Film

Cyrus_smallposter The movie schedule at Telluride's Nugget Theatre for the week of Friday, August 20 through Thursday, August 26 is a busy one, including a Telluride Film Festival presentation of "Cyrus" on August 26.

"Inception" (PG13), carried over from last week, continues through Wednesday, August 25.

The early movie for Friday and Saturday is "Ramona and Beezus" (G), based on the characters created by novelist Beverly Cleary and set in Portland, OR. This should be a good one for the younger set: Ramona is a 9 year old whirlwind, causing chaos, yet remaining untouched at the eye of the storm.

Bag it for August 17 Telluride local, actor-director Jeb Berrier is wrapped up like a Christo monument these days - figuratively and literally.

Berrier's most immediate concern is the upcoming Telluride Repertory Theatre's production of "The Merchant of Venice," his debut as a Shakespearian director. Shakespeare in the Park opens Saturday, August 22. 

But when we meet Jeb the Actor in "Bag It," he is covered from head to toe in plastic bags. Directed by Telluride local Suzan Beraza, "Bag It" begs the question, How worried should we be about everyday chemicals? The answer: big time. Jeb, "Bag It's" Everyman, takes the viewer on a tragi-comic journey that explains why.

[click "Play", Meehan Fee describes the event]

PIG & WHISKEY POSTER FINAL Telluride's sister city, the Mountain Village, is hopping this weekend with two big events: the Telluride Festival of the Arts and the Telluride Conference Center's Pig & Whiskey.

Pig & Whiskey is no pig in a poke: everything about the event is out there on the table. And there is something for everyone.

For film buffs, there's a screening of a documentary by Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood. "The Secret to a Happy Ending" chronicles the life and impact of the Drive-By Truckers, a rock-and-roll band that may not enjoy mass fame, but claims an unusually potent connection with its fans just like the jam band who packed Telluride Town Park earlier this week, Phish. It's a connection the film's director, Barr Weissman felt first-hand when he saw them in 2003. One song in particular, "The Living Bubba," frontman Patterson Hood's high and mournful ode to a friend who had died, purportedly reduced Weissman to an emotional pulp.

Inception_smallimax Telluride's Nugget Theatre is back to being a movie theatre this week. The movie of the week is "Inception" for all showings.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Christopher Nolan's ("Memento") movie about a corporate thief who invades minds to steal their ideas. Now, as a final job to save himself, he must implant an idea. The movie is likened to a maze, and expect to be lost in time and space. "Inception" is rated PG13.

See below for showtimes, and the Nugget website for reviews and trailers.

Thesorcerersapprentice_smallteaser Despicable-Me-Poster Telluride's Nugget Theatre will be busy with music during the Telluride Jazz Celebration this weekend, Friday through Sunday.

On Monday, it's back to movies. "Despicable Me" (rated PG) returns for two showings a day through Thursday. See last week's "Nuggets" for a description.

The late movie, Monday-Thursday, is "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (PG), a Disney movie that gives a nod to the old Disney masterpiece, "Fantasia". Only the older audience members will remember Mickey Mouse doing battle with enchanted brooms and buckets. I personally remember nightmares about that sequence. In this case, we are talking about Nicholas Cage as a good magician with a young apprentice who has the "Gift". Together they must prevent bad magicians from the time of King Arthur gaining power in today's world. Got it?

See below for showtimes and the Nugget website for trailers and reviews.

Poster Poster-1 Telluride's Nugget Theatre is screening two movies the week of Friday, July 30 to Thursday, August 5. "Knight and Day" is a holdover from last week. The action movie stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, and is rated PG13.

"Despicable Me" is an animated film with some great voices, an improbable super-villain, three orphan girls in search of a dad, and a plot to steal the moon. What could possibly go wrong? It is rated PG.

For movietimes, see below; for trailers and reviews, see the Nugget website.

Ride the Divide Logo-3 Thetwilightsagaeclipse_smallposter If you missed "Toy Story 3" or "Knight and Day" at Telluride's Nugget Theatre last week, you have another chance. See last week's post.

New at the Nugget this week is "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse", rated PG13. Set in Seattle, this third film in a  series pits a 109-year-old vampire against a werewolf for the affections of a young woman. Lots of vampires around the past few seasons, and some werewolves to add a little heat to the chill of the undead probably is a good idea.

On Thursday, July 29,  Paragon/Bootdoctors presents "Ride the Divide", a feature length documentary about the longest mountain bike race.

See below for movietimes, and the Nugget website for trailers and reviews.

Thekaratekid_smallposter The Nugget Theatre in beautiful downtown Telluride is busy this week, primarily because Nothing is happening. The Nothing Festival, that is. To celebrate Nothing, the Nugget is showing "Karate Kid" 5 times for nothing on Friday and Saturday, July 16, 17, including a Saturday matinee. Boy, that takes me back; I mean the Saturday matinee!

Because the schedule is a bit complicated, be sure to check below the fold for movietimes and the Nugget website for reviews and trailers.

"Karate Kid" is a remake of the 1984 classic, and largely follows the plot line of the original: displaced kid, young love, a bully, a kindly maintenance man with a secret. This time KK is set in China, but apparently the on-location shooting is an enhancement to the film, Jackie Chan is appropriate as the kung-fu master, and according to Roger Ebert, the movie can stand on its own. Rated R.

IMG_5505 BERKELEY, CA – Telluride Film Festival (September 3-6, 2010), presented by National Film Preserve LTD., is proud to announce its 2010 Guest Director, Michael Ondaatje. The celebrated writer has been invited to select a series of films to present at the 37th Telluride Film Festival.  The Guest Director program is sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
 
Each year Festival directors Tom Luddy, Gary Meyer and Julie Huntsinger select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride.