Jackass Forever (In theaters Feb. 4)
Johnny Knoxville, the creator of the “Jackass” MTV series and resulting movies, claims he will no longer perform stunts for these films. During his Hollywood Reporter interview, Knoxville said he endured his “gnarliest” hit ever from a bull, a pounding that left him with “a broken wrist, broken ribs, concussion and brain hemorrhage.” Risks aside, Knoxville spent the past 11 years (following his third Jackass movie), compiling a list of over 400 potential stunts. The overflow of footage means a “Jackass 4.5” will soon be released on Netflix. Notably fired from the cast is longtime contributor Bam Margera, who failed to meet the terms of sobriety the producers set forth. Then again, after seeing this trailer, I can’t imagine anyone agreeing to such heinous self-torture if they weren’t high. (Lisa Miller)
Joy Womack: The White Swan (Film Movement DVD)
American girl Joy Womack went to Russia at age 15 with the dream of graduating from the Bolshoi academy and dancing with the Bolshoi Ballet. By 19, she met both goals—the first American woman to do so.
With archival footage, interviews and astute recreations, The White Swan tells her story. She embodies the triumph of belief. As Womack tells it: if you’re good at what you do, work hard and really believe, you can bend the world to your dream. It worked for her.
Consider the physical challenges of ballet even at an intro level, of going to a strange country at a time when going on a date poses new challenges, of gaining admission to the strictest dance school in the world and gaining entry to its company. When her family’s money ran out, Womack wandered into a nearby Eastern Orthodox church and prayed. Someone stepped up and paid her tuition.
After Womack caused uproar by calling out the Bolshoi’s pay to play system for top roles, she moved to the Kremlin Ballet and became prima ballerina. With that resume, she had little trouble coming home to join the Boston Ballet. (David Luhrssen)
Moonfall (In theaters Feb. 4)
Director Roland Emmerich loves making a faster disaster flick. That’s what he delivers, damn the silly dialog and a goofy plot in service of showcasing earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions (all on an epic scale). Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson portray NASA astronauts who are determined to save Earth from the moon gone rogue. Based on new evidence from amateur scientist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley), the moon's orbit has shifted and it appears to harbor evil forces. Playing a wise scientist, Donald Sutherland manages to maintain his dignity, though the rest of the cast is less fortunate. The film’s spectacular special effects may persuade us to overlook the gobbledygook science and storytelling, but we’re bound to regret it in the morning. (Lisa Miller)
Shock (MVD Blu-ray)
Mario Bava began filming Shock in that decade of demonic children in cinema, the ‘70s. In Bava’s gothic family drama, Marco is the innocent toddler until his eyes turn penetrating—like sharp shards of glass. Dangerous acts of telekinesis follow. Mom’s anxiety gets the best of her but she has reasons to be anxious as she returns with her boy and new husband to the house where her ex killed himself. Or did he? Some of Shock’s special effects are unintentionally comical and others are fiendishly clever. One of the best parts is the way the uncanny slips into an apparently picture-perfect situation like discordant notes in a pastel-colored symphony. (David Luhrssen)
