1. "How to Smell a Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock in Normandy" - (Limited Release Aug 12) Ricky Leacock, Al Maysles, Robert Gardner, Robert Drew, Les Blank: the generation that invented cinema verité and gave us a plethora of brilliant documentaries is passing away. Les Blank’s warm and moving portrait of Leacock and partner Valerie Lalonde in France includes marvelous clips of Leacock’s movies, including his earliest film, "Canary Bananas," made at age 14 on his father’s Canary Island plantation. Leacock is as charismatic recalling his cinematic triumphs (shooting Flaherty’s "Louisiana Story," filming Leonard Bernstein in Israel), as he is explaining why he quit drinking or quoting Escoffier on the making of a perfect bouillon.
2. "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." - Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo's only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe. "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, and Hugh Grant.
3. "Straight Outta Compton" - In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., "Straight Outta Compton" tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war. "Straight Outta Compton" stars Paul Giamatti, Aldis Hodge, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, and Neil Brown Jr..
4. "Final Girl" - In the film, Loner Veronica is new to school, shy and vulnerable, the perfect target for a group of teenage boys who lure girls into the woods to hunt and kill them for sport. It’s only after they get her alone that she turns the tables on them, escaping and revealing she’s armed and knows how to defend herself. Little do they know, Veronica is an assassin-in-training, and she’s chosen killing these boys as her final test. When the dust clears, Veronica will find out if she can be the final girl these boys ever have a chance to hurt. "Final Girl" stars Wes Bentley, Abigail Breslin, Alexander Ludwig, Connor Paolo, Logan Huffman, Michael Trevino, and Francesca Eastwood.
5. "Return to Sender" - Miranda is a dedicated nurse, an exquisite cake maker and an impeccable friend. But when she agrees to a blind date and the wrong man comes to her door…her perfect world is shattered by a brutal assault. Even after her attacker, William, is convicted and locked away for the crime, Miranda can’t overcome the fear and trauma enough to put her orderly life back together. Desperate for closure, she reaches out to William – first through letters, then prison visits – and slowly builds a relationship with him. But when William is paroled and comes looking for her, Miranda seizes the opportunity to exact revenge. "Return to Sender" stars Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Nolte, Camryn Manheim, Rumer Willis, and Illeana Douglas.
6. "Big Sky" - A teenage girl who suffers a mortal fear of open spaces, is enrolled in a high-end treatment facility by her mother in the hope that they can find a cure. When the van they are travelling in is suddenly attacked by two masked gunmen, she must confront her biggest fear and fight for her survival. "Big Sky" stars Bella Thorne, Kyra Sedgwick, Frank Grillo, and Aaron Tveit.
7. "Ten Thousand Saints" - A sweeping multigenerational story set against the backdrop of the raw, roaring New York City of the late 1980s; Adoption, teen pregnancy, drugs, hardcore punk rock, the unbridled optimism and reckless stupidity of the young—and old—are all major elements in this heart-aching tale of the son of diehard hippies and his strange odyssey through the extremes of late 20th century youth culture. "Ten Thousand Saints" stars Emile Hirsch, Julianne Nicholson, Emily Mortimer, Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield, and Hailee Steinfeld.
8. "Air" - In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent. Virtually all of humanity has disappeared and those chosen to reestablish society reside in a controlled state of suspended animation. Two engineers tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own sanity and lives while administering to their vital task at hand. "Air" stars Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou.
9. "The Boy" - It’s the summer of 1989. Nine-year-old Ted Henley and his father John are the proprietors of The Mtn. Vista Motel, a crumbling resort buried in the mountains of the American West. Since Ted's mother left, John has drifted into despondency—becoming a living ghost, haunting the motel—leaving Ted to fend for himself. In this isolation, unchecked by the bounds of parenting, Ted’s darker impulses begin to manifest. The arrival of a mysterious drifter, William Colby, captivates young Ted and the two form a unique friendship - setting the stage for Ted’s final, unnerving metamorphosis. "The Boy" stars Rainn Wilson, David Morse, Mike Vogel, Zuleikha Robinson, Bill Sage, and Jared Breeze.
10. "Mistress America" - Tracy is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes. "Mistress America" stars Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Matthew Shear, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Heather Lind, and Michael Chernus.
11. "Brothers: Blood Against Blood" - Gary Fernandes, a former alcoholic and street-fighter, returns home after serving a prison sentence of 10 long years to find that the wounds of the past still haunt his family. His two sons, David and Monty, who had parted ways as kids, are grown men now, but are still bitterly estranged. Gary himself carries the burden of his guilt. His elder son, David is an ex-fighter turned school teacher. He and his wife Jenny work hard to make ends meet and to provide the best they can for their ailing daughter Poopoo. Troubled financial circumstances drive a desperate David to return to the world of street fighting.
Meanwhile, Monty struggles with his lonely complex existence. An alcoholic, he is active in the world of street fighting, but lacks focus and determination. He strongly yearns for the acceptance, love and respect of his family. As the story unfolds, we see the journey of these three men, as they seek to find redemption and healing. Meanwhile, the arrival of ‘Right to Fight’ is announced in India — the biggest international event in mixed martial arts history. Both brothers, at the crossroads of their lives, end up enlisting to fight in this ‘Winner-takes-all’ event. And it is here after an age of estrangement, unknown to the two siblings, they finally stand to face off with each other and against their personal demons, in the ultimate final battle. It is said, that when a deep injury is done to us, we can never recover until we forgive. With twists and turns, pouring emotions and edge-of-the-seat action, will this final battle between the two brothers repair old wounds? "Brothers: Blood Against Blood" stars Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, and Jacqueline Fernandez.
12. "People Places Things" - Will Henry is a graphic novelist and a professor in NYC. At his adorable twin girls’ fifth birthday party, Will’s life is turned upside down when he walks in on the mother of his children, and longtime girlfriend, Charlie, with their friend Gary. One year later, Will is still alone and trying to put his life back together. He finds unexpected challenges when his talented student Kat tries to set Will up with her accomplished mother Diane. In this thoughtful comedy, Will is forced to navigate the unknown landscape of single fatherhood and dating in New York City, while remaining an inspiration for his students and coming to terms with himself both as a father as an artist. "People Places Things" stars Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne, Michael Chernus, Aundrea Gadsby, and Gia Gadsby.
13. "Amnesiac" - Kate Bosworth and Wes Bentley star in the psychological thriller "Amnesiac" about a man who wakes up in bed suffering from memory loss after being in an accident, only to begin to suspect that his wife may not be his real wife and that a web of lies and deceit deepen inside the house where he soon finds himself a prisoner.
14. "Meru" - The gripping, first-person account of three mountain climbers who set out to conquer the most challenging peak in the world. Featuring interviews with the climbers and their loved ones and commentary by author Jon Krakauer, the movie continuously returns to the astonishing footage filmed by the climbers themselves during their white-knuckle journey.
In the high-stakes pursuit of big-wall climbing, the Shark's Fin on Mount Meru may be the ultimate prize. Sitting 21,000 feet above the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the mountain's perversely stacked obstacles make it both a nightmare and an irresistible calling for some of the world's toughest climbers. In October 2008, renowned alpinists Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk arrived in India to tackle Meru. Their planned seven-day trip quickly declined into a 20-day odyssey in sub-zero temperatures with depleting food rations. Despite making it to within 100 meters of the elusive summit, their journey, like everyone before them, was not a successful one. Heartbroken and defeated, the trio returned to their everyday lives, where the siren song of Meru continued to beckon. By September 2011, Anker had convinced his two lifelong friends to undertake the Shark's Fin once more, under even more extraordinary circumstances than their first attempt. "Mere" is the story of that journey, an expedition through nature's harshest elements and one's complicated inner demons, and ultimately on to impossible new heights.
15. "One & Two" - In the confines of their isolated world, Zac and Eva (Timothée Chalamet and Kiernan Shipka) live under the constant watch of a father (Grant Bowler) that rules with strict routine and discipline. They live for nightfall - for moments of escape - and rely on each other for moments of levity.
After a long dormant illness returns, their mother (Elizabeth Reaser), once a beacon of light and joy, struggles to unite the family in an increasingly somber home. As their father searches for a divine answer to the heartbreaking circumstances of his crumbling world, Zac and Eva steal moments to explore burgeoning otherworldly abilities and to dream of a life free of limitations.
16. "Tom at the Farm" - After the sudden death of his lover, Guillaume, Tom, travels from his home in the city to a remote country farm for the funeral. Upon arriving, he’s shocked to find that Guillaume’s family knows nothing about him and was expecting a woman in his place. Torn between his own grief and that of the family, Tom keeps his identity a secret but soon finds himself increasingly drawn into a twisted, sexually-charged game by Guillaume’s aggressive brother, who suspects the truth. Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief, and savagery pervade this stirring tale. "Tom at the Farm" stars Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Lise Roy, Evelyne Brochu, and Caleb Landry Jones.
17. "Paulette" - After the death of her husband and the closing of her beloved bakery, the brash and opinionated Paulette lives alone in a housing project in a run-down suburb of Paris, with a meager retirement pension that’s not enough to make ends meet. When, one night, she notices the curious goings-on outside her building, Paulette sees it as a sign of fate, and embarks on a cheerful life of crime. Her gift for commerce and her cooking talents now offer so many opportunities for finding original solutions in the implementation of her new career.
This black-comedy was inspired by real events that took place in France among seniors who, neglected and ostracized by society, end up embarking on illicit endeavors to get by. It’s dark and fun and Paulette holds nothing back! "Paulette" stars Bernadette Lafont.
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