Kam Williams’ Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Me Before You
Me Before You is an adaptation of Jojo Moyes’ romance novel about a love story between a small town nurse and a wealthy gentleman who was paralyzed and then becomed depressed after a motorcycle accident. Emilia Clarke plays the nurse and Sam Claflin plays the gentleman. Included in the supporting cast are Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, and Vanessa Kirby. Me Before You is rated PG-13 due to suggestive material and mature themes.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a musical mockumentary revolving around the trials and tribulations of a desperate one-hit wonder, whose second album is flopping. Andy Samberg plays the one-hit wonder. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Silverman, Imogen Poots, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph. There are celebrity cameo appearances by Simon Cowell, Jimmy Fallon, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Adam Levine, Usher and Seal. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is rated R because of the sexuality, drug use, graphic nudity and pervasive profanity.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a live-action adaptation of the video game of the same name has the crime-fighting quartet battling their nemesis, Shredder. The four crime-fighters are Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Alan Ritchson and Jeremy Howard. Shredder, played by Brian Tee, has revenge on his mind, and he teams up with Tyler Perry as a diabolical mad scientist. With Megan Fox, Laura Linney, Will Arnett and Brad Garrett. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is rated PG 13 for sci-fi violence.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Approaching the Unknown
Approaching the Unknown is a sci-fi thriller about an American astronaut, played by Mark Strong, on a one-way mission to Mars. With Luke Wilson, Sanaa Lathan and Charles Baker. Approaching the Unknown is rated R for profanity.
Art Bastard
Art Bastard is a reverential biopic about the maverick artist Robert Cenedella, an inveterate iconoclast who has managed to enjoy an enduring career without compromising his rebellious spirit. Art Bastard is unrated.
The Final Master
The Final Master is a martial arts adventure, set in China before World War II, about an ambitious Wing Chun practitioner, played by FanLiao. Before he can open his own karate school, he must first defeat 8 dojos. With Jia Song, Wenli Jiang and Shih-Chieh Chin. The Final Master is unrated. (In Mandarin and English with subtitles)
The Fits
The Fits is a coming-of-age drama, set in Cincinnati, Ohio. Royalty Hightower plays an 11 year-old tomboy looking for acceptance. She joins a tight-knit dance team at the local rec center. supporting cast includes Alexis Neblett, Inayah Rodgers and Makyla Burnam. The Fits is unrated.
The God Cells
The God Cells is a controversial healthcare documentary. It explores the viability of fetal stem cell injection therapy for a variety of neurological and immunological ailments. Every day, there are around 100,000 abortions throughout the world. That is 40 million every year. The God Cells is unrated.
It’s So Easy and Other Lies
It’s So Easy and Other Lies is a warts-and-all biopic about Guns N’ Roses’ bass player Duff McKagan. The documentary chronicles his fame and fortune plus his struggle with alcohol and drugs, that was almost fatal. Featuring commentary by Slash, Nikki Sixx and Benny Urquidez. It’s So Easy and Other Lies is unrated.
Time to Choose
Time to Choose is an eco-documentary, directed by Oscar-winner Charles Ferguson and narrated by Oscar Isaac, exploring solutions for the climate change crisis. Time to Choose is unrated.
Urge
Urge is a suspense thriller in which Pierce Brosnan plays a mysterious nightclub owner who introduces some revelers to a new designer drug which strips them of their inhibitions. With Ashley Greene, Alexis Knapp and Danny Masterson. Urge is rated R for disturbing violence and sexual behavior, drug use and pervasive profanity.
The Witness
The Witness is a bystander effect documentary that revisits the murder of 28 year-old Kitty Genovese in Queens in the early hours of March 13, 1964. The noise of that murder woke 38 of her neighbors. Not one of those neighbors called the police. The Witness is unrated.
