It’s Awards Season. Apparently. Which means we here at Reel Psyched are staying as far, far away from TV screens as is possible in this day and age, lest we’re tricked into watching the fashion police spew racist crap or pop stars we were 100 percent sure were dead until now jiggle impossibly across some seizure-inducing nightmare of a stage set. It’s all so demonic when you think about it, really. And all of this disturbing spectacle is in the name of… movies? Like, how? Rather than watch perfectly white teeth teetering on top of high heels, fight back against all the inanity and celebrate the movies for reals.
Maps To The Stars
Again with the Cronenberg you say? Well yes, but get excited because Maps to the Stars is the latest film from the master of bizarro, splattery psychological terrorism. Two words: Julianne Moore. She’s perfectly Hollywood as a betchy, narcissistic aging actress. So you might not feel that bad for her when she exercises her terrible judge of character and ends up hiring a personal assistant who just so happens to be a dangerous psychotic. In fact, you might feel a twisted tinge of satisfaction watching Moore’s character squirm. Maps is clearly a far cry from Videodrome, but it’s sort of welcome. Here we see Cronenberg turning a new leaf, an almost Lynchian one. The film delves into the deeply depraved undertakings of the upper echelons of the Hollywood elite and reveals Cronenberg at his most humorous and bleakest. Friday February 27th through Thursday March 5th at Nitehawk Cinema, tickets: $11
Futuro Beach
A lifeguard (Donato) working at a notoriously dangerous beach in Brazil fails at doing what lifeguards are supposed to do and only succeeds in saving one of two drowning friends from the treacherous waters. But lucky for Donato, the guy he saves (Konrad) is the cute one. The two of them end up forging a love bond made super awkward by the fact that Konrad sort of blames Donato for his pal’s death. Like, jeez dude, don’t you think Donato feels bad enough? Tension aside, the two fall in love and Donato decides to leave his life in Brazil (including a little bro and a dying mother) behind to go live with Konrad in Berlin. Not sure what happens to Donato after that, besides spirited gyrating in clubs and floating languidly in a weird scuba tube, but whatever it is, it looks like he’s having something halfway between an amazing and emotionally fraught time. Critics describe this film as “gorgeous,” but it remains to be seen whether or not it’s all style and no substance. But hey, sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered. Friday February 27th through Thursday March 5th at IFC Center, tickets: $14
The Smell of Us
Larry Clark is back with an NSFW trailer and a definitely NSFW film. At first glance it seems like there aren’t many surprises here– teenagers doing naughty stuff, prostitution, drugs, though some olds are in the mix this time around. But wait, this film’s in… French? Perhaps Clark, in anticipation of the film possibly being banned or effectively banned in the U.S. (see Ken Park), made a French film because Americans can better accept a film knowing that it’s about French people who are, you know, naturally lewd and indecent. Don’t get your hopes up though if you heard rumors that Clark might appear at this screening, apparently that Q+A has been cancelled. Thursday February 26th, 8:45 pm at Film Society at Lincoln Center, tickets: $14
What We Do In The Shadows
Ok, you can definitely call me a dork for wanting to see this. Guilty as charged. But c’mon, be a dork with me. This vampire satire a la Shaun of the Dead‘s zombie satire was written by the guys from Flight of the Conchords so it’s gotta be good. Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are loveably awkward vampire roommates who are just tryin’ to live their (eternally undead) lives in peace. But their comfortable if not monotonous existence is turned upside down when one of the guys brings home hip mortal dude Nick with a plan to make him into one of their own. Hilarious results, etc., etc. Thursday February 26th through Tuesday March 3rd at Sunshine Cinema, tickets: $13.50
