Film / News
Event cinema for September 2016
This month brings music from the Beatles, the Stones, Nick Cave and, er, Michael Buble, plus four outdoor Bristol Sunset Cinema screenings, opera (Norma, Turandot), theatre (The Threepenny Opera, Cymbeline), a brace of Star Trek anniversary events at the Planetarium, a spooky Wicker Man screening in the Boiling Wells amphitheatre and much more. Don’t forget that September is also the month of the Scalarama and Encounters film festivals.
Bristol Sunset Cinema: The Goonies
Shrieking, rather sentimental ’80s kids’ adventure flick, based on a story by Steven Spielberg. It’s an Indiana Jones-style romp that sees its pint-sized heroes (including future Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin) tussling with pirates while on the trail of lost treasure. The first of six Ashton Court screenings put on by Bristol Sunset Cinema, which is the brainchild of the folks behind the Bristol Bad Film Club, the Sept 2 show of The Goonies sold in a couple of weeks. So they’ve now added a second screening on Oct 16. This replaces the previously announced screening of The Matrix, which proved mysteriously less popular. If you’ve already bought tickets for that, you can swap them for any other screening or get a full refund. Goonies tickets cost £12.50 for adults and £8 for under 12s. Under-fives get in free, the lucky little buggers. You can bag them here. But hurry, because these are bound to sell out quickly. See our feature here for more information about the season.
Screening Sept 2: Ashton Court
Bristol Sunset Cinema: Close Encounters
Sonorously parping space aliens cause Richard Dreyfuss to overact wildly in Steven Spielberg’s oft-recut alien contact flick, which has its faults as well as moments of awe but is at least nowhere near as sickly as the grotesquely over-rated ET. This is the second of six Ashton Court screenings put on by Bristol Sunset Cinema, which is the brainchild of the folks behind the Bristol Bad Film Club. Tickets cost £12.50 for adults and £8 for under 12s. Under-fives get in free.
Screening Sept 4: Ashton Court
On the eve of its release, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds run through their 16th album, Skeleton Tree, in what is described as a “one-night only, worldwide cinema event”. The film is directed in colour and monochrome by Andrew Dominik, of Chopper and Killing Them Softly fame, with Cave’s own narration and, it says here, “improvised ruminations”. Should you feel the urge to experience Mr. Cave comin’ atcha in three dimensions, you may be interested to know that One More Time With Feeling was also shot in 3D. The Showcase Cinema De Lux is screening this version.
Screening Sept 8: Watershed, Showcase Cinema De Lux, Everyman, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan + Q&A
This is the first of two special events marking Star Trek’s 50th anniversary for which Bristol Sunset Cinema has joined forces with local science-fiction/science fact podcast The Cosmic Shed and the Bristol Planetarium. The screening is followed by an audience Q&A and live recording of the Cosmic Shed podcast with special guest Prof. Bruce Drinkwater who will be demonstrating – woah! – a “real life tractor beam.” Go here for tickets and here for our news story about the screenings.
Screening Sept 9: Bristol Planetarium
High Treason + live piano accompaniment
Billed as Britain’s answer to Metropolis, this 1929 sci-fi flick is set in the futuristic world of the 1950s, when the United States of Europe comes into conflict with the Empire of the Atlantic States. It’s all being orchestrated by sinister arms manufacturers, who spark conflict by financing a terrorist group to blow up a rail tunnel under the English Channel. The film was originally released in both silent and sound versions. The Curzon’s screening of a silent print has live piano accompaniment by Andy Quin.
Screening Sept 10: Curzon
Bristol Bad Film Club: Psychomania
George Sanders (y’know – the voice of Shere Khan in Disney’s original animated The Jungle Book) topped himself shortly after playing a creepy butler in this psychedelic, heavily Clockwork Orange-influenced biker zombie flick from 1972, which may or may not tell you something. It’s the enjoyably daft tale of a psychopathic teenager (Nicky Henson) with a pet frog who makes a pact with Beelzebub to become an actual Hell’s Angel. One by one, his bike gang commit suicide so they can return as zombies for further undead ton-up fun. Beryl Reid plays his devil-worshipping mum. The cast also includes Robert Hardy, Bill Pertwee and Dot from EastEnders (June Brown, for it is she).Tenuous local trivia note: director Don Sharp’s late son Jonny Dollar produced Massive Attack’s Blue Lines album and co-wrote Unfinished Sympathy. He also worked with Portishead.
Screening Sept 15: Bierkeller
In ancient Peking, loveless Princess Turandot has had just about enough of chaps. She’s decided that any potential suitor must answer three riddles correctly or be put to death. When smitten Prince Calaf succeeds, our heroine goes into a bit of a decline. So Calaf magnanimously offers a proposal of his own. If she can guess his real name before dawn, he will forfeit his own life. Puccini’s final opera is the only one known to all football fans, though they should perhaps be warned that they’ve got a bum-numbing wait until Act III to hear Nessun Dorma. Handa Opera’s production is a suitably lavish affair in the style of last year’s Aida, set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour with what can only be described as shitloads of fireworks.
Screening Sept 15: Showcase Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green, Orpheus, Cineworld Yate
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week
Beatles nut Ron Howard has spent years beavering away on this definitive, authorised account of the Fab Four’s brief touring years, from the Cavern Club in Liverpool to their final show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in August 1966. The USP is that it’s woven together from rare home movies and ropy old performance footage that’s been digitally enhanced to give a feel for what it was like to be part of Beatlemania.
Screening Sept 15: Vue Cribbs Causeway, Watershed, Curzon, Showcase Cinema De Lux, Everyman, Cineworld Hengrove, Cineworld Yate
Star Trek: First Contact + Q&A
The second of two special events marking Star Trek’s 50th anniversary for which Bristol Sunset Cinema has joined forces with local science-fiction/science fact podcast The Cosmic Shed and the Bristol Planetarium. The screening is followed by an audience Q&A and live recording of the Cosmic Shed podcast with special guest Dr. Erik Stengler, an astrophysicist who specialises in Time Travel at the movies. Go here for tickets and here for our news story about the screenings.
Screening Sept 16: Bristol Planetarium
Danny DeVito’s inspiring kids’ movie is as much a satirical look at the crass philistinism of modern, TV-dominated American family life as it is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story about an extraordinarily gifted girl who escapes from her deeply stupid, lazy parents (DeVito and Rhea Perlman) only to fall into the clutches of monstrous, tyrannical headmistress Pam Ferris. Everyone gets a scratch’n’sniff card for these screenings, allowing you to smell your way through the film.
Screening Sept 17: Curzon
Fix Up Skateboard Competititon
The Fix Up skateboard contest returns to the Cube. Teams of four skaters have three days to film and edit a two minute skate film. Tonight, the results will be premiered and judged on creativity,
narrative and DIY endeavour as well as quality of skateboarding
Screening Sept 18: Cube
National Theatre Live: The Threepenny Opera
When Macheath (Rory Kinnear) – aka Mack the knife – marries Polly Peachum (Rosalie Craig), her father is not best pleased and connives to have him hanged. Meanwhile, the streets are full of (low-)life as the Coronation looms. The whores are looking forward to a busy day, the corrupt cops are coining it, and the beggars controlled by Mr. Peachum have a bonanza in store. This suitably raucous and filthy new production of the Brecht/Weill musical has quite a pedigree. It’s adapted by Simon Stephens, (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and directed by Rufus Norris, (Everyman, London Road). “A snarling, sexy beast of a show,” enthused The Independent.
Screening Sept 22: Showcase Cinema De Lux, Orpheus, Curzon, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green, Cineworld Hengrove, Cineworld Yate
The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon
Sneer all you like, but the Stones can still pack ’em in. What’s more, they have an enviable catalogue and display little inclination to deviate from the hits. Shot at the end of the band’s latest tour in March 2016, this film by veteran rockumentarist Paul Dugdale documents their first performance on Cuban soil, which drew a mere 1.2 million punters.
Screening Sept 23: Showcase Cinema De Lux
Bristol Sunset Cinema: The Lego Movie
This witty animation overcame all our low expectations and justly became the biggest box office hit of 2014. This is the third of six Ashton Court screenings put on by Bristol Sunset Cinema, which is the brainchild of the folks behind the Bristol Bad Film Club. Tickets cost £12.50 for adults and £8 for under 12s. Under-fives get in free.
Screening Sept 23: Ashton Court
Equinox: The Wicker Man + archive film trail
Virginal Christian rozzer Edward Woodward arrives on a remote Scottish island to investigate a mysterious disappearance, only to encounter a pagan cult led by Christopher Lee, whose rites include much naked romping by Britt Ekland (that’s actually a stunt bottom, by the way, as Ms Ekland refused to expose her buns) and Ingrid Pitt. The finest British horror flick and the best advertisement for Paganism ever made. A flop on release, it has deservedly become a cult item. These screenings are the culmination of an archive film trail through the wild gardens of evocatively named Boiling Wells, near Windmill City Farm. Along the way, punters can expect to enjoy encounters with ‘pagan-headed ushers’, wicker-weaving witches and naked frolickers. Go here for more details and to book. Note that because of its spookiness and general naughtiness, Equinox is open to over-15s only. For more details of this Equinox event, see our news story here.
Screening Sept 24 &25: Boiling Wells Amphitheatre
Grammy-winning crooner Michael Buble captured live during his 2015 global To Be Loved enormodome tour. Expect behind-the-scenes footage plus all the hits: Home, Haven’t Met You Yet, Cry Me A River, Feelin’ Good and so on.
Screening Sept 25: Odeon, Showcase Cinema De Lux
Bristol Sunset Cinema: Starship Troopers
The first half of Paul Verhoeven’s SF flick, adapted from Robert Heinlein’s controversial pulp SF classic, lulls you into a false sense of security by resembling an episode of a glossy American TV series peopled by bland, good looking young people with perfect teeth and no discernible personality. But once the ravening giant alien insects begin their limb-slicing, head-ripping, chest-piercing, brain-sucking mayhem in earnest, you’ll see why this deceptively banal build-up is so vital, because the second half of the film functions as a deeply ironic, savagely satirical commentary on the first, mutating into a sly cautionary tale about the dangers of fascistic militarism. Superficially a pastiche of the cliché-ridden ‘B’ picture in which selfless young people heroically lay down their lives for the greater good, Robocop writer Ed Neumeier’s subversive script exposes the pointlessness of relentless carnage, while Verhoeven delivers on the bellicose bug front. This is the fourth of six Ashton Court screenings put on by Bristol Sunset Cinema, which is the brainchild of the folks behind the Bristol Bad Film Club. It’s also their very first adults-only al fresco screening. Tickets cost £12.50. See our feature here for more information.
Screening Sept 25: Ashton Court
Down in Ancient Gaul, Druid High Priestess Norma has got herself into a bit of a pickle. She’s being urged to lead a rebellion against the dastardly occupying Romans, but is in love with the proconsul Pollione and has borne him two sons. Dirty dog Pollione, meanwhile, has got the hots for another Druid Priestess, Adalgisa. Clearly, much anguished wailing is in store. This new modern production of Bellini’s bel canto opera by Alex Olle of the innovative Catalan theatre group La Fura dels Baus launches the Royal Opera’s 2016/2017 season. Alas, it attracted some unfortunate headlines earlier this year when Anna Natrebko withdrew from the title role after such a big deal was made of her casting. Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva will now take her place. The opera is broadcast live on September 26, with encore screenings at some cinemas on October 2.
Screening Sept 26: Showcase Cinema De Lux, Everyman, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green, Orpheus, Odeon
Screening Oct 2: Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green
Royal Shakespeare Company Live: Cymbeline
The ruler of a divided Britain, Cymbeline (Gillian Bevan) had two sons pilfered in infancy, her only surviving heir being Innogen (Bethan Cullinane). But Innogen has secretly married her commoner sweetheart, Posthumus. This makes Cymbeline rather cross so she banishes Posthumus to Rome. Here he’s tricked by the scheming Iachimo into believing that Innogen has been having it off with another fella and sets in motion a dastardly, jealous plot to have her murdered. Believed to be one of Shakespeare’s final plays, Cymbeline is rarely performed today. In Melly Still’s production, Gillian Bevan makes history as the first woman to take the title role at the RSC.
Screening Sept 28: Cineworld Hengrove, Showcase Cinema De Lux, Curzon, Everyman, Vue Longwell Green, Orpheus, Cineworld Hengrove, Cineworld Yate
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
