FILM CAPSULES CP
= CITY PAPER APPROVED
NEW THIS WEEK A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY. Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge’s new documentary takes viewers deep into the world of the iconic small plastic bricks, from the toy’s somewhat fiery origins in Denmark to its big-screen incarnation in last year’s The Lego Movie. Some of the material will be familiar to even the casual assembler, but the film finds interesting angles amidst seemingly Mega-Marketing Movie-Tie-In World of Lego. Crazy creativity still abounds among hobbyists, and even Lego sponsors contests for players to come up with new designs. Among street artists, there is such a thing as Lego-bombing. And one Lego enthusiast makes a decent argument that Lego is a universal human language, in which everyone everywhere can, without any instruction, fit two or more blocks together and build something. 7:30 p.m. Thu., July 30; 1 p.m. Sat., Aug. 1; 3 p.m. Sun., Aug. 2; 7:30 p.m. Mon., Aug. 3; and 7:30 p.m. Wed., Aug. 5. Hollywood (Al Hoff)
Vacation I AM CHRIS FARLEY. This new documentary from Brent Hodge and Derik Murray looks at the life and career of comedian Farley, who rose to fame on Saturday Night Live before dying of a drug overdose, in 1997. Among those interviewed are Farley’s family and fellow SNL-ers David Spade, Adam Sandler and Mike Myers. Starts Fri., July 31. Parkway, McKees Rocks MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — ROGUE NATION. Ethan Hunt and the team from IMF must take on the Syndicate, an international organization of highly skilled trouble-makers. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Ferguson star; Christopher McQuarrie (Edge of Tomorrow) directs. Starts Fri., July 31 PAPER TOWNS. This coming-of-age comedy directed by Jake Schreier and adapted from a novel by John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) doesn’t quite find its groove. It sets up its protagonist, the somewhat nerdy high school senior Quentin (Nat Wolff), who has an obsession with Margo (Cara Delevingne), the wild and popular girl across the street. The two share a crazy night of pranking, during which Margo browbeats him into having fun, then promptly disappears. This initiates a teen-detective plot in which Quentin and his two pals search for Margo, even undertaking an epic road trip. There are lessons (bitter and sweet), hugs, curiously absent parents and an unsatisfying end. Much of the film follows the tired formula of examining the world of guys obsessed with unattainable girls, and though the final reel offers some reality about the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, it’s delivered too late to be effective. (AH) SHAUN THE SHEEP. From Aardman Studios (Wallace and Gromit) comes a new stop-motion animated comedy in which Shaun the Sheep and some of his wooly cohorts escape the farm for a
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Paper Towns trip to the big city. Mark Burton and Richard Starzak direct. Starts Wed., Aug. 5 VACATION. A sequel-slash-rework of the eponymous 1983 Chevy Chase road comedy, in which the kid from the first film, now grown up, takes his family on the same cross-country trip to Wally World. In this contemporary version, co-directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, Rusty (Ed Helms) loads up the wife (Christina Applegate) and his two boys into a rental van (a weird Eastern European model that comes with some very odd features), and drives straight into Crass Comedy Land. There is nothing in this film that viewers haven’t seen in dozens of other low-rent road-trip films, from the pubic-hair pile to projectile vomiting, naked breasts to a giant (prosthetic) penis, ridiculous car wrecks and romantic assignations that go wrong. (There did seem to be more pedophile jokes than usual, not that that’s a good thing.) Helms and Applegate give it a go, but this is pretty thin material, and Chris Hemsworth stops by to show off his pecs. At the end, Chevy Chase phones in a bit that is more apt to remind viewers of all the times he isn’t funny than it is to summon warm memories of the earlier films. (AH)
REPERTORY
MELLON SQUARE CONCERT SERIES IS BACK!
CINEMA IN THE PARK. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Wed., July 29 (Schenley) and Sat., Aug. 1 (Riverview). Big Hero 6, Thu., July 30 (Brookline); Fri., July 31 (Arsenal); and Sat., Aug. 1 (Grandview). Earth to Echo, Sun., Aug. 2 (Schenley); Tue., Aug. 4 (West End/Elliott Overlook); and Thu., Aug. 6 (Brookline). Interstellar, Wed., Aug. 5 (Schenley). Films begin at dusk. 412-255-2493 or www.citiparks.net. Free
MELLON SQUARE
CONTINUES ON PG. 30
For more info visit:
www.bobfm969.com www.qburgh.com
SUMMER CONCERT
MELLON SQUARE PARK (D OWNTOWN) (DOWNTOWN)
S E R I E S
A Lego Brickumentary (2015) 7/30 @ 7:30pm, 8/1 @ 1:00pm, 8/2 @ 3:00pm, 8/3 @ 7:30pm, 8/5 @ 7:30pm - New documentary on the world’s favorite building blocks. ___________________________________________________
48Hour Film Project “Best Of” Screening 7/31 @ 6:30pm - Come see the results for this years awards! ___________________________________________________
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
7/31 @ 10:00pm - Live shadowcast by the JCCP at this special “early show”. ___________________________________________________
Can’t Stop The Serenity Pittsburgh
LIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL BANDS!
8/1 @ 5:00pm - Benefit for Equality Now with games, raffl e, and a screening of Serenity (2005). ___________________________________________________
The Warriors (1979)
8/1 @ 10:30pm, 8/2 @ 7:00pm, 8/4 @ 7:30pm, 8/5 @ 9:15pm, 8/6 @ 7:00pm - Walter Hill’s hip, super-stylized action film on the big screen!
TA S T E
EVERY THURSDAY - Now thru Aug. 27th • Noon-1pm
This Thursday, JULY 30: SKINNY TIE CLUB Next Thursday, AUG. 6: THE ANNAJAMES BAND
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