Creation Myths

lifeitselfThat weird July effect is in full swing, with just one major-studio opening and everything else sort of just eyeing it warily. Shall we dive in?

Begin Again: Largely dismissed at TIFF last year when it was called  Can a Song Save Your Life?, John Carney’s follow-up to Once pairs Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley as makers of music, singers of songs. Rad does not applaud.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: You know how  Rise of the Planet of the Apes was kind of, how you say, terrible? Matt Reeves’s follow-up ignores it almost completely, which turns out to be a pretty smart move.

Doc of the Dead: The guys who made The People Vs. George Lucas return with another disappointingly superficial look at a rich cultural phenomeon. Darn the luck.

Life Itself: Steve James’ terrific documentary about the life and death of Roger Ebert goes into wide release — and tonight’s 7pm screening at the Lightbox will be introduced by his widow, Chaz. It’s going to be a rough night.

Men of the Cloth: There’s a great documentary to be made about Italian suiting. This is not that documentary. More’s the pity.

Radio Free Albemuth: Shot in 2007, first screened in 2011 and finally arriving in theatres, John Alan Simon’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s posthumously published novel feels like more of a riff on the author’s ideas than a self-contained narrative — though that isn’t necessarily the worst idea. My review will be up later this afternoon.

4 thoughts on “Creation Myths”

  1. Saw Dawn of the Planet of the Apes today…caught what seemed like a couple of well-timed bits that sounded like the discordant 2001 monolith music on the score. Great musical reference on their part if that was intentionally done.

  2. I heard that each movie wanted to use a different half of the original piece.

    The copyright lawyer only found out at the last minute, so he declared, “I’ll get on that Ligeti-split!”

    HEY-OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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