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film listingsThe Devil andDaniel JohnstonD: Jeff Feuerzeig. (2006, PG-13, 110 min.)Music Monday. The literal and figurative institutionalizationof Austin music and art legendDaniel Johnston is analyzed from many anglesin this perceptive film profile. (*) @Alamo Ritz,Monday, 10:30pm.J django unChainedD: Quentin Tarantino; with Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, LeonardoDiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Cayouette,Don Johnson. (R, 165 min.)Quentin Tarantino is back with another whip-smartwish-fulfillment history adventure. Django Unchainedhas obvious roots in the spaghetti Western, yet it’s alsoa love story, a revenge picture, and an action comedy.The love story, in which the former slave Django (Foxx)seeks to rescue his wife Broomhilda (Washington)from the plantation owner to whom she was sold, isvivid and palpable. The revenge drama is violent andbloody, with whippings and near-castration added toTarantino’s vast arsenal of sanguinary mayhem. Eventhe comedy has its moments to shine. As entertainingand eye-opening as Django Unchained is, the film alsosuffers from a certain slackness. Toward the end ofthe two-hour-and-45-minute epic, the film seems readyto conclude – but not before Tarantino stages anotherobligatory, Mexican-standoff flourish. Despite thesequibbles, Django Unchained, with its embarrassment ofriches (and tiny cameos), was one Christmas presentwe couldn’t wait to unwrap. (12/28/2012)HHHHn– Marjorie BaumgartenAlamo Ritz, Alamo Lake Creek, Alamo Slaughter Lane,Alamo Village, Barton Creek Square, CM Cedar Park, HillCountry Galleria, CM Round Rock, Southpark Meadows,Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center, Flix Brewhouse,Highland, Galaxy Moviehouse, Gateway, iPic, Lakeline,Tinseltown North, Tinseltown South, WestgatefLightD: Robert Zemeckis; with Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, KellyReilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, TamaraTunie, James Badge Dale, Peter Gerety, Melissa Leo. (R, 138 min.)For the first half-hour, Flight keeps us rapt with thrillingaction and a troubling moral quandary. But oncethings become more earthbound, the film reshapesitself into a standard substance-abuse story. A copiousline of coke gets airline pilot Whip Whitaker(Washington) out the door and on the way to the airport.Suddenly, all your worst fears about pilots unfit to fly arestaring you in the face. Yet, when his plane experiencesmassive mechanical failure, Whip manages to land viacrazy, instinctive measures. He is indeed a hero, buthe also had a .24 blood-alcohol level during the crash.Reconciling those facts is an interesting dilemma,and one that fuels the ensuing investigation. DirectorZemeckis shows he still has a vivid visual sensibilityand a finger on the zeitgeist. But Flight’s pat closingsequence leaves nothing up in the air and returns alltray tables to their full, upright positions. (11/02/2012)HHH– Marjorie BaumgartenMovies 8J frankenweenieD: Tim Burton; with the voices of Charlie Tahan, Martin Short, CatherineO’Hara, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron,Conchata Ferrell, James Hiroyuki Liao, Tom Kenny. (PG, 87 min.)Finally, a stop-motion, animated Halloween filmthat rivals The Nightmare Before Christmas. And of thetwo – simmer down now, gothlings – Frankenweenieis the ookier, more assured, and frankly better film.Filmed in glorious black and white, Frankenweenie isthat rare film that’s both kid- and adult-friendly. Thetitular weenie here is Sparky, a manic little bull terrierand best pal to young Victor Frankenstein (Tahan).60 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JANUARY 18, 2013 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o mWhen Sparky is killed by a car, Victor seizes on thelessons he’s learned about electricity’s life-giving forceand, before you can say “Boris Karloff’s real namewas William Henry Pratt!”, a stitched-and-neck-boltedSparky is re-animated and running around Vincent’sattic laboratory. Comedy and tension, complete withtorch- and pitchfork-wielding villagers, follows. Whollyunique yet strangely familiar, Frankenweenie is, at itselectrified heart, a story about friendship, family, andthe importance of kidhood perseverance. Never say diewhen you could be saying “It’s alive!” (10/05/2012)HHHH– Marc SavlovMovies 8gangster squadD: Ruben Fleischer; with Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling,Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña. (R, 110 min.)A virtual catalog of uneven filmmaking, GangsterSquad is loosely based on historical incidents andcharacters, though the film takes great liberties withthem. New Los Angeles Police Chief Parker (Nolte)is installed in 1950 to deal with the East Coastmobs that have been establishing themselves inL.A. Unofficially, he asks Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) tocreate a renegade band of honest cops to go afterthe worst of these gangsters, Mickey Cohen (Penn).Familiar stereotypes abound: There’s O’Mara’s sidekick,the wise-cracking Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Gosling);Coleman Harris (Mackie), the streetwise African-American; legendary sharpshooter Max Kennard(Patrick); his young Hispanic protégé Navidad Ramirez(Peña); and communications genius Conway Keeler(Ribisi). Director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, 30Minutes or Less) delivers no real cinematic surprisesother than his unevenness of tone, style, and narrativedevelopment. Despite the unrelenting actionand the terrific cast, Gangster Squad comes up morescattered than successful. (01/11/2013)HHHn– Louis BlackAlamo Lake Creek, Alamo Slaughter Lane, Barton CreekSquare, CM Cedar Park, Hill Country Galleria, CM RoundRock, Southpark Meadows, Cinemark Stone Hill TownCenter, Flix Brewhouse, Highland, Galaxy Moviehouse,Gateway, iPic, Lakeline, Tinseltown North, TinseltownSouth, Westgatethe guiLt tripD: Anne Fletcher; with Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen, Kathy Najimy,Colin Hanks, Nora Dunn. (PG-13, 95 min.)This film completely surrenders to its premise,with everything else following in a predictable way.Inventor Andy Brewster (Rogen) is about to start ona cross-country road trip to pitch his new product– a cleaner – to major chains. On the spur of themoment, he invites his overbearing mother Joyce(Streisand) to join him. Streisand and Rogen areboth impressive comedic talents, but in an attemptat sophistication, they both very much underplaytheir roles, which is to the detriment of the film.The resulting tone is not shrill, nor does it boast anabsurd number of embarrassing moments. The GuiltTrip fails in a completely opposite direction: It isgentle, loving, and way too understated. Therefore,it’s overwhelmingly sweet, but also unexciting and notabout much of anything. Watching this movie is nota complete waste of time, but it is little more than asitcom-lite diversion. (12/21/2012)HHHn– Louis BlackMetropolitanhere CoMes the BooMD: Frank Coraci; with Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler,Greg Germann, Joe Rogan, Gary Valentine, Charice. (PG, 105 min.)When high school biology teacher and all-aroundsad sack Scott Voss (James) learns that his cashstrappedemployers are contemplating cutting theschool’s music program – taught by Scott’s elderlywise-guy pal Marty (Winkler) – he dives into the worldof mixed martial arts to help save the music. If thatsynopsis sounds asinine as opposed to inspiring,you’ve hit this mug right on the kisser. Here Comesthe Bomb would’ve been a more fitting title. BetweenScott’s puppy-dog pining for school nurse Bella(Hayek), the evil machinations of the school principal(Germann), and the actual fight scenes of Scott, HereComes the Boom hits every dopey note in the “savethe school” subgenre playbook. I just can’t help butwonder how many real-world high school music andarts programs could have been saved from extinctionby simply not making this movie and donating thefilm’s budget to actual schools in need. (10/19/2012)H– Marc SavlovMovies 8hitChCoCkD: Sacha Gervasi; with Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, ScarlettJohansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, MichaelWincott, Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy. (PG-13, 98 min.)Alfred Hitchcock, the undisputed master of moviesuspense, is given fairly fanciful treatment in thismovie, which is theoretically based on StephenRebello’s book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of‘Psycho’. Yet, as directed by Sacha Gervasi, this filmis more a love story about the marriage betweenHitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife, AlmaReville (Helen Mirren), than a historically accuratebackstage look at the making of this importantmovie. Portraying Hitchcock, Hopkins puts in agood effort, but rarely convinces completely. Still,the film’s discrepancies would be barely noticeableif Hitchcock provided a more absorbing glimpseof the making of Psycho. Long after his death,Hitchcock’s contradictions continue to hold us in hissway. Both a consummate showman and a savvyartist, Hitchcock can be all things to all people.But the lovelorn Hitchcock of this film’s fantasieswould be better off left on the cutting-room floor.(12/07/2012)HHHnMovies 8The Hunt forRed OctoberD: John McTiernan; with Sean Connery, AlecBaldwin, Scott Glenn, Courtney B. Vance. (1990,PG, 135 min.) Classic Movies. This Tom Clancythriller gets the proper screen treatment herewith this first-rate cast and direction by oneof the genre’s best: Die Hard director JohnMcTiernan. The plot centers on the commanderof a Russian nuclear sub, who may or maynot defect to the United States. (*)@Flix Brewhouse, Tuesday, 7:30pm.– Marjorie Baumgartenthe hoBBit:an unexpeCted journeyD: Peter Jackson; with Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, RichardArmitage, Andy Serkis, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Stephen Hunter,Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Barry Humphries.(PG-13, 166 min.)All aboard: The Middle-earth Express has oncemore pulled into the station. Though this initialoffering in the planned trilogy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s1937 fantasy novel feels regrettably slight interms of narrative adventure and fantasy revelations,that hasn’t prevented director Peter Jacksonfrom painting Middle-earth with abundant visualdetail and technical bravura. The Hobbit introducesus to a few new creatures – trolls, the dragonSmaug – and old ones, too – Gollum (Serkis)reappears, creepy and deranged as ever – butthe hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Freeman), the wizardGandalf (McKellen), and an indistinguishableclump of 13 good-natured, hairy-headed dwarvesare the primary protagonists here. To sum it up,there is little that is unexpected in The Hobbit: AnUnexpected Journey. Rather than an epic continuationof Jackson’s Middle-earth obsession, the filmseems more like the work of a man driving arounda multilevel parking garage, unable to find the exit.(12/14/2012)HHHn– Marjorie BaumgartenAlamo Lake Creek, Alamo Slaughter Lane, AlamoVillage, Barton Creek Square, CM Cedar Park, HillCountry Galleria, CM Round Rock, Southpark Meadows,Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center, Flix Brewhouse,Gateway, IMAX Theatre, iPic, Lakeline, Metropolitan,Tinseltown North, WestgatehoteL transyLVaniaD: Genndy Tartakovsky; with the voices of Adam Sandler, KevinJames, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi,Molly Shannon, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Jon Lovitz. (PG, 91 min.)Throwing a bunch of Universal classic monsterarchetypes into an animated film and then using ageneric coming-of-age, father-daughter relationshipas the linchpin might’ve seemed like a good idea onpaper, but onscreen Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania isas generically vacant as Mrs. Bates’ eye sockets. The118th birthday of Dracula’s daughter, Mavis (voicedby Gomez), has finally arrived and the overprotectiveDrac (Sandler), now the manager of the “for monstersonly” Hotel Transylvania, wants to keep her under hiswing forever. But, when Jonathan (Samberg), a losthuman backpacker, stumbles stonily into the hotel,love passes between the vampire’s daughter and thedisplaced skater dude, much to Drac’s chagrin. Not awhole lot ensues that you haven’t already figured outon your own. Universal should sue for damages to thereputation of its classic movie monsters. As for HotelTransylvania,, no need to put a stake in it – it’s deadlydull already. (09/28/2012)HnMovies 8– Marc Savlovhyde park on hudsonD: Roger Michell; with Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Samuel West, OliviaColman, Elizabeth Marvel, Olivia Williams, Elizabeth Wilson. (R, 95min.)These days, most revelations of sexual infidelitiesand dalliances engaged in by our political leadershave lost their power to shock or even surprise us.Yet, there’s something indecorous about this glimpseof Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a philanderer whocarried on multiple and simultaneous affairs withwomen other than his wife Eleanor. Hyde Park onHudson is based on the letters found underneath thebed of Margaret “Daisy” Suckley – FDR’s sixth cousin– after her death. The letters revealed the affair shehad with the president, which she had kept secret allthose years. Screenwriter Richard Nelson casts thissexual disclosure against the backdrop of an event ofgreater historic significance: a weekend visit from theBritish royals in 1939. Linney’s performance as Daisylacks definition and personality, and the omniscienceof her voiceover narration rings false. What remainsis the stunt casting of Bill Murray, which works somuch better than it has any right to. (12/21/2012)HH– Marjorie BaumgartenArborJ the iMpossiBLeD: Juan Antonio Bayona; with Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, TomHolland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast. (PG-13, 107 min.)You don’t have to be a parent to feel this film inyour bones. The Impossible, Juan Antonio Bayona’sdramatization of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami,begins when a British family – Henry (McGregor),Maria (Watts), and their three young sons – travel toa resort in Thailand for Christmas. Based on a truestory, but dressed with the usual cinematic embellishments,The Impossible tracks what happens two dayslater, when a 30-foot wall of water rends the familyapart. It’s a mess-maker, this movie. The Impossibleharrows like no other film in recent memory, fromits visceral depiction of the natural disaster to anintensely emotional landscape of lost children andboundless kindnesses done by strangers. Still, thereare missteps. The material is so innately powerful –and potently portrayed – that it needles when Bayonagilds the lily with forehead-slapping missed connectionsand heart strings overplucked (see: usual cinematicembellishments). (01/04/2013)HHHHn– Kimberley JonesArbor, Barton Creek Square, Hill Country Galleria, FlixBrewhouse, Galaxy Moviehouse, Tinseltown North,Tinseltown South, Violet CrownjaCk reaCherD: Christopher McQuarrie; with Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, RichardJenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog. (PG-13, 130 min.)Although I’ve only read one of Lee Child’s JackReacher novels, my expectations for this film werevery low for the same reason many fans of the serieshave disparaged it: Cruise lacks the inherent violenceand visceral menace (as well as the oversized stature)of Child’s Reacher. I was thus quite surprisedby how well this violent suspense thriller works. JackReacher opens as five civilians are shot dead in acity mall. Barr (Sikora), the seeming culprit, is soonarrested, but on the pad provided for his confession,