For up to date local cinema links and day-by-day listings of what’s showing on local screens every week visit the Virtual-Lancaster Cinema Page. Read on for the weekly round-up, and reviews.
This is a week of churn in the local cinemas as we have eight new releases on offer. There are two helping of horror with Crimson Peak (15) and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (15). There is fantasy adventure with The Last Witch Hunter (12A) and family fantasy with Pan (PG). We have the mystery dramas Irrational Man (12A) and Regression (15). Finally there is a transport documentary with Bikes Vs. Cars and a concert with Ed Sheeran’s Jumpers for Goalposts (12A).
In addition to new releases, five films have returned to the screen after an absence. These are Bill; Minions; Paddington; Pixels and Self/less.
Films lost from last week include 45 Years; Miss You Already and The Visit. Also it seems likely that we will soon loose Everest; Legend and The Bad Education Movie.
Coming to our screens later in the month are Animal Kingdom; My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games and James Bond in Spectre.
An event of note during this peroid is the screening of a Back to the Future trilogy at the Reel cinema.
High culture this period is represented by English National Opera and The Barber of Seville, the National Theatre Live with Hamlet and the movie Macbeth.
Reviews
Crimson Peak
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska
The film opens in the 1900s with Edith Cushing (Wasikowska), an
aspiring novelist from a wealthy family, living in New York. She is
wooed by an English aristocrat Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston) and Edith
subsequently marries him. Thomas takes her to his home Allerdale Hall, a
gothic mansion set on Crimson Peak, a mound of red clay. Here Edith
must live with her new husband and his sister Lucille (Chastain).
However Edith starts to uncover secrets within the house. This is a
glorious, stylistic, sumptuous, costume drama sort of of a horror movie,
though the film provides suspense rather than horror. A well made and
very watchable film.
Everest
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Robin Wright, Nasko Mori
A docudrama set in May 1996 when two expeditions tried to make it to
the peak of Mount Everest. However a blizzard resulted in the death of
eight climbers. The main emphasis is on the five climbers who perished
on the South face. This is a dramatic and moving film, best appreciated
in 3D to get the most of the scenery and the dizzying drops. The
mountain itself is the primary focus, with character development taking
second place, though there is much made of the trials of the climbers
and of the emotional distress of loved ones left behind. An
unsentimental movie which makes the viewer feel that he is part of the
expedition.
Minions
Director: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Certificate: U
Cast Includes: Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Jennifer Saunders.
The film is both a spin off and a prequel to the Despicable Me
franchise. The Minions have always existed on earth and the movie begins
by tracing their evolution. They have the purpose of serving the most
despicable of masters though not very successfully. The race finally
retired to the Antarctic where they fare badly. Hence Minions Kevin,
Stuart and Bob decide to seek a new master for their race to work for.
In a villain convention in Orlando they decide to serve the supervillain
Scarlet Overkill (Bullock) who is planning to overthrow the Queen of
England and the film, using skits and Musical numbers, follows this
plot. The Minions were the best part of the Despicable Me franchise and
so it is fitting that they have their own film. The movie is very
entertaining, inoffensive and funny and will delight all ages. However
this reviewer would have liked more minions and fewer supervillains.
Pan
Director: Joe Wright
Certificate: PG
Cast Includes: Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Burke, Garrett Hedlund
A prequel to the story of Peter Pan. Peter (Miller) is abandoned by
his mother and brought up in an orphanage run by Mother Barnabus
(Burke). He is captured by pirates and taken to the magical world of
Neverland where he is forced into slave labour by Bluebeard (Jackman).
Peter and his friend James Hook (Hedlund) manage to escape to the forest
where Peter befriends the fairy Tinker Bell. The fairies fight and
defeat the pirates and Hook becomes captain of the Jolly Roger ship. A
rather bland and somewhat contrived movie.
Pixels
Director: Chris Columbus
Certificate: 12A
Cast Includes: Adam Sandler, Kevin james, josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan
As children Sam Brenner (Sandler), Will Cooper (James), Ludlow
Lamonsoff (Gad) and Eddie Plant (Dinklage) were expert video game
players and they competed in tournaments. They grew and thought they
had put their past behind them. However aliens have discovered classic
archive video games and interpret these as a declaration of war. They
invade earth using strategy and characters derived from the games. Will
Cooper is now president and he gathers together his old pals to combat
the aliens who will claim the earth if they are not defeated. The movie
is a science fiction comedy that will appeal to anyone who enjoyed
playing classic video archive games. However it has so far attracted
indifferent reviews and looks to be a rather forgettable film.
The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
A manned mission to the planet mars is aborted when the crew face a
huge sandstorm. However astronaut and botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is
left behind, presumed dead. Yet he lives and must now find a way to
survive and contact Earth in the hope that a rescue mission can be
mounted. The movie is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Andy
Weir. This is a homage to the ingenuity of man in desperate
circumstances. The movie is visually effective, scientifically
accurate and is well seasoned with humour. An excellent film that has
received glowing reviews.
The Walk
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Certificate: PC
Cast Includes: Joseph Gordon-Leveiit, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley.
This is the tale of Philippe Petits audacious crossing between the
world trade centres on a high-wire. Petit (Gordon-Levitt) developed the
idea for the artistic coup whilst in Paris. Along the way he adopts a
band of misfit co-conspirators which include ‘Papa’ Rudy Omankowsky
(Kingsley) who teaches the skill of walking a high wire. The attempt,
which was strictly illegal, took place on 7th August 1974 and no safety
harness was used. This is an excellent movie, a great story, great
acting and superb camera work which will have you clinging onto the
cinema seat.