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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2015)
Arts & Entertainment Kam’s Kapsules: Movies Opening This Friday, Oct. 23 BIG BUDGET FILMS Jem and the Holograms (PG for mature themes, reckless behavior, mild ep- ithets and suggestive con- tent) Live-action adaptation of the animated TV series starring Aubrey Peeples as the lead singer of an all- girl rock group with an un- derground cult following which morphs into a world- wide sensation. With Molly Ringwald, Juliette Lewis, Stefanie Scott and Aurora Perrineau. The Last Witch Hunt- er (PG-13 for violence and frightening images) Ac- tion-oriented fantasy revolv- ing around a valiant warrior (Vin Diesel) representing the last hope for humanity in an epic showdown with a re- incarnated demon (Julie En- gelbrecht). Supporting cast includes Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie and Michael Caine. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (R for violence and profanity) Sixth and final installment of the found footage horror franchise featuring super- natural phenomena around the haunted house in Palo Kam’s Capsules Movie Reviews by Kam Williams Alto just moved into by a married couple (Chris J. Murray and Brit Shaw) with of a young son (Dan Gill) and daughter (Ivy George). With Chloe Csengery, Jes- sica Tyler Brown and Hallie Foote. Rock the Kasbah (R for profanity, drug use, sexu- al references and brief vi- olence) Musical comedy about a broke rock produc- er (Bill Murray) who helps an Afghani teenager (Leem Lubany) compete on her country’s reality-TV ver- sion of American Idol after he finds himself stranded in Kabul. Featuring Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Danny Mc- Bride and Scott Caan. Steve Jobs (R for pro- fanity) Michael Fassbend- er portrays the late Apple founder in this warts-and-all biopic spanning the critical period from 1984 to 1998 and highlighting the Ma- chiavellian CEO’s drive to gain the competitive edge in technological innovation. Cast includes Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg. Suffragette (PG-13 for intense violence, mature themes, brief profanity and partial nudity) Historical drrama, set in England, chronicling the selfless fight for women’s equality staged by feminists at the dawn of the 20th Century. Co-star- ring Carey Mulligan, Hele- na Bonham Carter and Mer- yl Streep. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS Burnt (Unrated) Culinary dramedy about a disgraced Parisian chef’s (Bradley Cooper) attempt to restore his reputation in London with the help of an attractive assistant-turned-love inter- est (Sienna Miller). With Omar Sy, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson and Ali- cia Vikander. Aubrey Peeples in 'Jem and the Holograms' Difret (Unrated) Wom- en’s rights drama, set in Ethiopia, revolving around a 14 year-old girl (Tizita Hagere) on trial for the murder of the man (Girma Teshome) who’d kidnapped and raped her with the intent of turning her into his child bride. Co-starring Meron Getnet, Abel Abebe and Shi- tayeAbraha. (In Amharic) Extraordinary Tales (Unrated) Animated adap- tation of five short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, includ- ing “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.” Voice cast includes Christopher Lee, Guillermo del Toro and Roger Corman. Heart of a Dog (Unrated) Performance artist Laurie Anderson wrote, directed, produced, filmed, scored, animated and stars in this introspective auto-biopic reflecting upon the deaths of her mother, dog and hus- band, Lou Reed. Page 6 October 21, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner I Smile Back (R for pro- fanity, substance abuse, disturbing behavior and graphic sexuality) Dysfunc- tional family drama revolv- ing around a New Jersey housewife’s (Sarah Silver- man) quest for redemption following a self-destruc- tive descent into depravity marked by addiction, pro- miscuity and child abuse. With Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner and Shayne Cole- man. India’s Daughter (Un- rated) Women’s rights doc- umentary recounting the events surrounding the mur- der of Jyoti Singh, the 23 year-old, medical student gang-raped on a moving bus in Delhi in December of 2012. (In English and Hindi with subtitles) The Looking Glass (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a recently-or- phaned 13 year-old (Grace Tarnow) forced by circum- stances to move to Indiana to live with a grandmother (Dorothy Tristan) suffering from Alzheimer’s. With Tr- ish Basinger, Ed Ernstes and Elizabeth Stenholt. Nasty Baby (R for sex- uality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and disturb- ing violence) Homoerot- ic drama, set in Brooklyn, about a gay couple (Sebas- tian Sliva and Tunde Ade- bimpe) that enlists the help of their best friend (Kristen Wiig) in their attempt to have a baby. Support cast includes Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis and Reg E. Cathey. (In English and Spanish with subtitles) The Pearl Button (Un- rated) Eco-documentary highlighting the importance of H2O to the indigenous peoples of Patagonia, and, by implication, to folks all over the planet. (In Spanish with subtitles) Top Spin (Unrated) Ping pong documentary chron- icling the efforts of three teenagers in 2012 to qualify for the United States’ Olym- pic Table Tennis team. (In English and Mandarin with subtitles)
