By Hans Pedersen, October 2015 Issue.
In theaters Sept. 25 | R | 129 minutes
Roland Emmerich directed the big-budget film on the 1969 riots at New York City’s Stonewall Inn that sparked the gay liberation movement. Based on real-life characters, the movie centers around a young white man, Danny, who has run off to NYC. One cannot deny the controversy surrounding this movie: some folks online say the movie is revisionist history that minimizes the role of trans women and drag queens of color who actually started the protest. Others argue all the main players that night at Stonewall are represented, including the trans woman who started the riot. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ron Perlman co-star in the drama.
He Named Me Malala
In theaters Oct. 9 | PG-13 | 87 minutes
A profile of an amazing young woman, Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize. Chronicling Yousafzai’s work and advocacy for girls’ education when she was just 15 years old, this documentary tracks events leading up to the brutal Taliban attack when gunmen shot her in the head on a Pakistan school bus. The tragedy caused an outcry and transformed the teen into an even more powerful figure – an international activist who battles for children’s rights worldwide. Director David Guggenheim’s documentary also showcases her address to the United Nations while shedding light on the massive impact one courageous person can have.
Cooties
In Theaters Sept. 18 | R | 88 minutes
Is he gay or isn’t he? That’s the ongoing question about Tracy, a teacher of ambiguous sexuality played by Jack McBrayer of “30 Rock” (we get an answer eventually). He and Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Jorge Garcia play the elementary school staff in this hilarious and freakishly frightening terror-fest about kiddos who’ve gone rabid from tainted cafeteria food: they’ve become zombies, a la28 Days Later, and want to consume humans for dessert. There’s entertainment and gore aplenty as the adult workers try to escape the confines of the school that’s guarded by the super-powered carnivorous kids with the munchies.
Freeheld
In theaters Oct. 9 | PG-13 | 103 minutes
Skilled actresses Ellen Paige and Julianne Moore are a dream team as partners demonstrating a fierce commitment to justice when they launch a landmark lawsuit. In this docudrama, New Jersey same-sex partners Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree challenge the domestic partner benefits law that discriminates against them when doctors hand Hester a death sentence. The movie is based on the 2007 documentary about how police lieutenant Hester was denied pension benefits for her partner. Co-starring Steve Carrell as a vociferous activist, the film is reportedly driven by strong performances that could generate buzz at Oscar time.
