The final week of August brings unexpectedly strong genre offerings.
Leading off we have Yeon Song-ho's newest, Colony, which our critic calls "another certified classic" from the Train to Busan director. We are also particularly interested in seeing Filipiana, which looks wonderfully odd, and has received extremely positive reviews from those who've seen it at festivals.
Speaking of odd, our critic called Buddy "a darkly humorous, gruesomely visualized parody." Decidedly less odd, though no less intriguing, Ridley Scott's new film, The Dog Stars, is yet another post-apocalyptic thriller. Happily, the dogs survive (in the trailer).
Among the limited releases, our critic quite liked Coyote Vs Acme, describing it as "a diverting pleasure." We are just as eager to lay our eyes upon Boorman and the Devil, now that the documentary about the making of a sequel is reaching general release.
Rounding things out are an action thriller and the newest comic drama from Joe Swanberg, this time set in Alaska, of all places. Here's a roundup of what to see in movie theaters this coming weekend.
Colony
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Well Go USA.
Our review by J Hurtado: "Zombies in a mall, you say? It's been done before but leave it to Korean genre master Yeon Song-ho to take everything you think you know about the living dead and crank it up to eleven and you've got another certified classic in Colony."
Official synopsis: "Horror master Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) directs a new Korean zombie thriller starring Gianna Jun and Koo Kyo-hwan. Professor Se-jeong (Jun) is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference causing authorities to seal the facility. Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong along with a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations."
Filipiana
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Kino Lorber.
The trailer whets our appetite for the critically-acclaimed film. Look for our review later this week, as well as an interview with the director.
Official synopsis: "Amid stifling heat and pervasive drought, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, works at a posh country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men to drive into the verdant horizon. New to the job, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling its luxuries as members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the club president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the club's doting and subservient staff.
"But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman). The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past."
Buddy
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Roadside Attractions.
If you spent your Saturday mornings as a child watching television, you may relate.
Our review by Mel Valentin: "For anyone to revisit the terrors of their maladjusted childhoods, co-writer/director Casper Kelly and co-writer Jamie King have the answer to your nightmares, Buddy. A darkly humorous, gruesomely visualized parody, Buddy will make you see Barney & Friends in a new, utterly horrific light."
Official synopsis: "Inside the colorful world of 'It's Buddy!', a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world."
The Dog Stars
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via 20th Century Studios.
Ridley Scott directs. Mark L. Smith adapts from Peter Heller's best-selling novel. Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney star.
Official synopsis: "A riveting, epic thriller set in a world where survival is instinct, but humanity is a choice. [Ridley] Scott tells the story of Hig, a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley, has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world until a mysterious radio transmission spurs Hig to venture into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exists."
Coyote vs Acme
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Ketchup Entertainment. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Who doesn't love Wile E. Coyote? Some humans are in this, too.
Our review by Daniel Eagan: "Frankly, the politics and economics behind Coyote vs. Acme aren't as interesting as the movie itself, a diverting pleasure that occasionally evokes real belly laughs."
Official synopsis: "After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back.
"Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote's chaotic catastrophes."
Boorman and the Devil
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Yellow Veil Pictures.
I've heard very good things about this documentary as it has made its way around the festival circuit.
Official synopsis: "After directing Point Blank and Deliverance, John Boorman was offered to direct The Exorcist II. The film became a massive failure, nearly ending his career. Years later, cast and filmmakers discuss its ambition and artistic value."
Legend of the White Dragon
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via Well Go USA.
The action thriller was directed by Aaron Schoenke & Sean Schoenke. The cast includes Mark Dacascos, who explains things in the trailer.
Official synopsis: "Jason David Frank is the White Dragon. Forced to hide in the shadows, fugitive hero Erik Reed must clear his name to reunite with his family. Standing in his way is a mysterious villain obsessed with destroying the White Dragon for good."
The Sun Never Sets
The film opens Friday, August 28, only in movie theaters, via IFC Films.
Director Joe Swanberg goes to Alaska! Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith star, with Debby Ryan, Anna Konkle, Lamorne Morris, and Karley Sciortino.
Official synopsis: "Wendy finds her life upended when her boyfriend Jack --older, divorced, and with children-- asks for space to reassess their relationship. During their separation, Wendy reconnects with her ex, Chuck, sparking an emotionally charged love triangle that forces all three to confront the realities of love, timing, and personal growth."
Opening This Week celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.