2006 | ||||
FEBRUARY |
||||
| fri 17 | ||||
| SAT 18 | 14:00 | ........ | ANIMATE! NANOPLEX FILM SCREENING | |
| 20:00 | ........ | PLUG 58 | ||
| SUN 19 | 20:00 | ........ | DIMANCHE à BAMAKO DOCUMENTARY | |
| mon 20 | 19:00 | ........ | 13 (TZAMETI) | |
| 21:00 | ........ | EXILES | ||
| tue 21 | 19:00 | ........ | 13 (TZAMETI) | |
| 21:00 | ........ | EXILES | ||
| wed 22 | 11:00 | ........ | BABY CINEMA: EXILES | |
| 16:30 | ........ | ORCHESTRA CUBE REHEARSAL | ||
| 19:30 | ........ | BLUESCREEN | ||
| thu 23 | 19:00 | ........ | 13 (TZAMETI) | |
| 21:00 | ........ | EXILES | ||
| fri 24 | 20:00 | ........ | FRANçOIS LAUNCH | |
| SAT 25 | 20:00 | ........ | MOVIEOKE | |
| SUN 26 | 20:00 | ........ | BILL HICKS DEATHAVERSARY | |
| mon 27 | 20:00 | ........ | SONS OF HEAVY HEADS JOHNNY CASH | |
| tue 28 | 19:30 | ........ | TLF PRESENTS RIZE | |
MARCH |
||||
| wed 01 | 16:30 | ........ | ORCHESTRA CUBE REHEARSAL | |
| 20:00 | ........ | SUNBURNED OF THE MAN | ||
| thu 02 | 19:00 | ........ | SUNBURNED OF THE MAN | |
| fri 03 | 20:00 | ........ | EUROS CHILDS | |
| SAT 04 | 19:30 | ........ | CHARLIE PARR | |
| SUN 05 | 20:00 | ........ | THE HILLS HAVE EYES | |
| mon 06 | 20:00 | ........ | BRISTOL INDYMEDIA FILM NIGHT CATHY COME HOME | |
| tue 07 | 19:00 | ........ | GRIZZLY MAN | |
| 21:15 | ........ | CALVAIRE | ||
| wed 08 | 16:00 | ........ | ORCHESTRA CUBE REHEARSAL | |
| 19:00 | ........ | GRIZZLY MAN | ||
| 21:15 | ........ | CALVAIRE | ||
| thu 09 | 20:00 | ........ | GRIZZLY MAN | |
| fri 10 | 19:30 | ........ | QUWACK | |
| SAT 11 | 19:30 | ........ | QUWACK | |
| SUN 12 | 19:00 | ........ | Closed for private event. | |
| mon 13 | ||||
| tue 14 | 11:00 | ........ | Closed for private event. | |
| 16:00 | ........ | USERLAND CUBE TALKS | ||
| wed 15 | 11:00 | ........ | Closed for private event. | |
| 16:00 | ........ | USERLAND CUBE TALKS | ||
| 20:00 | ........ | CANDIDA TV | ||
| thu 16 | 20:00 | ........ | KREEPA & TOM BUGS | |
| fri 17 | 20:00 | ........ | SCOT & SAGER: THE CALEDONIAN BLUES ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY | |
| SAT 18 | 15:00 | ........ | GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK | |
| 19:00 | ........ | GLOBAL LIVING FILM FESTIVAL 2006 | ||
| SUN 19 | 13:00 | ........ | INTERNATIONAL TREE CLIMBING DAY | |
| 19:30 | ........ | HOLLYWOOD AND RADICALISM WITH GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK | ||
| mon 20 | 19:00 | ........ | GOODNIGHT AND GOODLUCK | |
| 21:00 | ........ | BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ||
| tue 21 | 19:00 | ........ | GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK | |
| 21:00 | ........ | BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ||
| wed 22 | 11:00 | ........ | BABYCINEMA GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK | |
| 16:00 | ........ | ORCHESTRA CUBE REHEARSAL | ||
| 19:00 | ........ | GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK | ||
| 21:00 | ........ | BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ||
| thu 23 | 19:00 | ........ | GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK | |
| 21:00 | ........ | BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | ||
TTT = Ticket Tout Tuesday
Animate! Nanoplex film screening Saturday 18th/ 2pm/ Free Showcase of animation work made by children during half term workshops.
Image by: internet scavenged
(Sat 18th / 8pm / £5) TRIPLE album launch at Plug 58. North Sea Navigator launch The Blacklist, their "stunning debut album" (Rock Sound) - Victorian blood-stain cleaver drones soundtrack a force of unpindownable menace, with visuals by artist Guy Denning. Little Sparta launch their Scalpel Slice EP (Fire Records) with poet Gerry Mitchell - a pile up at a four way stop between The Replacements, The Dirty Three, Ivor Cutler and Pink Floyd. My Ambulance Is On Fire launches Still Got The Blues, demented folk songs and symphonic guitar works from improviser Anton Caligula Maiof - the relentless groove of krautrock nightmares, indeterminate synth loops, and the MAIOFPHONIC TM workstation combine into a weave of soothing ambient and minimal percussion. With DJs Ylid and Matt Rozeik in the bar.
DIMANCHE à BAMAKO DOCUMENTARY (Marc-Antoine Moreau / 2005 / 52 mins / no cert) (Sun 19th / 8pm / £4/3) To celebrate Amadou & Mariam’s appearance as part of the African Soul Rebels at The Colston Hall (3 March) we bring you a behind-the-scenes film which takes us on a trip to Mali to witness the couple at home and their musical encounter with legendary artist and producer Manu Chao. Filmed during the making of their hit album 'Dimanche à Bamako', the music provides the lifeblood of the film, featuring the hits ‘Sénégal Fast Food’, ‘La Realité’ and ‘Coulibaly' plus an unreleased live song by Manu Chao ‘Kira’. Their album has now sold almost half a million copies worldwide and is still gaining momentum with nominations for a Grammy and the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2006.
13 (TZAMETI) (Babluani / 2005 / France/Georgia (subtitles)/ 96mins / 35mm / cert 15) (Mon 20th-Tues 21st + Thurs 23rd / 7pm / £4/3/2ttt) Sebastian is a fresh faced 20 year old who lives an impoverished life with his immigrant family, working as a roofer. The client dies before the boy can be paid, but not before he overhears a conversation that seems to promise easy money. Throwing caution to the wind, Sebastian follows some cryptic instructions and soon finds himself embroiled in a seedy underworld of drug addled desperation and brutality. First time Georgian director Gela Babluani creates a captivating atmosphere of threatening mystery and powerful pyschological violence. Black and white cinematography and a sparse contempory score help to enhance the building tension throughout the film. With echos of spanish thriller INTACTO this moody tale of luck and fate provides a satisfying yet dark cinematic experience.
Image by:
Tony Gatlif / 2004 / France (subtitles) / 104mins / 35mm / cert 15 (Mon 20th-Thu 23rd / see diary for times / £4/3/2ttt) Enchanting road movie about cultural identity and love in expanding European Union. Naïma and Zano (Lubna Azabal and Romain Duris - seen recently as the lead in French gangster thriller The Beat That My Heart Skipped) are a young couple of Arabic descent who abandon their Paris highrise apartment to seek out Zano's roots in Algeria. As the couple hitchhike through the sumptuous Spanish landscape to North Africa, they encounter many refugees making the reverse journey. The mood steadily shifts from impersonal metropolitan opulence to a more spiritual, heartfelt adventure. Director Gatlif, himself an Algerian Gypsy, taps into the energy of local music and dance, with many breathtaking sequences having a fly-on-the-wall documentary feel. At times intense and emotional, but very colourful and charming throughout. Winner of the Cannes Best Director award. Bristol premiere.
(Babluani / 2005 / France/Georgia (subtitles)/ 96mins / 35mm / cert 15) (Mon 20th-Tues 21st + Thurs 23rd / 7pm / £4/3/2ttt) Sebastian is a fresh faced 20 year old who lives an impoverished life with his immigrant family, working as a roofer. The client dies before the boy can be paid, but not before he overhears a conversation that seems to promise easy money. Throwing caution to the wind, Sebastian follows some cryptic instructions and soon finds himself embroiled in a seedy underworld of drug addled desperation and brutality. First time Georgian director Gela Babluani creates a captivating atmosphere of threatening mystery and powerful pyschological violence. Black and white cinematography and a sparce contempory score help to enhance the building tension throughout the film. With echos of spanish thriller INTACTO this moody tale of luck and fate provides a satisfying yet dark cinematic experience.
EXILES (Tony Gatlif / 2004 / France (subtitles) / 104mins / 35mm / cert 15) (Wed 22nd / 11am / £4/3) Enchanting road movie about cultural identity, love, and the expanding European Union. Naïma and Zano are a young couple of Arab decent who abandon their Paris highrise apartment to seek out Zano's roots in Algeria. As the couple hitchhike through the sumptuous Spanish landscape to North Africa, they encounter many refugees making the reverse journey. The mood steadily shifts from impersonal metropolitan opulence to a more spiritual, heartfelt adventure. Director Gatlif, himself an Algerian Gypsy, taps into the energy of local music and dance, with many breathtaking sequences having a fly-on-the-wall documentary feel. At times intense and emotional, but very colourful and charming throughout. Winner of the Cannes Best Director award. Bristol premiere!
Image by: hopkinson
lar FREE open rehearsal initiated by Jesse from 'The Greatness' in conjunction with Peter Reynolds, leader of Scandinavian Circus Bizarre orchestras. We are an improvisational group based at The Cube. Musicians of all standards and backgrounds are welcome.
(Wed 22nd / 7.30pm / £3/2} Calling all local filmmakers - the cubes regular film nite wants yours films! For the uninitiated - just turn up tonight with your films (20 mins or under) and we will screen them for you! It's your night and your screen, so take advantage! On the musical front, bluescreen Hi-Fi, will be expanding the Bluescreen ethos to the music played in the bar. So send/bring along your self-produced toones to play, as well! Also we are currently compiling an archive of films to be screened in Germany (and elsewhere), later in the year. If interested, contact us for further details. FFI: bluescreen@sparror.cubecinema.com
Image by: internet scavenged
(Fri 24th / 8pm / £5) Tonight sees the launch of Frànçois^Ò third album, The People to Forget. The album sees him developing his rich brand of indie pop into a more mature sound with help from the Atlas Mountains Ensemble, a cast of local musical accomplices including members of Knowledge of Bugs, Rachael Dadd and Crescent. His trademark DIY set-up augmented by striking arrangements of harp, melodica, clarinet and brass is almost orchestral in its musical flair and subtlety. Support comes from Corey O's and Sleeping States and DJ Campbell (Camera Obscura) in the bar.
(Sat 25th / 8pm / £5) Heads-up! movie obsessives, the hot new cine-craze that's uniquely suited to our beautiful auditorium returns. The stage is set for you to perform your favourite scene from a motion picture - karaoke style - with improvised musical accompanyment and a larger than life virtual compere, Max Blackout. Choose from our expanding catalogue of dvds or bring your own! (remember to check for subtitles). ffi tom@microplex.cubecinema.com
Image by:
(Sun 26th / 8pm / £3) Stand-up comic, political philosopher and self confessed goat-boy, Bill Hicks passed away on February 26th 1994 at the age of 33, thanks to pancreatic cancer. His blistering routeens (finely crafted from 15 years spent on the road) spilled out of him like an angry stream-of-consiousness rant. His caustic musings are as relevant post 9/11 as ever. Now in it's 3rd year, the BH Deathaversary celebrates the life and times of one of capitalism's fiercest satirical critics. If you have any stories, artwork or experiences you'd like to share on the night please contact tom@microplex.cubecinema.com. All profits going to cancer research.
Image by: internet scavenged
(Mon 27th / 8pm / £2) Johnny Cash towered above his contemporaries like a twenty foot tall titanium prize fighter with the attitude of a drunken gorilla in the midst of a bar room brawl. Famed for his shows at San Quentin and Folsom Prison, Cash was a prolific producer of musical sketches of life lived to the limit. Sons of Heavy Heads present a tribute to the late and lamented Man In Black in their own inimitable style.
Image by: internet scavenged
(David La Chappelle / USA / 2005 / 86mins / 35mm / certPG) (Tues 28th / 7:30pm / £4/3) "A celebration of the daemon of creative discipline and the burning need for self-expression, community and pride" - New York Times Tonight TLF presents the new visually stunning documentary that explores the roots of CLOWN DANCING which offers LA youths a positive outlet within the ghettos, areas historically dominated by gang-orientated violence. Its more aggressive off-shoot KRUMPING- a highly frenetic cross between break-dancing and moshing- is also profiled. With live and on-screen support from Bristol's own street dance scene. The Light Fantastic is about presenting high-quality live and screen-based dance and performance - introducing audiences to work with integrity, passion and something to say < to you >. These events happen monthly at the Cube, each with its own flavour: the next one is Tuesday 28th March The rough, the polished, the thoughtful, the frivolous, the raw and the cooked. Come early to see everything, stay late to hatch plans. For further information or to get involved in future, email kyra@thelightfantastic.co.uk
Image by: internet scavenged
A regular FREE open rehearsal initiated by Jesse from 'The Greatness' in conjunction with Peter Reynolds, leader of Scandinavian Circus Bizarre orchestras. We are an improvisational group based at The Cube. Musicians of all standards and backgrounds are welcome.
Image by: internet scavenged
support from Hush Arbors (Wed 1st / 8pm / £5) The vast phunked up freak out groove ensemble return to Bristol for their first show in this double vison two day special. Be ready for odoles of fuzz, slow burning funk, street beat, epicness, theatre, horses and effervescing charm from one of the last great beasts of the underground. They are famous for their one-off shows, huge catalogue of CD-Rs, vinyl, artwork and videos – an most enduring opus and entertaining phenomenon. Ow Yah! The medicine show is in town. If can imagine Comets On Fire jamming with Funkadelic, Stephen O' Malley, and Pharcyde all conducted by William Burroughs and recorded by Salvador Dali, you might like tonight. Support from a magically blissful forest folk tunesmith. Processional acoustic trance for those that lush the ‘Paw Tracks’ or ‘Tower Recordings’ and slow saturated songs. Strangely Bristol friendly. http://www.qujunktions.com
Image by: internet scavenged
in a ‘Sunburned Peekaboo’ with the Wicked It, the Ozone Layer and much more... plus Hush Arbors (Thu 2nd / 7pm / £5) A huge night of burlesque from the Sunburned clan – side projects, films, stand up, all sorts. A special Microplex-only event. A spectacle for the uninitiated and a life changing inauguration for the new comers. Maverick entertainment. "A boiling pot of ripping rock out, jive jaxx, American folklore, primal beats and ‘under the counter’ spoken word message." "… when you see Rob Thomas slowly striking a cowbell with—get this—an acoustic guitar neck freed from its body, or the ‘rev’ John Maloney twirling a glow-in-the-dark skull mask on a drumstick and howling in a freakishly heliated voice, or Rich Pontius slowly rolling out mosaics of guitarted élan or Chad Cooper hiding behind a plastic shrub shaking maracas and lush patch-cord spaghetti western twang flowing from the stage’s floor…you know you have it all" This band push the button. http://www.qujunktions.com
Image by: internet scavenged
support from Alun Tanlan (Fri 3rd / 8pm / £6) Having been frontman of fabulous Welsh troupe Gorkys Zygotic Mynci from the tender age of fifteen onwards, debut solo album 'Chops' sees Euros Childs edge away from the playful acid-folk-pop his band so successfully ply, instead stepping firmly into party town. Nevermind the bucolics: here's some chunky synth-core, bilious techno-folk and delirious donkey-themed disco workouts that'll have you converting to Euros quicker than a last-minute holidaymaker at Heathrow. http://www.qujunktions.com
Image by: internet scavenged
support from Adrian Crowley + My Two Toms (Sat 4th / 7.30pm / £6) Few artists today come close to locating the heart of traditional American music like Charlie Parr. Playing both tradition and original folk and Piedmont-style blues on resonator guitar, twelve-string and banjo he invokes the spirits of Mississippi John Hurt, Carl Perkins and John Fahey. His world is a rustic place where heartbreaking delicate banjo tunes rub shoulders with gritty, bluesy stomp-a-longs. Lyrically the songs deal with the usual litany of human miseries and occasional joys: aging, death, loneliness, god, regret and even love. Support from Irish singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley and the ever-green My Two Toms. Plus Stitch-Stitch DJs in the bar. http://www.qujunktions.com
Wes Craven / 1977 / USA / digital / 89mins / cert18 (Sun 5th / 8pm / free) Long before he revolutionised the genre with classics such as A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and SCREAM, Wes Craven was cutting his teeth as the master of horror with this post-Texas Chainsaw Massacre style satire of the love generation's descent into Manson family style terror. Skilfully blurring the line between comedy and horror throughout - and frankly, the physical sensation of the two is often too close for comfort - this film marked Craven as a filmmaker with his finger on the pulse, and bastion of a new generation of horror filmmakers that included John Carpenter, Joe Dante and Tobe Hooper. With the imminent release of the remake, Cube offers you a free screening of the 1977 shlock horror original. Special thanks to Anchor Bay for their assistance with this show.
(Herzog / USA / 2005 / 103mins / 35mm / cert15) (Tues 7th-Thurs 9th / 7pm / 4/3/2ttt) In early October 2003- just four days after Roy Horn (of Siefried & Roy) was viciously mauled by his 'favorite tiger' in Nevada- Timothy Treadwell, a wildlife preservationist, was attacked and killed (along with his girlfriend Amy Huguenard) by an Alaskan grizzly bear he had studied and sought to protect. This new documentary from the infamous Werner Herzog is constructed from a wealth of video and audio footage. As material is uncovered, and we hear from Treadwell's associates, his image shifts from Dr. Doolittle to a seriously deluded individual- a product of his own self-invention and vanity. Through his trademark masterful editing and curious narrative style, Herzog constructs an arresting enquiry into mans place within the natural world that critics are hailing as a return to form.
Image by: ectr
(Du Welz / Belgium/France/Luxembourg / 2004 / 35mm(subtitled) / cert18) (Tues 7th-Wed 8th / 9:15pm / £4/3/2ttt) This jet-black feature sees cabaret singer Marc stranded in the bleak backwoods of Belgium and abducted by psychotic hotel owner Bartel. The story weaves familiar 1970's 'survival' schlock-horror staples (hillbilly insanity, brutality/buggery, and plenty of crucifixes) into a demented, surrealist fairy tale although gratuitous close-ups of the violence are avoided. Things get steadily worse as our hero is faced with a barnfull of golem-faced, sexually deviant villagers and soon is fighting for his life and sanity. Dervish camerawork courtesy of director of photography Benoît Debie (from Gaspar Noé’s controversial IRREVERSIBLE) and a performance-art approach to ensemble acting (eerily reminiscent of Herzog’s HEART OF GLASS) all contribute to a grubby, atmospheric piece of Euro-terror. As the outspoken Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz says, “Fuck Hollywood, you know.”
Image by: internet scavenged
A regular FREE open rehearsal initiated by Jesse from 'The Greatness' in conjunction with Peter Reynolds, leader of Scandinavian Circus Bizarre orchestras. We are an improvisational group based at The Cube. Musicians of all standards and backgrounds are welcome.
(Fri 10th / 7.33pm / £4) Two nights of live music from Bristol’s una-control freaks and unhinged solo artists. A mini-gala, a boot sale, an-off-the-peg display of Bristol musicians who seem to avoid gentle-categorisation, work solo and play weird. QuWack celebrates a role-call of extraordinary musicians from an unheard of Bristol micro-climate. Incestuous, record company chicken feed, competitive beats, trip-hoppy, ska-dubby, festival punk and meek acoustica are all words tossed aside by this handsome lot. This QuWack is M = male. The next will be F = female. Seven and a half men per night, crammed in for yr nerve-end entertainment. Jam hot tubby.
USERLAND presents Agnese Trocchi from Candida TV, a core group of 7 people in Rome who fuse the experiences of self-managed squatted community centers with technical knowledge in the field of video production. Candida was born from the melting of different realities: underground cinema, video production, rave parties, street theater, independent radio, subversive telemathic and counterculture pop-magazines. Tonight Agnese will introduce the New Global Vision Project, an online video archive for sharing video related to the global movement against corporate capitalism. http://candida.thing.net; http://www.ngvision.org; http://openmute.org.
Image by: internet scavenged
(Thu 16th / 8pm / £5) An evening of dangerous experiments and electronic perversions as Bristol's Tom Bugs and Leicester's kREEPA present a special collaboration in a darkened auditorium. kREEPA marry the varial electronic networks of John Richards' kreepback instrument to the extended playings of Hilary Jeffery and his Tromboscillator. Together, they produce audio scenes for late night listening, with lonely instruments in alien landscapes, diseased difference tones, off-kilter improvisations, clinical beats and cryptic sound collisions. Tom Bugs takes a step away from his recent songwards movements and brings forth new circuitry developments to add to his formidable arsenal of hand-crafted oscillators, modular synths, circuit-bent toys and bespoke instruments.
Image by: internet scavenged
...or 'A Pot-Bellied History of Jock Scot - Poet Laureate Of The Binge Drinkers.' (Fri 17th / 8pm / £5/£2 discount when wearing a kilt!) To celebrate the launch of Jock Scot's and Gareth Sager's 'Caledonian Blues' album the Cube will be filled with the sound of Bagpipes (courtesy of Geoff Barrow on the decks playing a selection of classic bagpipe LP's). On stage Scot and Sager will play tracks from the album...and haggis and scrumpy will be given away to early arrivals. Plus the first ever showing of the Jock Scot documentary 'Burns Never Did This'
George Clooney / 2005 / USA / 35mm / 93 mins / cert PG (Sat 18th-Thu 23rd / various times / £4/3/2ttt) Clooney's multi Oscar nominated jewel is less a nostalgic tribute to the golden age of American broadcasting (an era in no small part spearheaded by his own father, the veteran newsman Nick Clooney) than a timely political statement about the control of free speech in the media by large corporations and their political interests. Following the true life events of broadcaster Edward R Murrow's onscreen attempts to hold legendary commie-basher Senator Joseph McCarthy accountable for his political action, the film simultaneously demonstrates the importance and power of the media in political debate from the mid-20th century onwards, as well as shown the bravery and commitment shown by the newsmen of the era. It also begs the question: where are you now, Edward Murrow?
Global Living Film Festival (Sat 18th / 7pm / free entry) The Global Living Film Festival 2006 is hosted by the Global Occupational Therapy Society (GOTS), UWE. The films shown will deal with current global issues effecting people worldwide on local and global scales. It aims to celebrate film while using it as a platform for debate and as an opportunity for people to find out about occupational therapy. Guest occupational therapists will also be speaking about their experiences of working abroad. Film include: "Drowned Out" (Spanner Films), "The Only Clown In The Village" (Paul O' Connor), "Nyumbani" (Peter Linneman), "Stacked" (Martin Orton & Greg Villalobos), and "Room Service For Bombed Out Buildings" (Dionis Escorsa)
Image by: kayle brandon
Sunday 19th March / 1pm onwards Liberate the Horizontal. Integrate the vertical SUPER_SURFACE Integrate the vertical SUPER_SURFACE Integrate the vertical SUPER_SURFACE Integrate the vertical SUPER_SURFACE Located at (General areas): - Ashton Court Park, Bristol, United Kingdom. - Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage, United Kingdom. - Parque Nacional Conguillio, Chile. - Diagonal, Mar Park - Skyscraper area, BCN, Spain. - Ipswich (all along the A12), United Kingdom. - Belfast, Northern Ireland. - Vondel Park, Amsterdam, Netherlands. - Rotterdam Nieuwe Maas, Netherlands. - The London Forest, west essex/ east london (the fragmented surfdom). - 10AM in Graveyards, Ramshorn Church, Glasgow. - Anywhere that you are - Redwood Forest Canada - Hampstead Heath, London, United Kingdom Become routed in ascents, transitions, swings and jumps. Bring refreshments. Lets hope it doesn't rain.
(Sun 19th / 7:30pm / £4/3 including film)
Ben Dickenson, writer, broadcaster and author of "Hollywood's New Radicalism"
will introduce tonight's screening of the multi-award winning Good Night and Good
Luck.
This is a chance to hear the inside story of the film, and discover the changing
mood in Hollywood that led Ebay founder Jeff Skoll to set up Participant
Productions - the first production company with an explicit mission to "change
the world". This will be an exciting opportunity to discuss everything, from
McCarthyism to George Clooney's involvement the dramatic recent politicisation
of Hollywood.
George Clooney / 2005 / USA / 35mm / 93 mins / cert PG (Sat 18th-Thu 23rd / various times / £4/3/2ttt) Clooney's multi Oscar nominated jewel is less a nostalgic tribute to the golden age of American broadcasting (an era in no small part spearheaded by his own father, the veteran newsman Nick Clooney) than a timely political statement about the control of free speech in the media by large corporations and their political interests. Following the true life events of broadcaster Edward R Murrow's onscreen attempts to hold legendary commie-basger Senator Joseph McCarthy accountable for his political action, the film simultaneously demonstrates the importance and power of the media in political debate from the mid-20th century onwards, as well as shown the bravery and commitment shown by the newsmen of the era. It also begs the question: where are you now, Edward Murrow?
Ang Lee / 2005 / USA / 35 mm / 134 mins / cert 15)
(Mon 20th-Thu 23rd / 9pm / £4/3/2ttt)
In recent years, the mainstream motion picture industry in America has fallen
into the habit of making high-concept issue movies that, whilst attempting to
empathise with a minority group, often objectify them to the point of
patronisation. It is the avoidance of this that makes Brokeback Mountain such a
refreshing change. Despite director Ang Lee's tendency to allow picturesque
landscape to dominate the frame, the background is never allowed to fully
substitute for the human drama at the centre of this tender love story of
lonesome cowboys. Due in no small part to the faithful adaptation of E. Annie
Proulx's briliant short story, and to the terrifically understated performances
by Jake Gylenhaal and Heath Ledger, he slow power of the tale never bubbles
over into melodrama or camp cliche. As such, it will be well deserving of the
little golden men it will no doubt attract on Oscar night.
Image by: internet scavenged
A regular FREE open rehearsal initiated by Jesse from 'The Greatness' in conjunction with Peter Reynolds, leader of Scandinavian Circus Bizarre orchestras. We are an improvisational group based at The Cube. Musicians of all standards and backgrounds are welcome.