ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
No more sensitive, sparkly vampires — Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter takes bloodsuckers back to their grisly origins as terrifying monsters. In the film’s universe, Southern slave owners are vampires, and President Lincoln is the one man capable of stopping them from taking over the United States. Cameos from historical figures abound in this surprisingly watchable blockbuster. Rated R. At Century.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
The kooky and spooky Addams family, stars of cartoons and TV, are here in their feature-film debut. At Esquire — Landmark Theatres.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
See full review page 47. Rated PG-13. At Century, Twin Peaks and Colony Square.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), a 6-year-old girl, exists on the brink of orphanhood. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres
BERNIE
Filmmaker Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunset) returns to his Texas roots for this delightfully poker-faced black comedy — based on a true story — about East Texas assistant funeral home director Bernie Tiede (Jack Black). Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Driven by her cruelty to put four bullets in her, Bernie goes to great lengths to keep up the illusion that she’s still alive. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
A group of British retirees (Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith) decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel, they arrive to find the place a shell of its former self. At Century and Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
BRAVE
Brazenly red-headed Merida, princess, skilled archer and general nuisance at the royal dinner table, accidentally unleashes a curse on her kingdom. She then fights bravely — get it? — to defend her kingdom. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
A CAT IN PARIS
An Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature, A Cat in Paris is a beautifully hand-drawn caper set in the shad
ow-drenched alleyways of Paris. Dino is a pet cat that leads a double life. By day he lives with Zoe, a little mute girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a detective in the Parisian police force. But at night he sneaks out the window to work with Nico — a slinky cat burglar with a big heart. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theaters
CITIZEN KANE
Orson Welles’ first feature film — which he directed, produced and co-wrote, as well as playing the title role — proved to be his most important and influential work, a ground-breaking drama loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst that is frequently cited as the finest American film ever made. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
THE DO-DECA PENTATHLON
The hilarious story of two grown brothers who rekindle their homemade ubercompetitive childhood sporting event, The Do-Deca Pentathalon, over a weekend family reunion in order to finally determine the ultimate winner. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society
ELENA
Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov) and Elena (Nadezhda Markina) uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment — he’s a still-virile, wealthy businessman; she’s his dowdy former nurse who has clearly “married up.” When a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan. At Chez Artiste — Landmark Theatres.
ELLES
A provocative exploration of female sexuality, Elles stars the fearless Juliette Binoche as a well-off Parisian journalist investigating the lives of two student prostitutes for a magazine article. What begins as a routine assignment quickly turns personal as she is drawn into the lives of these fiercely independent young women and forced to confront her own sexual fears and desires. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
FIRST POSITION
Follow in the inspirational footsteps of six talented ballet dancers, ages 9 to 19, as they struggle to maintain form in the face of injury and personal sacrifice on their way to one of the most prestigious youth ballet competitions in the world. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
FIXING THE FUTURE
David Brancaccio, host of public radio’s Marketplace and NOW on PBS, visits people and organizations across America that are attempting a revolution: the reinvention of the American economy. By featuring communities using sustainable and innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity, Fixing the Future inspires hope and renewal in a people overwhelmed by economic collapse. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
THE FLAT
The Flat is the fascinating and award-winning documentary on the discoveries filmmaker Arnon Goldfinger makes about his maternal grandparents while cleaning out their Tel Aviv apartment. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society
GOODBYE FIRST LOVE
Fifteen-year-old Camille is a serious, intensely focused girl who has fallen in love with cheerful Sullivan, an older boy who reciprocates her feelings, mostly, but wants to be free to explore the world. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society
ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT 3D
The endless chase for that acorn has continental ramifications. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
THE INTOUCHABLES
The Intouchables, by French writer/directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, is the inspiring true story of two men who should never have met — a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres
THE ISLAND PRESIDENT
Mohamed Nasheed is the handsome, young, crusading president of the Maldives, a paradise composed of 1,200 tiny islands, set jewel-like in the Indian Ocean. In a David vs. Goliath scenario, he is battling the climate change that threatens to destroy his nation. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
KATY PERRY: PART OF ME
A 3-D motion picture that goes backstage with Katy Perry to cover her year of sparkling stardom. A fan pleaser, and a bone thrown to those fans of celebrity culture, but yet another summer film to dodge for cinophiles. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
KUMARE
Kumaré is a wise guru from the East who indoctrinated a group of followers in the West. Kumaré, however, is not real — he is the alter ego of American filmmaker Vikram Gandhi who impersonated a spiritual leader for the sake of a social experiment designed to challenge one of the most widely accepted taboos: that only a tiny “1 percent” can connect the rest of the world to a higher power. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED 3D
The quest continues as zoo animals struggle to return to New York. This time, the path from Africa to America swings through Europe and tags along with a traveling circus. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
MAGIC MIKE
While it would be great to think that a movie about male strippers would be for women what movies like Striptease and Showgirls were for men, the loose threads of a plotline here suggest that Magic Mike really is just about encouraging more men to womanize and more women to fall for their ploys. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
MONSIEUR LAZHAR
Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag) plays the title character in Monsieur Lazhar, a film that deals with grief in a way that feels surprisingly upbeat. As an Algerian immigrant who inherits a classroom of children whose last teacher killed herself while on the clock, Lazhar works through his own personal loss while helping them come to grips with theirs. At Chez Artiste and Denver FilmCenter. — Landmark Theaters
MOONRISE KINGDOM
See full review page 47. Rated PG-13. At Century and Mayan.
PEACE, LOVE & MISUNDERSTANDING
Jane Fonda makes a triumphant return to the screen in this comedy about reunion and second chances. Catherine Keener stars as Diane, a conservative New York City lawyer who is in desperate need of an escape after her husband asks for a divorce. Along with her two children (Elizabeth Olsen and Nat Wolff), she takes refuge at her estranged hippie mother Grace’s (Fonda) farmhouse. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Landmark Theatres
PEOPLE LIKE US
His father’s sudden death brings 20-something Sam home, where a family secret forces him to reconsider his life choices. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
PINK RIBBONS, INC
Who really benefits from the ubiquitous pink ribbon campaigns to fight breast cancer — the cause or the companies? This powerful exposé reveals how breast cancer fundraising may boost corporate profits and brand awareness more than it benefits people with the disease. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres
PROMETHEUS 3D
Mid-21st century anthropologists discover cave paintings in Great Britain that share impossible similarities to other cave paintings across the world. The reason? Aliens!
Humanity sends a spaceship out to the likely source of the alien life, and chaos ensues. All the stars aligned for Ridley Scott’s first science fiction film since the 1982 classic Blade Runner to be a great film, but Prometheus is nothing but a black hole of undeveloped characters and gaping plot gaffes. Rated R. At Century and Colony Square.
QUILL
Based on a true story, this is the tale of Quill, a yellow Labrador retriever. Quill’s life as a normal dog drastically changes after his first birthday when he leaves his mother’s side to become a seeing-eye dog. He is a little slower than the other dogs at the school, but he seems to have an unusual “empathy” and remarkable patience with his trainers. His trainer decides that Quill would be the ideal guide dog for Mitsuru Watanabe, the lonely and ill-tempered middle-aged man who is reluctant to rely on him at first. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
REC 3: GENESIS
Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be running smoothly, and the bride and groom and their families are enjoying a wonderful day — that is until some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. At Denver FilmCenter/ Colfax. — Denver Film Society
SAVAGES
A Mexican Baja Cartel threatens three close friends and their prime marijuanagrowing operation. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
SLEEPING BEAUTY – ROYAL BALLET
The pinnacle of classical ballet, this is a perfect marriage of Petipa’s choreography and Tchaikovsky’s music in a glorious challenge for every dancer onstage. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
When Snow White (Kristen Stewart) escapes imprisonment by the wicked queen (Charlize Theron), she is chased down by the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), which turns out to be a pretty good thing. Featuring most of the same characters and general plot points as the beloved classic story, this retelling slaps a coat of gritty seriousness on the whole affair, resulting in a visually thrilling if overly simple experience. Rated PG-13. At Century and Colony Square. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
TED
John, an awkward 30-something with a dead-end job (Mark Wahlberg), has his world turned upside down when his girlfriend (played by Mila Kunis) gives him an ultimatum: Ditch the best friend, a teddy bear (voiced by Seth McFarlane) who miraculously came to life when John was a child, or lose the girl. Rated R. At Century, Twin Peaks and Colony Square.
THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY
The Zoo is the hottest disco in town, and on the night of the big dance contest, a wild assortment of disparate characters find themselves out on the floor together. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society
TO ROME WITH LOVE
While Rome is a city abundant with romance and comedy, To Rome With Love is about people having adventures that will change their lives forever. Directed by Woody Allen. At Century and Esquire. — Landmark Theaters
TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION
Because a ridiculous proposition for a film should never be abandoned while tickets will still sell, Madea returns to rescue a nephew who needs witness protection after being set up to take the fall for a mob-backed Ponzi scheme. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
YOUR SISTER’S SISTER
Mark Duplass (co-director of Jeff, Who Lives at Home and Cyrus) stars as Jack, a slacker who’s still emotionally unstable a year after his brother Tom’s death. When he makes a scene at a memorial party, Tom’s ex-girlfriend, Iris (Emily Blunt), offers her family cabin in the Pacific Northwest so Jack can seek catharsis in solitude. There, he runs into Iris’ sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian reeling from the abrupt end of a sevenyear relationship. At Century and Esquire.
— Landmark Theaters
