By Chip Chandler — Producer
In Amarillo theaters this week: Melissa McCarthy goes back to school, Gabrielle Union is a mother not to mess with, and an all-time classic and Shakespeare's best get special showings.
New in theaters
Back to Burgundy
In this French drama from co-writer and director Cédric Klapisch (When the Cat's Away), Jean (Pio Marmaï) returns home to the family vineyard when his father falls ill, reuniting after 10 years with sister Juliette (Ana Girardot) and brother Jérémie (François Civil) and forcing them to make major decisions about the winemaking business. Reviews are fairly solid: "When the film focuses on the wine-making process, in the progression from vine to bottle, it's a fascinating and detailed look at a very specific subculture," writes RogerEbert.com's Sheila O'Malley. (NR; click here for showtimes at Premiere Cinemas Westgate Mall 6, 7701 W. Interstate 40)
Breaking In
Gabrielle Union turns into Supermom when her kids are taken hostage in this home invasion thriller. Reviews are not too promising: Coasting for as long as it can on the considerable charms of its star, Breaking In is otherwise a work of profound half-assedness, running through the paces of its bare-bones framework with all the verve, energy and invention of a night-watchman winding down the last hour of his shift," writes Variety's Andrew Barker. (PG-13 for violence, menace, bloody images, sexual references, and brief strong language; click here for showtimes at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd., and Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
Life of the Party
A devoted mom (Melissa McCarthy) decides to return to college to finish her degree alongside her daughter (Molly Gordon) following a bitter divorce in this comedy from Ben Falcone, who's not only director and co-writer (with McCarthy) but also her husband. Reviews aren't great, but show some promise: "Nothing much really happens in Life of the Party (except for a pleasantly silly twist that I didn’t see coming), but McCarthy makes Deanna so endearing that it doesn’t much matter; it’s fun to watch her eyes shine in wonderment at the joy of being a student again," writes the Seattle Times' Moira Macdonald. (PG-13 for sexual material, drug content and partying; click here for showtimes at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16)
Special engagements
Digimon Adventure Tri.: Coexistence
Not gonna lie: I know nothing about this series and can't make heads nor tails of its description. So I'll just quote it: "Meicoomon once again begins to rampage when she sees her partner Meiko injured by a mysterious man. Meicoomon, who disappeared into the real world, is a distortion itself—in possession of too much power, and a key to destroying the world. The arrival of rampaging Meicoomon starts the countdown to the real world’s collapse." So, fans, you can see it at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Sunset Boulevard
The beloved noir drama Sunset Boulevard will screen at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16 as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series. If you love movies and have yet to see this classic, get to the theater. It's a must-see.
American Dream: Detroit
Singer Michael Bolton hosts this look back at the city's history and optimistic examination of its future. It'll screen at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hollywood 16.
Macbeth
The National Theatre production of this Shakespearean classic, starring Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff, will stream at 7 p.m. May 17 at Amarillo Star 14. These major theatrical productions are a rare treat, so don't miss out.
Upcoming
May 18: Advance tickets are on sale for adult dramedy Book Club and comic book sequel Deadpool 2 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. Advance tickets also are on sale for children's comedy Show Dogs at Amarillo Star 14; Hollywood 16 could follow.
May 20 to 23: The Studio Ghibli Fest 2018 continues with Porco Rosso at both the Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. An English-dubbed version will screen at 12:55 p.m. May 20 and 7 p.m. May 23, with a subtitled version screening at 7 p.m. May 21.
May 22: The inspirational documentary Godspeed — The Race Across America charts an attempt by racers Jerry Schemmel and Brad Cooper to make it across America on bicycles. It'll screen at 7 p.m. May 22 at Amarillo Star 14.
May 25: Advance tickets for the embattled sci-fi prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story, starring Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover, are on sale now at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
May 30: Based on the memoir, A Chance in the World tells the story of adoption advocate Steve Pemberton and his struggles surviving in the foster system. A live-streamed panel discussion will follow. It'll screen at 7 p.m. May 30 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
May 31: Faith-based documentary Andy Irons: Kissed by God details the story of champion surfer Irons and his struggles with bipolar disorder and opioid addiction. A streamed Q&A will follow. It'll screen at 7 p.m. May 31 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 1: Brutal comedy Action Point and survival drama Adrift are scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale. Vol. 2 of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero's Best F(r)iends will screen at 8 p.m. June 1 and June 4 at Amarillo Star 14.
June 3 and 6: The TCM Big Screen Classics series continues with The Producers, screening at 2 and 7 p.m. June 3 and 6 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 7: Advance tickets are now on sale for horror film Hereditary at the Hollywood 16; Amarillo Star 14 should follow.
June 8: Action thriller Hotel Artemis and heist flick Ocean's 8 are scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
June 11: The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) learns the origins of his deadliest foes in Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks, a cinema-length director's cut of one of the most popular Doctor Who serials ever made. It'll screen at 7 p.m. June 11 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 12: A National Theatre Live screening of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a theatrical adaptation of the acclaimed book (which itself is part of PBS's The Great American Read) will screen at 7 p.m. June 12 at Amarillo Star 14.
June 13: Watch the original The Incredibles and sequel The Incredibles 2 in a special double-feature event at 6 p.m. June 13 at Amarillo Star 14.
June 14 and 19: The original Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys are back to poke fun at a notoriously cheeseball '80s sci-fi film in RiffTrax Live: Space Mutiny. It'll stream live at 7 p.m. June 14 and encore at 7:30 p.m. June 19 at Amarillo Star 14.
June 14: Advance tickets are on sale now for Pixar superhero sequel The Incredibles 2 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 15: Action thriller Superfly and action comedy Tag also are scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
June 17 to 20: The Studio Ghibli Fest 2018 continues with ecological fable Pom Poko at both the Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. An English-dubbed version will screen at 12:55 p.m. June 17 and 7 p.m. June 20, with a subtitled version screening at 7 p.m. June 18.
June 21: Top drum corps Blue Stars, Bluecoats, Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, The Cavaliers and Phantom Regiment will show off their new shows at 2018 DCI Tour Premiere, screening live at 7:30 p.m. June 21 at Hollywood 16.
June 22: Action-adventure sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
June 24 and 27: The TCM Big Screen Classics series continues with beloved musical West Side Story, screening at 2 and 7 p.m. June 24 and 27 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 25 and 28: Broadway show Bandstand, a swing musical about a group of soldiers adapting to life on the homefront following World War II, will screen at 7 p.m. June 25 and 28 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
June 29: Comedies The Hustle and Uncle Drew and action thriller Sicario: Day of the Soldado are scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Listings at a glance
Click on titles for my reviews and on theaters for showtimes.
Avengers: Infinity War (AS-14, H-16, Tascosa Drive-In, 1999 Dumas Drive, and Sandell Drive-In, 12 S. Center Drive in Clarendon); Back to Burgundy (WM-6); Bad Samaritan (H-16); Black Panther (H-16); Blockers (AS-14, H-16); Breaking In (AS-14, H-16); I Can Only Imagine (AS-14); I Feel Pretty (AS-14, H-16); Isle of Dogs (AS-14); Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (WM-6); Life of the Party (AS-14, H-16); The Miracle Season (WM-6); Overboard (AS-14, H-16); Pacific Rim Uprising (WM-6); Peter Rabbit (WM-6); A Quiet Place (AS-14, H-16); Rampage (AS-14, H-16 and Sandell); Ready Player One (AS-14); Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (WM-6); Super Troopers 2 (AS-14, H-16 and Tascosa); Truth or Dare (AS-14, H-16); Tully (H-16); and A Wrinkle in Time (AS-14, H-16).
Chip Chandler is a producer for Panhandle PBS and a member of GALECA. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
