As the 21st century rolls on, the venerable tradition of movie night continues to change. For decades, the phrase “movie night” meant going out to a theater with family or friends. Broadcast networks and then VCRs brought the tradition to the living room TV, and now digital tech means movie night can happen anywhere at all. You can even watch a movie on your phone—should you want to live that kind of diminished life.
With this new monthly feature, I hope to flatly encourage seeing movies in local theaters. The thesis here is that the traditional two-hour feature film requires and rewards complete attention. In my experience, it’s hard to maintain that kind of concentration watching movies at home, with endless distractions, food in the kitchen, and the pause button sitting right there.
At the theater, the experience is better. They turn off the lights and turn up the sound and fill your entire field of vision with carefully composed images. This is no secret, of course. Going out to the movies is good for you, aesthetically and karmically. You’ll see the film as it’s meant to be seen. You’ll support a local business.
With all this in mind, here are some interesting leads for a potential movie night out in January and early February. Each film here is slated to play theatrically in at least one local theater. (Some may also be released simultaneously on streaming services or digital purchase, if you must.) Keep in mind that bookings change all the time, so always check local listings before you head out.
Sometimes, all you really want in a movie night is something new. The Book of Clarence qualifies by way of root-and-branch hybridization: it looks to be about seven movies in one. The gist: In Jerusalem, circa 33 AD, streetwise hustler Clarence finds opportunities for advancement when upstart Jesus of Nazareth starts scrambling the local status quo. It’s a comedy, ultimately, but with elements of biblical drama, love story, crime fiction, dark satire, and action-adventure. (There’s a chariot race with Mary Magdalene, for instance.)
The impossibly charismatic LaKeith Stanfield plays the lead, and the director is Jeymes Samuel, who brought us The Harder They Fall, the Black cowboy movie that Hollywood was afraid to make for several decades. Early reviews have been friendly, and you can check out the trailer online for a sense of the tone.
For more traditional art-house fare, consider the new German Japanese import Perfect Days, which should rotate through several local theaters in early February. Veteran Japanese actor Koji Yakusho (Oh Lucy!) plays a Tokyo toilet cleaner who imparts some uplifting observations concerning life and how to live it. Advance word on this one is ecstatic. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes and the director is Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire), one of the best filmmakers of his generation. Plus, the trailer features a Lou Reed song and it made me cry a little.
Another good in-the-theater option this month: the song-and-dance gala Mean Girls is (deep breath) the film version of the stage musical adaptation of the original 2004 movie, which was in turn adapted (in part) from the 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes. A cynic might call this another ugly recycling trend in a Hollywood devoid of new ideas. But let us be cheerful: as a goofy musical comedy, Mean Girls is the kind of film that plays better on the big screen, with a crowd. Laughter really is contagious at the movies.
Plus, the screenplay is by Tina Fey, who may be our planet’s leading comedy professional at this time. Interesting note: industry scuttlebutt says the movie was initially slated to go straight to streaming but was later bumped up to a theatrical release. That’s a good sign. It’s all about oddsmaking, when guessing ahead like this.
Quick Picks
Space movie and political thriller fans will want to check out I.S.S., a very buzzy indie about what happens on the International Space Station when war breaks out down on Earth. The trailer looks incredible and much of the film was shot in Wilmington. (Shop local!)
Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, the Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest centers on the family life of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss. It’s in the running for a Best Picture Oscar this year.
Daisy Ridley headlines the indie comedy-drama Sometimes I Think about Dying, which won a lot of hearts at the Sundance Film Festival last year. This one looks good for a quiet date movie.
The Carolina Theatre’s generous Retro Film Series offers themed mini-fests throughout the year, with door prizes and old-school trailers and ads. It’s a lot of fun. Up next: the FantasticRealm series, January 12–18, featuring sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and affiliated genre classics. Some highlights from this year’s run: Army of Darkness, Starship Troopers, and the extremely underrated Dark City—the director’s cut version.
Action movie star Jason Statham returns with The Beekeeper, a vigilante movie about going after those fuckers who scam old people online. Can’t argue with that.
Also watch for the spy comedy Argylle, coming in early February, with Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and America’s coolest movie star, Sam Rockwell.
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