20 Feet from Stardom (PG-13 for profanity and sexuality) Backup singers belatedly get their due in this overdue documentary paying tribute to some of the best in the business, including Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Claudia Lennear, Tata Vega and Lynn Mabry. With appearances by Bette Midler, Mick Jagger and Sheryl Crow.
Aliyah (Unrated) Dramatic thriller, set in Paris, about a 27-year-old drug dealer (Pio Marmai) who’s considering making a fresh start working in a relative’s restaurant in Tel Aviv in order to escape his burdensome, deadbeat brother (Cedric Kahn) and a love life complicated by an ex (Sarah Lepicard) and a new girlfriend (Adele Haenel). With Guillaume Gouix, David Geselson and Olivier Desautel. (In French with subtitles)
The Bling Ring (R for profanity, sexual references, drug use and underage alcohol consumption) Sofia Coppola co-wrote and directed this true tale about a gang of computer-savvy teenagers who embark on a crime spree burglarizing the homes of Hollywood stars by using the internet to monitor the celebrities’ whereabouts. Featuring Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Leslie Mann and Israel Broussard.
Call Me Kuchu (Unrated) Chilling, equal rights documentary chronicling the aborted efforts of murder victim David Kato (1964-2011), Uganda’s first openly gay citizen, to lobby against the proposed law making homosexuality a capital crime in his country.
Far Out Isn’t Far Enough (Unrated) Reverential biopic about the life and times of prolific children’s book author and illustrator Tomi Ungerer, a subversive artist committed to challenging the status quo. (In English and French with subtitles)
The Guillotines (R for graphic violence) Qing Dynasty drama revolving around the daring exploits of a top secret squad of five, sword-wielding assassins assembled by the emperor (Andrew Lau) to eliminate his political opponents. With Ethan Juan, Shawn Yue and Xiaoming Huang. (In Mandarin with subtitles)
Hatchet III (Unrated) High body-count horror sequel finds the revenge-minded heroine (Danielle Harris) attempting to break the curse of the seemingly-invincible sociopath (Kane Hodder) who has been terrorizing her haunted Louisiana swamp for decades. Cast includes Caroline Williams, Derek Mears and Zach Galligan.
In the Fog (Unrated) World War II saga set during the height of Nazi occupation on the Western Front where a man (Vladimir Svirskiy) wrongly accused of collaborating with the enemy must fight to save his name. With Sergei Kolesov, Vladislav Abashin and Nikita Peremotovs. (In Russian with subtitles)
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Man of Steel (PG-13 for profanity, sci-fi violence and intense action sequences) Henry Cavill stars as Clark Kent in this reboot of the Superman series about an alien raised from infancy by adoptive parents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) in Kansas where, as a young man, he’s called upon to save Earth from extraterrestrial invaders from his home planet, Krypton. With Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Rebecca Buller as Jenny Olsen, and Russell Crowe as Jor-El.
This Is the End (R for crude humor, coarse sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use, violence and pervasive profanity) Ensemble comedy about celebrities forced to face their mortality when the apocalypse arrives while they’re partying at James Franco’s house. With Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Michael Cera, Rihanna, Emma Watson, Kevin Hart, Craig Robinson, Mindy Kaling, Channing Tatum and Jason Segel.
