John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,
directed by Michael Epstein (not rated, 1 hour, 30 minutes)
Using archival footage (some of it recently discovered and never before seen) and recent interviews with associates of Yoko Ono, this documentary initially tells the story of the making of John Lennon’s Imagine album. Then it concentrates on emphasizing how two artistic minds can connect and inspire each other personally and professionally, with a focus on Ono’s role in the couple’s artistic endeavors.
How young they were!
Director Epstein gained access to the hefty Lennon video, audio and photo archive, including previously unseen material (much of it shot at Tittenhurst Park, Lennon’s Georgian mansion).
His film includes the first demo of Imagine (discovered by an audio archivist in an unmarked eight-track box), a fascinating scene of Lennon and George Harrison sorting out a problem with the opening of “How,” as well as insights from aretist John Dunbar (once married to Marianne Faithful), owner of London’s Indica Gallery where Ono met Lennon, and Dan Richter, who directed the photography of the 1972 Imagine video. With Julian Lennon, Klaus Voormann.
Dark Phoenix (PG-13, 1 hour, 53 minutes) Even dedicated fans of the X-Men franchise disliked this sorry entry — dull, witless and devoid of emotion — into the lineup in which Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. With James McAvoy, Tye Sheridan, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence; directed by Simon Kinberg.
My Son (PG-13, 1 hour, 24 minutes) A tense, measured drama with a fair amount of intrigue concerning how the disappearance of his child sends a man on a darkly troubling path to discover the truth. With Guillaume Canet, Mélanie Laurent; written and directed by Christian Carion. In French with English subtitles.
Above the Shadows (not rated, 1 hour, 51 minutes) A fantasy romance with little logic but a unique approach to loss in which a woman (always watchable Olivia Thrilby) who is slowly fading from view to the point of becoming invisible must find her way back with the help of a MMA fighter who can still see her. With Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan; written and directed by Claudia Myers.
Dead Water (R, 1 hour, 29 minutes) A barely-there story that’s heavily padded to fill out its running time, this concerns what happens when a much-anticipated getaway turns deadly and forces a former Marine to go to great lengths to save his wife and best friend from a contemporary pirate. With Casper Van Dien, Judd Nelson, Brianne Davis; directed by Chris Helton.
Kings of Beer (not rated, 1 hour, 23 minutes) A bouncy beer informercial masquerading (quite well) as a documentary that explores an intense competition among a diverse group of elite brew-masters from all over the world. With Aisha Tyler, Michael Voltaggio, Jay Chandrasekhar; directed by Sean Mullin.