While mid-January is traditionally the start of Hollywood’s post-Awards Season dumpathon, where misbegotten movies are given a commercial coup de grace by brief exposure to near-empty theaters, this weekend sees no shortage of big name directors in the cinemas. We’ve got M. Night Shyamalan’s alleged comeback Split, Martin Scorsese’s passion project Silence, Paul (Robocop) Verhoeven’s art house “comedy” Elle, and Mike (Thumbsucker, Beginners) Mills’ semi-autobiographical 20th Century Women. (And there’s also a couple of films that didn’t screen for critics, including xXx: Return of Xander Cage.) So while it’s maybe not the greatest movie weekend of the year, there’s a little something for everyone.
Also, our Dan Lybarger talks to Scorsese collaborator Robbie Robertson about Silence and other musical adventures and Piers Marchant, on his way to Utah, previews this years Sundance Film Festival.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.