Film / News
Prepare for a hoofing New Year
Now that Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is positioned as the Golden Globes frontrunner with seven nominations, and more no doubt to come in other awards ceremonies, Bristol’s independent cinemas are planning to celebrate by working themselves into a hoofing frenzy throughout January.
The Watershed offers more Vincente Minnelli and leggy Cyd Charisse than you can shake a dancing cane at during its month-long Sunday brunch classic MGM musical season. Charisse stars opposite Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (Jan 1) and Silk Stockings (Jan 8) – a musical remake of Ninotchka with a Cole Porter score, no less. Then she’s cast opposite Gene Kelly in the much-derided fantasy Brigadoon (Jan 15), which is set in a caricatured Scotland but shot entirely on Hollywood sound stages because the weather oop north proved so bloody awful.
Next up is Show Boat (Jan 22). This being an MGM season, they’re not showing the 1936 version with Paul Robeson crooning Ol’ Man River, which some claim is the definitive Show Boat. Instead, we’re getting the lavish 1951 film with a dubbed Ava Gardner. This proved such a box office hit that it paved the way for the likes of Singin’ in the Rain. You can join Mr. Kelly in the precipitation on Jan 29.
Over at the Cube, they’re also showing Singin’ in the Rain (Jan 8), but broaden the field beyond MGM to take in West Side Story (Jan 22) and Jacques Demy’s Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (Jan 19), which was one of the key influences on La La Land. Oh, and if you fancy doing some hoofing of your own, they’ve got a special screening of Silk Stockings (Feb 5) with a performance by local swing jazzers The Big R Big Band.
La La Land opens at cinemas everywhere on Friday, January 13.
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