THIS WEEK’S OFF-THE-GRID AND FREE OUTDOOR MOVIES
Best off-the-grid picks
“Woodstock”: Relive the music festival exactly 50 years after it started, when a restored version of the iconic concert documentary — all three hours and 44 minutes of it — returns to theaters at 7 p.m. Thursday. Showing locally at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic and South Shore cinemas, and at AMC Mayfair Mall 18. $13. Info: marcustheatres.com and amctheatres.com.
“Gigi”: This old-school Hollywood musical from 1958, rarely shown on the big screen, took home nine Oscars. 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. $5. Info: avalonmke.com.
“Office Space”: The workplace parts of this 1999 comedy still feel like a documentary, 20 years later. 11 p.m. Friday at the Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave. $11, $9 for Milwaukee Film members and seniors 60 and older. Info: mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre.
“Heathers”: Winona Ryder and Christian Slater take on their high school elite in this 1988 dark comedy. 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Avalon. $5. Info: avalonmke.com.
“Millennium Actress”: A restored edition of the 2001 Japanese animated classic about an aging movie star sharing the story of her remarkable life. 7 p.m. Tuesday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. $13. Info: marcustheatres.com.
“Hello, Dolly”: Barbra Streisand is the title matchmaker in this 50th anniversary showing of the hit musical. 4 p.m. Sunday and noon Wednesday at Marcus Theatres’ Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge and South Shore cinemas. $13. Info: marcus theatres.com.
“Fight Club”: The first rule of David Fincher’s dizzying 1999 dystopian drama is you need to see it on the big screen. 11:59 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Landmark Downer Theatre, 2589 N. Downer Ave. $8.50. Info: landmarktheatres.com/Milwaukee.
Free outdoor movies
“Brave”: A strong-willed princess must rely on her special set of skills to undo a curse in this 2012 Disney animated favorite. 7:15 p.m. Friday in the Peck Flicks at the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., in the Peck Pavilion. Info: marcuscenter.org.
“Chicago”: The 2002 Oscar winner sings and dances again. 8:30 p.m. Friday at Paul’s Alley Cinema, 170 S. Second St. Info: Paul’s Alley Cinema Facebok page.
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”: The third movie in the hit animated series is the pick for the annual Family Film Night courtesy the Friends of Hart Park. The movie starts at sunset Tuesday, following pre-movie activities starting at 7 p.m. in Hart Park, 7300 W. Chestnut St., Wauwatosa. Info: ihartpark.org.
“Missing Link”: Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana and Zach Galifianakis provide the voices in this animated adventure comedy, showing at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at The Corners of Brookfield, 20111 W. Blue Mound Road, Brookfield. Info: thecornersofbrookfield.com.
BURBANK, Calif. — Do not come for the women of “The Kitchen.”
In the mob drama, in theaters Friday, three crime wives take over the family business in 1970s New York: deferential housewife Kathy (Melissa McCarthy); Harlem-born Ruby (Tiffany Haddish) who married into a disapproving white family; and Claire (Elisabeth Moss), victimized for years by an abusive alcoholic husband.
But now their Irish husbands are in the clink. And they’re the ones running Hell’s Kitchen.
“The Kitchen” arrives as a fully formed example of everything Hollywood is allegedly supporting two years after the #MeToo movement spurred a Time’s Up call for equality. A powerful female-led cast. Rich writing. Studio backing. An acclaimed woman director at the helm.
But these women, who each have multiple projects cooking, are aware of buzzword fatigue, especially when it comes to equality. Behind the scenes, “I am very open-eyed that we are experiencing a blip,” said director Andrea Berloff. “I had a president of a studio say to me last week that ‘Because Movie X and Movie Y did not work this summer, we’re
done with women-fronted movies .’” Although Berloff declines to specify the films referenced, several female-led films struggled this summer. The Olivia Wilde-directed “Booksmart” and Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night,” both critical hits, did not live up to box-office expectations in a season stuffed with sequels, reboots and spinoffs.
“What’s obviously so insane about that are the 150 movies starring men that didn’t do well either,” said Moss, noting 2019 women-led successes such as “Us” and “Captain Marvel.” “It’s an unintelligent thing to say.”
So yes, Berloff wants her “Kitchen” to kill it at the box office despite experts predicting a sleepy weekend at the cineplex, with current predictions under $10 million. But the first-time director, who was nominated for her screenplay for “Straight Outta Compton,” is simultaneously sounding a siren, noting a “handful” of upcoming studio films boasting women in front of and behind the camera.
“If these movies consistently don’t do well, there’s not going to be more in a few years,” she said. “If people want to see more of these movies, they have to go out and buy a ticket.”
“You can’t say ‘I’m for it, too’ and then only go see male caped movies,” McCarthy said. “It’s a weird epidemic. I’m not against (those movies), but everybody’s gotta put their money where their mouth is.”
Away from the cineplex, here’s what the push for progress looks like off-camera for McCarthy, Moss and Haddish.
Studios “taking meetings” about female-led movies, or green-lighting such films but with slashed budgets is not progress, McCarthy added. “And that’s what we have to keep watching. (When studios say) ‘We are doing it (women-led movies)!’ Why is it half the budget of the same movie made with men? … We’ve rang the bell but the numbers have to change.”
Despite putting Hulu on the map for original programming with her Emmy award-winning series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Moss said she’s pitched television projects led by a woman “and heard, ‘Oh, well, we’re just not sure that (it should be) a female lead.’ And it’s me sitting there! I’m like, you do realize ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is doing really well? It’s shocking sometimes.”
Moss noted every experience isn’t negative. “I’ve walked into rooms where you’re pitching to three female executives. There just needs to be more of that.”
Also opening in theaters
“Dora and the Lost City of Gold”: Nickelodeon’s adventure-seeking Dora the Explorer makes her live-action bigscreen debut, with Isabela Moner as Dora in this family-friendly adventure.
“Brian Banks”: In this based-on-atrue-story drama, Aldis Hodge plays a college-bound high school football star who’s sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When he finally gets out, he sets out to reclaim what should have been his life, including playing in the NFL. Milwaukee native Tirrell D. Whittley (“Amazing Grace”) is one of the movie’s executive producers.
“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”: Teenagers stumble on an old collection of scary stories, and find themselves and their town in danger when the stories start coming to life. Gothic-style horror based on a collection of horror stories for younger readers.
“The Art of Racing in the Rain”: A race-car driver adopts a dog that loves the sport even more than he does, and the dog helps him navigate the track, and life. Racetrack-centered inspirational drama based on a bestselling novel, with Milo Ventimiglia as the racer, Amanda Seyfried as the love of his life, and Kevin Costner as the voice of the dog.
“Them That Follow”: The daughter of an Appalachian preacher whose sect dabbles in serpent-handling discovers a dark tradition in her father’s church. Backwoods thriller with an A-list cast, including Olivia Colman, Walton Goggins, Kaitlyn Dever and Jim Gaffigan.
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”: Those angry birds are back, and have to work together to deal with a new threat in this animated sequel opening in theaters Wednesday.