ON SCREEN

Fugitive Pieces

starring Stephen Dillane, Robbie Kay, Rade Sherbedgia
105 mins, Rated R (Samuel Goldwyn)
**

When Nazis murder his family in front of him, the traumatized 9-year-old Jakob Beer (Kay) is rescued and raised by a Greek archaeologist, Athos (Sherbedgia). Now an adult writer living in Canada, Jakob (Dillane) remains entrenched in those dark childhood memories and sabotages new, life-affirming relationships as a result. Based upon author Anne Michaels' 1996 critically acclaimed lyrical novel, this is one of those book-to-film examples where it's not so much that the adaptation was unsuccessful, it’s just plain unnecessary. Out screenwriter/director Jeremy Podeswa (The Five Senses, Showtime's Queer as Folk) culls great performances from his leads (newcomer Robbie Kay as the young Jakob, Dillane as older Jakob, and Rosamund Pike as the perky love interest) and the first 30-40 minutes are quite captivating and visually rich. But numerous narrative aspects are muddled and confusing (especially a subplot involving a Holocaust survivor's son) and the second half is pretty much a drama-free bore. Read the book. —LAWRENCE FERBER

Kiss The Bride

starring James O'Shea, Tori Spelling, Phillip Karner
115 mins, Rated R (Regent Releasing)
***

Big-city, gay-hottie Matt (James O'Shea) returns to his small-town home for Ryan’s wedding, his—ahem—"best friend" from high school (Phillip Karner), determined to stage an intervention and reignite the flame that never quite went out. Matt nonetheless bonds with Ryan's fiancé, Alex (Tori Spelling), who begins to sniff something queer in the air … and it ain't the bridal bouquet. A romantic comedy with a postmodern mystery at its core (is he gay or isn't he?), Kiss The Bride isn't as sharp, witty, or compelling as director C. Jay Cox's previous feature, Latter Days (that film's Mormon cutie, Steve Sandvoss, resurfaces here as an annoying hetero redneck). A few engaging passages address love's complex dynamics, while Spelling is quite charming as the likeable, progressive Alex. —L.F.

LIMITED RUN

Blonde Venus

Marlene Dietrich smolders on the silver screen as a desperate housewife-turned-sultry nightclub performer and occasional prostitute. Aero Theatre. Sun., Apr. 27. 7:30 p.m. www.americancinematheque.com.

License to Steal and Naked Killer Double Feature

The Cinefamily's You Hit Like A Girl: Ladies of Kung Fu series concludes with this cat-fighting double feature. The Silent Movie Theatre. Sun., Apr. 27. 9:30 p.m. $10. www.silentmovietheatre.com.

Burnt Offerings

Karen Black and Bette Davis star in the classic 1976 film about a haunted house that rejuvenates itself with each death that occurs inside. The New Beverly Cinema. Sat., May 3. Midnight. $7. www.newbevcinema.com.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

Joan Crawford. Bette Davis. An attic. Faded glory. Sibling rivalry. Need I say more? AFI's Silver Theatre. Sat., May 3 and Sun., May 4. 9:20 p.m. $9. www.afi.com.

Homo Must

Through Thick and Thin

This documentary examines the governmental tribulations bi-national gay and lesbian couples face. Director Sebastian Cordoba discusses the film—which won the 2007 Outfest Freedom Award—after the viewing. Egyptian Theatre. Wed., Apr. 30. 7:30 p.m. www.americancinematheque.com or www.fandango.com.

ON DVD

A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila

Tila Tequila, 16 straight guys, and 16 lesbians
****

The setup for this foray into unscripted, train-wreck TV has 16 lesbians and 16 straight guys vying for the heart of the purportedly bisexual, titular Tila Tequila. Tequila must choose between the strong arms of a man or the tender touch of a woman, and I must admit I got sucked into the whole mess. Kudos must be given to the series for breaking new ground in presenting lesbian love connections, but while the box boasts that it’s “too hot for TV,” anyone familiar with the first season knows that this just amounts to extended footage of the more sexualized challenges from the PG-13-rated form on VH-1. The cheese factor is set to extra Swiss especially as it gets deeper into the season and Tequila tries to convince us that this is not just a gimmick—she’s really lookin’ for love, ya’ll! And whether Tequila’s a beautiful bisexual nymphette, or the hottest miniature drag queen you’ve ever laid eyes on, is really besides the point. —WALLY KING

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
***

Many consider Stephen Sondheim's Broadway source material a masterpiece—and it’s certainly difficult to live up to that kind of pedigree—but director Tim Burton’s Broadway-to-big-screen-to-deluxe, two-disc DVD set is a masterful, macabre movie musical that is bloody, bloody good. For those unfamiliar, this is the tale of a barber seriously wronged by a conniving and corrupt politician in 18th century London and the revenge this man of blades seeks. Impeccable production design highlights this lush adaptation that is a cleverly executed mix of black humor, soaring music, and gothic horror. It all amounts to one gorgeous, gory spectacle of spewing blood, glimmering razor blades, and pies made of roaches and man. Depp and Burton prove a formidable pair once again and as it turns out, the actors (including Carter) aren’t half bad singers. While the “Making Of” is pretty standard stuff, the other behind-the-scenes and filmmaker featurettes on the two-disc special edition are definitely worth a look-see. —W.K.