Between The Temples
Jason Schwartzman stars as Ben, a recent widower, whose grief is making it difficult to fulfill the requirements of his job. While his friends and family try to set him up with various dates, Ben runs into Carla, Carol Kane, who used to be his elementary school music teacher. Carla has lost her husband and is being pushed to retire from her teaching job. She joins Ben’s mitzvah class and decides she needs to have the Bat Mitzvah she never had as a 13-year-old-girl. Of course she requests Ben to assist her in the process. There’s an attraction as both are enduring life-altering losses. While reviews are somewhat mixed, Kane, who was once a bigger name actress in movies like “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Last Detail,” “When A Stranger Calls,” and “Annie Hall,” is the reason to see this film. Schwartzman and Kane offer great on-screen chemistry. Also starring Caroline Aaron and Robert Smigel.
Opens Sept. 6 at the Michigan Theater.
My Penguin Friend
A true story inspired this tale about a lost penguin rescued from an oil spill by a brokenhearted fisherman whose life is transformed by this turn of fate. Although billed as a family movie, you won’t see a lot of silly penguin antics here. The movie is about how the animal – human friendship helps the fisherman (Jean Reno) overcome his sadness and reengage with the world. Let’s face it, we could all use a good movie about love, kindness and connections right about now. Starring Jean Reno and Adrianna Barraza.
Opens Sept. 7 at the Michigan Theater.
The Front Room
“The Front Room” has the pedigree of A24, the hottest indie studio of the 2000s, and the Egger brothers in their directorial debut. If the name sounds familiar it’s because Max and Sam are the brothers of Robert Eggers who directed the acclaimed horror films, “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse” (the latter written by Max). “The Front Room” stars 90s pop star Brandy Norwood as Belinda, a soon to be mother who agrees to let her husband’s estranged mom (Mary Catherine Wright) move in. The living situation soon becomes tense as the mother-in-law’s erratic behavior reveals sinister secrets that stir up paranoia and fear as the couple’s marriage threatens to fall apart. Based on a short story by Susan Hill, who also wrote “The Woman in Black.”
Opens Sept. 6 at the State Theatre.
My Old Ass
The coming-of-age genre gets a new spin in “My Old Ass,” the second film from director Megan Park (“The Fallout”). An 18th birthday mushroom trip brings Elliot (Maisy Stella) face to face with her salty 39-year-old self (played by Aubrey Plaza). When the older self begins to warn her about what she should and shouldn’t do, Elliot must rethink the way she approaches life, family and love. It seems the mushrooms were transformative in more ways than she anticipated. Also starring Percy Hynes White and Maddie Ziegler.
Opens Sept. 27 at the State Theatre.
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The Substance
Director Coralie Fargeat has been one to watch since 2017’s excellent horror/thriller “Revenge.” Her latest film, The Substance, has been generating praise from both critics and fans, with some drawing comparisons to Cronenberg’s body horror movies. The Substance stars Demi Moore as Elizabeth Sparkle, a Hollywood actress aging out of her stardom as she turns 50. A chance meeting with a handsome male nurse puts her in touch with company that offers her youth in the form of a green glowing goo she must inject to become “the best version of herself.” The substance gives birth to Sue, (Margaret Qualley), a dazzlingly perfect clone which Elizabeth can inhabit for seven days, after which the body must rest before it can be inhabited again. The film is a feminist riff on Dorian Gray, with a whole lot of gore – but the standout here is a fearless performance by Demi Moore. Also starring Denis Quaid as Moore’s sleazy agent.
Opens Sept. 20 at the State Theatre.
Special screenings
Ghost in the Shell
From the acclaimed manga of the same name, “Ghost in the Shell” takes place in the year 2029 when cyborgs are common and human beings can plug into the internet directly using their brains, like Neo in the Matrix. A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious, powerful hacker called the Puppet Master. While it contains action, violence, and animated gore, “Ghost in the Shell” touches on what makes us human and the nature of reality — all subjects we are beginning to confront as AI and transhumanism become everyday subjects of controversial discourse in 2024.
Playing Sept. 20 and 26 at the Michigan Theater.
Fresh Kill (1994)
Coined as an eco cybernoia film, an avant-anarcho ecosatire, Fresh Kill envisions a post-apocalyptic landscape strewn with electronic detritus and suffering the toxic repercussions of mass marketing in a high-tech commodity culture. A 35 mm presentation, with director Shy Lea Cheang in attendance!
Playing Sept. 28 at the Michigan Theater.