The long weekend looming in the U.S means a wave of mid-week openings, each chasing a different subset of holiday moviegoers desperate for diversion and air conditioning. Let’s take a look.
Deliver Us from Evil: Scott Derrickson’s ridiculously po-faced creeper reimagines The Exorcist as a police procedural, forgetting that The Exorcist III already did that. At least Joel McHale cashed a decent cheque.
Earth to Echo: Yes, it’s just a found-footage reworking of E.T. But it’s a good found-footage reworking of E.T. — smart and warm and appealing — and trust me, that makes all the difference.
Tammy: I haven’t seen Melissa McCarthy’s latest vehicle (co-written by McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone), but early word has been intriguing. Rad liked it, with reservations.
And of course the arrival of July means it’s time to kick off another season of Harbourfront Free Flicks — so why not come down to Queens Quay West tonight and join me and Anne T. Donahue for a 10th anniversary screening of Mean Girls? Around 9pm? That’d be so fetch. See you then!