Films this Week
Check out the movies playing locally
Reviews
Movie Times
Santa Cruz area movie theaters >
New This Week
MAGIC MIKE XXL Oh, the very, very thinly veiled layer of sexual innuendo that oozes—no, explodes—from this “dance comedy.” But, hey, who can argue with abs, abs, abs? Channing Tatum (who really is a great dancer, guys) is back from stripper “retirement” to the daily grind with his best buddies, the Kings of Tampa. On their way to a stripper convention, Magic Mike (Tatum) is joined by veteran dancers Big Dick Richie, Tarzan, and Ken (who didn’t get a creative stage name) and some fresh faces as they thrust their way toward one last blow-out performance. And while it’s worth noting that a movie about a tight-knit group of female strippers would never be this successful at the box office, it’s a film for the giggles and the blushes and squeals of delight—like going to a male strip club, only cheaper and probably with better indoor climate control. Gregory Jacobs directs. Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomer co-star. (R) 115 minutes. Starts Friday.
THE OVERNIGHT Alex and Emily are new to Los Angeles; they’re exhausted parents of a young son struggling to keep the excitement in their marriage and, more importantly, to stay awake during most daylight hours. Played by Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling, the couple meets Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) who invites them over for a playdate with his wife and son—and it does become a playdate for the parents. Boy, does it ever. In Schilling’s first major film since stepping on the scene as Piper in Orange Is the New Black, The Overnight offers a glimpse into yuppie life behind closed doors that proves somewhat giddying in its comedic chaos, headed by a small but delightfully deadpan cast. Patrick Brice directs. Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, and Jason Schwartzman co-star. (R) 79 minutes.
TERMINATOR: GENISYS It would be hard for a Terminator film to be lamer than Terminator: Salvation, which was perhaps the first movie in history to make killer robots boring (just kidding, Chopping Mall! You blazed a trail). The trailers for the annoyingly spelled Terminator: Genisys at least make it look like it will be weirder, although nice job spoiling the big twist, dumbasses. Anyway, Arnie is also back as the time-traveling robot assassin who used to be badass until he started saying things like “Why do you cry?” Duh, I cry because they won’t stop making Terminator movies.
Film Events
CONTINUING EVENT: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MOVIES Film buffs are invited Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. to downtown Santa Cruz, where each week the group discusses a different current release. For our location and discussion topic, go tohttps://groups.google.com/group/LTATM.
Now Playing
A LITTLE CHAOS Reviewed this issue. Rated R. 116 minutes.
ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST In his directorial debut, Andrea Di Stefano takes on the dark and dangerous world of Pablo Escobar’s Colombian drug cartel. Played by Hunger Games sweetheart Josh Hutcherson, Nick ventures from Canada to the Columbian coast in search of a surf paradise. He stumbles upon the beautifully alluring Maria—none other than Escobar’s niece. Nick becomes initiated into the family and with their acceptance come the responsibilities of an Escobar, forcing Nick to grapple with the moral implications of his new adopted family. Josh Hutcherson, Benicio Del Toro, and Brady Corbet co-star. (R) 120 minutes. Starts Friday.
MAX Trained as a precision military dog, Max served on the frontlines of Afghanistan with his handler, U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott until things go terribly awry and Wincott is mortally wounded. Traumatized by the loss of his best friend, the canine is unable to return to service and thus shipped stateside to Wincott’s family where the fallen soldier’s brother develops an unlikely bond with the four-legged veteran. Boaz Yakin directs. Thomas Haden Church, Josh Wiggins, and Luke Kleintank co-star. (PG) 111 minutes. Starts Friday.
TED 2 The lovably foul-mouthed teddy is back—and this time, he wants to produce a spawn of his own (terrifying, we know). However, as anyone who’s survived a trip to Build-A-Bear knows, the insides of a Teddy are not conducive to reproduction, hence why Ted asks John to provide the goods. What ensues is a typically hilarious battle for civil rights (“we’ll take it all the way up to Judge Judy if we have to”) so that Ted can prove he’s a human and keep the child he’s always wanted. Seth MacFarlane directs. Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, and Amanda Seyfried co-star. (R) 115 minutes. Starts Friday.
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH: Jon Snow—what are you doing in World War I England? It seems that Winter came and went as Game of Thrones star Harington makes his first major film debut in this war drama based on the namesake memoir by Vera Brittain. Presented by BBC, the young Vera defies the conventions of her times, trying desperately to ignore the wiles of dashing Roland Leighton (Harington—who likely still knows nothing) as she accepts her position at Oxford. Conflict arises when the star-crossed lovers find themselves in the pull of the WWI volunteerism and the devastating realities of the lost generation. James Kent directs. Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, and Taron Egerton co-star. (PG-13) 129 minutes. Starts Friday.
