Photo © Universal Studios
Cheech Marin and Woody Harrelson in 'Champions'
Cheech Marin and Woody Harrelson in 'Champions'
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(In Theaters March 10)
In the movies, spaceships inevitably crash. This one is no exception. Adam Driver portrays astronaut Mills, the only crew member awake when his ship, with its hibernating human cargo, suffers a mishap and crash-lands on Earth. The only other survivor is 12-year-old, non-speaking Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). She reminds Mills of his own daughter and he’s determined to save them by reaching an escape pod jettisoned from their ship, some distance from where they crashed.
As we learn in the opening credits, this is Earth 65 million years ago, when dangerous, Jurassic hunters ran through the tall trees or came barreling down the rolling hills. Mills has a few advanced weapons, and he’ll need them all to stop T-Rex in this PG-13 actioner. Written and directed by collaborators Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who penned A Quiet Place. This creature feature marks a return to familiar territory. (Lisa Miller)
Black Sunday
(Arrow Films Blu-ray)
In the ‘60s, John Frankenheimer directed provocative political thrillers (The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May) and a decent war picture (The Train). By the ‘70s, he was producing deliberate crowd pleasers such as Black Sunday (1977).
Black Sunday was part disaster flick (Towering Inferno was one of the decade’s hits) and—true to his interests—part political thriller. The story was ripped in part from the era’s headlines—a plot by Palestinian terrorists (backed by an international network of militants) to hijack an aircraft. But the aircraft was the Goodyear Blimp and the target was the Superbowl in a suicide assault of colossal proportions. Was it a glimpse of real-life events to come? Black Sunday includes some good chase scenes (by foot, boat and car) along with pyrotechnics that look foolish today. Smuggled into the story is a sense for Palestinian grievances and the pathological side of Israel’s siege mentality. Bruce Dern occasionally channels Jack Nicholson as the crazy Goodyear pilot, ready to kill thousands for love. (David Luhrssen)
Champions
(In Theaters March 10)
Bobby Farrelly directs the American remake of the 2018 Spanish hit comedy, Campeones. Woody Harrelson portrays Marcus, a minor-league basketball coach whose anger issues land him in court. The judge gives Marcus a choice: coach a team of intellectually disabled basketball players or serve jail-time.
Reluctantly choosing the former, Marcus believes his life is over, especially after meeting the members of his new team, called “Friends.” A motley crew (all played by disabled actors), they aspire to the Special Olympics. While honing the team’s basketball skills, Marcus discovers he might be a people-person after all. The team lucks out after being joined by an infamous, disabled female player. Meanwhile, an attractive woman (Kaitlin Olson) takes a shine to her little brother’s coach. Cheech Marin appears in a pivotal role, and Ernie Hudson plays an NBA official watching to see whether Marcus has changed. For those so inclined, this feel-good wave gives a pleasant ride. (Lisa Miller)
Memories of My Father
(Cohen Media Blu-ray)
With Memories of My Father (2020), Spanish director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque) flipped a filmmaking convention upside down. He shot the present day in black and white and the memories in color.
Based on the memoir by Columbian author Hector Abad Faciolince, most of Memories is set in early ‘70s Medellin. Hector, the protagonist, is a boy—the only boy in a (mostly) happy family of sisters. With a note of reluctance, he returns home as a young man from Italy to attend the farewell for his father, a professor and human rights activist forced to retire for rankling the wrong authorities. The words of his father’s students trigger reflection and memories. His father had been a medical doctor who encouraged vaccination and extending the network of clean water and sewers to the poor. He taught his students to think and ask questions.
As a boy, Hector’s father took him outside their affluent enclave and into the city’s slums, taught him to reject the prevalent anti-Semitism of his society and to respect women. Naturally, dad took flak from left and right. It’s a visually rich story of a worthy role model, skeptical but open to new ideas. Memories of My Father was Columbia’s entry to the 93rd Academy Awards. (David Luhrssen)
Scream VI
(In Theaters March 10)
Begun in 1996, the Scream franchise yields its sixth installment in 27 years. Courtney Cox returns as talk show host Gale Weathers, making Cox the sole actor to appear in all six films. Most cast members reprise roles from previous installments, such as four young survivors from the last film (Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega). They move to New York City hoping to make a fresh start. Instead, they and other young attractive types, are stalked by the Ghostface killer. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett infamously demanded more blood and more sweat during the film’s tense scenes. Since Ghostface now wields a shotgun—because—hey, it’s New York City, the red stuff is a sight to behold in glorious 3D. Hayden Panettiere reprises her role as Ghostface survivor Kirby Reed, while Dermot Mulroney appears as Detective Bailey. (Lisa Miller)
