YOU, THE LIVING AND A BLONDE IN LOVE

YOU THE LIVING AND A BLONDE IN LOVE

This Sunday its social satire Sunday with two highly acclaimed black comedies. First up is Roy Andersson's YOU, THE LIVING an absurdist view of the world strung together through a series of darkly comic observations, this tragicomedy will have you crying with laughter. Next up is a more subtle approach to satire with Milos Forman's  A BLONDE IN LOVE (LASKY JEDNE PLAVOVLASKY). This bittersweet romance is the backdrop for a social satire which looks at the decline of a country, Forman cleverly manages to get the balance between despair and hope while bathing you in the sprit of the 60's.

NAS TIME IS ILLMATIC AND BREAKDANCE

HIP-HOP SPECIAL

Next up is the first of this year’s music special with just a little bit of a retrospective feel to it. First up ‘NAS’ TIME IS ILLMATIC, the film about an album that brought hip-hop back from the commercial wasteland and gave it back to the people NAS had set a new benchmark for a new generation of hip-hop producers and MC’s collectives. Encapsulating the socio-political outlook of modern America and the angst of a generation of young black men fighting to be heard, TIME IS ILLMATIC gave them a voice and turned NAS into a hip-hop icon over night. But don’t think this film is just about hip-hop; it goes beyond the music to show you the people behind the lyrics. Followed by 80’s guilty pleasure BREAKDANCE (aka Breakin) showcasing the electric slide, the caterpillar, locking and popping and the multifunctional use of Linoleum, a must see for any music fan. With the usual complimentary popcorn and rum.

THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT

THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT

This Sunday is dedicated to one of Poland's greats, Wojciech Jerzy Has. A visionary filmmaker who was more interested in creating a surrealist visual experience as opposed to just making films. His work was an amalgamation of poetic landscapes married with the labyrinth of; or should I say the lack of any cohesive time structure. Too try and explain what THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT would be an almost impossible task, the film is based on text discovered during the Napoleonic war by a pair of opposing soldiers. Has uses Captain Alphonse van Worden as a metaphorical arrow too guide you through this complex story both humorous and horrifying, this film has influenced artist from Jerry Garcia (THE GRATEFUL DEAD), Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Greenaway, Martin Scorsese and Dave LaChapelle too name but a few. The ultimate filmic journey with free vegan food and rum to help you on your journey through the creative labyrinth of Jerzy Has.

POSSESSION AND THE HUNGER

POSSESSION AND THE HUNGER

This week it's a guilty pleasure double bill with Andrzrj Zulawski's 1981 psychological horror classic POSSESSION, with a an hysterical performance from Isabelle Adjani this cult horror classic is a must followed by Tony Scott's THE HUNGER. This was the ultimate 80's vampire tale with David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve stylish attack on the senses.

THIRTEEN AND KIDS

THIRTEEN AND KIDS 

This week we look at adolescence with two films that became underground classics for there honest and brutal portrayal of late childhood, as they move from childhood to adulthood. First up is Catherine Hardwicke's THIRTEEN the ultimate expression of adolescent angst, as we follow thirteen year old Tracy as she goes to shocking lengths too impress and befriend the most popular girl in school Evie. Like the mind of a teenager this film races away at 90 miles an hour you dare not take your eyes off the screen, PRETTY IN PINK it is not followed by Larry Clark's KIDS this powerful tale of twenty-four hours in the life of a group of New York teenagers following their lives within this narrow window, filled with both the beauty and the tragedy  of youth. Two must see gems that put a fresh perspective adolescence. With the usual free popcorn and rum.

I KILLED MY MOTHER AND THE SON

 I KILLED MY MOTHER & THE SON 

This week we look at relationships CULTIVATE style, first up possibly one of the most talented young filmmakers around at the moment Xavier Dolan, With 22 international awards I KILLED MY MOTHER was Dolan's debut film is like a rush of blood to the head, this fiercely compelling whirlwind of a film looks at teenage adolescence in this stunningly visual eruption of teenage volatility. Followed by the Dardenne brothers THE SON a subtle and disquieting portrayal of a man whose life has been devastated by tragedy and his developing yet ambiguous relationship with one of his students, draws the viewers in with the films pared-down visual aesthetic. Two flawless films with the usual free popcorn and rum at JOSHUA BROOKS.

SHADOWS AND FACES- JOHN CSSAVETES DOUBLE BILL

This Sundays double bill is a JOHN CASSAVETES special. First up SHADOWS a film I was originally going to show during black history month but couldn't fit into the program, his directorial debut became one of the most important and influential films of its time and went on to influence a generation of filmmakers working within the realms of neorealism. This story of an African-American family in fifties America where the colour of your skin within your immediate family was changed how you where viewed inside and outside the of the family unit. Not just looking at racial problem but the human condition as a whole. Followed by FACES an exploration into the disintegration of a relationship and a glimpse into the world of the swingers culture, a very middle class pass time. Two must see films with the usual free popcorn and rum.