Kam's Movie Kapsules for 7-19-13

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening July 17 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

The Conjuring (R for disturbing violence and scenes of terror) Fact-based horror flick about a couple of paranormal investigators (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) hired to help a family terrorized by an evil force inside their secluded farmhouse. Cast includes Lily Taylor, Joey King and Ron Livingston.

Red 2 (PG-13 for profanity, drug use and pervasive violence) Espionage thriller finds former, CIA Agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) coaxed back out of retirement and reunited with his elite team of spies to track down a portable nuclear bomb that’s landed in the hands of terrorists. With Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Mary- Louise Parker and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

R.I.P.D. (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sensuality and sexual references) Fantasy comedy about a recently deceased cop (Ryan Reynolds) who tries to solve his own murder with the help of a new partner (Jeff Bridges) after joining a police department for the undead. Support cast includes Kevin Bacon, James Hong and Mary- Louise Parker.

Turbo (PG for mild action and mature themes) Family-oriented animated adventure about a garden variety snail (Ryan Reynolds) who gets a shot at winning the Indianapolis 500 after a freak accident alters his DNA. Voice cast includes Paul Giamatti, Snoop Dogg, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Hader, Michael Pena, Luis Guzman and Dr. Ken Jeong.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The Act of Killing (Unrated) Macabre musical documentary in which Indonesian death squad leaders reenact real-life mass executions in a manner mimicking the classic Hollywood films they so admire. (In English and Indonesian with subtitles)

Big Words (Unrated) Dream deferred drama, set on the eve of Obama’s history-making election, revolving around a once-promising rap trio’s (Dorian Missick, Gbenga Akinnagbe and Darien Sills-Evans) reminiscing while speculating about what led to their break-up 15 years earlier. With Yaya Alafia, Zachary Booth, Jean Grae and Amir Arison.     

Blackfish (PG-13 for disturbing images and mature themes) Free Willy documentary detailing the devastating consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. Featuring testimonials by Samantha Berg, Kim Ashdown and Dave Duffus.

Broken (Unrated) Loss of innocence drama, set in North London, about an 11 year-old girl (Eloise Laurence) whose life is irreversibly altered after she witnesses a violent attack. With Cillian Murphy, Tim Roth and Rory Kinnear.

Colossus (Unrated) Mark Hendrickson wrote, directed, produced and stars in this musical mockumentary as a con artist who sets out to tour Russia as the front man for a faux, heavy-metal band. Featuring Polina Belenkaya, Elena Dudina and Valery Novikov. (In English and Russian with subtitles)

Computer Chess (Unrated) Artificial Intelligence comedy, set in the Eighties, about a tournament showdown between humans and game-playing machines equipped with state-of-the-art software. Starring Kriss Schludermann, Tom Fletcher and Wiley Wiggins. 

D-Day (Unrated) Haunted house thriller revolving around four roommates at a female boarding school who find themselves beset by fresh visions of a fire that had swept across campus years earlier. Cast includes   Ri-na Kim, Joo-hee Yoo, Eun-kyeong Kim and Jin-yong Heo.

Girl Most Likely (PG-13 for sexuality and profanity) Dysfunctional family comedy about a suicidal, struggling playwright (Kristen Wiig) who moves back to Jersey from Manhattan to live with her gambling-addicted, ex go-go dancer mother (Annette Bening). With Matt Dillon, Christopher Fitzgerald and Darren Criss.

Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (R for profanity, sexuality and violence) Pink Caddy documentary examining the life of the legendary Chicago pimp-turned-best selling author (1918-1992). Featuring commentary by Snoop Dogg, Ice-T and Quincy Jones.

La Playa D.C. (Unrated) Colombian coming-of-age saga, set in Bogota, about an aspiring barber (Luis Carlos Guevara) who puts his future on hold to search for his missing younger brother (Andres Murillo). Support cast includes James Solis and Veronica Castellanos. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Only God Forgives (R for profanity, sexuality, gruesome images and graphic violence) Ryan Gosling stars in this grisly crime thriller, set in Bangkok, about a drug dealer pressured by his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) to avenge the death of his brother (Tom Burke) while in the custody of a crooked police officer (Vithaya Pansringarm). With Byron Gibson, Danai Thiengdham and Gordon Brown.