Reel to reel | Week of October 31, 2013

0
Ender\'s Game

20 Feet from Stardom

Award-winning director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on the story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Rated PG-13. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

A.C.O.D.

The ensemble comedy A.C.O.D. follows Carter, a seemingly well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. When his younger brother gets engaged, Carter is forced to reunite his bitterly divorced parents and their new spouses for the wedding. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

About Time

A father explains to his son that all men in the family can time-travel. So the son goes back in time to find a girlfriend, which turns out to be harder than he thought. Rated R. At Century.

All Is Lost

Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water. Rated PG-13. At Century and Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

Birth of the Living Dead (Year of the Living Dead)

Documentary: In 1968 a young college dropout named George A. Romero directed Night of the Living Dead, a low budget horror film that shocked the world, became an icon of the counterculture and spawned a zombie industry worth billions of dollars that continues to this day. SIE Film Center. — Denver Film Society

Blue Jasmine

After everything in her life falls to pieces, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger’s modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again. Rated PG. At Esquire and Colony Square.

Capital

When the CEO of a French bank collapses on the golf course, Machiavellian young executive Marc Tourneuil (Gad Elmaleh) is crowned as his replacement. Tourneuil’s brutal ascent is jeopardized by a hostile takeover attempt from a large American hedge fund leader (Gabriel Byrne), erotic distractions from an international supermodel (Liya Kebede) and adversaries with an agenda for destruction. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Captain Phillips

This film, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips, is director Paul Greengrass’ interpretation of the real-life hijacking of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama in 2009 by Somali pirates. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Carrie

Another remake of the classic. A shy girl who gets treated like crap by her family and peers discovers she has super evil powers and decides to get even. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

If you and the kids liked the first version, then you’ll no doubt like the second. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

The Counselor

See full review, page 56. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Dario Argento’s Dracula

Horror master Dario Argento returns with a bloody, luridly creepy 3D version of the classic vampire tale, drenched in gore and sex. An unsuspecting Englishman arrives in Transylvania, lured by a job with a local nobleman. But the undead Count Dracula’s real target is the man’s innocent young wife. SIE Film Center. — Denver Film Society

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay is a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor — and a performer who regularly provokes astonishment from even the most jaded audiences. Deceptive Practice traces Jay’s achievements and influences. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Despicable Me 2

It’s time for more Minion madness in this animated sequel. Rated PG. At Twin Peaks.

Don Jon

Jon Martello is addicted to porn. Barbara Sugarman is addicted to romantic Hollywood movies. When the pair’s fantasy worlds collide, it gets interesting. Rated R. At Century and Colony Square.

Ender’s Game

When aliens attack Earth, International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) and Col. Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) turn to a young boy, Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), to help them save the planet. Much action transpires. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Enough Said

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a divorced, single parent masseuse who meets Albert (James Gandolfini), a nice guy in the same boat. Love and laughs follow. Rated PG-13. At Esquire, Colony Square and Century. — Landmark Theatres

Escape Plan

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger team up to break out of an escape-proof prison. Rated PG- 13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

The Exorcist

Classic fright film. When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by demons, a young priest takes it upon himself to selflessly save her at the behest of her famous movie-star mother. Rated R. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

The Fifth Estate

This is a film about WikiLeaks and its role in our new world where our own government is constantly spying on us and whistle-blowing has become a life-threatening pursuit. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

Free Birds

So how do two “odd couple” turkeys overcome their many differences to get turkey off of the Thanksgiving menu forever? In this animated flick, time-travel is at least part of the equation. Rated PG. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Gravity

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in this visually stunning film that strands two astronauts in space when a routine spacewalk goes wrong. Also in 3-D. Rated PG- 13. At Century, Twin Peaks and Colony Square.

A Hijacking

The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbor when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars, a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company and the Somali pirates. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

In a World…

Carol strikes it big in the cutthroat world of movie-trailer voiceovers, only to find herself competing with her father. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Inequality for All

In this timely and entertaining documentary, noted economic policy expert Robert Reich takes on the enormous question of what has been happening to our economy. Rated PG. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Insidious: Chapter 2

Director James Wan gives us a terrifying sequel to his original horror film. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

Johnny Knoxville as 86-year-old Irving Zisman goes road-tripping with Billy, his 8-year-old grandson. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Last Vegas

An aging group of friends heads to Vegas to throw a party for the last of their single crew. An all-star cast of aging Hollywood folk like Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Michael Douglas make for the laughs. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Forest Whitaker stars as a White House butler whose 34-year tenure sees incredible social change. Rated PG-13. At Century and Colony Square.

Let the Fire Burn

Director Jason Osder has crafted that rarest of cinematic objects: A found-footage film that unfurls with the tension of a great thriller. On May 13, 1985, a longtime feud between the city of Philadelphia and controversial Black Power group MOVE came to a deadly climax. By order of local authorities, police dropped military-grade explosives onto a MOVE-occupied rowhouse. TV cameras captured the conflagration that quickly escalated — and resulted in the tragic deaths of 11 people (including five children) and the destruction of 61 homes. It was only later discovered that authorities decided to “…let the fire burn.” At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Machete Kills

Just when it looks like a madman and his billionaire partner are about to take over the world, the president calls on super agent Machete to save the day. Rated R. At Twin Peaks.

Muscle Shoals

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Ala., is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. At its heart is Rick Hall, who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

NABUCCO: La Scala

Verdi’s opera tells of the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted, conquered and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian king. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton As Himself

This moving and engaging film tells the story of writer, editor, amateur sportsman and friend to many George Plimpton. At SIE Film Center. — Denver Film Society

Repo Man (with Alex Cox in person)

A down-and-out young punk (Emilio Estevez) apprentices with a seasoned repo man (Harry Dean Stanton) while attempting to find love. Meanwhile, he crosses paths with the CIA, a most wanted ’64 Chevy and an alien invasion. The filmmaker from whose mind this sprang will be on hand to answer questions. Rated R. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Rush

Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard creates a visual masterpiece that recreates the well-documented 1970s rivalry between race-car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Short Term 12

A compassionate 20-something who works with troubled kids runs into her own troubles when her life starts spinning out of control. Rated R. At SIE Film Center — Denver Film Society

The Summit

In August 2008, 22 climbers from several countries and in several separate expeditions wound up at High Camp on K2. This documentary shows what happened next on this mountain where one in four climbers never make it down. At Mayan.

Twelve Years a Slave

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the 12th year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) will forever alter his life. Rated R. At Century and Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Wadjda

Wadjda, a 10-year-old girl living in a suburb of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is fun-loving, entrepreneurial and always pushing the boundaries of what she can get away with. Rated PG. At Chez Artiste — Landmark Theatres

We Are What We Are

In We Are What We Are, a seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers, keep their ancestral customs intact at any cost. Rated R. At SIE FilmCenter. —Denver Film Society

Zaytoun

This film is a moving story of survival, reconciliation and friendship set in 1982, amid the Lebanese Civil War. While on a mission, Israeli fighter pilot Yoni (Stephen Dorff) is shot down over Beirut and taken prisoner by inhabitants of a Palestinian refugee camp. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres