Paprika (R)
Who’s in it: Animated
What it’s about: A frosty psychotherapist morphs into a sexy sprite who is able to probe the dream life of her patients.
Worth watching? ***
“As with even the best anime, ‘Paprika’ gets so caught up in its all-consuming imagery that it almost consumes itself. It’s a fascinating, provocative ride all the same.” [ GENE SEYMOUR, NEWSDAY ]
Hostel: Part II (R)
Who’s in it: Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips
What it’s about: A trio of comely coeds are lured to a Slovakian hostel, where a pair of American businessmen are preparing to torture and murder them.
Worth watching? **
” ‘Hostel’ is no ‘Psycho,’ but like Hitchcock’s classic, it still forces viewers to question whether we represent violence in film for aesthetic enlightenment or just voyeuristic kicks.” [ TIRDAD DERAKHSHANI, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ]
Crazy Love (PG-13)
Who’s in it: Documentary
What it’s about: A man is so obsessively possessive of his ex-girlfriend that he lied to her about divorcing his wife, paid guys to beat her up so she’d feel frightened enough to run back to him, and, most shockingly of all, hired a thug to throw lye in her face, leaving her blind and disfigured at 22.
Worth watching? **
“It helps a great deal that Burton Pugach and Linda Riss, now 80 and 70 years old respectively, are a longtime husband and wife who revel in the attention their bizarre relationship has drawn. They’re great storytellers with a great story to tell; their friends and relatives are also complete characters.” [ CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP ]
ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway (PG)
Who’s in it: Documentary
What it’s about: Director Dori Berinstein documents the 2003-04 Broadway musical season, when “Wicked,” “Avenue Q,” “Taboo” and “Caroline, or Change” were onstage but there was plenty of backstage drama too.
Worth watching? ***
“[ShowBusiness] is revealing for casual theater fans, nirvana for stage junkies.” [ BOB STRAUSS, L.A. DAILY NEWS ]
