Week of July 12 to July 18 (Rhoades)

Tropic Cinema Takes You From the End of the World
To the Edge of the World

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Take your choice how the world will (almost) end -- an onslaught of zombies in “World War Z” or earthquakes and fire in “This Is the End.”
“World War Z” stars Brad Pitt as a former UN troubleshooter called back to work when an outbreak of zombies threatens to overwhelm the world’s major cities. So he races from Philadelphia to Korea to Israel to Wales in search of an antidote. MovieLine calls it “epic and fun.” And EricDSnider.com says, “If you have a thirst for zombie movies, this one will quench it.”
On the other hand, “This Is the End” gives us real-life funnymen Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel facing the apocalypse at James Franco’s house. Quad City Times calls the comedy “profane, shocking, and absolutely hysterical,” while Little White Lies describes it as “a cheerfully crass, enjoyably puerile entertainment.”
Back in the real world you’ll find the documentary “Storm Surfers 3D” about as exciting as being on the water yourself. Big wave surfing champions Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones take you 50 miles off the coast of Western Australia to ride humongous waves -- all seen in state-of-the-art 3D. Toronto Star calls it “as real as a blast of saltwater to the face.” The New York Times says, “The vistas are spectacular, the waves fearsome, the filming often amazing.”
You can still catch “The East,” the story of an investigator who infiltrates an eco-terrorist group only to become sympathetic to the cause. Brit Marling both wrote and stars in this thriller. Miami Herald rates it as “taut, compelling, unpredictable,” while Time Out calls it a “morally ambiguous investigation of extreme left-wing politics.”
Those of you who followed the talky romance of Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) in the earlier movies “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset” will want to catch up with the couple in director Richard Linklater’s third entry in his trilogy, “Before Midnight.” Filmed 9 years apart, we have watched the stars age as along the way they remind us that romance is not dead, just wounded. Seattle Times terms it “a joy to walk with this prickly but fascinating couple again.” And Flick Filosopher concludes, “It’s impossible to shake the feeling that we are merely eavesdropping on reality. Witty, wise, and -- most important of all -- truly romantic in ways that movies usually aren’t.”
Yes, Tropic Cinema continues to entertain, amaze, and intrigue with the wide variety of its film selections.
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