At the Untouchable screening we announced our forthcoming programme for January to April 2014.
In a varied line-up that, we hope, has something for every taste, we’re offering up psychological horror, action, comedy and drama from world-class directors: Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Ron Howard, Stephen Frears and Woody Allen. It could just be our most adventurous selection yet, starting with a daring double bill of Gothic drama:
Friday 24 January
REBECCA (PG)
“A gorgeous treat from one of cinema’s masters. Not to be missed.”
The Guardian
followed by
THE SHINING (15)
“Kubrick isn’t out for screams, but he manages to make his movie thoroughly unnerving by keeping the horror so close to home.”
New York Times
We’re delighted to bring two highly regarded films, made forty years apart (in 1940 and 1980), as part of the BFI’s Gothic season of screenings and events around the UK, in association with Film Hub Wales.
Though tonally these films have their differences, there are intriguing parallels. Both were made by ex-pats (Hitchcock, born in North London, made Rebecca on first arriving in the US, while the reclusive Kubrick, a native New Yorker, was living permanently in Britain when he shot The Shining).
The two films are based on popular novels by masters of the genre (Daphne du Maurier and Stephen King), and both centre their stories on a classic, isolated ‘haunted house’: the rambling mansion of Manderley in Rebecca, and The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. In each case, the drama has a tormented female protagonist at its heart, stalked by uncertainty and madness.
Enjoyed back-to-back, we’re hoping these films will complement one another, casting the works in a fresh light for viewers who may have already enjoyed them in isolation. And if you’ve never seen them on the big screen, with an audience, you’re in for a real treat.
Tickets will be available for either one or both films, and we’re offering a special discounted price for those brave enough to join us for both (£5 members; £7 non members).
The evening gets underway earlier than usual, with doors at 6.45pm. Rebecca will start at 7.00pm, playing through until 9.30pm after a 15 minute intermission.
There will be a half an hour break for refreshments before The Shining starts at 10.00pm. We will have an intermission at the film’s halfway point, before resuming to finish at around 1.00am.
Saturday 22 February
RUSH (15)
“The film is outrageously enjoyable.”
The Financial Times
“Rush is one of the fastest, most enjoyable rides you will take this year.”
The Guardian
“Rush breaks the mould; its racing scenes are thrilling, and the personal dynamics in the pits and away from the track genuinely intriguing.”
The Daily Telegraph
Released earlier this year, Rush seems destined for classic status. It tells the gripping, real life tale of F1 rivals James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) culminating in the 1976 season that saw Lauda return to the track after suffering horrific injuries earlier that year.
The film is directed by Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon), scripted by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), and comes hotly tipped for Oscar recognition: a highly entertaining evening is a racing certainty.
Friday 28 March
PHILOMENA (12A)
“A terrifically moving film that has a fitting earthbound feel to it as well as a barely suppressed anger at crimes inflicted on the powerless.”
Time Out
“A terrific, sophisticated comedy that tackles serious issues with a lightness of touch and a spirit of steel, Philomena is the British film to beat come BAFTA time.”
Empire Magazine
Based on journalist Martin Sixsmith’s 2009 investigation into the forced separation of mothers from children born out of wedlock, Stephen Frears (The Queen ) has fashioned a humane, troubling but touching true-life story starring Dame Judi Dench as Philomena and Steve Coogan as Sixsmith.
The film’s official site describes it as “a bitter-sweet comedy, a compelling narrative of human love and loss, and a heart-breaking story that ultimately celebrates life.” Having already picked up Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival, Philomena is expected to feature prominently during the Oscar and BAFTA awards season.
Friday 25 April
BLUE JASMINE (12A)
“Woody has snapped to wakefulness, his comic and dramatic synapses firing off with an old ease that’s deeply gratifying. [H]is best in about two decades.”
The Daily Telegraph
“It is pure movie-going pleasure.”
The Guardian
“Want to see great acting, from comic to tragic and every electrifying stop in between? See Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine.”
Rolling Stone Magazine
From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, Woody Allen could do little wrong. But in recent years his work has met with mixed reactions. Not so Blue Jasmine, which most commentators agree marks a definite return to form, providing Cate Blanchett, as the eponymous heroine, with a genuine shot at Oscar glory.
The story of a haughty, rich socialite brought low by her husband’s misdemeanours, the film wrings every ounce of comedy and tragedy from Jasmine’s plight. This is grown-up filmmaking at its very best, and a great way to wrap up the Spring season.
Tickets are now available. Call 01446 781 144 or email llancarfancine@gmail.com.
