What We Do is Secret

What We Do Is Secret (Vitagraph Films)

What We Do Is Secret (opening September 5 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) chronicles the life and death of punk rocker Darby Crash. The film marks the feature writing and directing debut of Rodger Grossman and stars popular TV actor Shane West (of ER fame) as the Germs' notorious frontman.

Water Lilies

The three young stars of Water Lilies (Fox Lorber)

Water Lilies (opened August 15 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) opens against the fitting backdrop of the summer Olympics. As athletes compete in the oft-ridiculed synchronized swimming (remember the Martin Short SNL skit?), Water Lilies uses the sport as a focal point in its tale of sexual awakening among a trio of teenage girls. The film marks the feature-directing debut of France's Céline Sciamma.

Midnight Movie: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure

Paul Reubens as his comic creation Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (Warner Brothers)

Landmark's Midnight Movies Series at the Ken Cinema presents a comic gem on Saturday July 5: Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Paul Reubens created the comic persona of Pee-wee Herman on the comedy nightclub circuit, where he developed a following for the oddly innocent yet mischievous man-child. He put together The Pee-wee Herman Show that played at LA's The Roxy, and eventually brought a raunchy Pee-wee to HBO (in 1981) and later toned the character down for a more kid-friendly television series, Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1991). Reubens' nerdy, readily excitable character had a very distinct style. Using a kiddie show format, he presented himself as a kind of bratty and naughty junior Mr. Rogers. He wore a suit that seemed two sizes too small (even for his skinny frame), a red bow tie, and white shoes. He had a rosy cheeked, wide-eyed, pixie face and a voice that reminded you of nails on a chalkboard. His material revealed moments of comic inspiration but his character could grow grating and tiresome. So when Pee-wee decided to jump to the big screen in 1985 I wondered if he could carry a whole movie.

But Reubens made his big screen debut, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, a refreshing treat thanks in large part to the smart choice of a 26-year-old Tim Burton to helm the project. This would also be Burton's feature film debut. Burton had previously been an animator who had scored hits with a pair of shorts, Vincent and Frankenweenie. Reubens and Burton proved to be a match made in funland. For the film, Reubens subdued the more obnoxious aspects of his character and made him more appealing. In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Reubens and Burton serve up Pee-wee as hero, or more accurately Pee-wee as heroic nerd rebel loner as he ventures off across America in search of his beloved bike that has been stolen.

Jellyfish/Meduzot

The mermaid and the princess? Jellyfish (Zeitgeist Film)

After suffering through the excruciatingly bloated Sex and the City last week, the trim Jellyfish/Meduzot (opening June 6 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) arrives like a breath of fresh air. Light on its feet, deeply human, and fresh in style, this French-Israeli co-production serves up an engaging tale about a group of women struggling with daily life in contemporary Tel Aviv. This isn't the glamorous, fashion and beauty obsessed world of the gals from Sex and the City but rather a much more relatable story about a diverse array of woman coping with disappointments and relationships, and yet still holding out for something better.

Reprise

Woody Allen + Alain Resnais + hip-hop = Reprise... sort of. (Miramax)

Joachim Trier's debut feature Reprise has been racking up accolades for its hip, heady mix of pop culture, punk music and French poetry. It's one part Woody Allen (for romance, neurosis, and humor), one part Alain Resnais (for non-linear exploration of memory and identity), and one part hip-hop (for energy, improv and youthful rebellion). The story may be set in Oslo but its themes about growing up have universal appeal. (You can also take a listen to my radio feature.)

Something funny happened on the way to Joachim Trier's first film.

JOACHIM TRIER: "Yeah we were working on an English language thriller very, very experimental in its form but we kind of got lost."

So lost that Trier decided to return to his native Norway for a story about aspiring young writers. Reprise opens with two friends, Phillip and Erik, poised in front of a bright red mailbox. They are giddy with visions of fame, fortune, and romance. They weigh the importance of the moment, and then drop their manuscripts as well as their hopes and dreams into the mail slot.

The Strangers

"Why are you doing this to us?" Liv Tyler -- and some people in the audience -- are asking this question of The Strangers (Rogue Pictures)

The Strangers (opening May 30 throughout San Diego) will feel all too familiar to horror fans. Here’s the premise: Take one young couple, place them in a lonely cabin out in the middle of nowhere, and then have some nameless, masked visitors ruthlessly attack. Been there, done that a few rimes. But the film does boast the lovely Liv Tyler and an occasional moment of good filmmaking.

Then She Found Me

Helen Hunt makes her feature film directing debut with Then She Found Me (THINKFilm)

Last year we had a trio of movies about female characters coping with unwanted pregnancies: Waitress, Knocked Up and Juno. This year we already have two films about thirtysomething women who want babies and just can't seem to get pregnant: Baby Mama and now Then She Found Me (opening May 9 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and La Jolla Village Theaters). It's almost like Hollywood is feeling its biological clock ticking as much as these female characters are. This latest pregnancy-themed film also marks the feature-directing debut of actress Helen Hunt, and with its multiple mother-daughter themes, it's hoping to tap into the Mother's Day crowd.

First Saturday in May

And they're off... First Saturday in May (Truly Indie)

With nearly a dozen film openings and/or events to cover for this weekend, my apologies for getting to coverage of a couple films late. First Saturday in May (opened April 18 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinema) serves up a documentary about horse racing, focusing in particular on a handful of trainers with hopes of getting their horse to the Kentucky Derby. The film arrives just ahead of that fateful first Saturday in may in the hopes of tapping into the excitement building up to the Derby. NOTE: Co-director Brad Hennegan will make an appearance at the Hillcrest Cinemas on Sunday April 20 at the 12:10, 2:40 and 5:10pm screenings.

Street Kings

Hugh Laurie and Forest Whitaker square off in Street Kings (Fox Searchlight)

Street Kings (opening April 11 throughout San Diego) has some impressive pedigree. It's based on a story by James Ellroy, a hardboiled writer who's been called the Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction. First time director David Ayer had previously scripted the dark cop films Training Day, Dark Blue, and Harsh Times. And the film boasts the talented Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie squaring off as a corrupt police captain and an Internal Affairs captain. Everything appears in place for a tough cop thriller exploring a grittier side of law enforcement.

Smart People

Dennis Quaid stars in Smart People (Mirmax)

Okay, when you name your film Perfect, or Flawless, or Smart People (opening April 11 at Landmark's La Jolla Village Theaters) you are kind of asking for trouble. Or at the very least wiseass headlines like "Perfect Suffers Imperfections," "Flawed Flawless" or "Stupid Smart People Fails to Make the Grade." Such titles set up expectations. But in the case of Smart People, there's at least a hint of irony to the title suggesting that maybe the smug boast is something that's about to be deflated.