This Week in Maine Cinema: August 21st - 27th

We’ve got some fun ones out today! Summer’s nearly over, you deserve a movie.

Let’s get to it, welcome to The Maine Playweek…

All week | Nickelodeon Cinemas, Portland; Eveningstar Cinema, Brunswick; Maine Film Center, Waterville; Flagship Cinemas, Auburn and Falmouth; Bangor Mall Cinemas, Bangor; Apple Cinemas, Saco and Westbrook; Regal Cinemas, Augusta

Who is Anthony Bourdain? (dumb question, I know) Sure, he was the well known “celebrity chef” (a term that Bourdain would have hated with every fiber of his being) and travel show host, but how did he get to that space in the first place? If you read his memoir Kitchen Confidential, you already know quite a bit, but if you haven’t Tony is here to help. Chronicling his entrée into the restaurant scene while taking a summer job as a worker in a seafood restaurant in Provincetown, Tony is only about this one summer. He’s not famous, he’s not traveling the world, he doesn’t truly know how to cook! Instead, he’s a struggling wannabe writer just looking to make some money after his first year at college. Directed by Matt Johnson (of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie and Blackberry) and starring Dominic Sessa (of The Holdovers) and Antonio Banderas (do I need to provide credits?), this is a truly wonderful portrait of a great man before he was great. It’ll make you hungry. And cry, can’t forget about that.

Tickets & Showtimes

All week | Colonial Theatre, Belfast; Nickelodeon Cinemas, Portland; Maine Film Center, Waterville; Apple Cinemas, Saco and Westbrook; Regal Cinemas, Augusta; Flagship Cinemas, Falmouth

How do you remake a dying slasher franchise? And how do you update it without complete losing its past? Those are the questions that Camp Miasma is trying to answer. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun (director of I Saw the TV Glow) and starring Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files and a bunch more), TSADACM is a genre- and medium-bending masterpiece that changes and evolves so much throughout its runtime that it’s tough to fully pin it down. But it’s a definite homage to slasher films, that stays true throughout the entire film. I don’t want to say too much, as it may ruin some major plot points, but you should see it. It’s too good.

Tickets & Showtimes

August 21st at 6pm | PMA Films, Portland

Yeah, I know, Do the Right Thing isn’t a new film. And yeah, there are some problematic scenes. But it remains one of Spike Lee’s best films and has some of the best acting from every single person in the film. Plus, as this is part of the PMA’s “Eve Biddle Selects,” it will be accompanied by One and the same body, a beautifully animated short from Eve Biddle’s partner Joshua Frankel. Plus, you can make an afternoon out of it by checking out the exhibit “Eve Biddle: Wonderlands” beforehand upstairs!

Tickets

Tomorrow we’ll be putting out our review of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma from Rose Rasor, so don’t miss it! Plus, we’ve got more interviews coming out very soon. But if you missed it, we put out our interview with the amazing Christine Vachon this past weekend! Check it out!

Festival season ain’t over yet! This weekend, we’ve got two great fests: Vacationland Film Festival and Dreadline Film Festival:

• Vacationland Film Festival - an awesome celebration of film from Maine and away, there are several amazing programs and films being showcased. Some that we’re excited by are…

  • Friday Fright Night - a series of horror shorts from the past couple of years that are quite creepy. And fun. | August 21st at 7:30pm

  • Will’s Prize - in memory of filmmaker, son, sk8ter, friend, and cousin Willem “Will” Watkinson, Will’s Prize recognizes the Youth (18 and under) filmmakers in our region and is an award for young filmmakers to help them with their production costs. Three short films from local young filmmakers will be shown in addition to a couple of Will’s short films. | August 22nd at 1pm

  • Documentaries - a bunch of great local documentary shorts, some of which have been shown at the other film festivals around the state this year. If you missed any of the other doc short showings, don’t miss these. | August 23rd at 11:30am

  • Saving Black Bear Special Sneak Preview - our buds the Cassidy Brothers are about to release their newest film Saving Black Bear and will be showing a work in progress screening for everyone to enjoy! Featuring the brothers, one of our favorite cinemas Black Bear Cinemas in Orono, and a performance from Maine-based actor Xander Berkeley, this should be a good time. If you miss this screening, there will be more around the state in the near future! | August 23rd at 3pm

• Dreadline Film Festival - can’t get enough horror films? Dreadline is the festival for you! Featuring a bunch of great horror films from an extremely diverse group of filmmakers, it’s bound to be a scary good time. | August 22nd at 6pm, Portland Media Center

• Bridgton Twin Drive-In

  • The End of Oak Street and Evil Dead Burn - August 21st and 22nd at 8:05pm

  • The End of Oak Street - August 23rd-27th at 8:05pm

  • Minions & Monsters and Spider-Man: Brand New Day - August 21st and 22nd at 8:05pm

  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day - August 23rd-27th at 8:05pm

• Prides Corner Drive-In, Westbrook

  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Blob - August 21st-23rd at 7:30pm

• Saco Drive-In

  • PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and Jackass: Best and Last - August 21st-23rd, 26th and 27th at 7pm

• Skylite Drive-In, Madawaska

  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day - all week at 8pm

• Spa Weekend - all week | Black Bear Cinemas, Orono; Patriot Cinemas, Freeport; Colonial Theatre, Belfast; Flagship Cinemas, Auburn and Falmouth; Apple Cinemas, Westbrook; Entertainment Luxury Cinemas, South Portland; Regal Cinemas Augusta

• The Rivals of King Amziah - all week | Strand Theatre, Rockland; Reel Pizza Cinerama, Bar Harbor

• The Magic Faraway Tree - all week | Milbridge Theatre, Milbridge; Bangor Mall Cinemas, Bangor; Flagship Cinemas, Auburn, Falmouth, Thomaston, and Waterville; Apple Cinemas, Saco and Westbrook; Regal Cinemas, Augusta

• Steal This Story, Please! - all week | Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, Dover-Foxcroft

• The Fast and the Furious 25th Anniversary - all week | Black Bear Cinemas, Orono; Flagship Cinemas, Auburn, Falmouth, Thomaston, and Waterville; Regal Cinemas, Augusta

• The Matrix - August 21st and 22nd at 7pm | Criterion Theatre, Bar Harbor

• Canoe Dig It?

  • August 22nd at 7pm | Magic Lantern Theater, Bridgton

  • August 23rd at 1pm | Reel Pizza Cinerama, Bar Harbor

• Castle in the Sky

  • August 23rd at 7pm (dubbed) and August 24th at 7pm (subbed) | Black Bear Cinemas, Orono

  • August 22nd and 23rd at 4pm (dubbed) and August 24th and 25th at 7pm (dubbed) | Apple Cinemas, Saco and Westbrook

• Wild Inside

  • August 23rd at 3pm and August 27th at 1pm | PMA Films, Portland

  • August 27th at 7pm | Strand Theatre, Rockland

• Free Willy - August 23rd at 1pm | Lincoln Theater, Damariscotta (Free Screening!)

• High Society - August 23rd at 2pm | Strand Theatre, Rockland

  • Features an intro and Q&A with film expert and TCM host Alicia Malone!

• The Iron Giant - August 23rd at 4:30pm | Leavitt Theatre, Ogunquit (Free Screening!)

• Radiohead X Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror - August 24th and 25th at 7pm | Temple Cinema, Houlton

• The Birdcage - August 24th at 6pm | Leavitt Theatre, Ogunquit (Free Screening!)

• A Life Illuminated - August 24th at 7pm | SPACE Gallery, Portland

• The Eagle Huntress - August 25th and 26th at 5pm and 8pm | Rangeley Lakeside Theatre, Rangeley

• Out of the Past - August 26th at 7pm and August 29th at 2pm and 7pm | Kinonik, Portland

• The Lost Boys - August 26th at 6:30pm | Nickelodeon Cinemas, Portland

• Downeast Hardcore: Tales from the Kave - August 27th at 7pm | Alamo Theatre, Bucksport

  • Features a Q&A with director Ricky Leighton!