|
|
 |
 |
Crumb
Friday, May 19 at 7:00 pm
CRUMB traces the lives of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb and his extraordinarily dysfunctional family. As children, the three Crumb brothers escaped from their abusive home by indulging in an imaginative life centered on comic books, but Robert is the only one who has fashioned any sort of normal existence. Now a famous cartoonist, he creates work that revels in the darker side of the human condition, hilarious and often offensive work that is obviously influenced by his troubled upbringing. Rated R. 119 minutes. 1995.
|
 |
|
Gas, Food, Lodging
Thursday, May 25 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, May 27 at 7:30 pm
Teenage sisters Shade and Trudi long to be anywhere but the New Mexico desert, living with their mother. Shade escapes the monotony by watching romantic movies and dreaming that she can make her mother happy by finding her father, while her older sister takes a more outwardly rebellious route. Rated R. 101 minutes. 1992.
|
 |
|
Purple Rose of Cairo
Thursday, June 1 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, June 4 at 6:30 pm
The Michigan Theater is proud to welcome Jeff Daniels for a special appearance at the June 1 screening. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" was one of the films that propelled him to major stardom. He will answer questions from the audience following the film.
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey during the Depression and is searching for an escape from her dreary life. Tom Baxter is a dashing young archaeologist in the film 'The Purple Rose of Cairo.' After losing her job Cecilia goes to see the film in hopes of raising her spirits. Much to her surprise Tom Baxter walks off the screen and into her life. There's only one problem..Tom isn't real. Meanwhile Hollywood is up in arms when they dicover that other Tom Baxters are trying to leave the screen in other theatres. Will Tom ever return and finish the film or will he decide to stay in the real world? Rated PG. 84 minutes. 1985.
|
 |
|
Poison
Thursday, June 8 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, June 10 at 9:30 pm
Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In 'Hero,' Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. In the black and white 'Horror,' a scientist isolates the elixir of human sexuality. The noirish drama 'Homo' explores the obsessive and sexual relationship between two male prisoners. Rated R. 85 minutes. 1991.
|
 |
|
Hoop Dreams
Thursday, June 15 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, June 18 at 6:00 pm
This critically acclaimed documentary follows two inner-city Chicago teens as they follow their dreams of becoming basketball superstars. From high school and into college, the boys must deal with the pressing issues of social class and racism as they mature into young men. Rated PG-13. 170 minutes. 1994.
|
 |
|
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Thursday, June 22 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, June 24 at 9:30 pm
Dawn Wiener is the middle child in middle school in the middle of suburban New Jersey. Sometimes hated, often reviled, seldom understood, Dawn tries in vain to put on a happy face as she struggles through puberty. Nevertheless, she does find moments of grace amidst the pain and humiliation, and soon begins to wonder if life might not be better outside New Jersey. Rated R. 88 minutes. 1996.
|
 |
|
American Splendor
Thursday, June 29 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, July 2 at 5:15 pm
For the most part, Harvey Pekar's life is unexceptional and depressing. He seems destined for nothing better than his menial position at the VA Hospital in his hometown of Cleveland. He struggles daily to enrich his life by filling his free time with reading, writing, listening to jazz, and engaging in cerebral banter. When his buddy Robert Crumb earns wide acclaim for comic art, Harvey is inspired to write his own brand of comic books, and he makes the monotonous torture of his everyday foibles their focus. American Splendor is hugely successful, but Harvey still finds his life lacking. Enter the equally depressive Joyce Brabner, and united in co-dependence, the pair tackles life together. Rated R. 101 minutes. 2003.
|
 |
|
sex, lies and videotape
Thursday, July 6 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, July 8 at 9:30 pm
Steven Soderbergh exploded onto the scene with this provocative, intelligent drama about infidelity and voyeurism. Ann spends her days fretting over the insurmountable problems of the world and her own unfocused sense of melancholy. Meanwhile, her husband John is having a torrid affair with her younger, more extroverted sister, Cynthia. Graham Dalton, an old college pal of John's, comes to visit, and Ann soon discovers that Graham has some strange habits and problems of his own. The young drifter finds sexual gratification by videotaping women willing to talk about their sexual past and fantasies in front of the camera. A chain of attraction and jealousy develops as the four interconnect until everyone's secrets are exposed. Rated R. 100 minutes. 1989.
|
 |
|
Tarnation
Thursday, July 13 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, July 15 at 9:30 pm
Part documentary, part narrative fiction, part home movie, part acid trip. A psychedelic whirlwind of snapshots, Super-8 home movies, old answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, snippets of '80s pop culture, and dramatic reenactments create an epic portrait of an American family travesty. The story begins in 2003 when Jonathan learns that his schizophrenic mother, Renee, has overdosed on her lithium medication. He is catapulted back into his real and horrifying family legacy, but finds the escapist balm of musical theater and B horror flicks, and reconnects to life through a queer chosen family. Not rated. 98 minutes. 2004.
|
 |
|
Gods & Monsters
Thursday, July 20 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, July 23 at 6:30 pm
It is 1957 and James Whale, the director of the classic horror movie FRANKENSTEIN, is living in semi-seclusion in Southern California with his scrutinizing maid. His health is failing, and he is able to do little but lounge around and contemplate his younger days and the film world that has forsaken him. When Whale first gazes upon his musclebound gardener, however, it is the beginning of an unusual (and platonic) friendship. Seasoned with multiple flashbacks to the sets of his films and to the battlefield, GODS AND MONSTERS is a haunting and touching look at the life of a man who was at the top of the Hollywood hierarchy but soon found himself out of favor - and the offbeat friendship he formed in his final days. Rated R. 105 minutes. 1998.
|
 |
|
High Art
Thursday, July 27 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, July 29 at 7:00 pm
Ally Sheedy stars as Lucy Berliner, a once-famous photographer, whose career has been revitalized when she meets Syd (Radha Mitchell), a beautiful young assistant editor for a prestigious photography magazine. Withdrawn from the art world, Lucy is reawakened by Syd who offers her the hope of escaping her drug-filled world. Before Syd realizees it, she is drawn into Lucy’s seductive and dangerous mix while forced to make choices she never imagined. A challenging film that raises interesting questions as to how objective a person can be about art, especially when they are involved in the creative process. Rated R. 101 minutes. 1998.
|
 |
|
Blood Simple
Thursday, August 3 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, August 6 at 6:15 pm
When a bar owner discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife, a complex web of deceit and double crosses ensues in a small Texas town. The Coen brothers' first picture is an intricately plotted film noir filled with surprises at each turn. The film is a marvel to experience; director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld has created stunning compositions filled with open spaces, and the sound - from the slightest footsteps or dripping water to a sudden shotgun blast - reverberates ominously, as if it is a character unto itself. Directed by Joel Coen and cowritten by Joel and his brother Ethan, BLOOD SIMPLE is an eerie testament to the limitless possibilities of low-budget filmmaking. Rated R. 99 minutes. 1984.
|
 |
|
Smoke Signals
Thursday, August 10 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, August 12 at 4:00 pm
Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-A-Fire are brought together by Victor's father who saves Thomas from a fire that destroys his house and kills his parents. In close proximity all their lives on the Coeur D'Alene Indian reservation in Idaho, the boys could not be more different. Victor is the extrovert who excels at basketball and Thomas is the savant who lives with his grandmother after the death of his parents. The journey the two young men take to the home of Victor's estranged father in far off Arizona brings out of the past the remarkable events that brought them together. Rated PG-13. 88 minutes. 1998.
|
 |
|
To Sleep with Anger
Thursday, August 17 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, August 19 at 4:00 pm
Harry Mention (Danny Glover), an enigmatic drifter from the South, comes to visit an old acquaintance named Gideon, who now lives in South-Central Los Angeles. Harry's charming, down-home manner hides a malicious penchant for stirring up trouble, and he exerts a strange and powerful effect on Gideon and his family. The household was already rife with conflict when the devilish guest arrived, and Harry's grab bag of folktales, lucky charms, and foul magic only deepens the family rift. Sickness and insanity gradually descend upon Gideon's home, and it soon becomes evident that something will have to give. Rated PG. 101 minutes. 1990.
|
 |
|
Paris is Burning
Thursday, August 24 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, August 26 at 9:30 pm
Documentary about the Harlem drag balls thrown by predominantly inner city black and Latino gay men in the mid-1980s. The film features footage of the actual 'drag' pageants, as well as interviews with ball participants, who describe their backgrounds and dreams, and the intricacies of their rich and detailed dialect. A fascinating look at the complexities of this elaborate subculture. Rated R. 71 minutes. 1990.
|
 |
|
Six Short Films + One
Thursday, August 31 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, September 2 at 4:30 pm
He Was Once, Mary Hestand
Tater Tomater, Phil Morrison
Backyard Movie, Bruce Webber
Pigeon Within, Emily Hubley
Five Feet High and Rising, Peter Sollett
Rejected, Don Hertzfeldt
A program of award-winning shorts shown at the Sundance Film Festival.
Plus a Michigan Theater exclusive:
Sundance 2006 entry Fourteen, Nicole Barnette
Ms. Barnette will be on hand to speak about her film following both screenings.
|
 |
|
Memento
Thursday, September 7 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, September 10 at 3:30 pm
Leonard (Guy Pearce) is an insurance investigator whose memory has been damaged following a head injury he sustained after intervening on his wife's murder. His quality of life has been severely hampered after this event, and he can now only live a comprehendable life by tattooing notes on himself and taking pictures of things with a Polaroid camera. The movie is told in forward flashes of events that are to come that compensate for his unreliable memory, during which he has liaisons with various complex characters as he tries to find his wife's killer. Rated R. 113 minutes. 2001.
|
 |
|
Roger & Me
Thursday, September 14 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, September 17 at 6:15 pm
Director Micheal Moore pursues GM CEO Roger Smith to confront him about the harm he did to Flint, Michigan with his massive downsizing. While tracking the eponymous Roger, Moore takes time out to record the devastation of Flint and the desperate, often unintentionally hilarious attempts of the citizens and the city fathers to deal with the catastrophe. Rated R. 91 minutes. 1989.
|
 |
|
The Upside of Anger
Thursday, September 21 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, September 24 at 3:30 pm
Terry’s life takes an unusual turn when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Struggling to deal with his sudden absence, Terry finds herself increasingly at odds with her four headstrong daughters and regularly drowning her anger in alcohol, until she develops an offbeat relationship with her next-door neighbor, Denny. Rated R. 118 minutes. 2005.
|
 |
|
American Movie
Thursday, September 28 at 7:15 pm
Friday, September 29 at 9:30 pm
Chris Smith’s film is a poignant commentary on what it takes to make an independent film. It also happens to be a genuinely hysterical, crowd-pleasing romp. Trying to get his masterpiece, NORTHWESTERN, off the ground, struggling Midwestern filmmaker Mark Borchardt instead turns his attention to COVEN, an abandoned 37-minute horror film that he began filming in 1990. Hoping to sell enough copies of the video to enable him to clear his current debts, Borchardt's painstaking effort to get COVEN in the can and onto the screen provides the greatest laughs in this undeniably entertaining documentary. Rated R. 107 minutes. 1999.
|
 |
|
Donnie Darko
Thursday, October 5 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, October 7 at 4:00 pm
Troubled adolescent, Donnie Darko, receives a disturbing vision that the world will end in 28 days. With the help of various characters, including a 6 foot rabbit called Frank, he slowly discovers the mysterious physical and metaphysical laws that govern his life and that will lead up to the destruction of the universe.
Rated R. 133 minutes. 1998.
|
 |
|
Daughters of the Dust
Thursday, October 12 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, October 15 at 6:00 pm
1902. In the remote Sea Islands off Georgia, where African-Americans lived and retained their traditional language and culture, a family prepares to leave and migrate north. As they celebrate this one last day of togetherness at a picnic, Nana Peazant, the family’s matriarch who has chosen to stay behind, tells stories of their African ancestors and the arrival of slaves on the American shores. By exhorting her loved ones never to forget this past, she tries to assure their future strength—which must always come from a respect for oneself and one’s history. Winner of the award for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival. Rated PG. 112 minutes. 1991.
|
 |
|
Maria Full of Grace
Thursday, October 19 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, October 21 at 4:00 pm
A spirited 17-year old, Maria lives in a cramped house in Colombia and works in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel - in fact, becoming a drug mule - changes the course of her life. Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking where her mission becomes one of determination and survival. Rated R. 101 minutes. 1998.
|
 |
|
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Thursday, October 26 at 7:15 pm
Saturday, October 28 at 9:30 pm
In this funny, dramatic, and curiously poignant self-described 'post-punk neo-glam musical' film, Hansel agrees to undergo a sex change and become Hedwig in order to marry a U.S. soldier and escape to America. Unfortunately, the procedure fails, and Hedwig is left with nothing but a sexless 'angry inch' between her legs. After being abandoned in a Kansas trailer park by her husband, she develops a taste for outrageous wigs and costumes, forms a band, and becomes a singer. Hedwig soon meets and falls in love with 17-year-old Tommy, who ends up stealing the superstardom that Hedwig worked for. In order to expose Tommy as a fraud, she embarks on a tour of strip mall restaurants, telling her story audiences across America. Rated R. 95 minutes. 2001.
|
 |
|
Clerks
Thursday, November 2 at 7:15 pm
Sunday, November 5 at 8:00 pm
Made for less than the cost of an SUV, Kevin Smith’s first film finds 22-year-old Quick Stop clerk Dante Hicks called into work on his precious day off. There he is besieged by customers ranging from the agitated to the insane, not to mention Randal, the clerk from the video store next door. The clerks’ clever dialogue, saturated with pop-culture references, elevated the film to cult-hit status among Generation-Xers and transformed Kevin Smith from film school dropout to indie auteur. Rated R. 92 minutes. 1994.
|
|
