Dark Places: Leaving the Athena Thursday, August 13th

Watch Trailer Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Writer(s): Gillian Flynn, Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks

Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was only seven years old when her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. In court, the traumatized child pointed the finger at her brother, Ben (Tye Sheridan), and her testimony put the troubled 16-year-old in prison for life. Twenty-five years later, a broke and desperate Libby has run through donations from a sympathetic public and royalties from her sensational autobiography, without ever moving past the events of that night. When Libby accepts a fee to appear at a gathering of true-crime aficionados led by Lyle Wirth (Nicholas Hoult), she is shocked to learn most of them believe Ben is innocent and the real killer is still at large. In need of money, she reluctantly agrees to help them reexamine the crime by revisiting the worst moments of her life. But as Libby and Lyle dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the murders, her recollections start to unravel and she is forced to question exactly what she saw—or didn’t see. As long-buried memories resurface, Libby begins to confront the wrenching truths that led up to that horrific night.

“As heroines go, it’s refreshing to get one as complex as this: When psychologically scarred female characters do turn up in thrillers, they’re usually little more than shivering victims who set a group of male cops in motion, but here, Libby does her own detective work, while Hendricks lends star power to the flashback scenes.” -Peter Debruge, Variety

“…Theron offers up an earnest and downbeat turn that says a lot with little dialogue” -Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter

“…Chloe Grace Moretz gives yet another pitch-perfect performance.” -Lisa Nesselson, Screen International

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Running Time: 113 min113 MIN
R Rated

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Irrational Man: Leaving the Athena Thursday, August 20th

Watch Trailer Director: Woody Allen
Writer(s): Woody Allen
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey

When a burned-out, brilliant professor – one who believes in lessons from life rather than textbooks – takes a job at a small college, everyone there is abuzz. He becomes involved with a teacher as well as a precocious student, but it takes a dramatic, existential act to turn his life around and make him see the world through a much rosier and more positive perspective.

“Allen serves the comedy black and stinging hot.” -Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“…a darkly funny, intellectually rigorous campus comedy.” -Scott Foundas, Variety

“Woody Allen is in fine vintage form in Irrational Man, a slinky, jazz-infused existential teaser in which various themes from some of the veteran filmmaker’s most memorable work dovetail into a darkly humorous quasi-thriller explored with a deft lightness of touch.” -David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

*Visual Impairment and Close Caption devices are available for this film.

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Running Time: 96 min96 MIN
R Rated

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The End of the Tour: Leaving the Athena Thursday, September 10th

Watch Trailer Director: James Ponsoldt
Writer(s): Donald Margulies, David Lipsky
Cast: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky

THE END OF THE TOUR tells the story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter (and novelist) David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace’s groundbreaking epic novel, Infinite Jest. As the days go on, a tenuous yet intense relationship seems to develop between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave around each other, sharing laughs and also possibly revealing hidden frailties – but it’s never clear how truthful they are being with each other. Ironically, the interview was never published, and five days of audio tapes were packed away in Lipsky’s closet. The two men did not meet again. The film is based on Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter, written following Wallace’s 2008 suicide.

“This is no conventional biodrama about the tortured artist, but very much the film that lovers of Wallace’s dazzlingly perspicacious fiction and essays would want.” -David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“The End of the Tour may be a niche movie but for those willing to tunnel in, it’s a thing of beauty.” -Stephen Rebello, Playboy

“The script is so full of acute observations that I found myself scribbling down the whole movie as I was watching.” -Kyle Smith, New York Post

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Running Time: 106 min106 MIN
R Rated

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No Pryor Knowledge: STIR CRAZY

Watch Trailer Director: Sidney Poitier
Writer(s): Bruce Jay Friedman
Cast: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Georg Stanford Brown
Language: English

Two good-hearted but bumbling souls are mistakenly arrested for a robbery they didn’t commit in this comedy, the second of several teamings of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Seeking to clear their name, the two eventually plan to escape from prison and try to track down the real thieves

“An inspired comedy title, Stir Crazy blends several inventive, high-spirited performing talents into a tangy, cheerful entertainment” – Gary Arnold, The Washington Post

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Running Time: 111 minutes111 MIN
R Rated

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Knowing the Future: CONTACT

Watch Trailer Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer(s): James V. Hart (screenplay) and Michael Goldenberg (screenplay)
Cast: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt
Language: English

Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of intelligent aliens, who send plans for a mysterious machine.

“Offers an inspired and inspiring close encounter with the ineffable mystery that lies at the heart of each individual and at the core of the majestic universe.” – Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

“Contact is at its most relaxed when it sheds its intellectual pretensions and reveals its media-wise sense of humor.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“A science fiction story that’s more about people than it is about science. In fact it is more about faith than it is about science.” – Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope

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Running Time: 150 minutes150 MIN
PG Rated

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The Art of World Animation: KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET

Watch Trailer Director: Roger Allers
Writer(s): Kahlil Gibran (story) and Roger Allers (screenplay)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski and Quvenzhané Wallis

*ADMISSION FOR THIS FILM IS THE REGULAR $5 MATINEE PRICING.*

The Prophet, by Lebanese author Kahlil Gibran, is among the most popular volumes of poetry ever written, selling over 1000 million copies in forty languages since its publication in 1923. Gibran’s timeless verses have been given enchanting new form in this painterly cinematic adventure about freedom and the power of human expression.

“For audiences interested in an earnest, inspirational story, full of timeless messages and beautiful animation, this is a lovely reminder of how to live life with purpose and joy.” -Sandie Angulo Chen, Washington Post

“The film is likely to attract new readers to the book – and remind longtime fans why they were attracted to the writings in the first place.” -David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle

“Dreamy children will probably be fascinated, and in the process they’ll see a world of Middle Eastern culture seldom shown in films.” -Ferran Smith Nehme, New York Post

“A work of essential spiritual enlightenment, elegantly interpreted by nine of the world’s leading independent animators, all tied up and wrapped in a family-friendly bow by The Lion King director Roger Allers.” -Peter Debruge, Variety

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Running Time: 84 minutes84 MIN
PG Rated

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No Pryor Knowledge: LIVE ON THE SUNSET STRIP

Watch Trailer Director: Joe Layton
Writer(s): Richard Pryor
Language: English

Just recovered from his notorious free-basing accident, Richard Pryor made a notable return in the much-acclaimed Live on the Sunset Strip. His comments on that event, as well as his notorious comments on sex, politics and race, pepper the 82-minute concert film.

“There will always only ever be one Richard Pryor, and his profoundly inspired performance shows exactly why.” – Cole Smithey, Daily Radar

“Sheer, breathtaking brilliance. A must-see.” – Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

 

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Running Time: 96 minutes96 MIN
R Rated

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Science on Screen: NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Watch Trailer Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer(s): Ernest Lehman
Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
Language: English

A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.

“Hitchcock breezes through a tongue-in-cheek, nightmarish plot with a lightness of touch that’s equalled by a charming performance from Grant.” – Dave Calhoun, Time Out

“A great film, and certainly one of the most entertaining movies ever made, directed by Alfred Hitchcock at his peak.” – Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

“It has all the classic elements of a Hitchcock film – well timed suspense, an overall mystery, a compelling cast and some brilliantly conceived scenes.” – Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

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Running Time: 136 minutes136 MIN
Rating: Approved
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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Sustainability Series: WRENCHED

Watch Trailer Director: M.L Lincoln
Writer(s): Patrick Gambuti Jr.
Cast: Edward Abbey, Dave Foreman, Peg Millett
Language: English

The books of Edward Abbey explore the exploitation of the American Southwest with memoirs like DESERT SOLITAIRE and the classic comic novel, THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG. This film explores the character of Ed Abbey and his literature through the voice of many contemporary authors as well as exploring the environmental movement.

*Free admission provided by Environmental Studies Program at the Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs, Alden Library, Athena Cinema, the College of Arts & Sciences Sustainability Studies and Food Studies Themes and Office of Sustainability at Ohio University.*

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Running Time: 93 minutes93 MIN
Not Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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The Overnight: Leaving the Athena Thursday, July 16th

Watch Trailer Director: Patrick Brice
Writer(s): Patrick Brice
Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman

Alex (Adam Scott), Emily (Taylor Schilling), and their son, RJ, have recently moved to Los Angeles’s Eastside from Seattle. Feeling lost in a new city, they are desperate to find their first new friends. After a chance meeting with Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) at the neighborhood park, they gladly agree to join family pizza night at his home. But as it gets later and the kids go to bed, the family “playdate” becomes increasingly more revealing as the couples begin to open up.

“An indecently hot and hilarious sex comedy with quartet of playfully scrappy actors who couldn’t be better suited to their roles or more eager to rouse our prurient interest.” -Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“[An] unpredictable indie comedy — sort of a ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Kink?'” -J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

“The pleasure of the movie lies in the way it both rewards and subverts expectations, delivering on the risqué possibilities of its premise while also coming up with something smarter and a little deeper than a log line might suggest.” -A.A. Dowd, AV Club

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Running Time: 79 min79 MIN
R Rated

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