With "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" powering up the box office earlier this year, Hollywood's hot for video game adaptations once again. But before that new onslaught arrives, press start on some of the most memorable geek-tastic video game movies back on the big screen thanks to the Times Cinema and its new Joystick June movie series.
The latest flashback film series courtesy of the cozy Tosa neighborhood theater, Joystick June will showcase some of video game's greatest and most noteworthy leaps from the loading screen to the big screen. The month-long marathon includes everything from high-profile adaptations ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Silent Hill") to arcade-era icons ("The Last Starfighter," "The Wizard") to a "Tron" twofer and auteurs like Edgar Wright and David Cronenberg taking on the aesthetics of tech.
Here's the full film lineup, running Wednesdays through Sundays throughout the next month:
- "Existenz" – Friday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 3 at 4 p.m.; Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 7 at 6:30 p.m.
- "The Last Starfighter" – Saturday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m.
- "Tron"/"Tron Legacy" double feature – Friday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 10 at 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, June 11 at 4:30 p.m.
- "Tron" – Wednesday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m.
- "Tron Legacy" in 3D – Thursday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m.
- "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" – Saturday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m.
- "The Wizard" – Saturday, June 17 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, June 18 at 4 p.m.
- "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" – Friday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 24 at 4 p.m.; Sunday, June 25 at 4 p.m.; and Thursday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m.
- "Silent Hill" – Saturday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to all of that, the Times Cinema's June cinematic slate also includes the monthly WMSE Friday Night Freak Show – this month spotlighting the '80s comedy favorite "One Crazy Summer" on Friday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the Joystick June selections and to buy tickets, check out the Times Cinema's website. And don't forget about the Avalon in Bay View, which has a throwback summer cinema showcase of its own going on: Family Film Camp, screening all-ages favorites like "The Iron Giant," "Space Jam," "The NeverEnding Story," "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Speed Racer" and more. For the Avalon's full Family Film Camp lineup and tickets, click here.
And we'll see you at the movies!
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.