30 June 22-28, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 3 B E S T A R T- H O U S E C I N E M A Tower Theater We’re not given to bestowing “Best” honors to shuttered establishments, but consider this the exception that proves the rule. Tower Theater opened its doors in 1926. In 2023 those doors were closed after the City of Miami abruptly terminated the theater’s contract with Miami Dade College, which had been managing the historic property since 1992. Navigating from the silent era to the streaming age is no easy feat, and it’s worth celebrating the variety of films that screened at the now-imperiled Tower during its 97-year history. From its two screens, Spanish subtitling, and topnotch pro- gramming in collaboration with the Miami Film Festival, the Tower is special. Its absence leaves a hole in the region’s contemporary art- house scene. With Tower Theater dark, the Coral Gables Art Cinema, O Cinema South Beach, and Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale are the last screens standing. B E S T M O V I E T H E AT E R Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas 3015 Grand Avenue (in CocoWalk) Coconut Grove, 33133 786-628-1260 cinepolisusa.com/our-theaters/x0il8-cinepolis- coconut-grove The CocoWalk multiplex is in its glow-up era. A decade ago, the old CocoWalk movie theater reeked of sweat and was in desperate need of a face-lift. Cinépolis took over the property in 2015 and has since performed so much nipping and tucking that the space is nearly unrecog- nizable: comfy reclining leather seats, updated screening technology, a sleek new bar and lounge, and a menu of gourmet food and drink that can be delivered to your seat during screenings. As the shopping complex com- pletes its upgrades with some of the best res- taurants and cocktail bars in Coconut Grove, the addition of Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas again marks the Grove as the go-to spot for din- ner and a movie. B E S T M I A M I D O C U M E N TA R Y God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty Rakontur hulu.com Miami’s homegrown Rakontour crew (Billy Corben, Alfred Spellman, and David Cypkin) is at it again with another wild story that once again confirms that there’s always a Florida connection. This time the documentarians be- hind the Cocaine Cowboys craziness teamed up with Adam McKay and Todd Schulman to cre- ate the most-watched documentary on Hulu to date. In the nearly two-hour film, Miami’s own Giancarlo Granda, a former pool boy at the Fon- tainebleau, shares intimate details about his seven-year love affair with Becki Falwell, the wife of prominent Republican evangelist and then-president of Liberty University Jerry Fall- well Jr. If you weren’t already shaking your head, you will be by the time Granda reveals that Falwell encouraged his wife’s affair. The documentary incorporates interviews, archival footage, text messages, and audio and video re- cordings to explore the influence of evangelism on U.S. politics and the implications the Falwell affair had on the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump. B E S T F I L M D I R E C TO R Carla Forte fortecarla.com In September, filmmaker Carla Forte released Miki Maniaco, a dark, twisted vision of exile, celebrity, and South Florida. The feature film by the Venezuelan-born director is a made-in- Miami nightmare that’s hard to watch yet im- possible to turn away from. Forte’s dark comedy expertly combines dance, theater, and cinema to depict a suffocating, wet, manic world. By the film’s end, you’ll be relieved it’s over but already itching to lose yourself once again in the filmmaker’s eagle-eyed vision. B E S T T V S H OW S H OT O N LO C AT I O N Rap Sh!t max.com After finding viral success on YouTube, Issa Rae made the leap to television with her hit HBO series Insecure. Over five seasons, the se- ries explored Black womanhood and friend- ships and the existential dread that has come to define the millennial experience. After the se- ries wrapped in 2021, the question quickly be- came: What would Rae do next? The answer arrived the following year with the premiere of Rap Sh!t on HBO Max (now Max), a series that follows two women as they attempt to scale the ladder of success in Miami’s rap industry. Rae is a native of Los Angeles, and there’s reason to be skeptical of any outsider’s ability to portray this town accurately. But Rae and her writing team were more than up to the task. Aida Osman and KaMillion bring their characters of Shawna and Mia to life as their story unfolds over eight episodes as they hustle and scheme their way to the top. Crucially, the series was shot on loca- tion, including scenes in Liberty City, Little Haiti, and Miami Beach. We were sad to learn that the second season will see Rap Sh!t’s story- Arts & Entertainment
