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28 Weeks Later | 2007 | MA | hv |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Horror
Director/s: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Cast: Robert Carlyle, Catherine McCormack, Rose Byrne
Robert Carlyle stars in the follow-up to the hugely successful 28 Days Later, where we pick up six months after the rage virus has annihilated Britain and the US army declares that the war against infection has been won, and that the reconstruction of the country can begin.
As the first wave of refugees return, a family is reunited - but one of them unwittingly carries a terrible secret. The virus is not yet dead, and this time, it is more dangerous than ever.
TRIVIA:
Extensive filming of a US Army Camp took place during the weekend of 21st October 2006 in the courtyard outside the Citypoint Building, Ropemaker Street, London EC2; the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff doubled for the interior of Wembley Stadium because, at the time of filming, the interior of the newly built Wembley was still under construction; Danny Boyle directed some of the second unit filming.
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5Ive Girls | 2006 | MA | hv |
Screening: August 22nd
Genre: Horror
Director/s: Warren P. Sonoda
Cast: Ron Perlman, Amy LaLonde, Jennifer Miller
Ron Perlman stars in this journey to the dark side as Father Drake and he's in charge of St Mark's boarding school. Every girl has a criminal past, discipline is strictly enforced, students are strip-searched and there's no contact with the outside - but plenty with the dark-side. Classrooms are more like covens and when the lights go out anything can happen.
Support cast includes Amy LaLonde, Jennifer Miller and Tasha May.
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A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story | 2006 | M | asdv |
Screening: August 8th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Agnieszka Holland
Cast: Mercedes Ruehl, J.D. Pardo, Lupe Ontiveros
Directed by Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland, this thought-provoking film, based on a true story, tells of Eddie Araujo (J. D. Pardo) who struggles with his secret of being a young woman trapped in a man's body.
With his brave decision to live life as a woman, changing his name to Gwen, he must endure the pitfalls that accompany it as tensions reach a dangerous high as disapproval escalates at home and at school as he pursues his ultimately tragic quest for acceptance. Gwen's mother Sylvia (Mercedes Ruehl) honours her memory by acting as an advocate for all transgender people. Trivia: Eddie Araujo took the name Gwen after Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, her favourite singer.
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A Perfect Day | 2006 | PG | l |
Screening: August 6th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Peter Levin
Cast: Rob Lowe, Paget Brewster, Christopher Lloyd
Rob Lowe stars as writer Robert Harlan, whose life is a dream come true when his first novel tops the best-seller lists and he is suddenly thrust into the limelight. But as success consumes him, Robert's family life crumbles.
It takes the sobering prophecy of a mysterious stranger (Christopher Lloyd) for Robert to realise what is most important. Now he must find his way back to the wife (Paget Brewster) and daughter (Meggie Geisland) he left behind, in this heartwarming holiday drama based on the best-selling novel by Richard Paul Evans.
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All In | 2006 | M | a |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Comedy Drama
Director/s: Nick Vallelonga
Cast: Dominique Swain, Louis Gossett, Jr., Michael Madsen
Seal Anderson (Michael Madsen) adores his young grade school daughter, Alicia "Ace" Anderson (Dominique Swain), and teaches her the one thing he has to offer: the mathematical probabilities and technique of poker.
Years later, Ace enters medical school on a scholarship and with the struggles of mounting academic and financial pressures, Ace's fellow classmates convince her to utilise her unique talents to train them to be top-notch poker players. An old friend of her dad (Lou Gossett Jr.) watches over Ace as she takes the casinos by storm and rakes in some big money. But under the pressure of playing in the casinos at night and being alert and competent in the operating room by day, Ace realises that what her father was really trying to convey those many years ago: in order to really live, you need to go 'all in'.
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Altered | 2006 | MA | hv |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Horror
Director/s: Eduardo Sanchez
Cast: Michael C. Williams, Brad William Henke, Adam Kaufman
Eduardo Sanchez (co-creator of The Blair Witch Project) directs this chilling horror story where five high school buddies are abducted by aliens from a farm in Florida, but only four of them survive.
Fifteen years later, the friends - whose lives have been altered ever since - return to the farm where a night of terror awaits as they face their enemy and seek revenge.
Michael C. Williams (also of Blair Witch fame), Brad William Henke, Adam Kaufman, Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Catherine Mangan and James Gammon star.
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American Pie Presents Beta House | 2007 | MA | s |
Screening: August 10th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Anthony Waller
Cast: Eugene Levy, John White, Steve Talley
The sixth instalment in one of the most popular and outrageous comedy franchises of all time continues the tradition as our favourite band of wild teens heads off to college and lands right on fraternity row.
Hilarity ensues as everyone gets swept up in the craziness, pranks, partying, and, of course, unpredictable sexual situations that are this year's Greek Games. Eugene Levy returns as well as John White, Steve Talley and Jake Siegel.
TRIVIA:
Producers had to train the actors in the "pinch pop" method of unhooking bras for the fiction frat competition.
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American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile | 2006 | MA | s |
Screening: August 5th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Joe Nussbaum
Cast: John White, Eugene Levy, Steve Talley
John White stars as Erik Stifler, nothing like his wild relations and the only Stifler family member who might graduate high school a virgin, so he decides to live up to his legacy. After some well-meaning advice from Jim's dad (Eugene Levy), Erik's ready to take his chances at the annual and infamous Naked Mile race, where his devoted buddies and some uninhibited sorority girls will create the most outrageous weekend ever. Filled with hot girls and the insane Stifler antics you know and love, this slice of American Pie delivers shocking and heart-warming fun all the way to the finish line!
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Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis Of Evil | 2006 | MA | v |
Screening: August 4th
Genre: Action
Director/s: James Dodson
Cast: Nicholas Gonzalez, Peter Coyote, Ben Cross
Peter Coyote and Ben Cross star in another adrenaline-fuelled adventure behind enemy lines with a team of US Navy Seals assigned to avert a possible nuclear strike - failure is not an option. But the mission is abruptly aborted, stranding four soldiers in enemy territory. Now, in order to survive, they must defeat the rebel forces that threaten their lives, their allies and the entire free world.
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Black Book | 2007 | MA | vln |
Screening: August 6th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman
Paul Verhoeven directs this war drama, inspired by true events, where a Jewish woman living in Holland during WWII hides her identity to serve the national resistance movement and risks her life to save others, when her family are killed... but can she save herself?
Rachel Steinn (Carice van Houten) is a beautiful singer who infiltrates the Nazis when the leader of the Dutch resistance movement learns his son has been captured. Rachel is asked to use her feminine charms to persuade a German commander to arrange for the boy's release. Rachel soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous double life as she becomes a sexual plaything for the Nazis while attempting to bring down their evil empire as a spy.
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Born Equal | 2006 | MA | lv |
Screening: August 5th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Dominic Savage
Cast: Colin Firth, Robert Carlyle, Anne-Marie Duff
In this thought-provoking drama, Emmy nominee Colin Firth stars as a wealthy city worker who, when prompted by guilt, tries to help those less fortunate than himself, leading to tragic consequences.
Social inequality in Britain is addressed through the lives of those in a B&B temporarily housing the homeless and dispossessed: a group of people who are the hidden homeless. Michelle (Anne-Marie Duff - The Virgin Queen) is a pregnant mother with a young child; Yemi (David Oyelowo), a Nigerian refugee with his wife and young daughter and Robert (Emmy-nominee Robert Carlyle), an ex-prisoner embarking on a search for his mother.
This is a compassionate look at the homeless in London, which gives an insight into what transpires in people's lives where they end up having to escape their family, abusive partners and threatening environment. On the other side of the coin you've got the person who has everything in life until that crisis of conscience leads them down a path they would normally not enter. Suddenly life is filled with tories of desperation and he realises he has been existing in a vacuum.
TRIVIA:
The actors improvised their own dialogue from ideas developed by director Dominic Savage, who has frequently worked in this method.
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California Dreaming | 2007 | PG | l |
Screening: August 13th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Linda Voorhees
Cast: Dave Foley, Lea Thompson, Vicki Lewis
The Gainor family seems to live the American Dream: a house in the Omaha, Nebraska suburbs, two children and two incomes. Dave Foley stars as Stu, a people-pleasing underachiever, and Lea Thompson as Ginger, a driven real estate agent. They alter their annual family vacation and instead rent an RV, to fulfil Ginger*s dream of seeing Doheny Beach in Southern California.
But the goal to reach California is compromised when daughter Cookie sneaks her loser boyfriend, Kevin (Nicholas Fackler), into the bathroom of the RV. Then, Kevin*s unconventional parents, Teensie (Vicki Lewis) and Wayne Porter (Ethan Phillips), arrive and Ginger and Stu are appalled at the Porter*s offbeat lifestyle.
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Candles On Bay Street | 2006 | PG | l |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Romantic Drama
Director/s: John Erman
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Annabeth Gish, Polly Bergen
Golden Globe nominee Alicia Silverstone stars as Dee Dee, a free-spirited single mum who returns to her hometown with her son after abruptly taking off 13 years before, affecting everyone in the tight-knit community, especially the man who truly loved her, Sam (Eion Bailey).
Virtually everyone in the tight-knit community is affected, including the earthy Rosemary (Polly Bergan), who works at the veterinary clinic run by Sam and Lydia (Annabeth Gish), who Sam married when Dee Dee disappeared. Why has Dee Dee come home? The answer to that question lies at the core of this story.
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Chaos | 2005 | M | vls |
Screening: August 7th
Genre: Action
Director/s: Tony Giglio
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Ryan Phillippe, Jason Statham
Ryan Phillippe and Jason Statham star in this adrenaline-charged thrill-ride as detectives who become entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a daring thief (Wesley Snipes). As they dig deeper into the case, they discover a vast conspiracy leading all the way to police headquarters.
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Charlotte's Web | 2006 | G | |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Family
Director/s: Gary Winick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Dominic Scott Kay, Julia Roberts
Filmed in Victoria and directed by Gary Winick, E.B. White's classic and beloved story of loyalty, trust and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Wilbur is a very small pig who finds that the most powerful force in the world is the bond of friendship. Dakota Fanning stars as Fern, who rescues Wilbur and sees him as the terrific, radiant and humble pig he is.
Oscar winner Julia Roberts voices Charlotte, who becomes Wilbur's best friend and saviour. Also joining as cast voices are Steve Buscemi, Cedric the Entertainer, John Cleese, Robert Redford and Thomas Haden Church.
TRIVIA:
It wasn't the correct season in Melbourne so during the county fair scenes, the trees were spray painted with non-toxic orange and yellow paint to make it seem as though it was autumn; Rather than have extras getting motion sickness on the rides, the art department sculpted bodies out of polystyrene and took casts of their own faces that were put onto the dummies - about 5 were on all of the 60 or so dummies; Australian extras in the County Fair scene were told at one point to make some sounds, but were reminded to be American. Most promptly started just repeating, "Oh My God" and some other modern-day Americanisms; there were 47 Wilburs on set because the piglets grew up so fast and each Wilbur was taught only one "trick", like to stare up or to walk a certain distance; the book that Fern was reading to the animals in the barn was "Make Way for Ducklings", by Robert McCloskey.
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Children Of Men | 2006 | MA | v |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Thriller
Director/s: Alfonso Cuaron
Cast: Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore
Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) directs Oscar nominees Clive Owen, as Theo - a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, and Julianne Moore as Julian, leader of a terrorist group The Fishes.
Together they must find a safe haven for a pregnant African refugee whose baby could be used as a political tool in this exploration of a world where two decades of global human infertility have left humanity with less than a century to survive.
Adapted from a novel by P. D. James, Children of Men is as suspenseful and thrilling as it is thought-provoking.
Support includes Oscar winner Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots) and Danny Huston (The Proposition).
Trivia:
Artworks by British guerrilla artist, Banksy, appear throughout the film; Theo is seen wearing a London 2012 Olympics fleece in the Bexhill tower block scene; when Miriam is taken off the bus in the refugee camp you can hear the song "Arbeit Macht Frei" by The Libertines, meaning "Work shall set you free", it was written above the entrance at Auschwitz.
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Cleaverville | 2006 | M | av |
Screening: August 5th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Jorge Montesi
Cast: Ever Carradine, Gabrielle Rose, Leela Savasta
When a swindle over diamonds goes wrong, Grace (Ever Carradine) gets on the wrong side of a mob family so she turns to her daughter (Leela Savasta), whom she left 15 years ago, and her estranged mother, Kay (Gabrielle Rose).
Kay is not very happy to see Grace as she is determined to raise her college-bound granddaughter without any interference. As the police and mobsters close, putting all of them in danger, the family are reunited as they attempt to reconcile the past and devise a plan that will give them all a future.
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Click | 2006 | M | sl |
Screening: August 8th
Genre: Comedy Drama
Director/s: Frank Coraci
Cast: Adam Sandler, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff
Oscar winner Christopher Walken stars as an eccentric inventor who works out of the back room of Bed, Bath & Beyond. He gives Adam Sandler (workaholic Michael Newman) an experimental gadget guaranteed to change his life; a perfect remote control with some startling functions - it can somehow mute the barking of the family dog and even fast forward through an annoying quarrel with his wife (Kate Beckinsale).
Michael quickly becomes addicted to this new rush of power. But before he knows it, the remote is programming him, rather than the other way around. David Hasselhoff is surprisingly funny as Michael's new age boss with support from Sean Astin, Julie Kavner and Henry Winkler work brilliantly together as Michael's parent and Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show).
An excellent soundtrack includes The Cars, Tears for Fears, U2, The Strokes, The Kinks and Toto.
Trivia: The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan sings "Linger" at Ben's wedding; during the swim meet, the band you hear in the background is playing "Come Out and Play" by The Offspring. Director Cameo: Frank Coraci is the male nurse who attempts to sedate Michael in the hospital but sedates himself instead. Pic garnered Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup.
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Clive Barker's The Plague | 2006 | MA | va |
Screening: August 4th
Genre: Horror
Director/s: Hal Masonberg
Cast: James Van Der Beek, Ivana Milicevic, Dee Wallace-Stone
James Van Der Beek stars in this apocalyptic horror film where all the adults on earth are being hunted down and murdered by their own children. Ten years ago, every child under the age of nine fell into a deep, eerie coma known as the plague and now they've awakened to carry out a diabolical mission: the complete annihilation of the adult human race. Possessing strange powers, the zombie-like children spare no one as they stalk, corner and kill their prey. And as the few remaining survivors run for their very lives, the question still remains: who - or what - is behind the plague? Support includes Ivana Milicevic, Brad Hunt and Dee Wallace-Stone.
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Crossroads: A Story Of Forgiveness | 2007 | PG | v |
Screening: August 8th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: John Kent Harrison
Cast: Dean Cain, Peri Gilpin, Landon Liboiron
In this drama based on true events, Dean Cain stars as a father seeking justice when his wife and daughter are killed, but then begins a campaign to keep what happened to him from happening again. This campaign still runs today, educating students on dangerous driving and the devastating outcome.
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Curse Of The Golden Flower | 2006 | M | va |
Screening: August 9th
Genre: Action
Director/s: Yimou Zhang
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou
House of Flying Daggers' Yimou Zhang directs this Oscar-nominated visual extravaganza starring Chow Yun-Fat as Emperor Ping who returns unexpectedly to the Imperial palace with his second son, Prince Jai. The Emperor's pretext is to celebrate a holiday with his family, but given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing Empress, this seems disingenuous.
For many years, the Empress and Crown Prince Wan, her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love Chan, the Imperial Doctor's daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress's health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path?
The support cast includes Gong Li, Jay Chou and Ye Liu.
Trivia: the largest set ever built for a film in China; it took over 20 days to shoot the battle scene; more than 1000 real soldiers were used in the final battle.
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Dead Mary | 2007 | MA | vlh |
Screening: August 29th
Genre: Horror
Director/s: Robert Wilson
Cast: Dominique Swain, Reagan Pasternak, Jefferson Brown
It was supposed to be the perfect weekend away, until they invited a bloodthirsty party crasher! Kim (Dominique Swain) and her college friends meet at a cabin in the woods to relax, reminisce and have a little fun. But when they play a ghoulish game, they summon the vengeful spirit of Dead Mary who's out for blood. Can anyone stop the evil spirit and most important will anyone survive?
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Deck The Halls | 2006 | PG | l |
Screening: August 24th
Genre: Family
Director/s: John Whitesell
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Davis
Matthew Broderick stars as Steve Finch who believes no time of year can compare to the glory of the Christmas season. For many years now Steve's carried on a series of heartfelt but hokey Yuletide traditions that his family - his wife Kelly (Kristin Davis), daughter Madison (Alia Shawkat) and son Carter (Dylan Blue) - can barely tolerate.
Steve's Christmas bliss is suddenly destroyed when slippery car salesman Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito) moves in next door. Buddy quickly begins to undermine Steve's dominance as the local "King of Christmas" when he sets out to festoon his new house with enough glowing holiday lights so that it will be visible from outer space. We're talking a lot of lights here!
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Doa: Dead Or Alive | 2006 | M | v |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Action
Director/s: Cory Yuen
Cast: Holly Valance, Jaime Pressly, Eric Roberts
In this feature adaptation of the highly successful Tecmo fighting game, four feisty female fighters are in a competition to the death. Emmy nominee Jamie Pressly, Holly Valance, Sarah Carter and Devon Aoki join the planet's finest warriors when they are all invited to a tropical island to take part in a fighting contest to win $10 million.
Tina Armstrong (Pressly) is a superstar in the world of women's wrestling; Christie (Valance) is a beautiful thief and assassin-for-hire; Princess Kasumi (Devon Aoki) is an Asian warrior-aristocrat, schooled by martial arts masters and Helena Douglas (Carter) is an extreme sports athlete whose tragic past binds her to the remote palace in Southeast Asia where the Dead or Alive tournament takes place.
It all seems like one hot and humid battle royale, but matters get even stickier when it becomes clear that the tournament organiser (Oscar nominee Eric Roberts) may be up to no good. Let the fighting begin! Delivers some of the most extraordinary martial arts fight scenes ever filmed.
Trivia: Wilhelm Scream: As one of the guards is kicked off of the balcony; volleyball scene is a reference to the DOA spin-off Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2003).
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Duane Hopwood | 2005 | M | la |
Screening: August 2nd
Genre: Comedy Drama
Director/s: Matt Mulhern
Cast: David Schwimmer, Janeane Garofalo, Susan Lynch, David Bishop
Emmy nominee David Schwimmer stars as Duane Hopwood in this honest, but non-judgemental portrayal of a desperate man who loses his reason for being as his alcoholic consumption becomes such a problem that when he is caught drink driving.
Duane's wife (Emmy nominee Janeane Garofalo) leaves him taking his two daughters with her. When he loses his job and visitation rights, he must face the responsibility of what has brought him to this point and realises only he can get his life back on track. Support cast includes Dick Cavett and Susan Bishop.
Soundtrack includes Pete Yorn, Roger Miller, Ben Folds and Fountains of Wayne.
TRIVIA: Filming took only 21 days, and was shot entirely in Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport and Ocean City, New Jersey.
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Employee Of The Month | 2006 | M | ls |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director/s: Greg Coolidge
Cast: Jessica Simpson, Dane Cook, Dax Shepard
In this funny, satirical look at consumerism and competition, Dax Shepard (Smother) stars as Vince, king of the cashiers and super-sleaze at the Super Club store. Dane Cook stars as Zack, still at the bottom job, working as a box boy.
But the gloves are off when Jessica Simpson's Amy sashays her way onto the floor; she's the new cashier from another store and has a reputation of dating guys who have won Employee of the Month as Vince and Zack go all out to lure Amy into their "den of desire".
Support cast includes Seinfeld's Danny Woodburn, Napoleon Dynamite's Efren Ramirez and Andy Dick.
TRIVIA:
As Dax Shepard and Dane Cook looked alike, movie execs asked Shepard to go blonde; in the Steaksmith's scene Harland Williams says that Dane Cook is just like the drummer from Reo Speedwagon, while their song "Can't fight this feeling" plays in the background - 'You're like the drummer from REO Speedwagon. Nobody knows who you are.'; after Zack makes fun of Vince when he asks if Amy's last name is Nordic, Vince says "Oh, he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke," which is a line from Billy Joel's song, "Piano Man."
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End Game | 2006 | M | v |
Screening: August 4th
Genre: Action
Director/s: Andy Cheng
Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Angie Harmon, James Woods
Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr stars in this political thriller as a Secret Service agent who, with tenacious reporter Angie Harmon, investigates the conspiracy behind the assassination of the President.
An all-star cast includes Burt Reynolds (The Dukes of Hazzard, Boogie Nights), James Woods (Be Cool, John Q) and Anne Archer (Rules Of Engagement, Man of the House) and is a first feature directed by former stunt-master Andy Cheng, a member of the Jackie Chan Stuntman Association. Jackie Chan sometimes uses Andy to double for him in stunts.
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Epic Movie | 2007 | M | lsv |
Screening: August 6th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Aaron Seltzer
Cast: Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge
In this comedic satire of epic proportions starring Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard, Jayma Mays and Crispin Glover, the warped writers of Scary Movie now set their parodic sights on the largest genre of them all: the big-budget, special effects-laden blockbuster franchise films.
The story centres on four not-so-young orphans: one reared by a curator at the Louvre (where an albino assassin lurks); another, a refugee from Mexican "libre" wrestling; the third a recent victim of snakes on her plane; and the fourth a "normal" resident of a mutant "X" community.
TRIVIA:
The band playing at the big party sequence is Eagles of Death Metal; Roscoe Lee Browne's last film; Crispin Glover plays Willy, a spoof of Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Glover and Depp previously worked together on two films; What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and Dead Man (1995); the film was not screened for critics; when the White Bitch is on her MySpace page, it says she is listening to Fall Out Boy.
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Eragon | 2006 | M | v |
Screening: August 14th
Genre: Action
Director/s: Stefan Fangmeier
Cast: John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, Robert Carlyle
Oscar nominee John Malkovich, Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons and Robert Carlyle star in this fantasy adventure based on the novel by Christopher Paolini. A teenage boy (Ed Speleers) becomes a dragon rider and, with the help of a wise old man and his newly-hatched dragon (voiced by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz), seeks to avenge the murder of his uncle, rescues a beautiful warrior, and battles a tyrannical king. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
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Evan Almighty | 2007 | G | |
Screening: August 4th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Tom Shadyac
Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, John Goodman
Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) directs Emmy nominee Steve Carell in this hilarious comedy as he reprises his role as the polished, preening newscaster Evan Baxter of Bruce Almighty, the next person selected by God to perform a holy mission.
Newly elected to Congress, Evan's life is turned upside-down when God appears and mysteriously commands him to build an ark. But his befuddled family just can't decide whether Evan is having an extraordinary mid-life crisis or is truly on to something of Biblical proportions.
From a script by Oscar nominee Steve Oedeker, the support cast includes Oscar winner Morgan Freeman as God, of course, John Goodman and Lauren Graham.
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Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer | 2007 | PG | vl |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Action
Director/s: Tim Story
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Julian McMahon
In the second instalment of this popular live-action series starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, the Fantastic Four meet their greatest challenge yet.
The enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, voiced by Laurence Fishburne, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction and as he races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery before all hope is lost.
Support case includes Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington and Andre Braugher.
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Final Draft | 2007 | M | avl |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Thriller
Director/s: Jonathan Dueck
Cast: James Van Der Beek, Adam MacDonald, Tara Spencer-Nairn
James Van Der Beek stars as a desperate scribe with a killer case of writer's block, who locks himself away for 18 gruelling days in order to meet the deadline that could ultimately make or break him. Haunted by collection of characters from his past, cabin fever is fast setting in, leaving the increasingly delirious screenwriter unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy that consumes him.
Support cast includes Darryn Lucio, Tara Spencer-Nairn and Adam MacDonald.
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Firehouse Dog | 2006 | PG | vl |
Screening: August 31st
Genre: Family
Director/s: Todd Holland
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Josh Hutcherson, Bill Nunn
Rex, Hollywood's top-grossing canine, is known for his extreme athletic abilities and diva-like demeanour. His perks package rivals that of any A-list celebrity, includes Kobe beef, a poodle harem, and a diamond collar.
Rex's luck runs out as an aerial stunt goes awry, leading Rex's handlers to presume he's dead. Chased by animal control, he takes refuge in grubby abandoned lofts and is befriended by Shane (Josh Hutcherson), a bright but rebellious 12-year-old.
Bruce Greenwood stars as Connor, a single parent and captain of the rundown inner city fire station known as Dogpatch and is in charge of inspiring the sad-sack company. Soon Rex's special stunt skills are getting the station into the news as he performs amazing rescues when the boys are called out to fires.
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Freedom Writers | 2007 | M | avl |
Screening: August 7th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Richard LaGravenese
Cast: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Imelda Staunton
Inspired by a true story taken from the diaries of real Long Beach teenagers after the LA riots, Oscar winner Richard LaGravenese directs Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell, a teacher who listens to her students in a way no adult ever has.
During the worst outbreak of interracial gang warfare, Erin begins to understand that for these kids, getting through the day alive is enough - they are not delinquents but teenagers fighting a war of the streets that began long before they were born. Erin gives them something they never had from a teacher before - respect. For the first time, these teens experience a hope that perhaps they might show the world that their lives matter and they have something to say.
Based on "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell. Many Freedom Writers were the first in their families to graduate high school and go to college. Ms. G. went on to teach at California State University, Long Beach. Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers started the Freedom Writers Foundation dedicated to recreating the success of Room 203 in classrooms throughout the US.
An excellent support cast includes Imelda Staunton, Scott Glenn and Patrick Dempsey. The soundtrack includes Cyprus Hill, Tupac, Gang Starr, The Pharcyde, Slick Rick, will.i.am and Mista Sniper.
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Gone | 2007 | M | vl |
Screening: August 10th
Genre: Thriller
Director/s: Ringan Ledwidge
Cast: Amelia Warner, Scott Mechlowicz, Shaun Evans
A contemporary psychological thriller in which a young British couple travelling through the Australian outback become involved with a mysterious and charismatic American whose motive for imposing his friendship upon them becomes increasingly suspect and sinister.
Cast includes Amelia Warner, Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Mechlowitz and Shaun Evans.
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Hard Luck | 2006 | MA | vl |
Screening: August 5th
Genre: Crime
Director/s: Mario Van Peebles
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Cybill Shepherd, Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles directs and also stars with Wesley Snipes in this drama of three converging stories about a drug dealer trying to go straight who comes across a stash of stolen drugs and finds his life unexpectedly complicated by the police, the mafia and a couple who are vicious serial killers. Support cast includes Cybill Shepherd, Aubrey Dollar and Kevin Thoms.
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Heavens Fall | 2006 | M | asv |
Screening: August 14th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Terry Green
Cast: Timothy Hutton, David Strathairn, Leelee Sobieski
Oscar winner Timothy Hutton stars as savvy New York defence lawyer Samuel Leibowitz in this story of epic injustice, based on a true story, where nine young black men are pulled off an Alabama freight train and arrested, tried and sentenced to the electric chair for allegedly raping two young white women in the spring of 1931.
The plight of the Scottsboro Boys caught the attention of Leibowitz, who agreed to represent the accused at their retrials. Samuel's journey into the Deep South symbolised the polarity of the times and set in motion a legal battle that ultimately changed the American justice system. The names have changed, but the rhetoric that convicted the Scottsboro Nine remains virtually the same.
Support cast includes Leelee Sobieski and David Strathairn.
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Hush Little Baby | 2007 | M | av |
Screening: August 12th
Genre: Thriller
Director/s: Holly Dale
Cast: Victoria Pratt, Ari Cohen, Tiffany Amiot
Victoria Pratt and Ari Cohen stars as Jamie and Peter who, after the tragic death of their daughter, re-locate to a new city. Jamie becomes pregnant, but for Jamie everything is troubling about the infant Caitlin from the moment the baby is born. Is it just guilt over Amanda's death or is there something different about this newborn that no one can see or rationally explain?
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I Think I Love My Wife | 2007 | M | ls |
Screening: August 24th
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director/s: Chris Rock
Cast: Chris Rock, Kerry Washington, Gina Torres
Chris Rock directs and stars in this comedy where a successful investment banker with a beautiful wife (Gina Torres) and an idyllic family life begins to hanker for an extramarital affair.
Enter the stunning Nikki (Kerry Washington), an old friend who appears at Richard's office door, asking for help in landing a job. During lulls in his workday, Richard starts meeting Nikki for late lunches, and the banker's conventional life begins to turn upside down. Richard's situation is not helped by serial philanderer George - Steve Buscemi as we've never seen him before.
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Ice Age 2: The Meltdown | 2006 | PG | a |
Screening: August 2nd
Genre: Animation
Director/s: Carlos Saldanha
Cast: Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, John Leguizamo
The sub-zero heroes are back as the Ice Age is coming to an end and the animals are delighting in the melting paradise that is their new world: a melting paradise of water, parks, geysers and tar pits. But when Manny, Sid and Diego discover that the miles of melted ice will flood their valley, they must warn everyone and somehow figure out a way to escape the coming deluge. Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Seann William Scott and Jay Leno provide voices for this lovely family film. Trivia: animation took a relatively speedy eight months; Crash and Eddie, the possum brothers, bear a strong resemblance to Pip and Pop, the twin otter brothers in Bear and the Big Blue House.
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In The Mix | 2005 | M | vls |
Screening: August 15th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Ron Underwood
Cast: Usher, Chazz Palminteri, Emmanuelle Chriqui
R&B artist Usher stars as Darrell, a hot, young New York DJ who has no trouble with the ladies... other than fending them off! He and his partner Busta (Kevin Hart) work the dance floor at night and dream of their future record label by day. When Darrell takes a bullet for a mob boss (Chazz Palminteri), saving his life, he is rewarded for his bravery with the job of watching over the Don's beautiful daughter Dolly (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and the sparks soon begin to fly between the attractive couple in this hip romantic comedy. Trivia: Usher Raymond enlisted the help of his long time personal bodyguard in an effort to be more accurate in his role as Dolly's protector. The soundtrack includes James Brown, Fat Joe, Nelly, Lady Sovereign, Christina Milian and Youngbloodz and direction is by Ron Underwood (City Slickers, Tremors).
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Into The Fire | 2005 | M | al |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Michael Phelan
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, JoBeth Williams, Ed Lauter
When a jumbo jet crashes at Kennedy Airport, the life of a lieutenant in the New York City Harbour Patrol becomes inextricably linked with others involved in the harrowing ordeal.
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Irresistible | 2006 | M | lsva |
Screening: August 19th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Ann Turner
Cast: Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, Emily Blunt
In this psychological thriller directed by Ann Turner (Dallas Doll), Oscar winner Susan Sarandon stars as Sophie, a woman convinced she is being stalked by her husband's beautiful co-worker who Sophie believes wants to steal her children, her husband and her life. When no one believes Sophie's story she is forced to prove her sanity turning stalker herself, making a discovery more frightening than she could have imagined.
Also stars Golden Globe nominee Sam Neill and Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt.
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Jet Li's Fearless | 2006 | M | v |
Screening: August 3rd
Genre: Action
Director/s: Ronny Yu
Cast: Jet Li, Collin Chou, Nakamura Shidou
Action superstar Jet Li teams up once again with the creative forces behind "Hero" as he headlines what is heralded as his final martial arts epic. Setting the standard in a genre that has made him an icon, Li portrays real life martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia, the most famous and revered fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th century. This is a grand, sweeping story featuring exciting and innovative fight choreography. Jet Li has set the standard in a genre that has made him an icon, and this is a deserving entry to an already impressive body of work. Trivia: the lotus pond scene was filmed in a lake with no lotus, over 200 lotus plants was air shipped to ensure flowering during filming; Huo Yianjia is portrayed as having no surviving offspring, but in fact he has seven grandchildren and, as of 2006, 11 great-grandchildren; Anthony De Longis and Jet Li broke at least six swords during their sword fight just for the first take; Jet Li has now been filmed as all of the "big three" amongst the historical martial artists in Qing Dynasty (1645-1911) China: Fang Shiyu (c.1700s) in the Fong Sai Yuk series; Huo Yuanjia (1868-1910) in Fearless and Huang Feihong (1847-1924) in the Wong Fei Hung series.
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John Tucker Must Die | 2006 | PG | sl |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director/s: Betty Thomas
Cast: Brittany Snow, Jesse Metcalfe, Ashanti
Jesse Metcalfe stars in this romantic comedy as John Tucker, the big man on campus at his high school: he's the captain and star player of the basketball team, he's got money, he's good-looking and charming and he can have any girl he wants. However, three different girls at his school, Heather, Beth and Carrie, discover they've all been dating John at the same time. The girls decide to pick a cute but socially clumsy girl who is new at school, Kate and give her a crash course in stealing John's heart. Also starring Brittany Snow, Ashanti Sophia Bush and Arielle Kebbel.
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Lake Placid 2 | 2007 | M | hlv |
Screening: August 22nd
Genre: Horror
Director/s: David Flores
Cast: John Schneider, Cloris Leachman, Sam McMurray
When a giant crocodile kills a man fishing in Lake Placid, it's down to the local sheriff, masquerading as Dukes of Hazzard's John Schneider, to track it down and kill it before anyone else gets hurt. However there is more than meets the eye to the whole situation, and it turns out that there is not one but three giant crocodiles terrorising the lake.
Support cast includes Cloris Leachman and Sam McMurray.
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Macbeth | 2006 | MA | dsv |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Geoffrey Wright
Cast: Sam Worthington, Victoria Hill, Gary Sweet
Australian Geoffrey Wright (Romper Stomper, Metal Skin) directs this unique version of Macbeth, set in the Melbourne underworld, starring Sam Worthington as a loyal henchman to his crime boss Duncan (Gary Sweet), who is told by teenage witches that he will one day assume great power. Driven by their prophecy, he plots with his wife to kill Duncan, and take the leadership of the gang for himself. Maintaining his power will require more murders and violence, finally driving his surviving enemies to unite and destroy him. Wright filmed much of the picture with HD photography, thus capturing a broader range of imagery and a much blacker darkness in his night time sequences, and lit a pivotal action scene exclusively with red laser gun sights.
Support cast includes Victoria Hill, Steve Bastoni and Mick Molloy.
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Making Mr. Right | 2008 | PG | a |
Screening: August 13th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Paul Fox
Cast: Dean Cain, Christina Cox, David Lewis
Christina Cox stars as Hallie, a features magazine editor who comes up with the idea of doing a story on Manhattan's most confirmed bachelors and auction them off for a date, to boost circulation. Dean Cain stars as Eddie, a down on his luck homeless drifter, who catches the eye of Hallie's co-worker and a betting game ensues resulting in Eddie becoming one of bachelors whose in for an extreme makeover.
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Man About Town | 2005 | M | lsv |
Screening: August 1st
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Mike Binder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John Cleese
Oscar-winner Ben Affleck stars in this existential comedy drama as Jack Giamoro, an unscrupulous Hollywood agent who seeks to balance the success of his professional status with the abysmal reality of his personal life. Jack seems to have it all: a successful career, money and a beautiful wife. But when Jack's diary is stolen by an ambitious journalist out to bring him down, his perfect life quickly starts to unravel. Support cast includes Adam Goldberg, Howard Hesseman, John Cleese and Gina Gershon.
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Man Of The Year | 2006 | M | l |
Screening: August 10th
Genre: Comedy
Director/s: Barry Levinson
Cast: Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney
Oscar winner Robin Williams stars in this razor-sharp political satire as a television comedian famous for skewering Washington who becomes an unexpected candidate for President.
Taking a hilarious, intelligent look at the American election process, Oscar-winner Barry Levinson directs an all-star cast that includes Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum and Lewis Black. Although the laughs do come thick and fast, there is an undercurrent that all is not as it should be with the voting computer system and that some will go to great lengths to keep this information from coming to light.
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Maxwell | 2007 | M | l |
Screening: August 11th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Colin Barr
Cast: David Suchet, Patricia Hodge, Dan Stevens
The award-winning David Suchet (Poirot) stars as Robert Maxwell in this gripping account of the dramatic final stage of the former Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) owner's life. His empire was collapsing, his marriage was in difficulties and his weight had ballooned.
But that was nothing compared with the furore that occurred after his death, when it was discovered that he had taken money from MGN's pension fund to keep his companies afloat. Support cast includes Patricia Hodge (Rumpole of the Bailey), Ben Caplan (Band of Brothers) and Dan Stevens (The Line of Beauty).
TRIVIA:
Upon his death Maxwell's publishing empire was riddled with debt and he had looted millions from the Mirror Group pension fund; Maxwell, 68, went missing from his luxury yacht while cruising off the Canary Islands in November 1991.
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Middletown | 2006 | M | avl |
Screening: August 8th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Brian Kirk
Cast: Matthew Macfadyen, Eva Birthistle, Daniel Mays
See Matthew Macfadyen as never before as he goes from Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice to Gabriel, a zealous preacher. Gabriel returns to Middletown, the place of his birth and childhood. What he finds is his brother's wife running the local pub where nightly cock-fights and brawls are the order of the day.
Gabriel decides that only he can save the town from their descent into debauchery so he sets to his task with much religious zeal and fervour, pitting neighbour against neighbour, disrupting the familial harmony that once existed.
Even Gabriel's family are not free from attack and his brother, Jim (Daniel Mays) and his wife Caroline (Eva Birthistle) are the first to suffer his anger. Featuring a faultless performance of telling conviction from Matthew Macfadyen - it would send anyone running to confession, Brian Kirk has directed a dark and compelling gothic drama about the dangers of fundamentalism.
TRIVIA:
The writer Daragh Carville can be seen briefly drinking a pint in one of the bar scenes.
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Miss Potter | 2006 | G | |
Screening: August 6th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Chris Noonan
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson
Oscar nominee Chris Noonan directs this Golden Globe-nominated enchanting tale starring Oscar winner Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter, the author who brought to life Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and their woodland friends, enthralling generations of children around the globe.
But it's Potter's life that is the most enthralling as she finds love with Ewan McGregor's Norman Warne, who publishes her books and takes her out of her closeted existence with her social-climbing parents. Partly filmed in the beautiful Lake District, this is a cinematic treat.
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Mission: Impossible III | 2006 | M | v |
Screening: August 2nd
Genre: Action
Director/s: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan
In this third instalment of the action packed thriller Mission: Impossible III, Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, forced back into the field to save an agent he trained after weapons dealer Owen Davian (Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman) kidnaps her, putting his pending marriage on hold.
With the help of his field team Hunt achieves his goal, but becomes involved in a web of double-crosses that leave him wondering if he can trust his superiors. Support stars in this pulse-racing, mind-bending action thriller include Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Magie Q.
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My Super Ex-Girlfriend | 2006 | M | s |
Screening: August 9th
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director/s: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Anna Faris
In this Ivan Reitman comedy Luke Wilson stars as Matt Saunders, who thinks he's finally found the perfect girlfriend, the beautiful Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), who also just happens to be the reluctant super hero, G-Girl. When Jenny/G-Girl becomes overly possessive, Matt wants to call it quits, but how do you break up with a super hero who unleashes the full fury of her super-powered wrath? Support cast includes Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard and Stelio Savante.
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Notes On A Scandal | 2006 | MA | as |
Screening: August 10th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Richard Eyre
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy
Oscar-winners Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are a tour-de-force in this Oscar-nominated psychological thriller as two women caught up in a drama of need and betrayal.
The twists and turns of the story are noted in the acerbic diary of Barbara Covett (Dench), a domineering and solitary teacher whose world changes with the arrival of the new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Blanchett). But when Barbara discovers Sheba is having an affair with a young student, their relationship takes an ominous turn as Barbara threatens to expose Sheba's terrible secret bringing her own secrets and dark obsessions to the fore, exposing the deceptions at the core of each of the women's lives.
TRIVIA: Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Anne-Marie Duff have all played Queen Elizabeth I; the LP that Steven picks up in Sheba's workshop is "Kaleidoscope" by Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980).
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Nouvelle-France | 2004 | M | vs |
Screening: August 4th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Jean Beaudin
Cast: David La Haye, Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Perez
Based on fact and set during a turbulent period of Canadian history; the collapse of New France and the establishment of the British regime, this tragic story tells of the love between a young peasant girl (Naoemi Godin-Vigneau) from the lower Saint Laurent River and a dashing adventurer, Francois Le Gardeur (David de Haye).
Francois rejects his family, preferring to roam in the forests and live with the American Indians. Returning from hunting, he hastens back to Quebec where his father died three days earlier, leaving his son an inheritance that will bring him more grief than happiness. As the lover's passionate destiny advances, driven by fate, it mirrors another story: France's abandon of Canada.
Support cast includes Gerard Depardieu, Vincent Perez and Juliette Gosselin.
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On A Clear Day | 2004 | PG | la |
Screening: August 12th
Genre: Drama
Director/s: Gaby Dellal
Cast: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Sean McGinley
Brenda Blethyn and Peter Mullan star in this comedy drama about a middle-aged man, grieving over a tragic loss from the past. Frank has spent most of his 55 years working the same job in the shipyards of Glasgow, but upon being fired he is determined to gain his self respect and, much to the amusement of Frank's family and mates, he decides to swim the English Channel. As he begins training to make the journey his preparations give him a drive and a sense of purpose he has never had before.
TRIVIA:
The toy that Rob (Jamie Sives) takes away from his son at school is Thunderbird 2, based on the television se | | | |
