That’s a Wrap: Give the people what they want

What would you do if you were allowed to choose a movie title that a film theater would play? Maybe you want a showing of a classic movie you want on the big screen. It could also be one that was from a streaming giant and your home setup is not enough for you. Luckily, there are area independent theaters with open ears and pay attention to their customers.

Last week, the Scranton Art Haus posted on its Facebook page about four movies the dine-in theater was considering to screen. “The Jesus Rolls” is a spin-off of the Coen Brothers’ hit “The Big Lebowski” with John Turturro directing and starring as Jesus Quintana, the bowling rival to Jeffrey Lebowski, in his own adventure. Netflix’s “Marriage Story,” the divorce drama starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in their Academy Award-nominated roles, was another option. A psychedelic horror starring Nicolas Cage in “Color Out of Space” and an anime fantasy film “Weathering with You” were the remaining options. Out of the 27 responses to the Facebook post, “Color Out of Space” was the winning title. (I voted for “The Jesus Rolls” and “Color Out of Space.)

Going to a Sunday matinee screening, I expected a fuller theater. But I was only one of three folks in the auditorium. While resting in a comfortable lounge chair waiting for the flick to begin, I tried to remember when was the last time I watched a Nic Cage movie in the theater. At first I thought it was 20 years ago when I saw 2000’s “Gone in 60 Seconds” at my alma mater’s student center. Then I remembered it was actually 2003’s “Matchstick Men.” It’s not that I don’t like the Cage man. It’s just that his film choices have not been the greatest, and thanks to personal and financial problems, Cage takes whatever role he can get. In 2019 alone, Cage appeared in five movies, with three of them earning scores in the mid-20s to mid-30s according to ratings aggregator Metacritic. Many of these starring roles aren’t marquee friendly, either.

“Color Out of Space” features a family of five living on a secluded farm when a glowing meteorite crashes into their front yard. Cage stars as Nathan, who inherited the beaten-up dwelling and raises alpacas. His wife, Theresa (Joely Richardson), works from home before the isolation makes it hard for her to do her work. Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur) is a typical teenage witch, Benny (Brendan Meyer) is obsessed with marijuana and outer space and the youngest child Jack (Julian Hilliard) is just a kid. An unofficial family member Ezra (Tommy Chong) is a squatter who lives in the woods.

The intergalactic arrival brings changes to the environment, with strange flowers blooming everywhere, cell signals scrambling and water being contaminated. It also affects each family member differently, amplifying their personality traits to the extreme. This allows for some “interesting” transformations. And not to give too much away, this allows Nathan to become all Nicolas Cage. The hammy, maniac performance Cage seems to bank on is in beast mode, and director Richard Stanley uses this energy wisely. Serving as the neutral party in this movie is Ward (Elliot Knight), a young hydrologist who is surveying the waters and becomes Lavinia’s friend.

It has all the tropes of a horror movie like people doing stupid things to stay safe or to flee and running through the woods. “Color Out of Space” has the weirdness that you would expect from a flick based on a H.P. Lovecraft story. It is also a film that isn’t for everyone; there isn’t much broad appeal to it. That’s not to say that it’s watchable. I’m a big fan of campy, over-the-top horror, and “Color Out of Space” hits all the marks.

The Scranton Art Haus took a business risk screening this movie. According to Box Office Mojo, “Color Out of Space” has only earned about $677,283 domestically since it was first released Jan. 24. Giving two dozen Facebook users what they want is a pretty bold move.