Scala Beyond screenings at Genesis Cinema

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Tom

The Genesis Cinema has joined up with the Scala Beyond festival and just announced six special screenings, each of which has been chosen by a guest programmer, who will then introduce the screenings.

Thursday 23rd August: Cleo from 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda) chosen by Carol Morley
Carol has chosen to screen Cléo from 5 to 7 by Agnes Varda. A benchmark of the French New Wave, the film eloquently captures Paris in the sixties with this real-time portrait of a singer (Corinne Marchand) set adrift in the city as she awaits test results of a biopsy. A chronicle of the minutes of one woman’s life, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama, featuring a score by Michel Legrand (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and cameos by Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina.

Thursday 30th August: Petty Romance (Kim Joung-hoon) chosen by Joey Leung of Terracotta Distribution
Jeong Bae is an unrecognised but talented, manwha comic illustrator. His impressive drawings are let down by his terrible stories, so he sets out to find a collaborator. City girl, Da Rim, is a sex columnist – currently out of work and desperate for a new opportunity. The unlikely pair team up and, despite constant clashes, seem to hit on a winning formula when they commit their fantasies to ink. But will the result of their relationship be enough to win top comic book competition prize and bag them $100,000?

Thursday 6th September: The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola) chosen by Robin ‘Scanner’ Rimbaud
In keeping with his interest in electronic signals and surveillance, Robin has chosen to screen The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 thriller about a paranoid surveillance expert who becomes troubled when he believes he has uncovered a murder plot. Despite great critical acclaim and two Oscar nominations, The Conversation was not a popular hit upon its release. It has now, however, been recognised as one of the greatest films of the 70s and of Coppola’s career.

Thursday 13th September: The Third Part of the Night (Andrzej Zulawski) chosen by Mehelli Modi of Second Run DVD
Mehelli has chosen to screen The Third Part of the Night (Trzecia czesc nocy) by Polish auteur Andrzej Zulawski. One of the true mavericks of European cinema, Zulawski and his wild, imaginative and unique films have won awards at many international film festivals over the years. A nightmarish and surreal masterpiece, The Third Part of the Night is his highly influential debut feature film. Set during the time of the Nazi-occupation of Poland and rich with multi-layered symbolism and apocalyptic imagery, it shows one of Europe’s most uncompromising and visionary directors at his best.

Thursday 20th September: Buffalo ’66 (Vincent Gallo) chosen by Danny Leigh
Danny has chosen to screen Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ’66. Written, directed, scored by, and also starring Gallo, Buffalo ’66 tells the tale of socially awkward Billy Brown, just released from prison for a crime he did not commit. In an inept attempt to re-enter society, Billy kidnaps a young dancer named Layla (Christina Ricci) and coerces her into acting as his adoring wife when he visits his parents. After this encounter Layla continues to accompany Billy on his quest for revenge against the man responsible for his jail term and this odd relationship develops far beyond kidnapper and captive. A stylish and eccentric road-trip, Buffalo ’66 is an impressive debut feature which beautifully showcases its creator’s plethora of talents.

Thursday 27th September: Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby) chosen by Denise Hicks & Jonathan Wakeham of LoCo
Harold is a young man obsessed with death. Maude is an old woman obsessed with life. This is their love story: a story that redefines ”unconventional relationship”, and redefined American comedy film-making. Without Harold and Maud there would be no Wes Anderson, no Judd Apatow (it’s his favourite film), no Cameron Crowe. And no Submarine: Richard Ayoade’s brilliant debut is soaked in its lyrical beauty and his lead actor, the perfectly deadpan Craig Roberts, is a dead ringer for Harold’s Bud Cort. The ultimate cult comedy, Harold and Maude was written and directed by Hal Ashby, the maker of Coming Home, Being There and The Last Detail, and both lead actors were nominated for Golden Globe Awards. Don’t miss this rare chance to enjoy its dark wit and deep charm on the big screen where it belongs.
In honour of Harold and Maude’s unforgettable Cat Stevens soundtrack, LOCO is delighted to be teaming up with Genesis to host Alternative Voices, a live competition for East London’s best undiscovered singers, following the screening. If you’re interested in performing please visit www.locofilmfestival.com from 1st August.

Trailer: Tetsuo 1 & 2

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Tom

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming Blu-Ray and DVD release of Tetsuo The Iron Man and Tetsuo 2 Body Hammer.

They are brilliant and insane films from Shin’ya Tsukamoto, who is also behind the recent release Kotoko, which I reviewed. Tetsuo The Iron Man stands out in particular as being hugely imaginative and influential.

Roxy Bar & Screen birthday week!

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Tom

The lovely Roxy, well done! Six years old!

I went along tonight and saw a double bill of Dark City and The Warriors, neither of which I’d seen all the way through before. (Rented Dark City on DVD years ago, but it was bust and I only got half way through…)

I have to say I was both surprised and delighted at how well the films have aged. Even coming to them fresh and without a having seen them ‘in their day’, they stand up very well. They’re both entertaining as heck.

Also playing this week:
Tuesday – Apartment & Some Like it Hot
Wednesday – Ghostbusters & Lost Boys.

And plenty of other great events. Here are the full listings.

Oh, and if you’re annoyed that you missed The Warriors, you may want to keep an eye on @GateCinema for the next few weeks…

Godzilla Vs King Kong + Matango double bill!

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Tom

Zipangu Fest and Cigarette Burns Cinema present a Creature Feature Double Bill in 35mm and full extra widescreen TohoScope!

Zipangu Fest is a London-based Japanese Film Festival, which will run from September 14 – 16. As a launch event, they have joined forces with Indie exhibitor Cigarette Burns Cinema to bring us to classic Toho Creature Features!

If you know me at all, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that I have a huge love for all things Godzilla, and anything with giant monsters. The chance to see two of these films up on the big screen – in original 35mm no less – is an exciting prospect!

King Kong Vs Godzilla is undoubtedly the better known of the two (It’s one of only two Godzilla films available to buy in this country. I want my box set dammit!). In this one, King Kong and Godzilla go head to head to find out who is the true king of the monsters. Of course, no masterful stop-motion here, it’s all men in suits. To get the most out of it – watch Kong’s arms. They change length throughout, depending on whether he needs to pick anything up or not!

Matango, Fungus of Terror is one of those real cult gems that I have yet to see, so I’m glad it’s getting a screening! The story follows follows a yacht full of privileged Tokyo-ites who are forced to face their primordial selves after they find themselves washed up on deserted tropical island festooned with clumps of fungus.

The double-bill is at the Prince Charles Cinema on August 22. Tickets can be booked here.

Trailer: Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Tom

The film has been out and about for a few weeks now, including a run at the Gate Cinema, but there are still screenings due. Many Picturehouse cinemas are playing the film on Aug 7th (listed here).

The lovely folks at Dogwoof (who are distributing the film) are also running a competition, in which you can win a special early copy of a new book by sending them a photo of your cinema ticket.

On to the trailer:

Review: The Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Tom

Alex is a musician. His girlfriend has just dumped him, he been kicked out of his band, lost his job… and so on. Things aren’t going well for him, basically. He ends up going on a road trip with Jim (Michael Weston), who he doesn’t know, to play a series of dates. They practice together for the first time in the car as they drive.

So, we have a road-trip buddy lost 30-something type film. We’ve seen it all before, right?

Well, The Brooklyn Brothers has chosen to play with some well worn genres. Thankfully, though, there is some extra sparkle here which makes the film worth your attention.

The core relationships between Alex, Jim and eventually Cassidy is an interesting one. They don’t all get on all of the time, and the grouchy moments are ‘stupid’ enough to be realistic AND entertaining, while giving depth to the connection between them all. Cassidy’s character is a little underdeveloped for my taste and seems to make wild decisions that progress the plot without much reasoning behind them.

The music is great, and underpins the films emotional themes, but without ever pushing the characters out of the picture.

Michael Weston really shines as Jim, the oddball sidekick who is full of heart. Ryan O’Nan plays Alex, and also writes and Directs the film – and in a very accomplished way.

The Brooklyn Brothers is fun, and brings something new to our screens. There are still a lot of standard ingredients, and I hope that now he has these out of his system, O’Nan can move on to make something with more of his own personality running through it, because it it this that makes the film stand out from the crowd.

Trailer: The Imposter

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Tom

A fascinating and very entertaining doc, and one of the best films of 2012. I saw it at Edinburgh and reviewed it for Cinetalk.

Also worth noting that my very beautiful Gate Cinema is playing a preview on 19 Aug. (It’s only available for members to book until 26 July, but put in in your calendar if you’re London based).

Just make sure you see this film at a cinema somewhere when it’s released at the end of August!

Akira screenings at the Gate

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Tom

Two late shows of anime classic Akira at the Gate, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st. Very excited! More info and booking HERE

Review: Nostalgia for the Light

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Tom

The Atacama desert in Chile is a unique environment on our damp, blue-green little planet. There is practically no moisture in the air at all. Here, we learn, the world’s largest telescopes have been built so that astronomers can gaze deep into space through the clear night sky. Of course, not only are they seeing across vast distances, but they are seeing through time; they are seeing light that was originally emitted from stars millions or billions of years ago. Through the work of thee astronomers, we are learning about the beginning of the universe.

Now, bring yourself forward many millions of years, and there are trade routes through the desert that our ancestors walked. Archeologists sort through the markings on rocks left by these people, and analyse the remains that are found. Everything that we can learn about these people is something we’ve learned about ourselves.

Jump forward again and Pinochet has taken control of Chile in a military coup. The Atacama desert is home to internment camps (where some prisoners enjoy amateur astronomy). Many thousands are killed under his rule; their bodies buried and re-buried in the desert. They are known as ‘the disappeared’. Now, amongst the astronomers and archeologists there are also women who search the desert day after day for the remains of these ‘disappeared’ – their families and loved ones.

These three separate strands weave amongst one another, and are used to build and enforce metaphor and emotion, as well as to contrast. One minute we will be engrossed in thoughts about the creation of the universe, and the next we will be almost brought to tears with stories of captives and victims of Pinochet’s regime.

Everyone in the documentary is searching through time that has been preserved by the nature of this dry desert.

The interviews are poignant, and appropriate with interesting, thoughtful people. Jumping between the three separate strands could have proven complicated, but ultimately proves to balance the film, and creates a much greater meaning than any of them would have managed on their own.

A one-of-a kind documentary about life, death and the beginning of everything.

Trailer: Love Exposure

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Tom

Here’s the trailer for Love Exposure, which is a love story (obviously), but as it’s been picked by Third Window films, you know it’s going to be a little bit twisted. It’s available on DVD and Blu-ray. I’ll have a full review for you soon.

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Monthly Archives: July 2012