LISTINGS/SCREEN Special Screenings THE HOBBIT—A hobbit and a band of dwarves seek treasure in this film inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel. Thursday, July 18, 6 p.m. FREE. Library at Hillcrest, 5246 W. Overland Road, Boise, 208-562-4996, boisepubliclibrary.org. MOVIES UNDER THE STARS: ICE AGE 4—Enjoy games and crafts, face painting and music. Movie begins at dusk. Presented by the Boise Public Schools Education Foundation and Boise City Parks and Recreation. Saturday, July 20, 7 p.m. FREE. Julia Davis Park, 700 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, cityofboise.org/parks. REBECCA—The ghost of an ex-wife haunts a newly married couple. Starring Laurence Olivier and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Thursday, July 18, 2 p.m. FREE. Library at Hillcrest, 5246 W. Overland Road, Boise, 208-562-4996, boisepubliclibrary.org.
Opening TURBO—Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michelle Rodriguez, Snoop Lion and Samuel L. Jackson lend their voices to this animated comedy about a snail with the gift of super speed helping his friends achieve their goals so he can pursue his own dream: winning the Indianapolis 500. (PG) Opens Wednesday, July 17. Edwards 9, 22. THE CONJURING—Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are world-renowned paranormal investigators helping a family set upon by a sinister demonic entity. (R) Opens Friday, July 19. Edwards 9, 22.
R.I.P.D.—Veteran supernatural sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Jeff Bridges) partners with Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) in the Rest In Peace Department, subduing souls that refuse to go to the afterlife peacefully. Then they discover a conspiracy to upset the cosmic balance, causing the tunnel to the afterlife to belch angry souls back to Earth. (PG-13) Opens Friday, July 19. Edwards 9, 22. RED 2—Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker star in this action sequel about a team of old-school elite operatives charged with recovering a portable nuclear device, keeping it from assassins, terrorists and the government. (PG-13) Opens Friday, July 19. Edwards 9, 22. 20 FEET FROM STARDOM—Morgan Neville directs this true story about the backup and session singers for some musical legends. See Screen, this page. (PG-13) Opens Friday, July 19. The Flicks. BYZANTIUM—This vampire flick centers on two 200-year-old women trying to blend into society while being pursued by other vampires. Starring Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton. (R) Opens Friday, July 19. The Flicks. UNFINISHED SONG (AKA SONG FOR MARION)—Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) sings pop songs with her community choir. When she dies, her husband (Terence Stamp) and son (Christopher Eccleston) follow Marion’s passion for music. (PG-13) Opens Friday, July 19. The Flicks.
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UNSUNG HEROINES 20 Feet From Stardom is doo-do-doo delightful GEORGE PRENTICE Caution: You may not want to get behind the wheel of a car after seeing 20 Feet From Stardom—director Morgan Neville’s intoxicating musical celebration of a documentary. I must admit to being dizzy, perhaps a little high, from a first viewing and I’m jonesing for another fix. Honestly, my first instinct wasn’t to drive home after watching the film, but rather to do some serious damage with my Visa, downloading a seemingly endless playlist: Phil Spector’s so-called “wall of sound,” anything Ray Charles, David Bowie’s “Young Americans” and George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Ban20 Feet From Stardom chronicles the chasm separating background singers from the center stage. gladesh. Quite simply, I appreciate the classics more because of 20 Feet From Stardom. But for all of the rhythm in rhythm and how feckless today’s televised singing competiLou Reed’s iconic “Walk on the Wild blues, there is plenty of blues, too. Side”—with background vocals by a girl group tions are, lacking in sophistication or confluIn the film’s most heartbreaking passage, ence of lyric and melody that background called Thunderthighs—pretty much says it all: Love recalls years after the 1963 recording singers bring to the party. “And the colored girls go / Doo do doo / doo of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”— 20 Feet From do doo / doo do doo.” which is the greatest Christmas pop song ever, Stardom perfectly Borderline racist, in my estimation—she heard the song coming chronicles the moments Reed’s 1972 lyric ap20 FEET FROM STARDOM (PG-13) from another room. when black female propriately launches Directed by Morgan Neville “At the time, the only thing I thought I background vocalists Neville’s documentary Starring Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, could do to make a little money to survive provided the rocket by alluding to that 20Judith Hill was cleaning houses in Los Angeles,” said fuel to launch the foot chasm separating Opens Friday, July 26, at The Flicks Love, recalling the late 1970s. “And then one soundtrack of the late background singers 20th century. Previous- Christmas, I was cleaning a bathroom and I from center-stage ly, almost-always white heard ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ stardom. on the radio.” female background singers sang notes as writ“It’s a bit of a walk from back by the Love put down her mop, went back to New ten. But when a group called The Blossoms, drummer. A walk to the front is complicated. York City and, shortly thereafter, was invited including the amazing Darlene Love, stepped It’s more of a mental leap than a physical act as a guest on the David Letterman show to into a studio in the late 1950s, we had liftoff. of singing. It’s a conceptual leap,” says Bruce sing the Christmas classic. She’s been singing It’s a particular delight to watch the BlosSpringsteen, one of the film’s long list of superit every holiday since on Letterman’s show, for soms (aka The Playgirls, aka The Rollettes) sit stars paying due respect to the genius of their in their old recording studio as song after song more than 25 years. background vocalists. 20 Feet From Stardom is a double barrel is played, featuring their background vocals: Springsteen, Sting, Bowie and Jagger all shotgun of laughter and tears, and I can’t recserve as the film’s prime witnesses: Without the The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron,” Sinatra’s “That’s Life,” Betty Everett’s “It’s In His Kiss.” ommend it enough. But be warned, Amazon (almost always female) background singers, or iTunes will soon have a good chunk of your James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Elvis a headliner is nothing but an American Idol wallet. and everyone else followed. wannabe. In fact, the documentary lays bare
SCREEN/NEWS EASTERN OREGON FILM FESTIVAL SEEKING 2014 SUBMISSIONS
For movie times, visit boiseweekly.com or scan this QR code. 24 | JULY 17–23, 2013 | BOISEweekly
Though they’re now sweltering through July’s triple digits, organizers of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival have their focus on next February’s deep freeze, launching the submission process for what will be the fifth annual showcase. “We want to polish the edges,” said Chris Jennings, EOFF founder and executive director. “Our goal is always to keep it intimate.” The festival takes place Thursday, Feb. 20-Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, and centers on La Grande, Ore.’s Granada Theatre, which features three screens. “We’re looking to reach out to Eastern Oregon University to possibly hold a pre-opening night there and lure that student population to our
main, downtown venue,” said Jennings. “2014 will be an interesting turning point for us.” Perhaps the biggest turn is the festival’s new online submission process at eofilmfest.com, with rolling deadline fees ranging from $15 Saturday, July 20, to $45 Wednesday, Nov. 20. “We really see those quality, independent films that you might not see in Boise or Portland [Ore.] right away,” said Jennings. “We’ve had a lot of U.S. and West Coast premieres.” Last year, the festival culled 27 screenings—including 12 features— from more than 60 entries. —George Prentice WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M