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Local movers and shakers in the design and sound scenes are appearing tonight on a virtual stage technically far from home, by way of Chicago-based Experimental Sound Studio’s stream “In Particulates,” the latest occurrence of their Quarantine Concerts.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Tom and Jerry, My Zoe, Night of the Kings and more
17 Blocks ***
As powerful as Davy Rothbart’s documentary is at times, it feels like one huge miscalculation keeps it from being monumental. Much of its impact comes from its scope: Rothbart meets 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his 15-year-old brother Smurf on a Washington, D.C. basketball court, then proceeds to follow the family—including their mother Cheryl and sister Denice—for 20 years.
Flora & Ulysses, Blithe Spirit, I Care a Lot and more
Blithe Spirit **
Cinematic farce has a spotty history, largely because the manic energy required to maintain the premise doesn’t translate particularly well to the screen. Director Edward Hall—an episodic television veteran overseeing his first feature—essays Noël Coward’s 1941 play about a blocked writer named Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) whose lark of a home séance with medium Madame Arcati (Judi Dench) results in the apparition of his late first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), much to the consternation of Charles’ second wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher).
At the annual meeting of the Utah Film Critics Association, Lee Isaac Chung’s autobiographical drama Minari took Best Picture honors, leading a wide-ranging list of winners.
For many folks, last year was a quiet one, spent staying away from excessive friend gatherings, social distancing and generally staying indoors and away from the public.
Judas and the Black Messiah, Minari, The Mauritanian and more
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar ***
Surreal endeavors like this should be referred to as “mood comedies”—I can easily understand someone checking out early, but man was I apparently in the right mood for it. Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig co-wrote and co-star as Barb and Star, two permed and culotte-wearing best friends from Soft Rock, Nebraska who work together, finish each other’s thoughts and even moved in together after they were respectively widowed and divorced.
Utah natives The Aces are back with two new bonus tracks from their summer 2020 release Under My Influence, and it’s more of the good they’ve been consistently churning out all through their young career.
