Sometimes a movie screens for one night only, and sometimes it shows for weeks or months. That's why when it comes to moviegoing, planning ahead is crucial.
Planners that we are, we've selected five must-see flicks screening in the Valley this month. Stock up on your preferred salty, sweet snacks and check out our picks ...
5. Moonrise Kingdom After premiering at Cannes and seeing strong ticket sales during its stateside select-cities debut, Wes Anderson's latest film, Moonrise Kingdom, makes its way to Arizona this week. Visually it is unmistakably Anderson, taking place in a manicured, highly detailed seaside town, and captures the romantic journey of two 12-year-olds who've decided to run off together -- abandoning their previously unexciting lives and parents.
The film opens Friday, June 8, at Camelview. 4. Transformers: The Movie Please excuse our uncontrollable shouts of "You got the touch!" and "You got the power!" Simply put, we are mega-fans of Transformers: The Movie and vow to never sit through another one of Michael Bay's lesser adaptations. Also, we just sorta have a thing for hyper-enthusiastic theme songs. Cult Classics brings the cartoon 'bot brigade to the big screen at 8 and 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, at MADCAP Theaters. General admission is $10; $20 VIPs get a Decepticon or Autobot print; $30 VIPS get both prints and priority admission.
3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter In the vein of author Seth Grahame-Smith's sci-fi-infused parody novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes the live-action film adaptation of his alternate take on the life of our 16th president: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The movie opens Friday, June 22, and on Sunday, June 24, around noon the Arizona Steampunk Society will host a meet-up to watch it at Tempe Marketplace's Harkins.
2. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Despite being quoted often and providing some of the most iconic imagery of Marilyn Monroe's career, we'd posit that not many young movie buffs have sat through this sugary, glittery, gold-, er, diamond-digger classic. The Phoenix Movie Bears present a screening of the glitzy musical at FilmBar on Wednesday, June 27, at 8 p.m. as a birthday bash with cake and champagne for local drag diva Sophia Sinclair, who will emcee. Admission is $10.
1. To Rome With Love So, here's the deal. This trailer doesn't make Woody Allen's latest look superb. But, as devotees of the painfully neurotic filmmaker, we will see anything and everything the auteur releases -- probably multiple times. (Apart from Anything Else, which we will not subject ourselves to ever again.) As such, To Rome With Love rounds out this month's batch of must-sees and continues Allen's ongoing affair with tackling big, historic cities as settings. Alec Baldwin's in it, plus Penelope Cruz, who wooed us to death in Vicky Cristina Barcelona ... a.k.a. we're trotting out for its opening weekend. The on-location romp opens Friday, June 29.
