Sonoma County screenings: New movies and special events, Oct. 7-13, 2022

Find this week’s movie releases and community events happening at Sonoma County theaters, including a new crime epic, a classic John Carpenter horror film and a documentary about Louis Armstrong’s secret daughter.

New releases

“Amsterdam”: Writer-director David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”) presents an original crime epic starring Christian Bale (“American Hustle”), Margot Robbie (“Suicide Squad”) and John David Washington (“Tenet”) as three friends who find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history. The movie plays in wide release. Rated R. 2 hours, 14 minutes.

“Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”: Live-action adaption of the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber follows the adventures of a family in New York City living with a singing crocodile who loves baths, caviar and great music. The movie plays in wide release. Rated PG. 1 hour, 46 minutes.

“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry”: Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, the comedy follows bookstore owner A.J. Fikry (Kunal Nayyar), who is in the process of hitting rock bottom when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore and sends him on a journey to find a new lease on life. The movie plays at Summerfield Cinema, 551 Summerfield Rd., Santa Rosa. Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 45 minutes. More information at santarosacinemas.com.

“Riotsville, U.S.A.”: Using archival footage, the documentary explores the militarization of the police through the story of Riotsville, a fictional town built by the military in the 1960s to train soldiers and cops to respond to civil disorder. The movie plays at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Not rated. 1 hour, 31 minutes. More information at rialtocinemas.com.

Special events

“Little Satchmo”: Documentary on Jazz icon Louis Armstrong is told from the perspective of his daughter, Sharon Preston, who was born of a decades’long affair between the married Armstrong and a vaudeville dance and who was kept a secret from the public for decades. The movie plays with a live Zoom Q&A with Preston at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sebastiani Theatre, 476 First St. E., Sonoma. Tickets are $15. More information at sebastianitheatre.com.

“The Thing”: Horror master John Carpenter’s 1982 re-imagination of the classic 1951 film, “The Thing from Another World,” stars Kurt Russell and features some of the greatest, grossest special effects of all time. The movie plays at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at Boulevard 14 Cinemas, 200 C St., Petaluma. Rated R. 1 hour, 48 minutes. More information at cinemawest.com.

“Children of the Vine”: Documentary addressing the use of glyphosate (Roundup) in the United States plays with a post-film discussion with filmmaker Brian Lilla at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Tickets are $10; proceeds benefit Slow Food. More information at rialtocinemas.com.

“A Silent Voice”: Based on the best-selling manga series by Yoshitoki Ōima, the animated Japanese film from 2016 depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm. The movie plays at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Not rated. 2 hours, 9 minutes. More information at rialtocinemas.com.

Don’t miss

“Avatar”: James Cameron's Academy Award-winning 2009 adventure returns to theaters with a 4K remastered picture and HDR sound in advance of the upcoming sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” slated for December. The movie plays in 3D and regular formats in wide release, including showings at Prime Cinemas Sonoma, 200 Siesta Way, Sonoma. Rated PG-13. 2 hours, 41 minutes. More information at prime-cinemas.com.

“The Woman King”: Viola Davis stars as the leader of an all-female warrior unit known as the Agojie, who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. The movie plays in wide release, including showings at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Monte Rio Theater & Extravaganza, 20396 Bohemian Hwy., Monte Rio. Rated PG-13. 2 hours, 14 minutes. More information at monteriotheater.com.

“Terrifier 2”: The new sequel to the 2016 slasher film finds crazed killer Art the Clown returning to Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween. The movie plays Friday and Saturday at Roxy Stadium 14, 85 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa; and Reading Cinemas, 555 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park. Times vary. Not rated. 2 hours, 28 minutes. More information at santarosacinemas.com and readingcinemasus.com.