A Billion Lives
Independently funded by Milwaukee-based production company Attention Era Media, this documentary provides shocking statistics igniting a call to action, including the fact that a billion people will die early this century from smoking cigarettes. Aaron Biebert, the film’s director and executive producer, exposes Big Business trying to shut down vapor products which millions have credited to ending their cigarette addictions. Biebert narrates the story that takes the film crew around the world to interview leading experts, including Derek Yach, former executive director for the World Health Organization and Hon Lik, inventor of the modern electronic cigarette, which helped him quit smoking.
A Billion Lives will make its North American premiere at the Pabst Theatre, Saturday, Aug. 6. For tickets visit pabsttheater.org. (Stephanie Harte)
Nine Lives
Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a gifted multimillionaire businessman, but constantly working means he barely sees his wife (Jennifer Garner) and their young daughter. Hoping to win forgiveness, cat-hating Brand purchases a kitty named Mr. Fuzzypants for his cat-crazy daughter for her 11th birthday. However, on his way home, a freak accident places Tom’s consciousness inside the cat’s body. Luckily, professed cat whisperer Felix Grant (Christopher Walken) is on hand to explain that Brand has one week to reestablish his family connection as Mr. Fuzzypants—or remain a cat forever. While this concept isn’t entirely new, Garner, Spacey and Walken do their comic best to prevent “cat”-astrophe. (Lisa Miller)
Suicide Squad
Written by David Ayer who also directs, this third film installment to the DC Extended Universe is intended to remind us of The Dirty Dozen, with supervillains. Government official Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) recruits imprisoned supervillains for dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency—should they succeed. Will Smith appears as expert assassin Deadshot, Jared Leto as The Joker, Margot Robbie as the Joker’s insane lover, Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as reptilian Killer Croc and Jay Hernandez as flame-throwing El Diablo. The sprawling cast goes on from there. As of this writing, reviews are non-existent, but several IMDB members claim that early screenings were a disappointment due to poor scripting and inferior special effects. (L.M.)
