The Marketing of Air Jordans Plus, Three More New Movies

by Chris Narloch

Food Beverage and More

When you’re not busy bingeing the final season of “Succession” and/or the second season of “Yellowjackets,” check out one or more of these new movies currently in theaters.

Air

Since I am not really a basketball fan, I wasn’t expecting to love Ben Affleck’s new dramedy about how Nike wooed Michael Jordan and his parents away from Adidas and Converse at a time when those brands were more successful. The rest is shoe business history, and “Air” brings it to life with verve and humor, thanks to a fun script, a great cast, and solid direction by Affleck.

Affleck also stars as the decision maker at Nike, and he is aided by a terrific supporting cast that includes Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Julius Tennon, and the movie’s MVPs – Matt Damon and Viola Davis – who play, respectively, the Nike agent who cinched the deal and Jordan’s mother, who helped guide her son to greatness (and great wealth). In wide theatrical release.

Scream VI

I enjoy a good horror film, if it’s well-written and skillfully directed, but the latest installment in this long-running fright franchise is neither.

A very attractive cast that includes handsome Mason Gooding and the lovely and talented Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera works hard – running, screaming, and fighting for their lives – but they are defeated by a generic slasher plot with little suspense.

I got my hopes up when I learned that the film was going to be set in New York City this time out, but other than filming on the subway, the disappointing “Scream VI” fails to take advantage of the move to the Big Apple. In wide theatrical release.

The Lost King

A feel-good film if ever there was one, this delightful new movie, which was inspired by a true story, follows an ambitious writer and amateur historian who defied the academic establishment to unearth Richard III’s long-missing remains underneath a Leicester car park.

Philippa Langley also managed to polish King Richard’s much-maligned reputation in the process and fought to obtain a proper burial for his bones. Luckily, the filmmakers found the perfect person to portray Philippa: the always-wonderful British actress, Sally Hawkins.

A Thousand and One

This searing, superb drama observes a recently incarcerated woman named Inez who kidnaps her 6-year-old son, Terry, from the foster care system. They set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in a rapidly changing New York City.

“A Thousand and One” boasts an Oscar-worthy lead performance by Teyana Taylor as Inez, and a whopper of a twist near the end of the movie that totally blew my mind. The film is an intense and realistic rollercoaster ride.

“The Lost King” and “A Thousand and One” were still playing at Sacramento’s Tower Theatre as we went to press.