‘MLK/FBI,’ ‘The Marksman,’ streaming picks
With COVID-19 cases still surging nationwide, movie studios are getting nervous about the movies they hoped to release in theaters the next few months.
But for now, a few new movies are still making their way to the big screen each week — the theaters that are still open, that is.
Eight Milwaukee-area theaters remain closed: the Oriental Theatre, the Times and Rosebud cinemas, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill and Marcus Theatres’ Hillside, Saukville, Showtime and Southgate cinemas. The Milwaukee-area theaters that reopened have instituted safety protocols including reduced seating capacity.
Here’s what’s new in Milwaukeearea theaters starting Friday, and which new movies are available on streaming and on demand this week.
‘MLK/FBI’
Short version: Documentary filmmaker Sam Pollard (“Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”) uses a rich cache of archival material to take a deep dive into the FBI’s unrelenting surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr., from his first appearance on the national scene in the 1950s through his assassination in this movie. (Note: It’s also available on demand starting Jan. 15.)
Critics’ reaction: The documentary drew raves when it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. “‘MLK/FBI’ indeed serves as a chilling reminder that white supremacy is not solely a partisan problem; it’s a cruelty baked into the fabric of our political system, poisoning it at every level,” Jourdain Searles wrote for The Hollywood Reporter.
Where you can see it: Landmark Downer Theatre; Marcus Theatres’ Bistroplex Southridge
‘The Marksman’
Short version: A woman shot by drug cartel assassins asks a tough Arizona rancher to take her 11-year-old son to her family in Chicago, even though he ends up with the cartel thugs on his trail. Then again, he is a former Marine sharpshooter, and he’s played by Liam Neeson, so … Katheryn Winnick and Juan Pablo Raba co-star. Director Robert Lorenz, who also wrote the screenplay, is Clint Eastwood’s longtime producing partner.
Critics’ reaction: The early reviews are not kind, although critics seem to like Neeson well enough. “Although ‘The Marksman’ never finds its target (if it has one), Neeson’s still got it,” Tribune News Service reviewer Katie Walsh wrote.
Where you can see it: AMC Mayfair Mall; Silverspot Cinema; Marcus Theatres’ Bistroplex Southridge, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Movie Tavern Brookfield Square, North Shore, Ridge, South Shore cinemas.
Off-the-grid picks
“Labyrinth”: The Avalon Theater marks the fifth anniversary of the death of singer-icon David Bowie with a showing of the 4K restoration of the 1986 fantasy, with Bowie as the Goblin King. It’s showing at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15-17 and 2021, with matinees at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17. Tickets are $6. Info: avalonmke.com.
“Selma”: Ava DuVernay’s recounting of the 1965 march on Selma comes back for the King Day weekend, showing at AMC Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa at 7:20 p.m. Jan. 15-18. Tickets are $5. Info: amctheatres.com.
New movies on demand
“Don’t Tell a Soul”: Two brothers, desperate for money to help their ailing mother, match wits with a security guard with issues. Fionn Whitehead, Jack Dylan Grazer and Rainn Wilson star. Available on demand starting Jan. 15.
“Assassins”: This documentary tells the strange-but-true story of two young women who, recruited to film what they think is a reality/prank show, help
assassinate the rival of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. On demand starting Jan. 15.
“The Delivered”: A woman seeks liberation from her oppressive marriage in 17th-century England in this drama starring Maxine Peake and Charles Dance. On demand starting Jan. 15.
“The Cold Hard Truth”: While getting himself right with his dark past, a disgraced journalist sets out to avenge the death of his cousin. Dorian and Simone Missick star in this thriller. On demand starting Jan. 19.
“The Friendliest Town”: This documentary follows a Black community’s determination to stand up for their small Maryland town’s first Black police chief after he’s targeted by the area’s white power structure. On demand starting Jan. 19.
“Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike DeGruy”: When Mike DeGruy, an ocean explorer and filmmaker, died in an accident, his wife, Mimi DeGruy, set out to complete the movie. On demand starting Jan. 19.
“Twiceborn”: A businessman drops everything to pursue his dream, the happiness of humankind, in this Japanese drama. On demand starting Jan. 21.
Movies that were in theaters but are available on demand this week: “News of the World,” Jan. 15; “The Climb,” starting Jan. 19; “The Kid Detective,” Jan. 19.
Sofa Cinema
With the Oriental Theatre closed for renovations during the pandemic, Sofa Cinema, Milwaukee Film’s virtual theater, adds new titles each Friday, available for online rental at
mkefilm.org/sofacinema. New this week: “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan,” a documentary chronicling the Irish punk legend directed by Julien Temple (“The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle”) with illustrations by Hunter Thompson collaborator Ralph Steadman.
New films on streaming services
“One Night in Miami”: Heavyweight champ Cassius Clay (who soon would change his name to Muhammad Ali), football star Jim Brown, civil rights leader Malcolm X and pop star Sam Cooke get together to celebrate Clay’s victory and talk about what it means to be successful and Black in their time. Eli Goree plays Clay, Aldis Hodge is Brown, Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Malcolm X and Leslie Odom Jr. is Cooke. Oscar-winning actor Regina King made her directorial debut with this Oscar contender. On Amazon Prime starting Jan. 15.
“The Ultimate Playlist of Noise”: Facing surgery that will leave him deaf, a music-obsessed high school senior sets out to record the playlist to beat all playlists. Keean Johnson and Madeline Brewer star in this new drama. On Hulu starting Jan. 15.
“Outside the Wire”: In this near-future war drama, a drone pilot is sent to a war zone with an android officer to stop a nuclear attack. Anthony Mackie, Pilou Asbaek, Emily Beecham and Michael Kelly star. On Netflix Jan. 15.
Streaming debuts for recent releases: “Radium Girls,” starting Jan. 16 on Netflix; “Alone,” Jan. 18 on Amazon Prime; “Let Him Go,” Jan. 19; “Sightless,” Jan. 20 on Netflix; “Give Me Liberty,” Jan. 21 on Amazon Prime.