is Peet’s role to shine in and she does. Charming from top to bottom without going heavy on cringe rom-com tropes, Director Shear shows he’s learned a lot from his previous acting work with director Noah Baumbach. Winner of the SXSW Narrative Feature Audience Award. Also starring Holland Taylor, Zosia Mamet, and Alessandro Nivola.
Opens Friday, April 24 at the Michigan Theater.
Mother Mary
If you haven’t gotten enough of Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada 2, you can catch her in the A24 film Mother Mary. Hathaway plays the title role—a pop icon who reunites with her estranged best friend on the eve of her comeback performance. Billed as music/drama from director David Lowry (A Ghost Story), there aren’t early reviews out for this yet, but it’s one to keep your eye on as we wind down April and start moving toward May’s big budget fair. Also starring Michaela Coel, Kaia Gerber and Hunter Schafer.
Opens Friday, April 24 at the State Theatre.
Special Screenings
Lost Highway
A mesmerizing meditation on the mysterious nature of identity, Lost Highway, David Lynch’s seventh feature film, is one of the filmmaker’s most potent cinematic dreamscapes. It stars Patricia Arquette and Bill Pullman. Released in 1997, this is a film that didn’t do much on initial release but has become a cult classic. Like all of Lynch’s films, it truly requires the viewer to see it in a theater for its full effect, which is powerful, and shows the director at the apex of his considerable talent.
Playing Friday, April 24 at the Michigan Theater.
Twin Peaks Season One
The Michigan will be screening Twin Peaks, the original TV series in two episode showings:
Episode 1 & 2 on Wednesday, April 8
Episode 3 & 4 on Wednesday, April 22
Episode 5 & 6 on Wednesday, April 29
Episode 7 & 8 on Wednesday, May 6
Check out more special screenings at https://marquee-arts.org/all-films/
