Movies & film

A cemetery full of gravestones and mausoleums isn’t your normal movie theater, but these film lovers in Kansas City say "it's a good creepy." Plus: A new book reveals the long history behind a Native American tribe’s fight to save a sacred burial ground in Kansas City, Kansas.

A fall film series gives viewers a chance to watch classic films surrounded by beautiful landscaping and historic graves. Cemetery preservationists say it helps raise awareness — so long as the weather cooperates.

In the new biographical drama "Jimmy," Rob Riggle plays the superior officer of Hollywood star Jimmy Stewart, who left Hollywood to serve in World War II. Riggle, a Shawnee Mission South graduate and Marine Corps veteran, called it a "legendary story of service before self."

Englewood Theater in Independence, Missouri, sat vacant for nearly 20 years before a nonprofit purchased the building in 2025. The group is in the initial stages of a large-scale revitalization project, slated to start in early 2027, that they hope will make the theater operational once again.

"Rise and Shine" relied on both local talent and local spots for filming.

Looking for your new "Obsession"? With so much TV, and so many films in theaters and on streaming platforms, it can be hard to know what’s most worth watching. Up To Date’s film experts shared their top titles so far this year.

The Leawood, Kansas-based company intends to work with established and emerging filmmakers who are able to secure full financing for their own films, or who already have completed films in hand.

Drive-in theaters have shown movies under the stars for generations, and many Kansas filmgoers still see value for these nostalgic experiences in a changing movie landscape. Plus: There’s a chance the wheat in your spaghetti could be grown in western Kansas in the next few years.

There’s been a steady decline in drive-ins and now only four remain in Kansas. As one town tries to build a new drive-in, some people see hope for the nostalgic movie experience in an era of streaming.

Screenland Armour Theatre in North Kansas City recently installed film projectors that allow it to show recent releases like "Sinners" and classics like "Vertigo" on 70 mm, making it the only theater in the region to specialize in that format. Owner Adam Roberts hopes the investment will give younger film fans the opportunity to see movies the way they were intended.

Michael Ashcraft started his acting career at Hallmark and worked his way to on-screen productions. Most recently he played George Martz, a county prosecutor, in the film "Dead Man's Wire," which premiered Jan. 16, 2026.

Whether you’re gathering with family during the holidays, or catching up on the best of the year before award season, Up To Date invited Kansas City film critics to share some great movies and television series worth catching.