Win free movie tickets

Editor's note: Comment on today's "Cinema Chat" for a chance to win free movie tickets to the Michigan Theater. Some time between now and 9 a.m. Monday, leave a comment on this column, written by the Michigan Theater's Russ Collins. Offer your opinion on a recent movie you've seen, or on anything Russ mentions. A winner will be randomly selected, and we’ll notify that person via the email address they signed up with. They will get two passes to a movie of their choice, courtesy of The Michigan Theater. Full rules here.

Two great Sundance films opening downtown

“The Guard” is a film that my Michigan Theater staff colleagues saw and fell in love with at the Sundance Film Festival! Sergeant Gerry Boyle (played by the wonderful Brendan Gleason) is an eccentric small-town cop with a confrontational and crass personality and a subversive sense of humor. A longtime policeman in County Galway, Boyle is a maverick with his own moral code. When a fellow police officer disappears and Boyle's small town becomes a key location for an international drug trafficking investigation, he is forced to at least feign interest when dealing with the humorless FBI agent Wendell Everett (the wonderful American actor Don Cheadle). Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post says, “McDonagh's script is agile, darting between the ridiculous, the sage and the surprisingly sentimental. (The filmmakers') love of language and the absurd has hints of the wisecracking Quentin Tarantino. But the story is decidedly more rooted in Ireland's loamy turf.” “The Guard” opens Friday at the Michigan Theater.

Do not miss "Senna." It is the remarkable story of the famed three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. Charting his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection, and the mythical status he has since attained, this documentary spans the racing legend's years as an F1 driver, from his opening season in 1984 to his untimely death a decade later. Far more than a film for F1 fans, the film unfolds a remarkable story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favor of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from F1 archives and is previously unseen. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post says, “What makes ‘Senna’ essential viewing is the propulsive education it provides in one of the world's most popular sports, and the introduction it provides to an extraordinary athlete and human being.” “Senna” opens Friday at the Michigan Theater.

Opened or opening at the multiplex

“The Debt,” based on the 2007 Israeli movie of the same name, is an espionage thriller that begins in 1997, when shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio tracked down a Nazi war criminal (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished—or was it? Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel says, “What really dazzles here are the action beats—the getaway gone wrong, the shocking moments of violence.” “The Debt” opened on Wednesday.

“Apollo 18” is a found-footage style film about a mission to the moon that takes on the premise of why NASA discontinued the Apollo Moon missions. The plot involves a government cover-up of Apollo 18, when, officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17, 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later, in December of 1973, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense.  What they find is terrifying. “Apollo 18” opens Friday.

“Shark Night 3D” follows Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends as they arrive by boat at her family's lake island cabin for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when star football player Malik (Sinqua Walls) stumbles from the salt-water lake with his arm torn off, the group realizes they have to get Malik to a hospital on the other side of the lake, and fast. But as they set out in a tiny speedboat, the friends discover the lake has been stocked with hundreds of massive, flesh-eating sharks! “Shark Night 3D” opens Friday.

Classics playing downtown

“Amélie” follows the central character of the same name (played by Audrey Tautou) as she blossoms from a sheltered girl in her youth to a woman committed to the happiness of others. Nominated for five Academy Awards, “Amélie” represents the sensibilities of what a true classic of cinema should be: one that is both inspired by the filmmaker and inspiring to those who see the final result. “Amélie” plays Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. and Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

Credited with inventing the genre of the modern horror film, “Psycho” has had its share of sequels and imitators, none of which diminishes the achievement of this shocking and complex horror thriller. This film is free for students with valid ID! “Psycho” plays Monday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

See you at the movies!

Russ Collins is executive director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Tune in to the audio version of “Cinema Chat” on WEMU radio (89.1-FM) each Thursday at 7:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m., or listen to it online at WEMU's web site.