Welcome to What to Watch This Weekendâ„¢, a weekly post in which I tell you what to watch this weekend! I will continue doing this post until you have watched everything you should watch.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot isn't playing in any theaters in Portland, but it came out a few days ago on iTunes and Amazon and whatnot, and I recommend it. It's not amazing—think of it as an exceedingly solid B-movie—but it does deliver both pulp thrills (killing Hitler! hunting Bigfoot!) and an affecting story about aging, regret, and loneliness. It all comes together, naturally, because it stars the always amazing Sam Elliott, beloved friend of the Portland Mercury.
Arts Editor Suzette Smith really liked Alita: Battle Angel! And she thinks it's worth a few extra bucks. "I have never recommended seeing a movie in 3D, let alone IMAX 3D, because films should either succeed in 2D or they aren’t worth seeing," she writes. "But for Alita: Battle Angel, I will—for the first time—tell you to splurge on the IMAX. I can’t stop dreaming about the glimmering city in the clouds that hovers above the film’s sci-fi setting."
Elinor Jones loved Rebel Wilson's Isn't It Romantic, a romcom that she says is "smart, it’s hilarious, and most importantly, it doesn’t punch down. Plus, it has what I never realized every film needs, which is a bare-chested Liam Hemsworth playing the saxophone."
The Umbrella Academy is now on Netflix, and I liked it quite a bit. It stars Ellen Page and a talking chimpanzee who wears very nice suits.
Police Story is at the Hollywood and is TOP-SHELF JACKIE CHAN, as noted by Calendar Editor Bobby Roberts: "Jackie's singing! He's dancing! He's so in love with his bone-breaking stunts he's just gonna rewind and show it to you another three times! A shopping mall gets demolished! There's a goddamn pie-fight in here."
In terms of repertory screenings, you've got Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and the Hereditary prequel Muriel's Wedding.
The Wandering Earth wasn't screened for Portland critics—they didn't even tell us ahead of time that it would be playing here—but it's abruptly popped up at Century Eastport. A huge hit in China, the sci-fi blockbuster is based on a story by the astonishingly great Chinese science-fiction author Cixin Liu. (But you don't have to take my word for it: Obama's a fan, too.)
And lastly, my favorite movie of 2018, The Sisters Brothers, starring John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix, is finally out on digital and Blu-ray and everything else. It only made like $23.45 at the box office, and entirely too few people saw it—so if you're feeling like staying at home this weekend, check it out. The extras aren't anything special (aside from some interesting observations from Rebecca Root regarding her casting as Mayfield, the special features are mostly unremarkable), but the film itself is funny, sad, and unlike anything else out there. Which is probably why it only made like $23.45.
