‘Interview with the Vampire’ (March 31)
Anne Rice’s best-selling, long-running “The Vampire Diaries” finally hit the big screen in 1994, with Tom Cruise starring as Lestat, the vampire whose sexual fluidity and camp theatricality appeared to many (including Rice himself). ) in a place out of reach of the player. Still, Cruise acquits himself beautifully by conveying the character’s charisma and threat, while Brad Pitt captures the despair of narrator Louis. But the show’s thief is Kirsten Dunst in a memorable performance as Claudia, a vampire who was “transformed” as a child and locked up at that age. Director Neil Jordan uses the atmosphere of the Bayou for extra spice, beautifully mixing the story’s Gothic horror and dark comedy elements.
Five Movies to Watch This Winter
‘In the Cut’ (March 31)
Campion’s second appearance on this month’s list is for one of his most controversial films in 2003, an unapologetically raw and prickly erotic thriller that commits a seemingly inexcusable sin: he sexualized America’s sweetheart, Meg Ryan. With the hyper-ventilation hype in hindsight, we can finally appreciate what “In the Cut” is, a scorching exploration of feminine desire, a harrowing meditation on resistance to female sexual agency, and a showcase of Ryan’s atypical yet impressive performances. , Jennifer Jason Leigh and the up-and-coming Mark Ruffalo.
‘Jumanji’ (March 31)
This 1995 family adventure, the first film adaptation of the hit 1981 children’s book, stars Robin Williams as a boy trapped in a board game for decades, Bonnie Hunt as a barely successful friend, and his contemporary children Dunst and Bradley Pierce, who try to help. escapes – and must end the game. Joe Johnston (“Captain America: First Avenger”) directs with an appropriate mix of childlike exuberance and wide-eyed horror, and the special effects (wild beasts and swarms of bugs descending on suburban enclaves) remain surprisingly believable.
‘The Neverending Story’ (March 31)
German director Wolfgang Petersen followed the worldwide success of his Oscar-nominated submarine thriller “Das Boot” with an unexpected left turn: He directed a family fantasy. Based on the novel by Michael Ende, Petersen tells the story of Bastian (Barret Oliver), a shy young outcast who finds he can escape the misery of his daily life by getting lost in a magic book, lost among princesses, warriors, fantastic beasts and fairy tales. dark forces. Like “Jumanji,” this is still a charming family favorite from generation to generation, which has lost none of its potency or magic.
‘A River Flows Through It’ (31 March)
Brad Pitt was still a rising young actor when he starred in Robert Redford’s lyrical adaptation of Norman Maclean’s novel, just one year after his breakthrough role in Thelma and Louise. Pitt and Craig Sheffer star as the sons of a Montana minister (Tom Skerritt) as they age and separate from each other in the early 20th century. It’s one of the best-looking movies of the 1990s (Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography won an Oscar, and it deserved it), and years later it became a cable stand-by. But it’s more than comfort food. Redford’s subtlety resists empty nostalgia and spectacles of the good old days in favor of a nuanced portrait of shifting values and customs.
Also when leaving: “300”“as good as possible”“Brave Heart”“the Hangover”“Holiday”“abnormal events” (full of March 31).