Kam's Movie Kapsules for 4-19-13

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening April 19, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Oblivion (PG-13 for violence, nudity, sexuality and brief profanity) Post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller about an ex-Marine (Tom Cruise) with the fate of humanity in his hands in the wake of a war with extraterrestrials which devastated the planet. Cast includes Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko and Melissa Leo.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Ain’t in It for My Health (Unrated) Reverential rockumentary about Levon Helm, the late drummer, lead singer and founding member of The Band. Featuring appearances by Billy Bob Thornton, Libby Titus and Larry Campbell.

Errors of the Human Body (Unrated) Psychological thriller, set in Dresden, revolving around a research scientist (Michael Eklund) who becomes the first victim of a newly-created lethal virus as the result of a lab accident. With Karoline Herfurth, Tomas Lemarquis and Rik Mayall. 

Filly Brown (R for profanity, violence and drug use) Musical drama about a struggling hip-hop artist (Gina Rodriguez) trying to rap her way out of the barrio who finds herself facing a dilemma when a record producer (Pete Herrera) offers to sign her to a contract if she compromises her heartfelt feminist values. Supporting cast includes Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos and Jenni Rivera.

Girl Rising (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing images) Female empowerment documentary about nine women from different countries who found fulfillment after overcoming everything from child slavery to arranged marriages.

Herman’s House (Unrated) Unlikely-buddy documentary chronicling the long-distance friendship forged via phone calls and correspondence between a female, Stanford University grad and a Black Panther with a life sentence kept in solitary confinement for over 40 years.

Home Run (PG-13 for mature themes) Prodigal Son saga about a disgraced pro baseball player (Scott Elrod) with an alcohol abuse problem who returns to his hometown to rehab. There, he cleans up his act with the help of his estranged childhood sweetheart (Dorian Brown) and rekindles his love for the game while coaching a rag-tag team of Little Leaguers. With James Devoti, Nicole Leigh and Drew Waters.

In the House (R for profanity and sexuality) Screen adaptation of “The Boy in the Last Row,” Juan Mayorga’s play about a high school student (Ernst Umhauer) whose essays about a classmate’s (Batien Ughetto) family come to impress his jaded literature teacher (Fabrice Luchini). With Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner and  Yolande Moreau. (In French with subtitles)

The Lords of Salem (R for profanity, drug use, disturbing violence, frontal nudity, and graphic sexuality) Rob Zombie wrote and directed this horror flick starring his wife (Sheri Moon Zombie) as a radio DJ who unwittingly unleashes demonic forces by playing vinyl records from a mysterious box sent to the station. Featuring cult film favorites Dee Wallace (The Howling), Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead).

OCONOMOWOC (Unrated) Dysfunctional family comedy about a confused man (Brendan Marshall-Rashid) who moves back home with his alcoholic mom (Deborah Clifton) to go into the T-shirt business. With Anndy Gillies, Andrew Rozanski and Cindy Pinzon.