Today is a holiday in North America, a rare point of agreement between the two countries, though it's Labour Day in Canada and Labor Day in the U.S.
Whatever you call it, it's not a holiday for Screen Anarchy. We are dedicated 24/7 to ferreting out news from around the world and publishing critical opinions in our reviews from the wild, wonderful world of genre fare. (Full disclosure: Sometimes, we fall asleep in front of our computers.)
This week, we will be primarily occupied with covering the Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday. (Look for our curtain-opener feature later this week.) In our off-hours, and for those who will not be covering the festival, either in person or via remote opportunities, here are the genre films that are opening in movie theaters.
Interestingly, the wide releases are choosing to open on Wednesday or Thursday, rather than the now-traditional Friday, out of respect, perhaps, for what happened on September 11, 2001. The indie distributors, however, are fearlessly opening their releases on Friday.
Hope
The film opens Wednesday, September 9, only in movie theaters, via Neon.
From the Cannes screening earlier this year, our review by Lou Cai: "Overall, Hope is a sci-fi blockbuster that may meet mainstream expectations, but offers little of interest beyond its rather routine action sequences. ... Yet after sitting through this year's Competition lineup, which skewed heavily introspective, I found myself appreciating Hope for at least bringing a moment of pure entertainment to the festival."
Official synopsis: "In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung- min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung- ki (Zo In-Sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions."
The Uprising
The film opens Thursday, September 10, only in movie theaters, via Focus Features.
"Directed by Paul Greengrass" is enough to get me in the theater. Look for our review later this week.
Official synopsis: "Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King's might in a fight for justice."
Practical Magic 2
The film opens Thursday, September 10, only in movie theaters, via Warner Bros..
The 1998 original was directed by Griffin Dunne. The sequel arrives nearly 30 years later under the direction of Susanna Bier. Look for our review later this week.
Official synopsis: "Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Practical Magic 2 returns to a world steeped in moonlit mischief and powerful ancestral magic, as the Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all in a must-see cinematic event of fun, magic and mayhem."
Black Zombie
The film opens Friday, September 11, only in movie theaters, via Kino Lorber.
I first heard about this documentary earlier this year at SXSW, and it sounds fascinating.
Official synopsis: "Black Zombie digs beneath the blood-soaked spectacle of modern horror to uncover the zombie's buried and unsettling origins. Long before it became associated with flesh-eating ghouls, the zombie was a living metaphor for slavery: not a monster, but the ultimate victim of colonial power. A symbol of stolen agency was recast as an object of fear, while Black spiritual traditions were distorted, sensationalized, and erased.
"Director Maya Annik Bedward traces the evolution of the zombie from colonial Haiti to contemporary Hollywood, reconsidering iconic films like White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, and The Serpent and the Rainbow alongside archival footage, vérité scenes, and interviews with cultural historians, artists, and genre legends including Yves-Grégory Francois, Mambo Labelle Déesse, Slash, Tom Savini, and Zandashé Brown.
"Part cultural reckoning, part horror remix, Black Zombie exposes how a figure born from enslavement, spiritual belief, and resistance was transformed into one of pop culture's most profitable monsters."
On a String
The film opens Friday, September 11, only in movie theaters, via via Joke Zero.
Isabel Hagen wrote and directed, and also stars.
From last year's Tribeca Festival, our review by Daniel Eagan: "A man on his knees proposes to a woman in a park while someone plays Chopin in the background. It's a classic romantic movie moment, only On a String will carefully and calmly subvert every expectation it raises."
Official synopsis: "A Juilliard-trained musician navigates the New York City freelance classical musician scene, playing gigs that often draw her into the personal lives of strangers, all while living in her oddball family's NYC apartment."
The Fix
The film opens Friday, September 11, only in movie theaters, via Inaugural Entertainment and Briarcliff Entertainment.
Zachary Levi leads the cast, which includes Liam Neeson in a supporting role, in an action-thriller set largely in the Middle East.
Official synopsis: "The Fix follows a group of war-torn CIA operators mentored by 'Larry' (Liam Neeson) and led by 'Tucker' (Zachary Levi) who, after their mission in Afghanistan goes tragically wrong, enter the heart of Tehran to earn redemption by pulling off a daring rescue."
Opening This Week celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.