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Rosewater: Last Day Thursday, December 18th

Watch Trailer Director: Jon Stewart
Writer(s): Jon Stewart (screenplay) and Maziar Bahari (book)
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidas, Haluk Bilginer and Shohreh Aghdashloo

Rosewater is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir “Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival,” written by Maziar Bahari. The film marks the directorial debut of “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, and stars Gael García Bernal.

Rosewater follows the Tehran-born Bahari, a broadcast journalist with Canadian citizenship. In June 2009, Bahari returned to Iran to interview Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was the prime challenger to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As Mousavi’s supporters rose up to protest Ahmadinejad’s victory declaration hours before the polls closed, Bahari endured personal risk by sending footage of the street riots to the BBC. Bahari was arrested by police, led by a man identifying himself only as “Rosewater,” who tortured and interrogated him over the next 118 days.

“Stewart proves he can pull back from the satirical comedy and become a thoughtful, incisive and questioning filmmaker.” -Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times

“A strong, striking political drama.” – Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

 

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Running Time: 103 Minutes103 MIN
R Rated

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Birdman: Leaving Thursday, February 5th

Watch Trailer Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writer(s): Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. , Nicolás Giacobone , and Armando Bo
Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone

BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

“One of the best movies of 2014.” – Mick LaSalle,  San Francisco Chronicle

“Inspires renewed faith in what we used to go to the movies for – original storytelling, enveloping escape, heart-stopping camera work and enough “wait, what’s going on here?” to keep us intrigued from beginning to end.” – Kristin Tillotson, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“‘Birdman’ is like unfolding a piece of intricate origami; it keeps opening in unexpected directions.” – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

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Running Time: 119 Minutes119 MIN
R Rated

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Laggies: Last Day Thursday, November 20th

Watch Trailer Director: Lynn Shelton
Writer(s): Andrea Seigel
Cast: Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Sam Rockwell

Overeducated and underemployed, 28 year old Megan (Keira Knightley) is in the throes of a quarterlife crisis. Squarely into adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to think about her future and no one to relate to, Megan is comfortable lagging a few steps behind – while her friends check off milestones and celebrate their new grown-up status. When her high-school sweetheart (Mark Webber) proposes, Megan panics and- given an unexpected opportunity to escape for a week – hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika’s world-weary single dad Craig (Sam Rockwell). Lynn Shelton, whose unique directorial voice created such astutely observed comedies as YOUR SISTER’S SISTER and HUMPDAY, crafts a sweet, romantic coming-of-age comedy about three people who find their lives intertwined in the most unconventional way as they make through the imperfect realities of modern day life. Keira Knightley shines as Megan, a rare female slacker hero who shows us that while you never stop growing up, you can choose stop lagging, and start living on your terms.

“Superbly written, handsomely made and full of terrific performances, ‘Laggies’ is Shelton’s best film to date.” – James Rocchi, Film.com

“a movie that knows just where it’s going, and finds joy in the journey.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

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Running Time: 99 Minutes99 MIN
R Rated

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Whiplash: Last Day Thursday, December 4th

Watch Trailer Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer(s): Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, and Melissa Benoist

 

Andrew Neyman (The Spectacular Now‘s Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher (The Closer’s J.K. Simmons), an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability-and his sanity.

“one of the year’s best films.” – Peter Howell, Toronto Star

“It’s electrifying.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“‘Whiplash’ will instill not just respect but awe. It also happens to feature a pair of performances that eclipse all else around them.” – John Anderson, Wall Street Journal

“Rarely has a movie shown so viscerally the utter pain that can accompany the bliss of creating good music.” – Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press

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Running Time: 107 Minutes107 MIN
R Rated

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Listen Up Philip: Last day Thursday, November 13th

Watch Trailer Director: Alex Ross Perry
Writer(s): Alex Ross Perry
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce

A complex, intimate, and highly idiosyncratic comedy, Listen Up Philip is a literary look at the triumph of reality over the human spirit. Anger rages in Philip (Jason Schwartzman) as he awaits the publication of his sure-to-succeed second novel. He feels pushed out of his adopted home city by the constant crowds and noise, a deteriorating relationship with his photographer girlfriend Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), and his indifference to promoting his own work. When Philip’s idol Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce) offers his isolated summer home as a refuge, he finally gets the peace and quiet to focus on his favorite subject – himself.

“A very entertaining black comedy for very mysterious reasons.” – John Anderson, Wall Street Journal

“As a rising young novelist in the Philip Roth vein, Schwartzman delivers Perry’s dyspeptic, neurotic, supremely arrogant dialogue even better than Perry himself did in the earlier movie.” J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

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Running Time: 108 min108 MIN

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ReAct to Film Screening, November 3rd: THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY

Watch Trailer Director: Brian Knappenberger
Writer(s): Brian Knappenberger
Cast: Aaron Swartz, Tim Berners-Lee, and Cindy Cohn

The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz. From Swartz’s help in the development of the basic internet protocol RSS to his co-founding of Reddit, his fingerprints are all over the internet. But it was Swartz’s groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing combined with his aggressive approach to information access that ensnared him in a two year legal nightmare. It was a battle that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26. Aaron’s story touched a nerve with people far beyond the online communities in which he was a celebrity. This film is a personal story about what we lose when we are tone deaf about technology and its relationship to our civil liberties.

“A moving documentary that will leave you heartsick” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

“A devastating meditation on what can happen when a prescient thinker challenges corporate interests and the power of the state.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

This is a FREE one night only screening sponsored by ReAct to Film.

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Running Time: 105 Minutes105 MIN
R Rated

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Shield and Spear: ONE NIGHT ONLY – Friday, October 31st

Watch Trailer Director: Petter Ringbom
Writer(s): Petter Ringbom
Cast: Francois van Coke, Charl Blignaut, and Zanele Muholi

An artist paints a caricature of South African president Jacob Zuma that provokes a lawsuit, death threats and a massive street protest. Around this incident, “Shield and Spear” explores a constellation of stories about identity, art, race, and freedom of expression in South Africa, twenty years into democracy.

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Running Time: 89 Minutes89 MIN

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Eraserhead: Let’s Do Lynch

Watch Trailer Director: David Lynch
Writer(s): David Lynch
Cast: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph

This surreal nightmare examines male paranoia. Our hero and title character, Henry, faces a number of horrifying obstacles in meeting someone of the opposite sex, meeting her parents, and procreating. Produced during a one-and-a-half-year period while director David Lynch was a student at the American Film Institute, the film launched him as a major new talent admired by cinephiles and filmmakers all over the world. It stands today as a milestone in personal, independent filmmaking.

The Athena Cinema presents “Let’s Do Lynch”, eight weeks of feature films by David Lynch. All shows start at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $6.50.

9/7 &8: Elephant Man
9/14 & 15: Dune
9/21 & 22: Blue Velvet
9/28 & 29: Wild At Heart
10/5&6: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
10/12 & 13: Lost Highway
10/19 & 20: Mulholland Drive
10/26 & 27: Eraserhead

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Running Time: 89 min89 MIN
Rating: UR

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Tusk: Last Night Thursday, November 6th

Watch Trailer Director: Kevin Smith
Writer(s): Kevin Smith
Cast: Justin Long, Michael Parks, and Haley Joel Osment

An irreverent American podcaster interviews a Canadian adventurer whose wild tale of survival at sea masks sinister intentions in this twisted horror comedy from writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Red State).

When podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba while interviewing a mysterious seafarer named Howard Howe (Michael Parks), his best friend Teddy (The Sixth Sense‘s Haley Joel Osment) and girlfriend Allison team with an ex-cop to look for him.

“Smith has delivered a left-field surprise that ranks among his very best work” – Scott Foundas, Variety

“has a genuinely haunting quality” – Clark Collins, Entertainment Weekly

“If Kevin Smith was stoned when he thought up his excellent walrusian nightmare, then marijuana is the best creative medicine.” – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail

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Running Time: 102 Minutes102 MIN
R Rated

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Dear White People: Last Day Thursday, December 4th

Watch Trailer Director: Justin Simien
Writer(s): Justin Simien
Cast: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner

Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, Dear White People is a sly, provocative satire of race relations in the age of Obama. Writer/director Justin Simien follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and racial politics at a predominantly white college in a sharp and funny feature film debut that earned him a spot on Variety’s annual “10 Directors to Watch.” When Dear White People screened at MOMA’s prestigious New Directors/New Films, the New York Times’ A.O. Scott wrote, “Seeming to draw equal measures of inspiration from Whit Stillman and Spike Lee, but with his own tart, elegant sensibility very much in control, Mr. Simien evokes familiar campus stereotypes only to smash them and rearrange the pieces.”

The unexpected election of activist Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) as head of a traditionally black residence hall sets up a college campus culture war that challenges conventional notions of what it means to be black. While Sam leverages her notoriety as host of the provocative and polarizing radio show “Dear White People” to try to prevent the college from diversifying Armstrong Parker House, outgoing head-of-house Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell), son of the university’s dean (Dennis Haysbert), defies his father’s lofty expectations by applying to join the staff of Pastiche, the college’s influential humor magazine. Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), an Afro-sporting sci-fi geek, is recruited by the otherwise all-white student newspaper to go undercover and write about black culture—a subject he knows little about—while the aggressively assimilated Coco Conners (Teyonah Parris) tries to use the controversy on campus to carve out a career in reality TV.

But no one at Winchester University is prepared for Pastiche’s outrageous, ill-conceived annual Halloween party, with its “unleash your inner Negro” theme throwing oil on an already smoldering fire of resentment and misunderstanding. When the party descends into riotous mayhem, everyone must choose a side.

“A BUTTON-PUSHING WORD-OF-MOUTH DYNAMO.”-The Wall Street Journal

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Running Time: 100 Minutes100 MIN
R Rated

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