American Hot Wax
Floyd Mutrux's 1978 film (made way too late to capitalize on the success of George Lucas' American Graffiti) looks at the early days of rock 'n' roll, with Tim McIntire as Alan Freed and Jay Leno as his limo driver. Featuring performances from Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and more. Screening introduced by rock critic Greil Marcus.
Cinescopio
A series showcasing "Latin American classic cinema from the golden era of film." This installment: 1953's Pepe El Toro.
Commando
"Don't disturb my friend. He's dead tired."
An Evening With
Community-Based Storytellers
An interactive documentary project looking at the future of rural America through short films and projects.
Furious 7
A big cartoony jumble of action and melodrama that also zeros in on the series' heartfelt core. Furious 7 isn't the first Fast & Furious movie that had me clapping and laughing throughout; it is the first that ended with me realizing I had a lump in my throat. ERIK HENRIKSEN
The Hunting Ground
The new documentary from Kirby Dick examines sexual assault cases on college campuses, and identifies a troubling pattern: Universities nationwide seem to be covering up sexual violence—for the dull, damning reason that higher crime reporting can hurt a school's reputation. This is all fucking awful to watch (bringing both whiskey and Kleenex to the theater seems wise), but there's hope: Dick follows Andrea Pino and Annie Clark, who, after having their cases mishandled by the University of North Carolina, filed a complaint against the school under Title IX, which outlaws gender discrimination at schools receiving public funding. UNC is now one of 94 schools under investigation by the US Department of Education. MEGAN BURBANK
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The 1956 one, with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter.
It Follows
Horror movies can often be such a perfunctory, slapdash affair—make offscreen noise, throw cat at actress, repeat—that fans are understandably quick to crank the hype to 11 whenever something promising surfaces. When a film comes along that actually delivers, it's hard to hold back the hosannas. It Follows is one of those rare scary machines where everything just clicks together, with a ferociously single-minded rightness that keeps the nerves in a state of high, perpetual thrum. ANDREW WRIGHT
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Brothers David and Nathan Zellner had already begun work on fictionalizing the "true" tale of a young Tokyo woman thought to have died looking for the suitcase of money that was buried in the Coen brothers' Fargo when they found out that wasn't quite the case. Takako Konishi had died of exposure in the snow, but she did so intentionally, as was revealed in a suicide note she penned to her parents. Nonetheless, the Zellners pushed on with their project, modeled after the original version of the Konishi legend. The premise isn't the only unbelievably bizarre moment in Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, but the moments in the film that shine brightest are those in which the most liberties have been taken. MARJORIE SKINNER
Kung Fu Theater
A rare 35mm print of the obscure A Fistful of Talons, in which a revolutionary goes up against an evil government with the help of a friend and her farm full of eagles. BOBBY ROBERTS
Legends from the Sky
Fans of low-budget genre fare might want to check out this sci-fi thriller, in which Native American mythology is blended with UFO conspiracy theories. Legends from the Sky feels stilted and overlong, but it also offers an earnest, fresh perspective. ERIK HENRIKSEN
The Longest Ride
See review this issue.
Metalhead
See review this issue.
Ned Rifle
The final film in a trilogy Hal Hartley began with 1997's Henry Fool and continued with 2006's Fay Grim. If you haven't seen the first two films, which concern the parents, Fay Grim (Parker Posey) and Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), of Ned Rifle (Liam Aiken), you need not worry. Much of the relevant background is explained by Ned in the course of his journey from a witness protection program in a Christian-centered East Coast town to Seattle, where his evil but brilliant father was last seen. His mother is in prison, while his uncle (James Urbaniak), a poet considering a new career as a stand-up comic, is being stalked by beautiful but bonkers Susan (Aubrey Plaza). I enjoyed this film for the same reason I enjoy all of Hartley's work—it's not realistic at all and perpetually swings between professorial headiness and boyish silliness. The film does have, however, this very serious message at its core: It's wrong for an adult to have sex with a minor, even if the minor enjoys it or wants it. For the sake of a young person's sanity, a clear line must be maintained between an adult and a child. I very much agree with this message. CHARLES MUDEDE
On the Way to School
Pascal Plisson's documentary about the dangers of trying to get an education in places like Kenya, Patagonia, Morocco, and the Bay of Bengal.
Portland EcoFilm Festival
A 14-film series, mostly documentaries, about the "environment, nature conservation, outdoor adventure, agriculture, and community wellness." More at hollywoodtheatre.org.
Rocks in My Pockets
Signe Baumane's animated journey through the history of depression in her family.
Sci-Fi Film Fest
See Film, this issue.
Secret Ocean
The new marine documentary from Jean-Michel Cousteau. Cousteau will be participating in a Skype Q&A at the 9:45 am show on Thursdsay, April 9.
Spring
See review this issue.
Valencia
An experimental adaptation of Michelle Tea's memoir.
Watchers of the Sky
A documentary about Raphael Lemkin, the man who created the word "genocide." Inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book A Problem from Hell.
While We're Young
See review this issue.
MEANS WE RECOMMEND IT. Theater locations are accurate Friday, April 10-Thursday, April 16, unless otherwise noted. Movie times are updated daily and are available here.
