Summer is finally here, and to celebrate here’s a brand-new collection of films to swing into this week, from an epic multiverse adventure with everyone’s favourite web-slinger, to the return of a modern feminist classic…
Movie of the Week
Cinemas
- The Boogeyman
- Reality
- The Machine
- Carmen
- Amanda
- Mad About the Boy – The Noël Coward Story
- Wait For Me
- The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse
Re-Releases
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023, dirs. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson)
CAST: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Karan Soni, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, Andy Samberg, Zoë Kravitz
CREW: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson (directors), Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (writers, producers), Dave Callaham (writer), Avi Arad, Amy Pascal and Christina Steinberg (producers), Daniel Pemberton (composer), Mike Andrews (editor)
PLOT: A year after gaining his spider-powers during an opening of the multiverse, Miles Morales (Moore) continues to fight crime as his universe’s incarnation of Spider-Man. He is soon unexpectedly visited by Gwen Stacy (Steinfeld), who hails from another universe as Spider-Woman, and invites Miles to join her on a mission to save the multiverse from an interdimensional new villain known as the Spot (Schwartzman). Their journey brings them to a Spider-Society made up of Spider-Men/Women from across the multiverse, led by Miguel O’Hara (Isaac)…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The Spider-Verse is well and truly opened up in this anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning animated take on the famous Marvel superhero
2) Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller return to provide the screenplay, which sees them playing with a much bigger treasure trove of Spider-Man goodness than ever before
3) Our beloved hero Miles Morales faces greater personal and physical challenges as he journeys to different universes, each with their own unique animation style
4) Its influential blend of CG graphics with hand-drawn comic-book stylisations, one of the many highlights of the previous film, continues to visually dazzle
5) Be on the look-out for Spider-People of all varieties, including quite possibly some unexpected surprise appearances from a few familiar faces
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is showing in cinemas from Thursday 1st June 2023
WHAT’S SHOWING IN
CINEMAS THIS WEEK?
The Boogeyman (2023, dir. Rob Savage)
CAST: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, Marin Ireland, Madison Hu, LisaGay Hamilton, David Dastmalchian
CREW: Rob Savage (director), Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Mark Heyman (writers), Dan Cohen, Dan Levine and Shawn Levy (producers), Patrick Jonsson (composer), Eli Born (cinematographer), Peter Gvozdas (editor)
PLOT: Sisters Sadie (Thatcher) and Sawyer (Blair) are reeling from the death of their mother, while their therapist father Will (Messina) shuts himself off from them in his own grief. Soon, the sisters receive terrifying visits from a mysterious entity that feeds on people’s suffering…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Rob Savage, the director of acclaimed lockdown horror Host, makes the leap into non-found-footage territory for the first time with this terrifying new horror
2) Co-writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (known for writing A Quiet Place) adapt the acclaimed short story of the same name by horror icon Stephen King
3) Savage brings his freaky style to a number of creepy set-pieces, which play around with the dark cinematography and the underlying fear of something stirring in the corner of your eye
4) Originally intended for a streaming release, it was bumped up to theatrical after a round of positive test screenings, with even King allegedly calling the studios “stupid” for initially deciding on streaming
5) It’s said to be so scary that grown audiences may well be sleeping with the lights on for a good long while after seeing it!
The Boogeyman is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
Reality (2023, dir. Tina Satter)
CAST: Sydney Sweeney, Marchánt Davis, Josh Hamilton, Benny Elledge, John Way
CREW: Tina Satter (director, writer), James Paul Dallas (writer), Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile and Noah Stahl (producers), Nathan Micay (composer), Paul Yee (cinematographer), Ron Dulin and Jennifer Vecchiarello (editors)
PLOT: When former intelligence officer Reality Winner (Sweeney) leaks a report detailing Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential elections, she is interrogated at her home by FBI agents Taylor (Davis) and Garrick (Hamilton)…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The timely true story of Reality Winner (and yes, that is her actual name), the intelligence officer turned whistleblower who was sentenced to five years imprisonment for leaking a report on Russian-led election interference, is told in captivating style
2) Director and co-writer Tina Satter adapts her play Is This A Room, which contains verbatim dialogue from the actual FBI transcript of Winner’s interrogation
3) Euphoria and The White Lotus star Sydney Sweeney is on brilliant form as Reality Winner, and commands the screen with her riveting lead performance
4) Critics have been raving about it since its debut at February’s Berlin Film Festival, giving it a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes (as of writing)
5) As politics continues to dominate the news (especially in America), this is a bleak reminder of how fragile and easily manipulated systems can be, and of how brave people like Reality Winner can expose the truth to the world, no matter what the consequences
Reality is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
The Machine (2023, dir. Peter Atencio)
CAST: Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill, Jessica Gabor, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Nikola Đuričko, Oleg Taktarov, Robert Maaser, Rita Bernard Shaw, Amelie Villers, Mercedes De La Cruz
CREW: Peter Atencio (director, producer), Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes (writers), Maxim Ajjawi (producer), Joseph Trapanese (composer), Eigil Bryld (cinematographer), Eleanor Infante (editor)
PLOT: 23 years after Bert (Kreischer) embarked on a drunken college semester in Russia, he and his estranged father Albert (Hamill) are kidnapped by a murderous mobster (Babić) and brought back to Russia, where Bert is forced to face the ghosts of his booze-soaked past. Now, Bert must reluctantly team up with his father to retrace the steps of his younger self (Tatro) and avoid being caught up in a gang war…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Comedian Bert Kreischer’s viral stand-up routine is adapted into an outrageous new comedy that will have you laughing and gasping as much as the original set did
2) Kreischer plays a fictional version of himself in the movie, alongside none other than Mark Hamill as his on-screen father
3) Hamill, incidentally, is having the time of his life in a rare comedic supporting role, with his character spending a good portion of the movie high on quite a lot of drugs!
4) The shocking levels of violence only add to the hilarious dark comedy elements that offset the surprising intensity
5) You’ll have a good old laugh watching American drunkenness take on the firm Russian criminal underworld
The Machine is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 31st May 2023
Carmen (2023, dir. Benjamin Millepied)
CAST: Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Elsa Pataky, Nicole da Silva, Rossy de Palma, Tara Morice, Richard Brancatisano, Kaan Guldur, Benedict Hardie, Nico Cortez, Pip Edwards, Damien Tomlinson, The D.O.C., Ryan Oliver Gelbart, Kevin MacIsaac, Marina Tamayo, Corey London
CREW: Benjamin Millepied (director, writer), Loïc Barrère and Alexander Dinelaris (writers), Rosemary Blight, Dimitri Rassam and Mimi Valdes (producers), Nicholas Brittel, Taura Stinson and Julieta Venegas (composers), Jörg Widmer (cinematographer), Dany Cooper (editor)
PLOT: In Mexico, captivating young gypsy Carmen (Barrera) is forced to leave behind her family and community, and flee to the United States in order to escape a murderous cartel. At the border, she crosses paths with patrol agent Aidan (Mescal), with whom she falls in love with as he helps her reach Los Angeles…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) French dancer Benjamin Millepied makes his directorial debut with a stylish new musical that completely reinvents the classic opera of the same name
2) Scream star Melissa Barrera (who’s no stranger to musicals, having previously featured in In the Heights) shares sizzling on-screen chemistry with Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal
3) The two of them work with a slew of original songs and dance pieces, set to music co-written by Oscar-nominated composer Nicholas Brittel (most famous for writing scores for Moonlight and TV’s Succession)
4) In addition to all the singing and dancing, there is a tender love story at its centre which gives the central plot its beating heart
5) It’s filled with romance, suspense, intimate drama, and plenty more that will have audiences yearning for more movie musicals as unique as this one
Carmen is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
Amanda (2022, dir. Carolina Cavalli)
CAST: Benedetta Porcaroli, Galatéa Bellugi, Michele Bravi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Monica Nappo, Margherita Maccapani Missoni
CREW: Carolina Cavalli (director, writer), Antonio Celsi, Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani, Annamaria Morelli, Malcolm Pagani and Moreno Zani (producers), Niccolò Contessa (composer), Lorenzo Levrini (cinematographer), Babak Jalali (editor)
PLOT: A wealthy young woman named Amanda (Porcaroli) realises that she has lived most of her life in isolation, and desires to have friends in her life. She tracks down Rebecca (Bellugi), a girl that she once played with as a child, and makes it her mission to convince her that they are still best friends…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This quirky and irreverent Italian comedy explores the roaring loneliness of entitled youth in a modern age
2) Benedetta Porcaroli, whom Netflix viewers may recognise from the hit Italian high school series Baby, is a force to be reckoned with as the flawed but mostly noble title character
3) It marks the directorial debut of Carolina Cavalli, whose background in television primes her as a straightforward new storytelling talent
4) Cavalli takes stylistic inspiration from fellow Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, who is credited for his special contribution
5) Filled with easy laughs that poke fun at everyday truths, this is a comedy that you can feel good at laughing along to
Amanda is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023 (and will be available to rent exclusively on Curzon Home Cinema)
Mad About the Boy – The Noël Coward Story (2023, dir. Barnaby Thompson)
CAST: Noël Coward, Alan Cumming, Rupert Everett, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Harold Pinter, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Michael Caine, Lucille Ball, Adam Lambert
CREW: Barnaby Thompson (director, producer), Gregor Cameron (producer), Rael Jones (composer), Ben Hilton (editor)
PLOT: An account of the life and career of celebrated playwright, performer, filmmaker and songwriter Noël Coward, who defined an era as one of the most successful multi-talented artists of the twentieth century…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The multi-faceted Noël Coward receives the biographical documentary treatment, in a brand-new non-fictional format crafted by Oscar and BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Barnaby Thompson (of the two recent St. Trinian’s movies)
2) The film explores the success of Coward’s numerous plays and subsequent film adaptations, including Brief Encounter, Blithe Spirit and Cavalcade
3) A top-notch list of talent can be found here, from archive footage of legendary performers such as Laurence Olivier and Lucille Ball, to narration provided by Alan Cumming and Rupert Everett (the latter of whom voices Coward himself), to a brand-new rendition of Coward’s hit song “Mad About the Boy” as sung by Adam Lambert
4) Coward’s private life, including his sexuality and even his stint as a spy during the Second World War, is put firmly on display here as well
5) It’s a must-see for any Noël Coward fan who has always wanted to learn more about the genius who was truly ahead of his time
Mad About the Boy – The Noël Coward Story is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
Wait for Me (2023, dir. Keith Farrell)
CAST: Karen Hassan, Aaron Cobham, Sean McGinley, Neil Bell, Elva Trill, Rebecca Atkinson, Theo Ogundipe, Kelli Hollis, Izobella Dawson, Izzy McKenty
CREW: Keith Farrell (director), Bernard O’Toole (writer), Thea Burrows (producer), Phil France (composer), Mike Staniforth (cinematographer), Siôn Roberts (editor)
PLOT: In the north of England, young Alison (Hassan) is trapped in a life of crime by infatuated gangster Max (Bell). When she meets damaged stranger Sam (Cobham), Alison is encouraged to seek out the child she was forced to give up for adoption, which leads to a realisation that she needs to escape her criminal life once and for all…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This emotional British drama is a bleak but oddly life-affirming tale of overcoming near-impossible odds
2) Filmmaker Keith Farrell, who won an award for his direction at the recent Manchester Film Festival, makes a bold statement with his first feature-length production
3) Raw turns from an acting ensemble led by Vikings and The Fall star Karen Hassan give plenty of weight to the material
4) There are some quietly intense gangster moments littered throughout, the kind not seen since the outstanding Irish crime drama Calm with Horses
5) Its ultimate power lies in its ability to resonate with viewers who may similarly feel trapped by the dangerous lives they might lead
Wait for Me is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse (2019, dirs. Oskar Lehemaa and Mikk Mägi)
CAST: Mikk Mägi, Oskar Lehemaa, Jan Uuspõld, Märt Avandi, Jaagup Kreem, Indrek Ojari
CREW: Mikk Mägi (director, writer, producer), Oskar Lehemaa (director, writer, editor), Veiko Esken, Erik Heinsalu and Tanel Tatter (producers), Lauri Kadalipp, Sten-Olle Moldau and Ardo Ran Varres (composers), Urmas Jõemees (cinematographer)
PLOT: In a small Estonian village, three children reluctantly arrive from the city to work on their grandfather’s farm. When they decide to free his thoroughly abused dairy cow, the children realise that if its udders are not milked within 24 hours, they will explode and unleash the Lactopalypse, prompting a daring race against time to reclaim the cow before it’s too late…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The internationally acclaimed stop-motion hit finally arrives in the UK, four years after its original debut in its home country of Estonia
2) Since its release, the film has gained a cult following for its deranged and sometimes shocking sense of humour that’s been described as a mix of Fritz the Cat and Shaun the Sheep
3) It is based on a series of online shorts that became hugely popular in Estonia
4) There is a surprising amount of heart to this crowd-pleasing adventure, even amidst some crazy set-pieces including festival hippies, heavy-metal rockers, and murderous chainsaw-wielding madmen
5) The animation is, of course, lovingly crafted by hand and a firm reminder of the raw (and sometimes batty) power of imagination through stop-motion
The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
WHAT’S RETURNING
TO CINEMAS
THIS WEEK?
Thelma & Louise (1991, dir. Ridley Scott)
CAST: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, Jason Beghe, Lucinda Jenney
CREW: Ridley Scott (director, producer), Callie Khouri (writer), Mimi Polk (producer), Hans Zimmer (composer), Adrian Biddle (cinematographer), Thom Noble (editor)
PLOT: Thelma (Davis), a sharp-tongued diner waitress, and Louise (Sarandon), a housewife stuck in a controlling marriage, head on a road trip together, but unforeseen circumstances soon force them to go on the run from police detective Hal Slocumb (Keitel)…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Ridley Scott’s modern feminist classic is back on the big screen with a brand-new 4K restoration
2) Experience once more the raw power of the two central performances by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, both of whom were nominated for the Best Actress Oscar (a rare occurrence in Academy history)
3) The film scored a total of six Oscar nominations, winning for Callie Khouri’s landmark screenplay
4) It seriously resonated with audiences during its original run, grossing $45 million at the box office next to its $16.5 million budget
5) Today, it is considered a benchmark film for female representation and empowerment in film, and an all-round American classic
Thelma & Louise is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
Le Mépris (1963, dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
CAST: Michel Piccoli, Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll, Fritz Lang, Raoul Coutard, Jean-Luc Godard, Linda Veras
CREW: Jean-Luc Godard (director, writer), Georges de Beauregard, Joseph E. Levine and Carlo Ponti (producers), Georges Delerue and Piero Piccioni (composers), Raoul Coutard (cinematographer), Agnès Guillemot (editor)
PLOT: Paul Javal (Piccoli), a French playwright, invites his wife Camille (Bardot) with him to Rome, where he has been tasked with writing the script for a new interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey, to be directed by German filmmaker Fritz Lang (as himself) and produced by American mogul Jeremy Prokosch (Palance). However, the couple’s love for each other is tested as production gets underway…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Celebrate the 60th anniversary of a French New Wave classic with this stunning 4K remaster of the late Jean-Luc Godard’s influential 1963 drama
2) Godard adapts the 1954 Italian novel A Ghost at Noon by Alberto Moravia, but mysteriously goes uncredited for his screenplay
3) It marked the only time that Godard worked with American producers, and is said to have hated making this film because of their strong demands
4) Despite the on-set drama, the film became a major box-office success, as well as the highest-grossing film of Godard’s career, and is often regarded as an all-time movie classic
5) It is both a painful look at a disintegrating marriage, and a meta commentary on the compromises of film in the development phase, all while looking as stunning and as artful as many other films of the French New Wave
Le Mépris is showing in cinemas from Friday 2nd June 2023
That’s about it for this week – thanks for joining us, and be sure to come back next week for a whole new set of movies to work up an appetite for!
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