Unlimited Politics

October 1, 2004

With the Presidential election just a month away, the limited release scene is getting a lot more political with half of this week's films having some political bent.

Celsius 41.11 - No Reviews Available
According to the official site, 41.11 degrees Celsius, (or 106 degrees Fahrenheit) is the temperature the brain begins to die. According to medical sites I could find, brain damage doesn't occur unless body temperature reaches above 42 degrees Celsius, (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for extended periods. I guess they wanted the name to end in 11 so people would understand the film was meant to attack the credibility of Fahrenheit 9/11. If you really want to cut through the spin that's coming from both sides, check out Spin Sanity instead.

DiG! - Reviews
A documentary that chronicles seven years in the lives of two bands and their relationship. There have been a lot of Rock 'n' Roll documentaries to come out this year and while this film isn't has technically good as some of the others, it is still a very interesting character study.

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry - Reviews
Part military documentary, part campaign ad. Ok, maybe that's a little cynical of me. Even if John Kerry wasn't running for president this would be an important documentary because it details the parallels between then and now. Watching the film without the politics surrounding it would be best, but that's not likely to happen until after November's elections.

I Huckabee's - Reviews
As the tagline says, an existential comedy. That alone should tell you this is a unique film, but it is unique both in a good and bad way. Out of all the films opening this weekend, this one probably has the best shot at being a player during the upcoming award season. While the reviews are not overwhelmingly positive, there are enough good performances and strong writing that individuals will probably be singled out for praise.

Tying the Knot - Reviews
The last of the political documentaries on this week's list. This film deals with the highly charged issue of same sex marriage. Looks at the issues through the lives of two people who lost loved ones and suffered because their union wasn't legally recognized. The film opens in 8 theatres tonight with plans to expand in the coming weeks.

Woman Thou Art Loosed - Reviews
Opening in over 400 theatres, this film has an outside shot at hitting the top ten. However, opening in that many theatres may backfire, as it's too few for a national ad campaign while it's too many for a more focused approach. This, combined with mixed reviews will probably lead to a weak per theatre average and a quick exit from the theatres.


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Filed under: I Heart Huckabees, Celsius 41.11: The Temperature at Which the Brain... Begins to Die