Have you ever seen a preview for a movie you're interested in seeing, only to discover it's only playing in "select cities"?
As a Penn State student living in State College, chances are slim a trip to New York City or Los Angeles is feasible to see the film. But, there is an alternative: waiting for the DVD release.
Here is a list of a few films released in select cities and when they will be available to rent at Mike's Movies, 210 E. Calder Way.
'American Teen,' Dec. 12
For those who watch any "reality show" series, the documentary American Teen may be refreshing.
The film follows five, relatable high school students through their senior year in an Indiana suburban town.
'Taxi to the Dark Side,' available now
Taxi to the Dark Side is an eye-opening documentary on the torture inflicted by the United States on innocent citizens in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. The film, directed by Alex Gibney, focuses on a taxi driver who was tortured and killed in Afghanistan in 2002.
'Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson,' available Nov. 18
Gonzo, also directed by Gibney, is about the biography of Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diaries. While many are familiar with the drugged-out Thompson portrayed in Fear & Loathing, Gibney shows a more sane side of Thompson. The film includes interviews from Thompson's family and friends. The film was recently shown at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.
'The Wackness,' release soon-to-be announced
The Wackness is a coming-of-age-drama/comedy without the fluff. Josh Peck plays Luke Shapiro, a recent high school graduate living with his parents in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. While Shapiro was never popular among his high school peers, he befriends Stephanie (Olivia Thirby) to relieve the boredom of a lonely summer.
Sir Ben Kingsly also stars as Shapiro's psychiatrist and Stephanie's stepfather, who has his own troubles. The film centers on the three characters and their need to grow up and find themselves. Mary-Kate Olsen also makes a cameo as a free-spirited hippie.
'4 months 3 weeks 2 days,' available Oct. 14
4 months 3 weeks 2 days was nominated in 2007 for Best Foreign Film, but overlooked for an Oscar nomination, which upset many critics. The Romanian film follows two college roommates, Otilia and Gabita. Gabita, who is pregnant, wants to get an abortion. However, the film takes place in 1980s Romania, when abortion was illegal. The two friends make plans to get a black-market abortion. It is a gut-wrenching, intense look at underground abortion.
'The Visitor,' available now
The Visitor, released in theaters this past April, is about a Connecticut professor, Richard Jenkins, who travels to New York City for a conference. While there, he finds two homeless people who are illegal immigrants living in his apartment. Jenkins ends up befriending the couple and invites them to live with him. It shows a look at the life of illegal immigrants in New York City.
