Kam's Movie Kapsules for 7-12-13

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening July 12, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Grown Ups 2 (PG-13 profanity, crude humor, partial male nudity and suggestive content) Adam Sandler and the rest of the principal cast reprise their roles as childhood pals now reuniting in their hometown for another round of nostalgia and middle-age mischief. Ensemble includes Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Maya Rudolph and Salma Hayek.  

Pacific Rim (PG-13 for pervasive violence and brief profanity) Sci-fi adventure about the team of pilot-controlled robots called upon to save the day when the Earth’s surface is suddenly invaded by a hostile race of subterranean monsters. Starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kinkuchi and Ron Perlman.     

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Beneath (Unrated) Harrowing horror flick about a half-dozen high school seniors’ attempt to make it safely back to shore from the middle of a lake after their rowboat is attacked by man-eating fish. Ensemble includes Daniel Zovatto, Bonnie Dennison, Chris Conroy, Jonny Orsini, Griffin Newman and Mackenzie Rrosman.

Crystal Fairy (Unrated) Road trip comedy about a hedonistic tourist (Michael Cera) who befriends an eccentric free spirit (Gaby Hoffman) while crisscrossing Chile in search of a legendary hallucinogen derived from a cactus plant. Co-starring Agustin, Jose and Juan Silva.  

Dealin’ with Idiots (Unrated) Jeff Garlin directed and stars in this social satire about a famous comedian who finds inspiration for his next movie after observing the absurd behavior of parents and coaches at his son’s Little League baseball games. Ensemble includes Gina Gershon, JB Smoove, Nia Vardalos, Jami Gertz, Kerri Kenny, Fred Willard, Timothy Oliphant, Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Guest and Richard Kind. 

Fruitvale Station (Unrated) Bittersweet biopic recounting the serendipitous events which transpired during the final hours in the life of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a young black man shot in the back on New Year’s day by a white police officer while being detained on an Oakland train platform. With Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz and Kevin Durand.

The Hot Flashes (R for sexuality and drug use) Midlife crisis comedy about a basketball team comprised of menopausal women who challenge Texas’ reigning high school girls’ state champs for the benefit of a breast cancer charity. Starring Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes, Virginia Madsen, Robin Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Eric Roberts.  

The Hunt (R for violence, profanity and graphic sexuality) Rush to judgment drama, set in tiny Taastrup, Denmark, about a kindergarten teacher (Mads Mikkelsen) who finds himself fired from his job, dumped by his girlfriend (Alexandra Rapaport) and shunned by his tight-knit community after being unfairly accused of exposing himself to one of his students (Annika Wedderkopp).  With Susse Wold, Lars Ranthe and Thomas Bo Larsen. (In Danish, English and Polish with subtitles)

Israel: A Home Movie (Unrated) Reverential retrospective painting a poignant portrait of daily life in Israel as preserved on Super 8 between the Thirties and the Seventies by amateur filmmakers capturing everything from recently-arriving refugees to shell-shocked soldiers. 

Killing Season (R for graphic violence, torture, profanity and sexual references) Cat-and-mouse survival saga, set in the Appalachian hinterlands, about an American veteran (Robert De Niro) of the war in Bosnia who finds himself targeted by a revenge-minded, former Serbian soldier (John Travolta) posing as a tourist. With Milo Ventimiglia, Elizabeth Olin and Diana Lubenova.   

Still Mine (PG-13 for brief sensuality, partial nudity and mature themes) Golden Years drama highlighting a retiree’s (James Cromwell) frustrating legal fight with a callous bureaucracy to build a house suitable to meet the needs of his gravely-ill wife (Genevieve Bujold). Support cast includes Campbell Scott, Julie Stewart and Rick Roberts.

Terms and Conditions May Apply (Unrated) Cautionary documentary warning of the wholesale surrender of privacy transpiring as a consequence of consumers visiting websites, downloading apps and clicking on online use agreements without reading the fine print. Featuring appearances by visionary Ray Kurzweil, musician Moby and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.  

V/H/S 2 (Unrated) Found-footage horror sequel revolving around a couple of private investigators (Kelsy Abbott and Lawrence Michael Levine) whose only clues to a college student’s mysterious disappearance are contained in a pile of videotapes he left behind. With J.C. Holt, Simon Barrett and Mindy Robinson.