N.W.A. and an EDM March of the Penguins: What's New on the Silver Screen August 12-18

opening this week

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

"Uh, no."

Remember that phrase as you watch the long-awaited N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, this weekend. It will surely be an incredible film—but not nearly what it could have been were it not produced by its own subjects, an image-conscious and very powerful cadre that includes Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Friday director F. Gary Gray.

In addition to being the most important and influential rap group of all time, the N.W.A. project has always been a masterstroke of image-crafting. I learned that five years ago when I interviewed a dozen people who were there for the birth of the group, including member MC Ren and manager Jerry Heller. Although N.W.A. told stories of street life better than anyone before or since, when the members got together they were mostly virgins who did not smoke marijuana or drink malt liquor, let alone shoot cops. Ice Cube studied drafting at a technical school in Phoenix, and Dr. Dre was performing at roller rinks as part of a besequined DJ crew.

Straight Outta Compton did not screen before our deadline, but early reports suggest it's more of a feature-length music video than a documentary. That's fine—I'm as excited for the movie as anyone. But I will be slightly more excited if Straight Outta Compton includes any of these real-life events.

Dr. Dre wearing lipstick and a white-sequined jumpsuit.

Dr. Dre is an incredible talent and probably the most important person in popular music in the past two decades. He's also an undeniable studio gangsta who "ain't never done shit wrong." As Eric "Eazy-E" Wright (RIP) once mused, "Damn, it's a trip how a nigga can switch so quick from wearing lipstick to smokin' on chronic at picnics." My preferred version of this scene takes place at Skateland U.S.A. in Compton (RIP), with Dr. Dre wearing white-sequined suits and a stethoscope while performing as part of the World Class Wreckin' Cru. Eazy comes in wearing an L.A. Kings hat and is, like, "Word?"

The white dude

Look closely at the cover of N.W.A.'s first record, N.W.A. and the Posse, and you'll notice there's a white dude right up front. That's Krazy D, and he's actually Mexican. He was a street-level dealer along with Eazy and a genuine member of N.W.A. in its early days. He's listed as a co-producer of the group's first single, and he sang a verse on "Dopeman." He should appear briefly in the film and be played by a young Danny McBride.

MC Chip and Eazy hustling records at the Compton Swap Meet.

If there's not at least one swap-meet scene, this movie is bullshit. My sincere hope is that it's Eazy and his oldest homie, MC Chip, picking up a stack of freshly pressed vinyl at Macola Records (RIP) in Hollywood and cruising down the 110 in Eazy's 6-4 to the Compton Fashion Center (RIP). There, extras have their minds blown by records with cuss words on them.

Ice Cube saying a bunch of racist shit about Koreans, Jews and "cave bitches."

After leaving N.W.A.—and before hanging with Elmo on Sesame Street—Ice Cube dabbled in the Nation of Islam and said a lot of really fucked-up things about Jews (spurred by anger at Heller), Koreans (who ran inner-city bodegas) and "cave bitches" ("stringy hair, no derriere, fronting and faking with your silicone pair…the Devil sent you to try and tame us, but you can't tame me with no bitch named Amy, looking for the dark meat, but ho I ain't trying to go out like Barkley"). Something tells me this gets cut from the movie.

All the disses.

Before they all made up around the time of Eazy's death from AIDS, the members of N.W.A. traded barbs in some of the most vicious dis tracks of all time. Downplaying that does a disservice to history.

Johnny "J" producing all the good shit on All Eyez on Me.

Dre gets most of the credit for Pac's best record, but his main Johnny "J" (RIP) produced all the good songs except "Can't C Me" and "California Love." In my version of the scene, Dre watches Johnny work on "Picture Me Rollin'," nods, then says, "That's dope." This could help set up the obvious follow-up, a Tupac biopic.

Everyone trying to get with Michel'le.

Why did everyone want to get with Ruthless Records R&B singer Michel'le? I do not know. I do know that the mother of children by both Dre and Suge should be played by Kerry Washington, and there should be at least one hot sex scene.

Suge Knight dangles Vanilla Ice off a hotel balcony.

OK, so the founding of Ruthless Records is probably beyond the scope of Compton. But if it's not, we've gotta see Suge Knight dangling Vanilla Ice off a hotel balcony. 

by MARTIN CIZMAR

SEE IT: Straight Outta Compton is rated R. It opens Friday at Cedar Hills, Eastport, Clackamas, Mill Plain, Hollywood, Oak Grove, Bridgeport, City Center, Division, Evergreen, Hilltop, Lloyd Center, Movies on TV, Pioneer Place, St. Johns Theater.

Best of Enemies

A  Though this doc centers on the debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley during the 1968 Republican and Democratic conventions, Best of Enemies has less to do with a presidential election, and more to do with the birth of clickbait culture. Opening with a drumroll and a cymbal crash, the viewer is plunged into the frothy political climate of protests against militarized police forces and a decade when people were fighting for freedom of body and opinion. Director Morgan Neville reveals how ABC set up this onscreen rivalry in hopes of saving the failing network. “We needed a provocative media event.” Enriched with commentary from people like Christopher Hitchens and Dick Cavett, Enemies digs deep into the mutual obsession between Vidal and Buckley, showing their shared insecurities after failed political campaigns and rumors of homosexuality. R. LAUREN TERRY. Fox Tower.

Cop Car 

B+  This plot summary of little boys taking an abandoned cop car for a joy ride is sure to be underestimated. Writer-director Jon Watts captures a skillful performance by Kevin Bacon as Sheriff Kretzer, who steals our attention from the start with his dangerous desperation-—it's chilling to hear him practice speaking in an unalarmed voice before calling dispatch to report his missing car. And the film's few characters only get more dynamic with each scene. While the little boys (James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford) move the plot along with childlike logic, driving at 15 mph with white knuckles, the tension accelerates swiftly in moments like when they find of a loaded gun under the seat. Wide shots of the desolate flatlands amplify the sense of isolation as these boys play the ultimate game of cops and robbers. R. LAUREN TERRY. Living Room Theaters.

Enchanted Kingdom 

B+ Those nostalgic for March of the Penguins will get their fix with the BBC's newest Earth-loving documentary, all hi-def nature montages and overzealous narration that thunders like the voice of God himself. But anyone dragged to the movie by a Penguins addict is in for a surprise treat. Wait just 15 minutes for the unnerving remix of flamingo mating rituals to blow your mind. Footage is spliced, sped up and set to a synth soundtrack so that it resembles an EDM video for Audubon fanatics. Watching wildebeests flee crocodiles never really gets old, and it's especially rewarding when paired with punk-metal tracks. We're left pondering why no one's made a rock opera starring water buffalo. G. ENID SPITZ. Cinema 21.

The End of the Tour 

B  If you haven't read Infinite Jest, this film about late, lauded author David Foster Wallace will make you biblio-curious. Ably portrayed by Jason Segel—the stoner drummer from Freaks & Geeks—Wallace was an academic who struggled with his iconic fame. Jesse Eisenberg plays Rolling Stone scribe David Lipsky, whose 2010 book, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, described the two Davids' time together on the final days of the Infinite Jest tour. The first half of the film is highly effective, revealing Lipsky's adulation and Wallace's general eccentricities and mistrust of just about everything. Segel and Eisenberg fully inhabit their roles, building a generally believable biopic, but a problem arises midway when the film shoehorns in some faux drama to add conflict to the story arc. Instead, this flattens the film by the end, and anyone seeking entertainment over verity will be better served by another viewing of Almost Famous. R. NATHAN CARSON. Fox Tower. 

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene 

B  Life is neon for teenage Sammie (Paloma Kwiatkowski) and her mother, Marlene (Suzanne Clément), committing petty heists in upscale bars while wearing fancy cocktail dresses. But when a john puts Marlene in the hospital, director Ana Valine's debut takes on darker colors and content. She isn't a fun eccentric, she's a pill-popping prostitute. Valine doesn't bank on the impenetrable weight of hard times for impact, however. Instead, she treats tragedy like sculpture, showing all sides: Humor (a slow reveal of Sammie slitting her wrists in the tub, only to show that she's just rubbing a beet against them) and boredom ( the jillion shots of Marlene zoning out on the couch) are just as important as misery. The film's proportions are off—a little less Marlene on the couch and a little more important but pervy Eastern European neighbor would help—but it's an ambitious start for a director with an eye for color and an ear for tone. NR. JAMES HELMSWORTH. NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium. 7 pm Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Phoenix 

A  Since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last summer, the nominations keep coming for this concise, moving neo-noir set in postwar Germany. Nelly (Nina Hoss) has just returned from a concentration camp, her face disfigured beyond recognition. After recovering from reconstructive surgery, she learns of her massive inheritance, but is only concerned about finding her husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld). “I no longer exist,” she says after seeing her unfamiliar reflection, but her search for Johnny spirals into a far more twisted tale of what remains of her sense of self. Subtle clues illuminate the relationships between characters and their backstories-—a glance, a murmur in passing. Director Christian Petzold crafts this stylish period piece without relying on dramatic lighting or odd angles, instead thickening the mystery with jarring cuts that keep the audience guessing. PG-13. LAUREN TERRY. Cinema 21. 

WWeek 2015