Here are 2 other films opening in limited theatrical releases in the USA this weekend that you may not be as familiar with, as you likely are with the 2 wide releases ("Ted 2" and "Max")…
First, Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp is distributing the Samuel L. Jackson actioner "Big Game," which is Finnish director Jalmari Helander’s English-language debut.
Jackson co-stars (playing the President of the USA) alongside Onni Tommila.
The film follows a shy 13-year-old boy named Oskari (played by Tommila), who must prove his manhood by spending a night alone in the forest, when Air Force One is shot down by terrorists and Oskari discovers the President (Samuel L. Jackson) in an escape pod. With the terrorists closing in, Oskari and the President team up to survive the night.
I’m actually intrigued by this project; Director Helander’s last feature, the X-mas horror story, "Rare Exports," is a well-made, imaginative, entertaining twist on the traditional Christmas tale, and I’d recommend it if you haven’t seen it (last I checked it was streaming on Netflix). So Samuel L. Jackson should be in good hands here.
The project is further described as an adrenaline-fueled action adventure that takes the universal rite-of-passage theme and combines it with the thrill of high-concept action.
Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson, Felicity Huffman, Victor Garber, Ted Levine and Mehmet Kurtulus, round out the cast.
The film is a Finnish-German-UK co-production.
The movie was a TIFF Midnight Madness selection for last year’s installment of the festival.
I’ll be watching it this weekend, most likely.
A new clip from the film has surfaced and is embedded below:
And second…
Hannover House is releasing the award-winning political thriller, "The Algerian," which follows Ali (Algerian actor Ben Youcef) across the world from Algeria to New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as it’s revealed that he’s a sleeper cell part of an international plot.
Joining Youcef in front of the camera are Candice Coke, Harry Lennix, Josh Pence, Tara Holt, Said Faraj, Sharon Ferguson, Zuhair Haddad, Alicia Mitchell, Steve Marvel, and Seymour Cassel.
The multi-layered plot revolves around the history and politics of a post 9-11 world, as well as the current turmoil in the Middle East, delivering a message of coexistence and tolerance.
The film is directed by Giovanni Zelko.
For theatrical playdates check your local listings, of check the film’s Facebook page, or its website.
Watch the trailer below:
