Celluloid #127

In Theaters

Circumstance (2011) Keshavarz - Admittedly I do not know enough about Iranian politics or what the Revolution was really about. One outcome that seems certain is that the culture has become increasingly conservative and restrictive - as evidenced by the presence of "morality police." Two high school girls are very close friends, who develop deep feelings for one another that leads to sexual experimentation. They also like to have fun drinking and dancing in clubs, but after getting in trouble, Atie's religious fanatic brother offers Shireen (an orphan) a way out of punishment by marrying him. You can imagine the complications... 4/5

the Interrupters (2011) James - Documentary about the incredibly high homicide rate in Chicago. Most of the violence is not gang-related, but rather interpersonal disputes over seemingly petty things. These initial disputes lead to a long chain of revenge killings, and the targets seem to be getter younger and younger. The "Interrupters" are a group of former gang members and street hustlers that have decided to turn their lives around, and to also do something about preventing or stopping deaths. Ameena, one of the Interrupters, is such an commanding on-screen presence. An appropriate companion piece to James' other documentary Hoop Dreams. 4/5

In Home

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Rodriguez - Silly 90s movie that starts out as brother thieves taking a family hostage to escape to Mexico. However, when they arrive at a sleazy club across the border, the vampires start appearing. Most of what happens after that point is a series of ridiculous or gruesome ways to kill a vampire. It's like Tarantino just wrote anything he could think up. Also, so bizarre, but kinda cool that George Clooney is the lead in this B+ film. 3.5/5

Poltergeist (1982) Hooper - A strange paranormal presence is coming from the television or lightning. It causes inanimate objects to move. The tree outside tries to eat one of the children, and another goes missing during a storm. Carol Anne has apparently been sucked into another realm through the television, but can still be heard inside the house. The family has to hire a couple of mediums, and the mom has to go to the other side to get her daughter back. Number one lesson, don't live on top of cemeteries. 4/5

the Thing (1982) Carpenter - A crew of scientists are stationed in Antarctica. Strange things begin happening to a Norwegian crew and one the dogs morphs into a creepy alien creature. Thus creature has the ability to look like any living person or animal it comes into contact with - making it very difficult to be sure of the crew's identities. This film delivers on the physical/visceral end, while providing enough tension and questioning for your brain. 4.5/5

the Wicker Man (1973) Hardy - A girl has gone missing from some remote Scottish islands. The island people all practice some kind of paganism, and all sorts of weird naked hippie things happen. A detective from the mainland comes to investigate the missing girl, and he is a very devout Christian scandalized by the events he sees taking place. This movie is really not scary at all, hasn't dated very well, and includes a Burning Man scene. 3/5