CineFile is our weekly digest of the best in Dallas’ under-the-radar cinematic fare—from indie movies, to documentaries, to foreign films, to re-screenings of the (cult) classics. Here’s what you could be watching:
Nashville (1975)
Drama
Dir.: Robert Altman
Runtime: 160 min.
Landmark Magnolia Theatre
Tuesday, January 28, at 7:30 pm
The master Altman’s best is this portrait of the Nashville, Tennessee, country- and gospel-music scenes, which epitomizes his trenchant satire, rich ensembles, and naturalistic dialogue.
Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
Comedy, Fantasy
Dir.: William Dear
Runtime: 110 min.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Thursday, January 30, at 7:30 pm
It isn’t quite E.T., but this John Lithgow- and Sasquatch-starrer still has a special place in our hearts. The foursquare Henderson family adopts a Bigfoot after their station wagon collides with it; antics ensue. Sherman, Texas-based 903 Brewers will serve up their newest brew, the Sasquatch Double Chocolate Milk Stout.
Mother of George (2013)
Drama
Dir.: Andrew Dosunmu
Runtime: 107 min.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 and 8 pm
Saturday, Feb. 1, at 5 pm
Sunday, Feb. 2, at 12, 2, and 4 pm
A Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn, New York, struggle to conceive a child, a problem that implicates cultural expectations and that could impel the couple to take drastic action. Mother of George premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
The Square (2013)
Documentary
Dir.: Jehane Noujaim
Runtime: 95 min.
The Texas Theatre
Friday, January 31, at 7:15 pm
Full disclosure: you can stream it on Netflix. But the riveting events of the Arab Spring, as captured by this Oscar-nominated documentary, take on added dimension on the big screen. Follow Egyptian revolutionaries as they fight to upend a decades-old military regime, a political drama that continues yet.
Big Bad Wolves (2013)
Thriller
Dir.: Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado
Runtime: 110 min.
The Texas Theatre
Friday, January 31, at 9:45 pm
Saturday, February 1, at 6:15 pm
Israeli slasher-film stalwarts Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado take a vacation from the genre with this raw, grabs-you-by-the-ahem revenge thriller involving a possibly homicidal religious-studies teacher (aren’t they all?). Quentin Tarantino—who knows a thing or two about the genre—calls it the “best film of the year.”
OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS
Angelika Film Center & Cafe – Plano
Friday, January 31 – Showtimes
The Angelika Plano screens the 2014 nominees for Best Short Film–Live Action.
That Wasn’t Me (Dir.: Esteban Crespo)
Just Before Losing Everything (Dir.: Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras)
Helium (Dir.: Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson)
Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (Dir.: Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari)
The Voorman Problem (Dir.: Mark Gill and Baldwin Li)
