Natalie de la Garza - Page 5

This Friday's H-Town Cinema Celebration, Discovery Green's celebration of Houston filmmakers and film organizations, will give Houstonians a fun night out and a great movie. It's also given the night's emcee, John Behlmann, an excuse to come home.

COMING HOME is sentimental, poignant and beautifully scored.

Today, we talk to THE RAT PACK IS BACK! performer Joe Scalissi, arguably the world's foremost Dean Martin tribute artist.

Composer Gregory Spears and librettist Royce Vavrek talk the relationship between space travel and Houston, and how it inspired the new chamber opera O COLUMBIA.

Fifteen years after storming out of her parents' home, a woman's two children are going to meet their Nana and Pop Pop for the first time – alone, to spend a week with them, on a farm, in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone reception. And in M. Night Shyamalan's new film, THE VISIT, boredom is not the worst case scenario.

Recent TV spots tout THE GIFT as 'a modern day FATAL ATTRACTION' but, while I can appreciate zeroing in on Richard Roeper's quote for THE DOUBLE name recognition value, it's not. Joel Edgerton's feature directorial debut is an unexpectedly sharp, slow burn. Where FATAL ATTRACTION campily bobs, THE GIFT thoughtfully weaves.

Ultimately, THE GALLOWS is kind of like R.L. Stine's Phantom of the Auditorium meets GRADUATION DAY (1981). But found footage. With a supernatural twist. While I may not be able to recommend either of those over THE GALLOWS, I can't really recommend THE GALLOWS either.

Read Mildred's Umbrella artistic director Jennifer Decker and director Jon Harvey talk about the unique challenges posed by THE DROWNING GIRLS and the continued relevance of the story.

Director and designer Colton Berry brings a solid artistic vision to Bayou City Theatrics staging of SUNSET BOULEVARD, but his conceptualizations remain better than the execution. Uneven acting and vocal performances, persistent sound issues and the price tag ($35 to $40) make this one hard to recommend.

If you're the kind of person who never tires of watching the Hollywood sign crumble and major American cities flood, go see SAN ANDREAS. For all of it's flaws, it's a solid disaster movie, and the special effects deserve to be seen on the big screen. But it's not one you'll find yourself re-watching on a lazy Sunday.

Summer is coming and luckily for you, here in Houston there is no shortage of nice, air-conditioned theaters for you to choose from. With so many choices it can be a daunting task, so let the BWW Houston editors give you their picks for the upcoming summer season.

POLTERGEIST is a solid, well-acted film with creepy clowns, evil entities, and a few sincere scares. It's not a complete waste of your time or money, but like many remakes you'll question why it's necessary. Consider waiting for it on Netflix or, if you insist on seeing it on the big screen, choose the matinee and avoid paying extra for 3D.

HEARTBREAK, USA is the ballad of Missy and Jerry, long-time sweethearts who find themselves at the end of the relationship road. Missy leaves, looking to her friends, Casey and Lizzie, for much needed support. But Jerry stubbornly stays exactly where Missy left him, vowing to remain on his porch until she comes back, kept company by the occasional visits of his friends, Ricky and Trip, and frequent visits by the local pizza delivery guy.

If you love absurd little satires, whimsical period pieces, and female-centric art (or you just have a healthy, if unusual, appreciation for the egg), then 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE is for you.