APRIL FILMS & STREAMING
Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Doc10 Screens Little Richard Film
Doc10 , Chicago ’ s premier documentary showcase , will host a special one-night-only Chicago premiere screening of the 2023 Sundance hit Little Richard : I Am Everything on Thursday , April 13 , at 7 pm at the Gene Siskel Film Center , 164 N . State Street . Directed by award-winning filmmaker Lisa Cortés ( The Apollo , All In The Fights for Democracy ), the film is the first title announced as part of the 8thAnnual Doc10 Film Festival running May 4-7 , 2023 . A sparkling , spirited , and stirring portrait of the “ Quasar of Rock ' n ' Roll ,” the film follows the trailblazer ’ s turbulent and luminous life and
By Lori Vernon
Doc10 ’ s Little Richard
musical career . Tracing his early days in Macon , Georgia as the gay son of a minister to his sexually charged 1950s hits “ Tutti Frutti ” and “ Good Golly Miss Molly ” and beyond , the film is both a tribute to his galactic cultural influence and a complex portrait of a Black gay man who would later renounce both rock music and his own queer identity .
Air
Directed by Ben Affleck Rated R • April 5 – In Theaters
Air reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike ’ s fledgling basketball division , which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with theAir Jordan brand . This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team ( Matt Damon , BenAffleck , Jason Bateman ) with everything on the line , the uncompromising vision of a mother ( Viola Davis ) who knows the worth of her son ’ s immense talent , and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time .
The Super Mario Bros . Movie
Directed by Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic Rated PG • April 5- In Theaters
“ It ’ s-a me , Mario !” and he ’ s back in the new animated feature from Illumination and Nintendo . The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario , Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach , Charlie Day as Luigi , Jack Black as Bowser , Keegan-Michael Key as Toad , Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong , Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong , Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike .
The Pope ’ s Exorcist
Directed by Julius Avery Rated R • April 14 - In Theaters Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth , Chief Exorcist of the Vatican ( Russell Crowe ), The Pope ’ s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy ’ s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden .
Renfield
Directed by Chris McKay Rated R • April 14 – In Theaters
Evil doesn ’ t span eternity without a little help . In this modern monster tale of Dracula ’ s loyal servant , Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield , the tortured aide to history ’ s most narcissistic boss , Dracula ( Nicolas Cage ). Renfield is forced to procure his master ’ s prey and do his every bidding , no matter how debased . But now , after centuries of servitude , he ’ s ready to see if there ’ s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness . If only he can figure out how to end his codependency .
Sweetwater
Directed by Martin Guigui Rated PG-13 • April 14 in Theaters
In the fall of 1950 , former DuSable High School grad and Harlem Globetrotter Nat " Sweetwater " Clifton ( Everett Osborne ) helped to forever change the game of professional basketball as one of the firstAfrican-American players in the NBA . Aided by legendary Harlem Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein ( Kevin Pollack ), New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick ( Jeremy Piven ), Knicks founder Ned Irish ( Cary Elwes ), and NBA President Maurice Podoloff ( Richard Dreyfus ), Clifton was the first black player to sign with the New York Knicks .
The Covenant
Directed by Guy Ritchie Rated R • April 21 - In Theaters
Guy Ritchie ' s latest film follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) and his Afghan interpreterAhmed ( Dar Salim ). After an ambush , Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley ’ s life . When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised , he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first .
12 illinoisentertainer . com april 2023