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That's the ticket
Last week, Texas-based Magnolia Pictures announced it has bought the Crossroads Commons complex east of downtown and will turn it into a showcase for first-run art and independent films. Magnolia's plans for Crossroads-to be renamed The Magnolia-include a remodeling by September, as it is blossoms into Boulder's first commercial art-house in decades. Cut and print it: Boulder is no longer a second-class city as far as first-run films are concerned. Of course, when it comes to second-run features and revivals, our town boasts some of the best venues in Colorado: CU's International Film Series, Boulder Public Library, Chautauqua and the Boulder Outdoor Cinema. What's long been lacking has been a theater dedicated to new foreign and independent films, including documentaries. Last year, local audiences who wished to see The Endurance had to endure a drive to Denver. Likewise, deserving foreign titles such as Kandahar and the Oscar-winning No Man's Land never landed a commercial run in Boulder. Ironically, under Mann management Crossroads 6 lately has been playing a variety of new art films. That will intensify with Magnolia as the owner, probably with a few revivals in the mix. In partnership with the Denver Film Society, Magnolia is also the operator of Denver's new Starz FilmCenter on the Auraria campus. This could mean that Boulder's Magnolia will play much of the same fare as the FilmCenter. Then again, maybe not. Currently, Denver's Landmark chain has a virtual lock on the A-list art flicks. Movies such as Monsoon Wedding, Amelie and In the Bedroom go to the Mayan and Esquire first. So far, Magnolia has been stuck with the also-rans. The competition has gotten even fiercer with the opening of Madstone Theaters, another converted art-house, located in southest Denver. But since Landmark has no presence in Boulder, it should mean that our Magnolia will be able to book the cream of the cinematic crop, not just the droppings. It will be a relief to be able to see In the Bedroom out of earshot of the drone of Attack of the Clones. Magnolia's blooming in Boulder may not be greeted with grins over at the International Film Series. Programmer Pablo Kjolseth's titles are similar to Magnolia's, but are only booked for a day or two. Some films-such as Scotland PA or Little Otik-hardly warrant more than that. Due to Magnolia's ties to the Denver Film Society, you may also see a smattering of Denver Film Festival titles playing at its Boulder theater in October. Boulder's first-run movie scene is finally on the move after years of dormancy. In the meantime, we can enjoy another season of revivals from our summer stalwarts. In addition to IFS and the Boulder Public Library, Chautauqua's Silent Film Series and the Boulder Outdoor Cinema have also kicked off their summer schedules. Chautauqua continues to mine the golden archives of the silent era, with an emphasis on American features of the 1920s. July highlights include Underworld (July 10), Josef Von Sternberg's influential 1927 gangster film; and Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (July 24), directed by Fritz Lang and starring Rudolf Klein-Rogge as a Berlin criminal mastermind. Both shows will be accompanied by the marvelous Hank Troy on piano. Indoors over at Boulder Public Library, programmer Joel Haertling is in the midst of a retrosepective on Ken Russell, the British director infamous for such florid anti-biographies as Lisztomania (July 1), Savage Messiah (June 24) and Valentino (July 8). Also on tap is a tuneful tribute to composer John Barry, whoses scores elevated such films as Walkabout (July 11) and Midnight Cowboy (July 18). Now in its 17th year, the Boulder Outdoor Cinema is still shining under the stars at the Museum of Contemporary Art's backyard. Beginning in July, the series will screen both Friday and Saturday nights. You won't have trouble staying awake during Woody Allen's shot-in-Colorado 1973 comedy, Sleeper (Saturday), or Ghostbusters (June 29). Judging by the schedule, family fare seems to be losing out to R-rated titles, such as There's Something About Mary (Aug. 30) and Rushmore (July 12). At the aforementioned International Film Series on campus, Kjolseth continues to book a heady mix of new and old. A tribute to the late, great Billy Wilder features Some Like it Hot (June 29/30) and Sunset Boulevard (July 6/7). For my money, the best documentary of 2001 was The Endurance (July 11/12), an amazing Antarctic survival story that makes "Survivor" look like the made-for-TV sleaze that it is. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
Funkadelic
Get lost, Austin Powers. Undercover Brother represents the funkiest fun of the summer. If you're looking for a smart superspy spoof that doesn't depend on fart jokes or latex fat, discover Undercover Brother at theaters before it's replaced by the latest Hollywood (white) trash. Based on an animated Internet series, Brother is an unabashed trip back to 1970s black-is-beautiful culture, sharpened with politically incorrect bite. Ultra-cool in monster afro and pork-chop sideburns, Undercover Brother (Eddie Griffin) is Shaft and Superfly down with Bruce Lee. This soul brother's sole mission is to save the world from the shadowy plans of The Man to "whitewash" America. The Man's minion (Chris Kattan) has drugged a Colin Powell-like leader (Billy Dee Williams), forcing him to leave politics and front a chain of fried chicken restaurants. The script pops with pop culture jokes and jovially plays on underground African-American consipiracy theories. "Conspiracy Brother" rants that George Washington Carver actually invented the first computer out of a peanut. This is fast, nutty fun, with dozens of sly jokes that director Malcolm Lee (Spike's cousin) treats almost too casually. If Kattan is a colorless villain, the other cast members have got plenty of game. The poor press this picture has gotten may just prove Conspiracy Brother right: When it comes to good black movies, are America silver screens whitewashed? Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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Chances are excellent that Boulder's sometimes rocky film scene just got bolder.
