The Weekender: The ‘Me’ Generation

IN THEATERS:


Savages (R)
Starring Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively
Written for the screen by Shane Salerno & Don Winslow & Oliver Stone
Directed by Oliver Stone
Every year, and sometimes more than once a year, a movie comes along that you can only describe as “noisy.” You can tell movies like this by its trailer’s rapid-fire editing, nausea-inducing cinematography and words like “A Film by Tony Scott.” This one only has the first two, but this still looks like a major cinematic headache. Kitsch and Johnson play two Cali bros whose booming medical marijuana business makes the cartel’s pockets light. So how does the cartel get revenge? By kidnapping their shared girlfriend (Lively). Violence and heavy-handed dialogue ensue.


Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D (PG)
Directed by Dan Cutforth & Jane Lipsitz
They did it for the Biebs, they did it for Glee, and now there’s a lame 3-D “insightful” concert doc for the kids.


Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
Starring Quevenzhaneé Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly
Written by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
Directed by Benh Zeitlin
Buzz is strong (as in major Oscar-contender strong) for this Sundance and Cannes hit. Newcomer Wallis stars as a kid in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans searching for her mom. I’m all over this one.
PLAYING AT BOTH ANGELIKAS


To Rome with Love* (R)
Starring Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Penélope Cruz
Written and directed by Woody Allen
A featherweight entry from Woody Allen, which marks his onscreen return. It’s no Midnight in Paris, but I liked it a lot more than Vicki Cristina Barcelona. Read my review for Pegasus News here.
PLAYING AT THE ANGELIKA PLANO

AT HOME:
Top Pick:
God Bless America (66%)
Feeling a little fed up with America’s complacency? Wish you kid rid the a-holes of the world from your life? Bobcat Goldthwait feels your pain, and he channeled it into this dark comedy that riffs on Badlands and The Professional. It doesn’t always work, but it’s got a psychotic, satirical edge absent from a lot of movies.

To rent:
The Hunter (69%)
Jesus Henry Christ (21%)
Monumental
Mac & Devin Go to High School

To buy:
Blu-ray: Barbarella, Born on the Fourth of July, The Entity, Home on the Range, The Horse Whisperer, Phenomenon*, Step Up, Tough Enough, Treasure Planet, Under the Tuscan Sun

TV: Rocko’s Modern Life (Season 3)

*recommended
(Release dates and locations subject to change.)

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