Page 6 The Skanner October 25, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Kam’s Kapsules: Movies Opening Friday, October 27
BIG BUDGET FILMS
All I See Is You (R for
profanity, nudity and
graphic sexuality) Psy-
chological thriller, set in
Bangkok, about a blind
woman (Blake Lively)
whose faith in her mar-
riage is shaken to the
core when she regains
her sight and discovers
some disturbing details
about her husband (Ja-
son Clarke). Supporting
cst includes Yvonne Stra-
hovski, Dannu Huston
and Wes Chatham.
Jigsaw (R for profanity,
torture and graphic vio-
lence) Eighth installment
in the Saw horror fran-
chise finds serial killer
John Kramer (Tobin Bell)
ostensibly resurfacing
a decade after his sup-
posed demise to embark
on yet another reign
of terror. With Callum
Keith Renniw, Matthew
Passmore and Mandela
Van Peebles.
Novitiate (R for profan-
ity, sexuality and nudity)
Coming-of-age drama, set
in the 1960s in rural Ten-
nessee, about a young
Catholic girl’s (Marga-
ret Qualley) struggles
with her faith and sexual
awakening upon enter-
Kam
Williams
Kam’s
Kapsules
Movie
Reviews
ing the convent. Support
cast includes Melissa
Leo, Julianne Nicholson
and Diana Agron.
Suburbicon (R for pro-
fanity, violence and some
sexuality) George Cloo-
ney directed this crime
comedy written by the
Coen Brothers set in an
idyllic 1950s bedroom
community rattled by a
home invasion. Co-star-
ring Matt Damon, Juli-
anne Moore and Oscar
Isaac.
Thank You for Your
Service (R for sexuality,
drug use, graphic vio-
lence, brief nudity and
pervasive
profanity)
Adaptation of Pulitzer
Prize-winner David Fin-
kel’s best seller chroni-
cling some Iraq War vets’
suffering from PTSD as
they adjust back to pri-
vate life after returning
to the States. Ensemble
cast co-stars Miles Teller,
Keisha
Castle-Hughes,
Amy Schumer, Haley
Bennett and Kate Lyn
Sheil.
INDEPENDENT &
FOREIGN FILMS
Acts of Vengeance (R
for violence and profan-
ity) Suspense thriller
revolving around an at-
torney-turned-vigilan-
te who takes a vow to
remain silent until he
exacts revenge on the
murderers of his wife
(Cristina Serafini) and
young daughter (Lillian
Blankenship). With Karl
Urban, Paz Vega and Rob-
ert Forste.
Brimstone & Glory
(Unrated) Visually-capti-
vating documentary cel-
ebrating the compelling
appeal and beauty of fire-
works displays. (In Span-
ish with subtitles)
Crash Pad (R for nu-
dity, profanity, alcohol
abuse , drug use, crude
humor and graphic
sexuality) Romantic
comedy about a na-
ive young guy (Dom-
nhall Gleeson) who
falls blissfully in love
with an older woman
(Christina Applegate)
until he learns she’s
married and only
‘Jigsaw’
slept with him to get
even with her neglectful
husband (Thomas Haden
Church). With Nina Do-
brev, Aliyah O’Brien and
Britt Irvin.
Felicite (Unrated) Vero
Tshanda Beya Mputu
plays the title character
in this Congolese musical
drama, set in Kinshasa,
about a headstrong sa-
loon singer desperate to
raise the cash for her 14
year-old son’s (Gaetan
Claudi) hospital bills af-
ter a crippling motorcy-
cle accident. With Papi
Mpaka, Nadine Ndebo
and Elbas Manuana. (In
French and Lingua with
subtitles)
Halloween Pussy Trap
Kill Kill (Unrated) Har-
rowing tale of survival
revolving around a fe-
male rock band’s mem-
bers fight for their lives
after becoming trapped
See MOVIES on page 11
BOOK REVIEW:
‘We Were Eight Years in Power’
We Were Eight Years in Power
An American Tragedy
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
One World
Hardcover, $28.00
394 pages
ISBN: 978-0-399-59056-6
Book Review by Kam Williams
“For so much of American history, the
fact of black people is a problem... The
demonstrable truth has been evaded in
favor of a more comforting story...
[But America is] a country trying to
skip out on a bill, trying to stave off a ter-
rible accounting... It’s clear to me that the
common theory of providential progress,
of the inevitable reconciliation between
the sin of slavery and democratic ideal
[is a ] myth.”
-- Excerpted from the Chapter 1,
(pages 66-73)
I
n 2015, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between
the World and Me” earned the #1
spot on my annual Top Ten Black
Books list. And, after reading the
SHOWTIMES
MOTHER! (R)
Fri-Thur: 12:10, 4:35, 9:15
THE HITMAN’S
BODYGUARD (R)
Fri-Thur: 2:05, 9:35
DUNKIRK (PG-13)
Fri-Thur: 12:00, 7:15
DESPICABLE ME 3 (PG)
Fri-Thur: 12:05, 4:45
equally remarkable “We Were Eight
Years in Power,” there’s a good chance
he’s about to repeat that feat.
William Faulkner once observed
that, “The past is not dead. It isn’t even
past.” That unsettling sentiment cours-
es through the veins of Ta-Nehisi’s lat-
est opus.
The title ostensibly implies that it’s
about Barack Obama’s being followed
in office by a President with diamet-
rically opposed values when it comes
to the welfare of Black folks. After all,
Trump seems to believe there are good
and bad Nazis and good and bad Ku
Klux Klansmen. Isn’t that’s like sug-
gesting there are good and bad rapists
and good and bad murderers?
The book does bemoan the fact that
the dramatic difference in administra-
tions has been marked by a revival of
the dormant White supremacist move-
ment. However, Ta-Nehisi’s genius
rests in his putting that resurgence
into proper perspective.
There is a chilling precedent for what
See BOOK on page 11
The Week of
Friday, Oct. 27 through
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017
THE BIG SICK (R)
Fri-Thur: 2:15, 6:45
POLTERGEIST (1982) (PG)
Fri-Thur: 2:40, 7:00
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW
MASSACRE (1974) (R)
Fri-Thur: 5:05, 9:25
$4.00 adults, $3.00 senior citizens (65+),
$3.00 for kids (12 & under)
7818 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
503-252-1707 • AcademyTheaterPdx.com
Babysitting: Children 2 to 8 years old. Fri: shows starting between 3:30 pm and 8 pm. Sat - Sun: shows starting
between 1 pm and 8 pm. $9.50 per child for the length of the movie. Call to reserve a spot, no drop ins.