Movie Guide: A Solondz Packed Weekend!

While we know you’re probably anxiously waiting for Mel Gibson’s Pope: The Movie or for your Mr. Skin’s Skinclylopedia to arrive, you might want to check out some great new and revived movies this weekend:

Though not as fun as spoonerisms (“chipping the flannel”), they're words or phrases which read the same in both directions (like “nun”). Even just pronouncing it is mildly amusing. Pa-lin-dromes.
Todd Solondz'’s latest film follows a young Jersey teen who after the death of her cousin Dawn (aka, Weiner Dog, the morbidly unhappy protagonist from Welcome to the Dollhouse) wants nothing more than to have babies. Determined, she gets pregnant, but mom dissaproves and complications ensue. Read Gothamist's Solondz interview.

Welcome to the Dollhouse - A Solondz cult favorite, this uncomfortably amusing & disturbingly hilarious black comedy chronicles the socially awkward Dawn Weiner as she suffers cruel teasing from her junior high peers, crushes on a hunky older guitarist, and is ignored by a family that dotes on her nauseatingly “perfect” little sister (“Dawn, you are not leaving this table until you tell your sister that you love her!”). If you want to be part of the cool "special people" club, Gothamist strongly suggests heading to Landmark Sunshine Cinema, Fri. Apr 22 & Sat Apr 23 @ MIDNIGHT.

Chronicle of a Summer - The French “Cinema verite” stems from this 1961 self-styled classic in which legendary filmmaker Jean Rouch asks random strangers in the streets of Paris to answer "are you happy?" Sun. @ 4pm, $10, Sun. @ 4:00 PM, American Museum of the Moving Image, 35 Ave. (36 St.) Astoria.

New this weekend: The Amityville Horror - A young couple find their “dream home," only to disover that, in Hollywood, “dream home” nearly always means haunted and deadly. A scary movie version of learning that with real estate, there’s always a catch.
Year of the Yao - NBA’s puff-documentary glorifies Houston Rockets’ center, the 7”5 rookie Yao Ming.
House of D - David Duchovny’s directorial debut is a coming-of-age drama, in which a grown man reflects on his 1970's childhood. Wife Tea Leoni plays the mother & Robin Williams stars as the mentally challenged best friend.

Noteworthy trailer: The prequel Batman Begins, June 17th. Anyone else a little too excited for Christian Bale to don the cape? In Premiere, Director Christopher Nolan (Memento) promises to "keep it real" by charting Bruce Wayne's progression into bathood with "restrained naturalism." Only 63 days remain.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Rina in Arts & Entertainment on April 15, 2005 12:49 PM

Comments [rss]

christina

check out Palindromes. It's definitely different, very memorable.

solondzfan

the reporters can criticize all they want. I love Solondz's gloomy and insightful movies

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven

"Batman Begins" is C.Nolan's only excuse for a temporary lifting of his media restraining order. There was no excuse for the unrestrained fawning and butt-kissing that went on after "Memento" - a movie which I think is too difficult to watch casually. (it works for the first 40 minutes; it's asking for too much plot-puzzle-solving after that)

And yes, once again, I totally botched the meaning of that movie quote. Now that I've been informed, the vile taste of poseur ambition has left my mouth, thankfully.

r

BrianVan, "special people club" is a referance to a scene in the movie - it was not all supposed to be taken seriously. In fact the movie mocks the idea of a "special club."

Ian

Batman Begins is going to be awesome. Chris Nolan and Christian Bale rock.

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven

Obviously I've never seen the movie, and I didn't get the quote - so forget what I said above.

Out of context, it looked REALLY bad. Like, Gothamist-jumping-the-shark bad. And it looked really dorky, too. False alarm, though! Everyone move along, nothing to see here!

My Todd Solondz snark still stands, though. Everyone's been falling all over this guy all week, as if he just directed Citizen Kane. I know he's good, but we'll need a few weeks off from him. Let's keep him, Alexander Payne, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson in the cool-off lounge for a while. (And keep P.T. Anderson locked away for another year, too)

Mindy

Would people feel better if the word "cool" was removed?

I seem to recall there weren't many people in the club - perhaps 2. I guess that's a bit exclusive, but I think Dawn would have welcomed anyone in, especially hunky Steve Rogers.

See the film and then revisit your comment. Or, go to Dawn's profile on myspace to understand.

autrement qu'etre

Sheesh, yeah, it's just a reference from the movie and the joke -- again, IN THE MOVIE -- is that it isn't particularly cool at all.

Matt

People, IT'S JUST A REFERENCE FROM THE MOVIE. Get over yourselves. Don't worry, I'm sure the "cool" people won't ruin your night oh you I'm-so-cool-because-I-knew-the-EastVillage-and-LES-were-cool-before-the-cool-people-thought-it-was-cool people.

Stacey

"Welcome to the Dollhouse" reminds me of what I used to look like 6 years back - or right now, since my eyes are bloodshot and I'm wearing glasses that parallel the prettiness of Ms. Weiner. Great movie choice.

Meredith

Uhh.. it's just a reference from the movie.

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven

"If you want to be part of the cool "special people" club, Gothamist strongly suggests heading to Landmark Sunshine Cinema, Fri. Apr 22 & Sat Apr 23 @ MIDNIGHT."

Wow. That's sad.

I want to say something nice, but I don't have it in me. I don't protest the topic (although, let's admit, Todd Solondz is wrapping up a week full of very sloppy kisses from media critics, it's getting a little overdone), but I hate to see this kind of wannabe-aspiration on one of my favorite websites.

I'm not down with people who want to be in the "cool special people" club. It's the exact type of sentiment that ruins good creative works because fake, obnoxious people swarm over them. It also causes truly poor works to be overhyped because all of the so-called "cool people" are following along. There's too many of these types of people in NYC. They need to go.

I just want to see the movie. Can all the people trying to find the other "cool special people" sit far away from me in the theater, please? Thanks.

And yes, I know that was harsh feedback, but it was a truly unfortunate choice of words. I hope that's not what Gothamist is all about.