Jim Brunzell III

After writing in last week's post about the plethora of repertory films screening at the Trylon Microcinema, it was nice to see another "rep" film show up on the Twin Cities film schedule from British director Nicholas Roeg: his The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) will be getting its due for a week-long engagement starting this Friday at the Lagoon Cinema. What's special about this re-release, besides a new print coming to town for its 35th anniversary screening? The film has been restored to its original cut of 140 minutes, instead of the 118 minutes that was shown in the U.S. when it opened in 1976.

After a six-year hiatus since directing a feature film, Miranda July—whose previous film, the brilliant Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)—returns with another idiosyncratic romantic drama, The Future. July again stars, writes, and directs.

The Future is another fantastical story in which fans of July’s other work (whether it be as a performance artist, author, or actress) will immediately recognize July’s signature trademarks; the film was much-discussed among audiences and journalists alike at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Incorporating many of the same themes as her previous film, July again finds quirks in human interactions including insecurities, another unstable young woman, blending pop music into scenes effortlessly (the use of “Master of None” by Beach House is outstanding), and magical moments depicting people searching for meaning in life.

PARK CITY, UTAH—Azazel Jacobs wrote and directed one of the best American independent films in past few years, 2008’s Momma’s Man. Jacobs’s latest film, Terri, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. In Minneapolis, it opens this Friday at the Uptown Theatre.

Jacobs, who is the son of experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs, is a born filmmaker; with Terri, his stock is only on the rise.  Working from a script by novelist Patrick de Witt, Jacobs’s direction is spot-on. His use of editing makes for some perfectly timed moments. Impressive newcomer Jacob Wysocki, making his feature film debut, plays the title character; and veteran actor John C. Reilly (Chicago, Cedar Rapids), plays high school principal Mr. Fitzgerald. Other actors featured in Terri include Creed Bratton (NBC’s The Office), Olivia Crocicchia (FX’s Rescue Me), and Duluth native Bridger Zadina (NBC’s Law & Order: SVU) as delinquent classmate Chad.

The big theatrical release this week is the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows: Part 2. I’ll be catching it this weekend and I’m going in with bittersweet expectations, as it's one of those films that should be seen on the big screen and taken in for one last time before they disappear forever. Big studios would never take a chance on putting their summer slate out on video-on-demand for audiences before the films open in theaters, so it's nice to give credit to a few independent distributions (IFC, Magnolia, Film Movement, etc.) who take chances on smaller niche films and give audiences a chance to have access to them.

Not really knowing too much about films on demand can make for a great thrill in discovering a new talent, an entertaining story, or compelling characters, but on the flipside, sometimes you can understand why some of these smaller independent studios don’t necessarily put a ton of advertising, marketing, and promotion into their VOD films. Just as some of us get sucked into a bad movie on TNT, TBS, or—God forbid—Fox 29, I sometimes stumble onto on-demand movies, looking for something new or that might not open here. One of those films available through your cable provider (Comcast, DIRECTV, Time Warner), online (Amazon.com), or on iTunes is Jacob Tierney’s oddball Canadian comedic mystery Good Neighbors. Good Neighbors will be opening in a few theaters at the end of July and will still be available on-demand; even if the film doesn’t open in the Twin Cities, however, the film is still worth a look despite some major story flaws.