Tuesday, May 28th, at 7:15pm

Werner Herzog, interviews one of the world’s greatest living politicians, Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union. Now 88, living outside Moscow and battling illness, we’re offered a last chance to learn about true diplomacy from a world statesman.Shows May 28 with Larry Wilkerson as guest speaker.

“Not since Klaus Kinski has Herzog aimed his camera at such an uncontrollable subject, and that includes the erupting peaks of ‘Into the Volcano’ and the radioactive crocodiles in ‘The Cave of Forgotten Dreams.’” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“Werner Herzog’s documentary is a rare example of the arch ironist’s capacity to be awed not by nature but by man.” – Chris Barsanti, Slant Magazine

Wednesday, May 29th, at 7:15pm

Amidst the early days of the civil rights movement, white religious leaders who participated in marches and protests ebbed and flowed. One glaring exception was the consistent presence of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, a Catholic priest and the prestigious president of Notre Dame University. Father Ted was well-connected to the country’s leadership, and his work for the equal rights of African-Americans encouraged the policies enacted under the administration of Lyndon Johnson and other presidents. This moving new documentary from award-winning filmmakers Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley, examines the challenges and triumphs of one of the most influential leaders in American history. (106 mins)

“Hesburgh is consistently smart about its subject. It makes a convincing case that the priest was one of a handful of whites in the civil rights movement who understood the systemic nature of racism in the United States.” – Glenn Kenny, The New York Times

“This moving, illuminating slice of American life and social history serves as a stirring example that we should all do much better. And we can start right now.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Friday, June 14th, at 9:15pm

Oscar nominees Peter Weller and John Lithgow team with Emmy winners Ellen Barkin and Christopher Lloyd in this fiendishly clever sci-fi comedy. Neurosurgeon, nuclear scientist, and rock musician Buckaroo Banzai (Weller) and his crime-fighting team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, are called upon to save the world when his sworn enemy, the demented Dr. Lizardo (Lithgow), devises a plot to destroy the Earth. The extra-dimensional battle could result in total annihilation of the universe! Dismissed by many critics as ‘strange’ and ‘unintelligible’ at the time of its release, the film has amassed a loyal fan following and is included in many Top Cult Films lists. (1984, PG, 103mins)

A benefit for The Muse Writers Center.
Sponsored by Smartmouth Brewing & Atlantis Games + Comics.

Saturday, June 15th, at 9:15pm

This Oscar-winning flick from director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino is widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Multiple stories intertwine featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta as hitmen with a penchant for philosophical discussions. Also starring Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman — whose dance sequence with Travolta proved an instant classic. (1994, R, 154mins)

A benefit for The Muse Writers Center.
Sponsored by Smartmouth Beer and Zeke’s Norfolk.

Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as William Shakespeare in this portrait of the last three years of his life. In 1613 Shakespeare is devastated when the beloved Globe Theatre burns to the ground. He returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife (Judi Dench) and daughters. In so doing, he is forced to ruthlessly examine his own failings as husband and father. The movie’s title is taken from an alternative name for his play ‘Henry VIII’. (PG-13, 101 mins)

An early feminist and a true pioneer who entered the movie business at the very beginning—in 1894, at the age of 21. Two years later, she was made head of production at Gaumont and started directing films. She and her husband moved to the U.S. and she founded her own movie company, Solax, in 1910 in Flushing. But 10 years later, Guy-Blaché’s career came to an abrupt end, and she and the 1,000 films that bore her name have been largely forgotten. (102 mins)

Two dreamers and their beloved dog leave their tiny L.A. apartment and move to the countryside to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature. This winning documentary chronicles a decade of planting 10,000 orchard trees, hundreds of crops, and bringing in animals of every kind, including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. When the farm’s ecosystem finally begins to reawaken, their plan to create perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns. (91 mins)

We join this revolutionary and controversial artist on his travels between 1690 and 1710 through Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, Sicily and Malta. During this period he paints feverishly while trying to flee his many inner demons. This beautiful documentary features the commentary of leading art historians, and has gained unprecedented access to Caravaggio’s masterpieces. (90 mins)

An explosion of new music came out of L.A.’s Laurel Canyon beginning in the mid-60s as folk went electric. Rock musicians gravitated to L.A. music studios to emulate the The Beatles and the British invasion. This new doc hosted by Jakob Dylan includes stories and performances from The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas and the Papas, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and Jackson Browne, along with Brits who moved to the canyon such as Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr. Younger contemporary musicians who were influenced by the songwriting of the era include Tom Petty (in his very last film interview), Beck, Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones. (82 mins)

No, this isn’t that kind of family movie. This outrageous new comedy from writer-director Laura Steinel stars Taylor Schilling (Orange Is The New Black) as an emotionally-stunted aunt who tries to bond with her 13-year-old niece, who wants nothing more than to run away from home and become a juggalo. With SNL’s Kate McKinnon and Allison Tolman. (R, 88 mins)

From his roots in Iowa to the world of New York high fashion, Halston lived an American dream. Prodigiously talented, he reigned over haute couture in the 1970s, becoming a household name. This new documentary from French filmmaker Frédéric Tcheng continues in the legacy of his previous films – Valentino, Diana Vreeland, and Dior and I. (105 mins)

Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss of The Handmaid’s Tale) is a ’90s rock superstar who once filled arenas with her band ‘Something She.’ When her excesses derail a national tour, she’s forced to reckon with her past while recapturing the inspiration that led her band to success. Featuring an all-star cast, including Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Amber Heard (Aquaman), and directed by Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip). (R, 134 mins)

Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet reunite with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Carlos) for this wry, slyly seductive tale of sex, lies, and literature. Set within the rarified Parisian publishing world, the story follows a controversial writer (Vincent Macaigne) who begins blurring the line between fact and fiction, drawing on his real-life love affairs–including a passionate fling with an actress (Binoche) who happens to be married to his editor (Canet)—as fodder for his explosive new novel. A buoyant, breezy delight from a master director. In French with subtitles. (R, 106 mins)

A homeless wanderer named Solar Flare, who proclaims to be from the sun, has been exiled to live on Earth without his superpowers for 189 days. From the personal discovery of why he was sent here (to save this planet from a apocalyptic solar flare) to the array of bizarre characters who misguide him, we follow the lost ‘superhero’ on what quickly becomes a downward spiral journey into the underbelly of Hollywood… a place he comes to realize is not worth saving. (R, 112 mins)

Featuring never-before-seen footage, concert performances and intimate interviews, filmmaker Ron Howard (The Beatles: Eight Days A Week) examines the life and career of famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Created from a combination of Luciano Pavarotti’s genre-redefining performances and granted access to never-before-seen footage, the film will give audiences around the world a stunningly intimate portrait of the most beloved opera singer of all time.

From the great British filmmaker Mike Leigh (Mr. Turner, Vera Drake, Secrets & Lives) comes this epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to protest against rising levels of poverty. It was a defining moment in British democracy and also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper. (PG-13, 154 mins)

A struggling street photographer in Mumbai, pressured to marry by his grandmother, convinces a shy stranger to pose as his fiancée. The pair develop a surprising connection that transforms them in ways they could not expect. From acclaimed director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox). In Hindi and English. (PG13, 110 mins)

A team of diverse adventurers embark on a 1,200-mile mountain bike, horse, and canoe expedition down the Rio Grande to document the borderlands before construction of a wall and to explore how it would impact wildlife, immigration, public lands, border security, and landowners. During the three month journey, the team meets with Democrat Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Republican Congressman Will Hurd, Border Patrol agents, wildlife biologists, immigration experts, and landowners. Directed by Ben Masters. (97 mins)

A shy but ambitious film student (Honor Swinton Byrne) begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man (Tom Burke). She defies her protective mother (Tilda Swinton) and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship. From acclaimed British writer-director Joanna Hogg comes an enigmatic and personal portrait of the artist as a young woman. (R, 119 mins)

Award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) tells the real story of Moe Berg, major league baseball player-turned-spy. In this first ever documentary about the enigmatic Moe Berg, Kempner again focuses her camera on a little-known Jewish hero—from the streets of Newark to five major league teams during baseball’s Golden Age to his secret life working for the OSS in WWII. Amazingly, he departs his baseball career for a mission to Germany so as to infiltrate Nazi Germany. (96 mins)

This is the absurd but true story of a 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis gone bad. Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) dons a disguise to raid a central Stockholm bank. He then takes hostages in order to spring his pal Gunnar (Mark Strong) from prison. One of the hostages Bianca (Noomi Rapace) develops a strong bond with Lars as she witnesses his caring nature. This connection gave rise to the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm syndrome.” (R, 92 mins)

Ed Hemsler spends his life preparing for a disaster that may never come. Ronnie Meisner spends her life shopping for things she may never use. In a small town somewhere in America, these two people will try to find love while trying not to get lost in each other’s stuff. (PG-13, 94 mins)

This is the true-life story of the unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate (Jack O’Connell) convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992, and a mother of two from Houston (Laura Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights mightily for his freedom. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall). (R, 127 mins)

Take a fresh look at Vincent Van Gogh through the legacy of the greatest private collector of the Dutch artist’s work: Helene Kröller-Müller, one of the first to recognize his genius. In the early 20th century, she amassed nearly 300 of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings now housed at her namesake museum in Holland. (90 mins)

Ten years after the passing of his wife and creative partner, Christo sets out to realize The Floating Piers, a project they conceived together many years before. We experience Christo’s process of engaging the whole community surrounding Italy’s Lake Iseo in order to create an extravagant dahlia-yellow walkway that sits atop of the water. Amid mounting madness—from complex dealings between art and state politics to engineering challenges, logistical nightmares, and the sheer force of mother nature—the artwork is completed against all odds. (100 mins)

From Nureyev’s poverty-stricken childhood in the Soviet Union, to his blossoming as a student dancer in Leningrad, to his arrival at the epicentre of western culture in Paris in the early 1960s and his nail-biting defection to the West, The White Crow is the true story of an incredible journey by a unique artist who transformed the world of ballet forever. Ralph Fiennes directs and stars as Nureyev’s favorite teacher. Oleg Ivenko in his acting debut, personifies the beauty, the style, and the celebrated dancing of the real Nureyev. (R, 127 mins)

The life of the iconic and reclusive 19th century American poet is re-imagined by comic actress Molly Shannon in this bold reappraisal of Emily Dickinson, informed by her private letters. While seeking publication of some of the 1,775 poems written during her lifetime, Emily (Shannon) finds herself facing a patriarchal world of editors and publishers. But her work attracts the attention of an ambitious woman editor. A timely critique of how women’s history has been rewritten. (PG13, 84 mins)

“Molly Shannon is brilliant and warm as the literary icon.” – Jude Dry, IndieWire

“This is an irreverent film, but its lightness is meaningful. With each silly flourish, Olnek offers joy and companionship to a figure whose history was more conveniently presented to generations of readers as solitary.” – Teo Bugbee, The New York Times

“The film’s playful tone is a corrective to a century of scholarship that insisted on projecting the image of a moody spinster onto Emily Dickinson.” – Pat Brown, Slant Magazine