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“Beastie Boys Story,” Al Capone film are among fresh releases to stream




 Beastie Boys Story

Beastie Boys Story

With many bigger film festivals having to cancel this year, including Tribeca Film Festival and SXSW, many movie producers who had expected to take the public by storm with huge premieres — then weave into a more mainstream distribution — have had to consider alternative methods. Others have plans to release immediately. A few festivals are now screening a sampling of their programming online free, while others are still figuring it out.

Now, instead of making trips all over the world — as fun as that once was — everyone can view these films from the couch. Here are a few movies fresh out to consider this week.

¦ “Beastie Boys Story”

Set to have a public premiere at SXSW before the festival was cancelled, “Beastie Boys Story” was released April 24 on Apple TV+. Directed by Spike Jonze, the live documentary experience takes an intimate look at the iconic rap trio from Brooklyn: Mike Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock). From their founding, the film rolls through the release years of their debut studio album, “Licensed To Ill,” which propelled them into becoming one of the most successful rap groups of all time, to being elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to the present.

Left to right: Biospherians Jane Poynter, Linda Leigh, Mark Van Thillo, Taber MacCallum, Roy Walford (in front), Abigail Alling, Sally Silverstone and Bernd Zabel posing inside Biosphere 2. The documentary “Spaceship Earth” streams May 8. COURTESY NEON PHOTO

Left to right: Biospherians Jane Poynter, Linda Leigh, Mark Van Thillo, Taber MacCallum, Roy Walford (in front), Abigail Alling, Sally Silverstone and Bernd Zabel posing inside Biosphere 2. The documentary “Spaceship Earth” streams May 8. COURTESY NEON PHOTO

Including footage of their early years when they were unknowns, through touring with Madonna during the height of her popularity, the documentary explores the story of their fame, how they inspired each other and how it helped them find their voice and change as people through the decades. 2h.

¦ “My Darling Vivian”

While you might not have heard of Vivian Liberto, you probably have heard of her one-time husband, Johnny Cash. She was his first wife and the mother of his four daughters.

A 2020 SXSW film selection that did not premiere due to the festival’s cancellation, “My Darling Vivian” is an intimate story with never-before-seen footage and photos of Johnny as well as daughter Roseanne Cash and footage featuring Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix, Tim Robbins, Whoopi Goldberg, John C. Reilly and many more.

Kathy Cash, Tara Cash, Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash and Cindy Cash in “My Darling Vivian,” screening through May 6 on Prime Video as part of the SXSW film selections. PHOTOS COURTESY THE ESTATE OF VIVIAN DISTIN / COURTESY OF THIS HEART OF MINE, LLC.

Kathy Cash, Tara Cash, Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash and Cindy Cash in “My Darling Vivian,” screening through May 6 on Prime Video as part of the SXSW film selections. PHOTOS COURTESY THE ESTATE OF VIVIAN DISTIN / COURTESY OF THIS HEART OF MINE, LLC.

Vivian, a young Catholic schoolgirl, met the handsome Air Force cadet Cash in 1951 at a San Antonio, Texas, skating rink. A summer romance was followed by three years of long-distance correspondence while Johnny was stationed in Germany. Upon his return, they married and had a family. What follows is a story of unconditional and undying love, mixed with certain moments of isolation, fear, heartbreak and survival.

The film is one of a handful of official SXSW selections streaming online exclusively on Prime Video in the U.S. through May 6.

SXSW Director of Film Janet Pierson says of the selections they’ve made available to online playing: “We believe people will be captivated by this selection of intriguing work that would have been shown at our 2020 event.” 1h 30m.

Zosia Mamet plays Mildred in “Mildred and the Dying Parlor,” a short film streaming briefly for free on the Tribeca Film Festival website. TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

Zosia Mamet plays Mildred in “Mildred and the Dying Parlor,” a short film streaming briefly for free on the Tribeca Film Festival website. TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

¦ “Mildred and the Dying Parlor”

Before COVID-19, Tribeca Film Festival was set to springboard public premieres including “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President,” “Citizen Penn,” “Stardust” and a handful of others that are still figuring out their distribution portals and opening dates. Stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, there are some official selections available now to the public.

The short film “Mildred and the Dying Parlor” is a bit like “Little Red Riding Hood” meets teen angst. It’s directed by Alex Gayner.

Mildred, played by Zosia Mamet, is a young woman who is totally over her parents and wants to just meet a boy, but she is stuck working in a bizarre family business with her parents, played by Jane Krakowski and Steve Buscemi. She takes the chance to exit when a man shows up and wants to go on a midnight stroll.

What happens next? Watch and find out.

 

 

For just a short time, it’s available free on the Tribeca Film Festival website in the short selections category. 11m. www.tribecafilm.com/news/now-streaming-curated-shorts-mildred-and-the-dying-parlor

¦ “The Infiltrators”

The story begins right here in Florida, where Marco Saavedra turns himself into Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He subsequently is sent to a for-profit detention center in Pompano

Beach, always on a mission — to go undercover to expose the story of multinational immigrants imprisoned without trial.

From the inside, the film tells the story of a group of activist dreamers who set out to fight for their community in an attempt to save lives. The doc-thriller premiered at Sundance last year and played at SXSW a month later. Shot with captured documentary footage and re-enactments, this Oscilloscope Laboratories film screens starting May 1. 1h 35m.

¦ “Spaceship Earth”

 

 

This out-of-this-world documentary by Matt Wolf premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year. It gives us an intimate look at the eight members who participated in the Biosphere 2 experiment in 1991 (Biosphere 1 being Earth). Funded by a Texas oil tycoon, the project was meant to be a giant replica of the earth’s ecosystem used to explore what licensable technologies could be considered in a future world. For two years, the airtight manufactured home maintained an isolated, documented and sustainable environment for the group. While the story generated a lot of press in the day, this film reveals a lot about the people who were involved, chronicling their daily existence, including bizarre cult-like behaviors with footage from current interviews of surviving members and rarely seen footage during the experiment. The science fiction story, just without the fiction, will be made available for streaming May 8. 1h 53m.

Tom Hardy in “Capone,” set to stream May 12. VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT IMAGE

Tom Hardy in “Capone,” set to stream May 12. VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT IMAGE

¦ “Capone”

Al Capone’s story of being possibly America’s most notorious gangster is one you’ve likely heard of. A ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago for a time, he eventually fled to Florida and lived like a king.

Based on true events in what was originally going to be titled “Fonzo,” this Josh Trank biopic looks at the final chapter of the mobster’s life, which included nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia (or was that just an act?) and a string of violent memories to die with.

Fellow filmmaker Ryan Johnson has tweeted about the film: “This movie is bat-shit bonkers (in the best possible way) and believe me, you’re going to want to see it.” The film, which was scheduled to hit theaters now closed, will be available for streaming May 12. Starring Tom Hardy as Capone alongside others, including Matt Dillon and Linda Cardellini. ¦

— Eric Raddatz is the presentation editor at Florida Weekly, host of the indie film series T. G. I. M. and founder of the Fort Myers and Naples film festivals. Know of a great film coming out soon? Email him.

— Eric Raddatz is the presentation editor at Florida Weekly, host of the indie film series T. G. I. M. and founder of the Fort Myers and Naples film festivals. Know of a great film coming out soon? Email him.

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