This weekend Hollywood says what moviegoers liked once, they'll sure love twice as the sequels The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties hit theaters. Now you may be asking yourselves, did we really need another movie about bad boys in fast cars or another flick about a fat, talking cat? Apparently, we did and they both needed to be set in an exotic international local, Japan and England, respectively.
Pop quiz, hotshot! What action duo is back for some three hanky romancing? Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock reunite on the screen this weekend in their romantic drama The Lake House about two lovers separated by two years and the magic mailbox that brings them together. Jack Black also takes his bombastic shtick to Mexico in the wrestler comedy Nacho Libre directed by Jared Hess of Napoleon Dynamite fame.
In addition to all of that hurly burly, two little indie features worth a watch are the Spanish farce Only Human and the documentary about NYT crossword puzzle master, Will Shortz Wordplay. Both are fun and light and little off the beaten track. Could be just what you need.
With the weather shaping up to be in the very pleasant '80s this weekend, it seems about time to take the movie viewing to the streets, parks and roofs of New York. The Bryant Park summer film series begins next Monday night, June 19 with the Hitchcock suspense The Birds. If you're never seen this well known film about a sleepy town and it's malevolent avian infestation, seeing it with a raucous outdoor crowd will be a blast. The lawn opens at 5:00 pm for picnicking and the movie starts at dusk, usually between 8 pm and 9 pm.
Also, the Rooftop Film Series which is entering it's 10th year of underground movies under the stars, has some fun flicks Thursday, Friday and Saturday of almost every weekend this summer. Friday's flick is the comedy The Guatemalan Handshake which they'll be screening in 35 mm on the lawn of Automotive High School in Williamsburg. Ola Podrida will be performing live music starting at 8:30 pm and then the story of a demolition derby and a 10-year-old named Turkeylegs starts at 9 pm.
Gothamist Pick:
Sometimes you want to tell the boss to take this job and shove it, but details like the outrageous nature of New York rent prevents you. Fortunately there are movies that feel your pain and to kick off the release of The Devil Wears Prada next weekend, Tribeca Cinemas will be showing three of them for free in their "Mentor or Monster: The Boss That Changed My Life" series. Tonight is the '80s sneakers with socks classic Working Girl, Friday will be the big hair lovin' 9 to 5 and Saturday is that paeon to TPS reports Office Space. All the movies start at 7 pm at 54 Varick Street (at Laight) and did we mention, they're free! So maybe you can afford to chew out your obnoxious superior after all.
