ALL IN WHITE

NOW IN THEATERS...

* American Sniper, Clint Eastwood's uneven, politically muddled Oscar-nominated feature. Go for Bradley Cooper and the combat, hit the restroom during the "drama."

* Blackhat, Michael Mann fails to make his fascination with hackers interesting onscreen. Hemsworth fizzles in a zero-thrills thriller.

Adding to the disappointment, I reviewed the Patricia Highsmith adaptation The Two Faces of January on Blu-ray, and despite a fine cast--Oscar Isaac, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen--found the con-man tale to lack passion.

Special Portland screenings prove more interesting.

* A trio of Robert Altman: The Long Goodbye, 3 Women, and the documentary tribute Altman. You can also read my longer review of the 3 Women Criterion Blu-ray. 

* Heaven and Earth Magic, a rare showing of an obscure 1960s animated feature from Harry Smith

Why so serious, Thor...?

Current Soundtrack: Belle & Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

HAPPY IDIOT

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Exit Marrakech, a lop-sided coming-of-age story from Germany that's helped out by excellent performances.

* Inherent Vice, the deranged Thomas Pynchon adaptation from Paul Thomas Anderson.

This weekend in Portland, you can also catch Pedro Almodovar's fantastic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

And Thursday, there is a premiere screening of a new documentary, Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon. 

I also reviewed the DVD for The Legend of Korra: Book 3 - Change. Shame the show only got one more season after this, it's really hitting its stride.

Current Soundtrack: Inherent Vice music and score

THE BIG HURT

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Burroughs: The Movie, a revived documentary from the 1980s offers unprecedented access to the author. 

* A Most Violent Year, J.C. Chandor's businessman crime picture. Very little crime, more business. Jessica Chastain is good, though.

Portlanders can also catch a week-long run of Die Hard 2 see a restored print of Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice. (Looks like Los Angeles is getting The Sacrifice, too.) I also have a full review here from the Blu-ray release.

Speaking of Blu-rays, I reviewed the Criterion release of Tootsie and was bowled over by it.

Current Soundtrack: Spoon, "The Rent I Pay;" GusGus, "Crossfade"

FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Big Eyes, a decent effort from Tim Burton, but his Margaret Keane biopic still falls well short of being a masterpiece.

* The Imitation Game, the story of computer pioneer Alan Turing, with his tragic life being portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch.

* Inside the Mind of Leondardo 3D, an upgraded TV documentary with Peter Capaldi featured in dramatizations of Leondardo Da Vinci's journals.

* Into the Woods, Disney's adaptation of the Sondheim musical mostly entertains.

* Stray Dogs, a remarkable new Taiwanese drama from the director of Good Bye, Dragon Inn.

Or if you feel like watching one of the most legendary bombs on Blu-ray, Otto Preminger's 1968 stinker Skidoo, has somehow gotten the high-def treatment.

Current Soundtrack: Lana Del Rey, "Big Eyes/I Can Fly"

FOR I HAVE WALKED A SINFUL ROAD

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Foxcatcher, a barely simmering drama with Steve Carell and Channing Tatum.

* Level Five, the first U.S. release of Chris Marker's 1997 avant-garde take on the then-new internet.

* Why Don't You Play in Hell, a crazy fun new action comedy from Japan.

Plus, your last chance Christmas movies.

And hey, I really dug Sin City: A Dame to Kill For on DVD.

Current Soundtrack: Christina Aguilera, Back to Basics

BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'VE BEEN

NOW IN THEATERS...

* The Barefoot Bandit Documentary, unraveling the story of an internet sensation who liked to steal airplanes.

* Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon on a hike to find peace and self-awareness.

If you want to go watch some TV commercials you've probably never seen, there's also this year's British Arrow Awards.

This is going up too late for the Portland screening of 5 Broken Cameras, but last I checked, you could watch it on Netflix.

Likewise, this gathering of Christmas movies, but there are some good choices in here for possible home viewing. That said, Portland does have a chance this week to see Home Alone and A Christmas Story in repertory. 

Current Soundtrack: Fresh Air episode with the author of a new Richard Pryor biograpy

NOTHING LEFT (TO SAY)

NOW IN THEATERS...

Another slow week for movies, but you may keep your eye out for Jean-Luc Godard's Goodbye to Language 3D if difficult and muddled cinematic assaults are your kind of thing (sometimes it's mine).

Portlanders have a few short-run indie and revival options. Two different theaters are showing varied work from Gus Van Sant, with a one-off Mala Noche screening and a week of Good Will Hunting. 

Those maybe looking for some kind of enlightenment through documentaries can learn about farm worker rights and the pricing scams of big box stores via Food Chains or the effects of the practice of polygamy in Bali with Bitter Honey.

Or if you can get your hands on it, track down Sam Peckinpah's The Killer Elite with James Caan and Robert Duvall. I reviewed the Twilight Time Blu-ray.

Jean-Luc Godard

Current Soundtrack: Shady XV/Eminem vs. DJ Whoo Kid: Shady Classics

JAZZ THIEVES

It's been a weird couple of weeks without me reviewing any major releases. I skipped the press screening for Mockingjay because there were so many restrictions on my attendance...well, I just couldn't see Katniss putting up with all those rules. I'll be seeing it on Sunday. Catch my rating at my letterboxd.com account.

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Bad Turn Worse, a sparse little crime thriller with designs on Jim Thompson.

* Keep on Keepin' On, this jazz documentary about an old trumpet player and his blind protege is a good cure for Whiplash. 

Revival movies playing in Portland include Ginger Rogers in Roxie Hart and a festival of WWI movies, including The Big Parade and Paths of Glory.

Whereas, Portlanders, you've already missed these, but who knows, other locales might be getting:

* Pulp: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets

* Two evenings with experimental filmmaker Ben Russell

WATCH IT AT HOME... 

* It Happened One Night, the screwball comedy that started it all, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, directed by Frank Capra.

* L'Avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni's classic breakthrough coming to Blu-ray from Criterion.

Current Soundtrack: Tim Wheeler, Lost Domain

FALL DOG BOMBS THE MOON

NOW IN THEATERS...

* The 41s Annual Northwest Filmmakers' Fest is on all this week. Here are my choices from what I've seen.

* Advanced Style, the personalities behind the blog showcasing the fashion of older New York women.

* Big Hero 6, a collection of comic book cliches makes for a half-baked, dull Disney retread.

* Color of Noise, a special showing of the documentary about the Amphetamine Reptile record label.

* Harmontown, a tour film and a documentary about Dan Harmon, the creator of Community, and his podcast. I assume he named it that just so people could say any number of variations on "it's a nice place to visit but only he'd want to live there." (And even that's debatable.)

* Interstellar, the year's most ambitious movie is a lot to take in, but worth it.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* The Young Guns, a 1956 hybrid of western/juvenile delinquent movie.

Current Soundtrack: Azealia Banks, Broke with Expensive Taste

PARANOID ANDROID

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), the much-hyped superhero meta-movie with Michael Keaton taking on the role of a disgraced actor post-franchise. There's something not quite right about this one.

* Citizenfour, a film about Edward Snowden that also serves as a powerful historical document. A definite must-see.

* Eternity: The Movie, a musical comedy about a Hall & Oates-like duo in the 1980s, and one of the worst movies I've seen this year.

* Nightcrawler, a phenomenal performance by Jake Gyllenhaal is almost enough to save this hollow motion picture.

Portland also has short runs of Alain Resnais' 1968 time-travel movie Je t'aime je t'aime and the 1985 cult hit Return to Oz.

Oh, and film related, I also reviewed the book De Niro: A Life by Shawn Levy. It's a great read, with lots of backstage talk and insight on how De Niro's best and worst roles came to be.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Hangmen Also Die, a gripping World War II thriller from master director Fritz Lang.

* La dolce vita, Fellini's masterpiece shined up and polished and looking better than ever.

* Sundays and Cybele, a surprising drama about the relationship between a troubled man and a needy little girl. The 1961 winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Current Soundtrack: Ex Hex, Rips

BRIEF CANDLES

NOW IN THEATERS...

* John Wick, an incredibly entertaining punch-out from Keanu Reeves. This one is the real deal.

* Laggies, Lynn Shelton's engrossing dramedy about a wayward 20something. Keira Knightley shines as a woman falling behind.

* Whiplash, a drama about a driven young drummer (Miles Teller) and his incendiary coach (J.K. Simmons).

And if you live in Portland and fancy some Halloween flavor in this last week, I made a list for the Oregonian of 10 different options you have to catch some old spooky movies. I definitely recommend Ravenous and that Hammer double feature.

Current Soundtrack: Spandau Ballet, "The Story" (The Very Best Of...)

WE NO WHO U R

NOW IN THEATERS...

* 20,000 Days on Earth, a pseudo documentary ruminating on the life of singer Nick Cave.

* Evolution of a Criminal, one man's personal story about his transformation into a bank robber and the aftermath of his misdeeds.

* Fury, a WWII drama with Brad Pitt in a tank and lots of grisly violence.

* Men, Women & Children, in which Jason Reitman tries to find his feet following the forgettable Labor Day, only to step wrong again.

* St. Vincent, Bill Murray's grumpy old man movie. With a kid.

* Young Ones, a good looking but uneven drama about a future where water is hard to come by. With Michael Shannon.

And if you're in Portland, there will be 10th anniversary screenings of the No Wave music documentary Kill Your Idols.

Nick Cave eats pizza with his sons while watching Scarface in 20,000 Days on Earth.

Current Soundtrack: Tindersticks, Ypres

WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE?

Another quiet week at the movies. I'm still playing catch-up, for the most part, while also trying to get my future in order. That said, I am taking a bit of a sabbatical from reviewing discs for DVDTalk after I get through my current pile of very late screeners. I want to buy myself some time for other things, and so will be focusing on theatrical only for a bit. We'll see how long it lasts based on how the extra time fits me.

Meanwhile, this week, check out...

* #Stuck, a romantic comedy that struggles to maintain its great premise.

And if you're in Portland and in that Halloween mood...

* An American Werewolf in London.

* Pulse, the Japanse original and not the Hollywood remake.

Current Soundtrack: Julian Casablancas + the Voidz, Tyranny

LATE BAR

I've been remiss in posting my film reviews for the last couple of weeks, partially because I haven't reviewed any of the major releases (though I did see The Equalizer and found it a bit silly, like a morally self-satisfied Saw movie) and because my reviews slowed while I traveled. I have a stack of 7 discs currently waiting for my perusal.

My current crop of write-ups that you can still catch in Portland theaters and elsewhere...

* The documentary Levitated Mass.

* Portland is becoming a real horror show in advance of Halloween. Here's a list of classic scary movies playing this week.

* Another scary movie, and an all-time fave of mine, is The Innocents, now on Criterion.

* I revisited Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Blu-ray.

From previous weeks...

* Portland hosted two revered X-rated movies: Midnight Cowboy and Last Tango in Paris.* 

* Also, a pair of performance-based documentaries: Born to Fly and Gravity was Everywhere Back Then.

Mike Mignola's take on the Bride.

Current Soundtrack: James Ivory's Maurice

BONIN' IN THE BONEYARD

NOW IN THEATERS...

* A Life in Dirty Movies, the story of the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street, Joseph Sarno, smut peddler supreme. 

* A Walk Among the Tombstones, Liam Neeson pulls out an old private detective's trench coat in a welcome departure from Taken (despite some amusing plot crossovers).

Plus, Portland folk can catch repertory screenings of the Charlton Heston-starring sci-fi actioner The Omega Man and a special one-night screening of Do The Right Thing, the inaugural entry in the "Black and White Film" series where two commenters, one white and one black, talk about the movie. In this case, comedian Sean Jordan and author/filmmaker David F. Walker. Dave also had his Shaft comic book announced this week, so that's exciting! 

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Are You Here, an uncharacteristic fumble from Mad Men-creator Matthew Weiner.

* Chef, an extremely likable return to his roots for writer/director/star Jon Favreau.

* The Rover, takes you on a trip across a violent wasteland with Guy Pearce. 

* Swedish House Mafia: Leave the World Behind, a farewell tour and documentary from the international dance band. 

Current Soundtrack: FKA twigs, LP1

ULTRA MODERN NURSERY RHYME

NOW IN THEATERS...

* The 78 Project Movie, a travel documentary that explores the traditions of folk and blues recordings and challenges current musicians to take part. 

* The Drop, the latest from Dennis Lehane features Tom Hardy, a pit bull puppy, and James Gandolfini in his final performance.

* I Am Not a Rock Star, the girlhood of a piano prodigy.

* The Skeleton Twins, in which Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig essentially play their usual comic personas but only after several not-so-good years.

* A Will for the Woods, a sobering documentary about one dying man's quest for a green burial.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* All That Jazz. The '70s were a hell of a drug.

* Arrowsmith, an early John Ford talkie adapting the Sinclair Lewis novel about a heroic doctor.

* Love Streams, a ragged later-life semi-romance from John Cassavetes.

* Teenage, a docu-collage of the rise of youth culture in the 20th Century.

Left to right: Rocco, Tom Hardy

Current Soundtrack: Future Sound of London, Environments Five

OO-DE-LALLY

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Evergreen: The Road to Legalization, a documentary about passing the marijuana law in Washington last year. (I pair it with the new Trailer Park Boys movie, subtitled Don't Legalize It. Though, that movie's pretty much absolutely terrible.)

* The Last of Robin Hood, an attempt to dramatize and normalize the final romance of Errol Flynn. Starring Kevin Kline and Susan Sarandon.

* Love is Strange, particularly for two older men (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina) whose lives take some unexpected turns after they are married. Plus, Marisa Tomei (my favorite).

Plus, Portlanders can see Robert Altman and Robin Williams' Popeye on the big screen at Saturday and Sunday matinees.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Bicycling with Moliere, an engaging week of arguing theater with two older French actors.

* Une chambre en ville, one of Jacques Demy's later musicals.

* Cotton Comes to Harlem, an energetic 1970 blaxploitation picture from Ossie Davis.

* Magnificent Doll, a boring biography of Dolly Madison, starring Ginger Rogers as the first lady.

* The Party, an hilarious shindig with Peter Sellers.

* That's My Man, a plodding melodrama with Don Ameche as a horse owner with a gambling problem. 

* Vengeance Is Mine, revisiting Shohei Imamura's true crime picture on Blu-ray.

Current Soundtrack: Tricky, Adrian Thaws

I'VE KNOWN NO WAR

NOW IN THEATERS...

* The Internet's Own Boy, a political documentary about the life and tragic death of the creator of Reddit.

* Life of Crime, an entertaining if slightly underwhelming Elmore Leonard adaptation. Jennifer Aniston leads a great cast.

* The November Man, Pierce Brosnan's return to the spy genre, brings Olga Korylenko with him.

* The Trip to Italy, another excursion out on the road with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. 

Portlanders can also catch Terry Gilliam's manic fantasy The Adventures of Baron Munchausen all this week at the Academy. It has an hilarious Robin Williams cameo.

And Saturday night, pay tribute to the late Lauren Bacall by watching Key Largo at the Hollywood.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* I've Always Loved You, a 1946 melodrama set in the world of classical music. From director Frank Borzage.

* Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! Pedro Almodovar joins the Criterion Collection.

Current Soundtrack: The Sweet Inspirations, The Complete Atlantic Singles Plus 

O(VERLY) D(EDICATED)

NOW IN THEATERS: 

* Down River, a rewarding indie drama about four artistic women getting by in Vancouver, B.C.

* The One I Love, a contemporary romance with a Twilight Zone-inspired swerve. Starring Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss.

Portlanders might also check out the rooftop screening of The King of Comedy next Thursday. The De Niro/Scorsese collaboration is black comedy perfection. On the other hand, look out for The Color Wheel. It's grating.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Call Her Savage, an entertaining pre-Code melodrama with "It Girl" Clara Bow.

* The Children's Hour, a poignant drama with a message with Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, and James Garner.

* The Darjeeling Limited, take a look at my notes from my recent introduction to the movie at the NW Film Center, who are in the final weeks of their Wes Anderson festival.

* Donkey Skin, a fairy tale from Jacques Demy.

* Rosemary's Baby (2014), a pointless television remake with Zoe Saldana in the title role.

* The Secret Heart, a fair melodrama from 1946 with Claudette Colbert competing with stepdaughter June Allyson for the affections of old man Walter Pidgeon.

* The Unforgiven, Audrey Hepburn's only western is also John Huston's answer to The Searchers. 

* The Wind Will Carry Us, an intriguing meditation on life and death from Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami.

On the set of The Children's Hour.

Current Soundtrack: Gerard Way, "No Shows" & "Action Cat"

HEAVEN IS A SECRET

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Calvary, reteaming Brendan Gleeson with writer/director John Michael McDonagh in a dark, difficult drama about faith.

* Down River, a documentary studying the cycle of alcoholism amongst Canada's native peoples.

Portlanders can also a revival of John Waters' first feature, the hilarious shock comedy Pink Flamingos, and the less funny collection of adult cartoons, Twillerama.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Cast a Giant Shadow, a 1966 war drama with Kirk Douglas fighting for Israel. 

Current Soundtrack: FKA Twigs, LP1