CITY Newspaper's Summer Guide 2019 by CITY Magazine

2019

2 CITY

SUMMER GUIDE 2019

DON’T BUG OUT MUSIC.......................................... 4 [ INTRO ] BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

GIGS, SHOWS, CONCERTS & FESTIVALS

RECREATION................................. 6 DANCES WITH CANOES

Looks like the good ol’ Lady of the LakeEffect-Storms has finally released us from her claws. You’ve survived the (what feels like) several months of cabin fever-inducing winter weather, and you’re ready to get out and stretch your legs, watch nature come back to life, and bask in the sunshine. With just three short months of warmth ahead of us, there’s no time to waste in filling up your summer calendar. But what events and activities to choose? Don’t sweat it, we’re got you covered. This year’s Summer Guide is packed with previews, including concerts and music festivals, out-of-town theatrical offerings, and a summer film lineup, plus one quirky story about a local man who made a niche water sport go viral. First up, on page 4, Frank De Blase looks ahead at nine of the most anticipated music shows, from small venue hip-hop shows, to arena rock concerts and regional outdoor festivals (don’t forget the bug spray!). Skip like a stone over to page 6 to check out Brian Gordon’s feature on Marc Ornstein, a Honeoye Falls-based canoe enthusiast whose specialized skills in freestyle canoe dancing — an unlikely, elegant, competitive sport — gained him the attention of a Swedish pop band, Stephen Colbert, and the snarky writers of “Portlandia.” Fill up your tank (and get your passport handy)! On page 8, Leah Stacy takes us on a trip outside of the city limits with her preview of four regional theater festivals’ lineups: Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival in Auburn; Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown; and Stratford Festival in Toronto, Ontario. Because these are day-trips (or overnights), she’s included some info on places to eat, stay, and other attractions in each town. You’re almost certainly going to want to escape the heat (and flying, biting pests) at some point, and in those times, a dark, cool movie theater is just where it’s at. On page 14, Adam Lubitow provides a tidy preview of 15 films coming out this summer, which runs the gamut of genres.

THEATER...................................... 8 ROAD TRIP THROUGH REGIONAL FESTIVALS

FILM.......................................... 14 15 PICKS FOR THE SUMMER SEASON

Cover Illustration by Ryan Williamson Publishers: Rochester Area Media Partners, Norm Silverstein, chairman. William and Mary Anna Towler, founders Editorial department themail@rochester-citynews.com Special sections editor: Rebecca Rafferty Contributing writers: Frank De Blase, Brian Gordon, Adam Lubitow, Leah Stacy Art department artdept@rochester-citynews.com Art director/production manager: Ryan Williamson Designers: Renée Heininger, Jacob Walsh Advertising department ads@rochester-citynews.com New sales development: Betsy Matthews Sales representatives: Tracey Mykins, David White, William Towler Operations/Circulation kstathis@rochester-citynews.com Business manager: Angela Scardinale Circulation manager: Katherine Stathis Summer Guide 2019 is published by Rochester Area Media Partners, a subsidiary of WXXI Public Broadcasting. 2019 - all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system without permission of the copyright owner.

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CITY 3

ROCKIN’ THE HOUSE, INDOORS AND OUT [ PREVIEW ] BY FRANK DE BLASE

The roughly two days that count for summer in Rochester encourage a little barefoot traffic to the multitude of outdoor family events. And of course that includes music. I’ve listed a few recommendations below, as well as some indoor shows that rage with steam heat. It’s all world class, from the nationals that roll through the area to the locally-based bands that make a difference here and abroad. Get out there and wallow in it. You don’t know how good you have it. The music of Moses Rockwell sends the listener outside the hip-hop realm and into an exploratory state. His rapid-fire rhythmic rhymes tumble off his tongue in a spree. At times, the words can evade you as they whiz by, which puts the voice into a more instrumental position rather than a narrative one. Even though Moses Rockwell FILE PHOTO 4 CITY

SUMMER GUIDE 2019

the man has plenty to say, the effect is pretty cool; not necessarily just hearing what he says, but how he says it as well. Moses Rockwell with guests Kurt Sunn, King 20/20, and McClain play at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 28, at the Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Avenue. $6. 454-2966. bugjar.com; mosesrockwell.bandcamp.com.

Buckcherry PHOTO PROVIDED

Buckcherry plays it sleazy, embracing hard

rock’s long lost immorality and waning libido. It’s all testicular fortitude, loud guitar, and the truly remarkable voice of front man Josh Todd — who incidentally was in line to replace Brian Johnson in AC/DC at one point. Buckcherry plays

with guests Joyous Wolf on Tuesday, July 2, 8 p.m. at Main Street Armory, 900 East Main Street. $20/$25. 2323221. rochestermainstreetarmory.com; buckcherry.com. The Rockin’ Rochester Weekender: This here is a rock ‘n’ roll show with a mouthwatering line up. Starring NYC garage legends, The Fleshtones, the awesome lineup includes a pile of bands straight out of the garage. Lookout: Dirty Fences, Bloodshot Bill, The Surfrajettes, The Brooklyn Bluebirds, The Elevator Operators, The Hi-Risers, The Fox Sisters, Televisionaries, Harmonica Lewinski, Aweful Kanawful, Dangerbyrd, The Low Spirits, and Beef Gordon. Better bring napkins. The Rockin’ Rochester Weekender takes place at Photo City Improv, 543 Atlantic Avenue, at 6 p.m. Friday, July 6, and Saturday, July 7, Weekend Passes are available for $40. 21 and over. 454-0047. photocityimprov.com.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones front man Paul Janeway’s unassuming mug belies the soul monster behind it. He sings like he’s having a borderline fit, a Pentecostal tantrum. He moves about the bandstand like he’s got ants in his pants — fire ants. His band is a powerhouse that hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and rocks classic worldwide. It’s broken bones for your busted soul. St. Paul and the Broken Bones with guests Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad play at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12, at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. $20; rochesterevents.com; stpaulandthebrokenbones.com.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones PHOTO PROVIDED

George Thorogood PHOTO PROVIDED

If it’s got strings on it, you’ll see someone playing it at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, a three-day festival celebrating folk and acoustic music. But it’s not only a music fest with appearances from artists you’d expect, including Aaron Lipp & The Slack Tones, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Taj Mahal, Jim Lauderdale, and the Ryan Montbleau Band. It also includes hip-hop from groups like Empire Kings, as well as workshops, camping, and dancing. The Grassroots Festival takes place July 18 through 21 at Trumansburg Fairgrounds, 2150 Trumansburg Road. Weekend pass are $140/$155 for adults and $67/$75 for ages 13 to 15; individual days are $38-$67 for adults, depending on the day, and $38 for ages 13 to 15; kids under 12 free. 607-3875098. grassrootsfest.org. From the raunchy wail of his slide guitar to his gutsy, truck full-o’-sugary-gravel voice, George Thorogood is a musical icon, a man who embodies the enduring link between the blues and rock ‘n’ roll. On stage, Thorogood slinks with the menacing swagger of a panther one minute before prancing about like Little Richard the next. Thorogood is truly one of the last great song-and-dance men. George Thorogood and the Destroyers with guest Cedric Burnside play MLK Park at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24. $20. rochesterevents. com; georgethorogood.com. There’s no shame in Alice Cooper. There’s shock, but no shame. And without the Coop, there’d be no theatrics in metal. There’d be no larger-than-death characters like Marilyn Manson or Rob Zombie. In an interview with the rocker years ago, I asked him who his favorite rock star was and he answered, “Me.” He’s awesome. Alice

Cooper plays with guests Halestorm on Wednesday August 7, 7 p.m. CMAC, 3355 Marvin Sands Drive. Tickets start at $23. cmacevents.com; alicecooper.com. R&B is a genre that flies under the radar in Rochester, somewhat. If we could pull off a couple more shows like the Summer Soul Music Festival, then I could take that accusation back. The festival features performances by Guy, Keke Wyatt, and celebrating its 30 years in the biz, Bell Biv Devoe. Summer Soul Music Festival happens Friday, August 23, at and Saturday, August 24, at Frontier Field. $50-$80 for both days; $15 to $49 for Friday; $45-$75 for Saturday. rocsummersoulfest.com.

Tommy Brunett FILE PHOTO

This year’s Fairport Music Festival features Roy Wilson and The Buzzards, Sirsy, Junkyard Field Trip, The Tommy Brunett Band and many others, raising money for Golisano’s Children’s Hospital. This two-day event has been getting bigger year after year but hey, it’s for the kids. There’s plenty of grub, too. Fairport Music Festival happens Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24, on 12 Liftbridge Lane East, Fairport $15 advance, $20 at door. fairportmusicfestival.com. rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 5

DANCES WITH CANOES [ PROFILE ] BY BRIAN GORDON PHOTO PROVIDED

In 2007, Marc Ornstein made his fifth trip to Peninsula, Ohio to compete in the Midwest Championships, the flagship event on the interpretive freestyle canoeing calendar. His routine ran just shy of 4 minutes. He donned a dress shirt, black vest and black bowtie, and to the 1980s love ballad “Lady in Red,” Ornstein matched music swells with dreamy movements, directing the 13-foot boat in a slow waltz across the Ohio pond. He swept the oar in a wide motion across his body, like he was churning a giant vat of butter. The canoe pirouetted on a dime, sending ripples that disappeared within feet. Even without music, the movements would be melodic. The forty or so spectators clapped politely as the routine earned Ornstein second place. Four years later, it became the most influential routine of his life. Ornstein, a retired roofer who lives in Honeoye Falls, is the world’s most famous interpretive freestyle canoeist. The distinction, he acknowledges, puts him at the top of the fringe of the fringe of the fringe. Sometime in early 2012, Ornstein was working in his expansive backyard when a friend called to say a video of him canoeing had half a million views. “I thought he was pulling my leg,” Ornstein told CITY during a recent interview at his home. “Then I was like, ‘Holy crap,’” he said. Footage of his “Lady in Red” set had popped up on Reddit, giving the routine new life. Interpretive freestyle, or canoe dancing, is like competitive ice skating with a boat. Each competitor has a minutes-long routine of predetermined moves set to music and assessed by a committee of judges. Competitors wear costumes, including one notable routine performed by a young man in a Phantom of the Opera cloak. Canoe designer Charlie Wilson has described interpretive canoeing as “advanced whitewater maneuvers on Quaaludes.” 6 CITY

SUMMER GUIDE 2019

Shortly after his video went viral, Orenstein was on a free flight to the Old Warner Brothers Studio in Hollywood to film an episode of the short-lived “The Jeff Probst Show.” Ornstein walked Probst and a live audience through his routine. The show was soon cancelled, and the episode never aired. Weeks later, the veteran Swedish pop band Vit Päls called, requesting Ornstein star in the music video for the song “Sov hos migg inatt (Sleep with me tonight).” Again, Ornstein thought it was a joke. Within weeks, a team of Scandinavian musicians and technician trucks descended on Ornstein’s 11-acre property to film lush close-ups of his routine. Friends began sending links to parodies of his performance throughout 2011. Ornstein respected the send up delivered by Stephen Colbert’s self-titled charter in a 2011 episode of “The Colbert Report” (“He wields the paddle like Picasso wielded… a paddle”), but he said he did not care too much for Fred Armisen’s impression on “Portlandia.” In the second season episode “No Olympics,” Armisen — dressed precisely like Ornstein down to the glasses — evoked a debonair absurdity through exaggerated canoe pantomimes. Each action, such as playing the paddle like a guitar and keyboard before toppling into the water, drew earnest country club claps from a smattering of winedrinking spectators. “Maybe I don’t get the show, but I thought it was just silly what they did,” Ornstein said. “He was just flailing around in a canoe.” When Ornstein arrived at the 2012 Midwest Championships the next summer, he encountered a video crew from National Geographic and several strangers shouting his name and wearing “Marc Ornstein” t-shirts. He realized he now had groupies.

“I don’t even think it was my best routine,” Ornstein said. “But over the years, a variety of things happened as a result.” Back in Rochester, few of Ornstein’s acquaintances understood the sport that was bringing him minor celebrity status. “People think, ‘Oh you canoe. You get in your boat and you float down the river,’” he said. “Then they find out what the rest of it is. They think it’s pretty cool. Or they think it’s pretty crazy. Always one of the two.” Ornstein said he still gets calls from people who saw the “Lady in Red” routine online and want to learn about freestyle canoeing. Aspiring canoeists reach out for advice or schedule private lessons in Honeoye Falls. Ornstein teaches canoe strokes — the axle, the sweep, the high-knee thrust — that have a functional, as well as a performative, purpose. “It all traces back to that video,” he said. His personal pond, guarded by tall phragmites and cattails, is set back behind a long gravel driveway and two-story house he shares with his black lab, Rascal. Deer trod the acreage beyond the pond, which Ornstein elects to leave untouched. There he teaches and hones new routines when the Western New York weather permits. After winning four golds and four silvers, he no longer competes in the Midwest Championships, but gives exhibitions at canoe symposiums across the country. In a basement-turned-workshop, Ornstein crafts wood-strip paddles and boats. Paddles go for $450 and canoes for a few thousand, depending on the order. Ornstein said he rarely watches the famous routine which now has more than 1.2 million views, but that he appreciates the moments the routine provided: wild experiences for a retired roofer to promote his passion, and hopefully, bring canoeing dancing in from the fringe.

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CITY 7

STAGE A ROAD TRIP

NEARBY FESTIVAL THEATERS ARE WORTH THE DRIVE One of the earliest known “festival theaters” was held in StratfordUpon-Avon in 1864, to commemorate the three-hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth (or at least, the approximated birth). From there, it was more of a Canadian tradition than American; passed along through British settlement and heritage. Each summer, Rochesterians have the opportunity to enjoy several high-quality, professional incarnations of festival theater, both in state and over the border. And the best news: some of them are a doable daytrip away.

[ THEATER ] BY LEAH STACY

Emile Grimes in The Neverending Story PHOTO BY DAVID COOPER

FINGER LAKES MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Auburn, NY | 1 hour, 10 minutes travel time | Season runs June through October | fingerlakesmtf.com

Each summer, the idyllic, lakefront Merry-Go-Round Playhouse comes alive with song and dance in a full season of classics and new works. Among the highlights this year are the musicals “Grand Hotel” (July 10-31), the winner of 10 Tony Awards based on the Greta Garbo film set in 1928 Berlin, and “Loch Ness, A New Musical” (September 28-October 18), a family-friendly production featuring a mix of puppetry and ensemble storytelling. Other notable highlights include “The PiTCH” (July 17-August 16) at the nearby Carriage House Theater, which grants musical creation teams a weeklong residency to workshop and pitch a brand new musical to a live audience for feedback. And of course, no trip to Auburn is complete without a visit to Prison City Brewing, which consistently ranks high in national brewing taste tests.

PHOTO PROVIDED

8 CITY

SUMMER GUIDE 2019

Jay Turvey as Bree, Matt Nethersole as Shasta and Genny Sermonia as the tail with the cast of The Horse and His Boy. PHOTO BY DAVID COOPER.

SHAW FESTIVAL Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario | 2 hours travel time, depending on border | Season runs April through October, with special performances in November and December | shawfest.com

According to the festival website, it “celebrates the life and spirit of Bernard Shaw by creating theatre that is as entertaining and provocative as Shaw himself.” This year, that celebration will feature another C.S. Lewis creation, “The Horse and His Boy” (through June 26), and mounts the little-performed Scottish musical “Brigadoon” (through October 13). On the lighter side continues on page 10

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CITY 9

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is “The Ladykillers” (June 11-Octover 12), a comedic murder mystery, and Mae West’s “Sex” (June 21-October 13), a comedy that landed its author in handcuffs for “corrupting the youth.” Shaw Fest is also in its third season of “Secret Theatre,” a pop-up program that takes place at secret locations around NOTL (audience members sign up for email alerts to attend). There are two Christmas shows in November and December: “Holiday Inn” and the always-popular “A Christmas Carol.” While the drive isn’t long, it’s always worth staying the night to see more than one show, as well as tasting the wares at nearby wineries and shopping along Queen’s Parade.

GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL Cooperstown, NY | 2 hours, 45 minutes travel time | Season runs July and August | glimmerglass.org

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Just beyond the charming streets of Cooperstown is the Glimmerglass Festival, the nation’s second-largest summer opera festival in the nation, founded in 1975. What was once entirely opera in rotating repertory has grown to include musical theater, and this year’s four-show season has both the classic “Showboat” (July 6-August 24) and “Blue” (July 14-August 22), a new work by Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”) and Emmy Award-winner Tazewell Thompson (“Porgy and Bess”), which centers on a young black couple raising their first child in 21st-century America. Splurge on a night at the opulent The Otesaga Resort Hotel, and sip on a glass of wine in the row of rocking chairs looking out on Otsego Lake. Downtown, there’s the National Baseball Hall of Fame and several good restaurants.

STRATFORD FESTIVAL Toronto, Ontario | 3 hours, 40 minutes travel time | Season runs April through November | stratfordfestival.ca

The furthest drive — and second-largest show offering, at 12 (Shaw Fest has 13) — is Stratford Festival, named for Shakespeare’s home and known around the world for its exemplary Shakespearean productions. Stratford Festival was founded in 1953 by a local journalist seeking to revitalize the town’s economy, and still holds that role. This year’s season will include three Shakespearean works (“Othello,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” and “Henry VIII”); the new play “Birds of a Kind” (July 30-October 13) which will be performed with multiple languages and focuses on race and ethnicity issues; “The Michael Blake as Front Page” (July Othello in Othello PHOTO BY DAVID HOU 30-October 25), a newsy, comedic world premiere commissioned by Stratford and written by two Chicago journalists; and the family-friendly “The Neverending Story” (through November 3), which promises to be a spectacle of stage design. Behind-the-scenes tours are also offered through most of the season, and world class shopping and restaurants are just down the road in Toronto.

The Glimmerglass Festival's Alice Busch Opera Theater. PHOTO BY KARLI CADEL 10 CITY SUMMER GUIDE 2019

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PHOTO BY STEPHEN S. REARDON

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WE’RE PA ST THE ‘ENDGAM E’ NOW

THE BIGGEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR MAY HAVE COME AND GONE, BUT THERE’S STILL PLENTY MORE REASONS TO GET EXCITED FOR SUMMER MOVIE SEASON

[ PREVIEW ] BY ADAM LUBITOW

Summer’s when Hollywood unleashes its big guns: the loudest, most extravagant, crowd-pleasing properties studios hope will convince audiences to keep out of the sunshine and planted in theater seats. But when the biggest movie of the year — surely you haven’t forgotten a box office behemoth by the name of “Avengers: Endgame” — has already come and gone, the rest of the season is in danger of feeling a bit anticlimactic. Lest you think the season has peaked early, CITY’s put together a list of films that are bound to go great with some air conditioning, comfy seats, and a large bucket of popcorn. The world may already have been avenged, but there’s still plenty of exciting reasons to head to the movies this summer. “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”: Director Joe Talbot cleaned up the awards at Sundance this year with

the bittersweet dramedy about an African-American man (played by newcomer Jimmie Fails, whose life served as the film’s inspiration) searching for a place to call home in a rapidly changing city. This just might be a stealth player when awards season rolls around. (June 7) “Late Night”: This crowd-pleasing comedy revolves around the prickly relationship between a legendary late-night talk show host (Emma Thompson) and the first female writer (Mindy Kaling, also serving as screenwriter) she hires to join her staff. Any chance to watch Thompson be funny is one to be celebrated, and when the comedy actually has something to say, all the better. (June 7) “Men in Black: International”: No one was really asking for a fourth entry in the “Men in Black” franchise, but a reteaming of charming, easy on the eyes “Thor: Ragnarok” co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson is too tempting to pass up. F. Gary Gray’s action-comedy finds Thompson’s new recruit joining forces with Hemsworth’s veteran operative in order to face down the MiB’s most dangerous threat yet: a mole in the organization. (June 14) continues on page 16

14 CITY SUMMER GUIDE 2019

PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 15

PHOTO COURTESY ORION PICTURES

“Child’s Play”: This reboot of the slasher franchise about a stab-happy doll takes the series in a slightly different direction, capitalizing on fears of new technology by reimagining Chucky as a malevolent A.I. Murderous playthings will never not be terrifying, so consider me intrigued. (June 21) “Toy Story 4”: When it comes to new “Toy Story” movies, I’ve learned not to question whether Pixar can recapture the magic of their most beloved property: the studio has

PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES

made me a believer with every installment. This entry takes a turn for the existential, as Woody and the gang are joined by Forky, a googly-eyed spork who questions what

makes a toy a toy and why he’s even alive in the first place. I mean, if any children’s movie is equipped to tackle the concept of consciousness, it’s one from Pixar. (June 21) “Yesterday”: A struggling singer-songwriter (Himesh Patel) wakes up to find he’s the only person on Earth who remembers The Beatles ever existed in this musical fairy tale from Danny Boyle. Early buzz has been mixed, but I dig that high-concept premise. (June 28) continues on page 18

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“Spider-Man: Far From Home”: Eager for a

break from the super hero gig, Peter Parker swings across the pond for a class trip to Europe. But there’s no rest for the webslinger when he encounters a strange band of adversaries who can control the elements, and finds a potential new ally named Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). This may be the first post“Endgame” Marvel flick, but any new SpiderMan film has some big shoes to fill when “Into the Spider-Verse” just gave us the best Spidey adventure yet. (July 2) “Midsommar”: Director Ari Aster scared the pants off audiences last year with his first feature “Hereditary.” Now he’s back with this sunny new nightmare about a young couple who travel to Sweden to attend a midsummer

18 CITY SUMMER GUIDE 2019

PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES

festival but find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult. Hot on the heels of an impressive debut, I’m excited to see what Aster cooks up next. (July 3)

PHOTO COURTESY A24

“The Farewell”: In this Sundance hit,

Awkwafina plays a Chinese-American woman who travels to China with her family to visit her terminally-ill grandmother, but grows conflicted by her family’s decision to keep grandma in the dark about her diagnosis.

Rather than break the news, they stage an impromptu wedding as an excuse to gather and say their goodbyes. Early reviews have been glowing, including raves for Awkwafina’s previously untested dramatic skills. (July 12) “Crawl”: I love me a good, goofy B-movie premise, and this one is a doozy: a young woman comes to the aid of her father who’s stranded in his home during a category 5 PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES

hurricane, but finds herself trapped in a rapidly flooding house overrun by alligators. With “Don’t Breathe” director Alexandre Aja at the helm, this could be the perfect movie for suspense-junkies to bite into. (July 12) “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”: One of the most highly-anticipated films of the summer is Quentin Tarantino’s latest, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a former Western TV star battling irrelevancy and Brad Pitt as his faithful friend and stuntman. The setting is 1969 Los Angeles, an era when Hollywood and the country at large seemed to lose its innocence, and the plot somehow connects to the Manson-family murders — with Margot Robbie co-starring as doomed starlet Sharon Tate. (July 26)

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rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 19

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”: Guillermo

del Toro serves as producer on this adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s seminal short story anthology series that’s scarred many a young reader over the years (I’m fairly certain one of those stories is the reason I’m terrified of spiders to this day). I still get shivers thinking about Stephen Gammell’s ghastly illustrations, but I’ll admit I’m excited to see those horrors translated to film. (August 9) “The Kitchen”: After their mobster husbands are sent to prison by the FBI, three Hell’s Kitchen housewives (Melissa McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss, and

Tiffany Haddish) take over the business, and find they just might have a knack for brutality. Based on a pulpy comic book series, this dark crime drama with a killer cast could be a late-summer treat. (August 9) “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”: Director Richard Linklater adapts Maria Semple’s acerbic bestselling novel about a once-renowned architect turned agoraphobic homemaker (played by Cate Blanchett) who suddenly disappears, leaving her teenage daughter to piece together what happened to her. Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, and Billy Crudup are also on board, promising some adult-

PHOTO COURTESY ANNAPURNA PICTURES

friendly counterprogramming to fight blockbuster fatigue. (August 16) “Brittany Runs a Marathon”: A New York party girl (professional scene-stealer Jillian Bell) gets a warning from her doctor that she needs to get in shape or face some dire health consequences. So she starts running, and eventually sets herself the goal of joining the New York Marathon. Reviews out of Sundance have raved about Bell’s terrific performance in this indie comedy, playing a woman navigating issues of body image and self-worth as she fights to take control of her life. (August 23)

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