Take a post-4th of July break from being a total wet-brained party animal this week and spend some quality time at the pictures.

Boyhood 

Richard Linklater’s much talked about film is screening this week. Ethan Hawke stars in Boyhood, which Linklater filmed over a period of 12 years, a movie that tracks Mason’s coming of age in real time. Though the director insists that nothing much happens in the film (hell, Mason doesn’t even lose his virginity), apparently the results of this daring experiment are well worth seeing on the big screen. And like, c’mon does anything actually “happen” in Slacker or Dazed and Confused?  Friday, July 11 thru Thursday July 17 at IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas; tickets, $14. 

10 Things I Hate About You

Classic, classic film right here guys. I definitely watched this one over and over again and wished so hard that Heath Ledger would show up at my school one day as the new kid hellbent on winning me over. BB Joseph Gordon-Levitt is head-over-heels for Bianca, “the most popular girl in school,” who just so happens to be the sister of Cat, played by Julia Stiles, a mega badass who gives very few fucks. A la Taming of the Shrew, their mutual father bans Cat from dating anyone until Julia gets a BF, which is presumably impossible. All sort of fun ensues when Gordon-Levitt recruits mega-babe Ledger to woo Cat so he can swoop in for Bianca. Brunch will be served. Saturday, July 12th and Sunday, July 13, 11:50 am at Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Ave; tickets, $11. 

 

Fateful Findings

One hour and one half of sexy sci-fi, psilocybin, and hackers fuel this “paranormal-political thriller.” Sounds like Neil Breen is taking a note from Tommy Wiseau and trying to remake the X-Files a la The Room. There’s no way this movie isn’t amazing, right? Saturday, July 12th, Midnight at Angelika Film Center, 18 West Houston; tickets, $13.50

 

Jackie Brown 

So yeah it might be embarrassing to acknowledge that you like Quentin Tarantino these days, but Pam Grier (as Jackie Brown) made this film a classic. Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro add to a seriously entertaining crew, and Tarantino does a way better job of emanating a believable ’70s aura than, oh I don’t know, say whoever the hell made American Hustle. Anthology calls it Tarantino’s “supreme achievement, and still hands-down his most fully accomplished, impressively understated film.” Also, the soundtrack’s great– obvi. Saturday, July 12, 8:45pm at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue; , $10

America: Imagine the World Without Her

 

This “documentary” begs you to “imagine the unimaginable,” and facilitates this by setting up a scenario in which, heaven forbid, America the Beautiful had never been born. Through CGI disintegrations of the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, and cringe-worthy reenactments of the Revolutionary War with a twist ending (hint: it’s doesn’t look like the Colonies win this one) America: Imagine the World Without Her takes you on a journey through historical revisionism and what-ifs. We can’t be sure, but it seems like some good old-fashioned fear mongering is at work here. Maybe this was funded by some pro-drone interest group? Honestly, I had to watch this trailer in three separate portions, because my face became so, so red after about 15 seconds that I had to splash cold water on myself to relieve the stinging pain of embarrassment. You know when someone does something so ridiculous, that you feel all the pain of humiliation they themselves aren’t feeling? Well if for some twisted, masochistic reason you’re into that sensation, then by all means go see this flick. Friday, July 11 thru July 17, at AMC Loews Village 7, 66 3rd Ave; tickets, $14.25