Filmspot

Monday, April 16, 2012

Filmspot

The Great War Weekend at Eastbourne Redoubt

Posted: 15 Apr 2012 02:58 PM PDT

As regular readers of this blog will be well aware, we have a screening of ‘A Very Long Engagement‘ at Eastbourne Redoubt next week. It’s to complement the museum’s ‘Great War Weekend’.

When deciding on the right film to screen at this event, the Filmspot team came up with a surprisingly diverse list of ideas, so we thought we’d share some of the other titles from our original shortlist with you here.

1. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Directed by Lewis Milestone, All Quiet on the Western Front is rightly seen as one of the greatest anti-war films of all time. It is based on the novel of the same name by ErichMaria Remarque, and stars Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres John wary and Ben Alexander. The film focuses on a group of German friends, who patriotically join the army, only to have their outlooks completely changed by the horrors of life in the trenches.

2. . Porco Rosso (1992)

An unusual WWI-related film this charming film by animation legend Hayao Miazaki ,from the Japanese Studio Ghibli, is about a former WWI pilot who is turned into a pig. The art direction and animation is as stunning as you would expect from the studio responsible for Spirited Away, Spirited Away and Totoro.

3. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

David Lean‘s classic film about T.E. Lawrence, and his exploits in Arabia during WW1, stands the test of time, and remains one of the best-loved films of the 1960s. Peter O’Toole got his major break into feature films portraying the titular role, and this is often cited as his best performance.

4. Wings (1927)

This silent film won the first ever ‘Best Picture’ Oscar. With a renewed interest in silent films, partly fuelled by the success and popularity of ‘The Artist’, it is a great time to revisit some of the classics of the silent era. Wings contains some incredible footage of airborne stunts – especially when seen by a modern audience, used to the smoke and mirrors of CGI effects.

5. Oh, what a lovely war! (1969)

This musical, directed by Richard Attenborough, really is a ‘who’s who’ of British acting talent in the late 60s. The cast includes Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Olivier, Jack Hawkins, members of the Redgrave family, Maggie Smith and Ian Holm, just to name a few! The film somehow manages to portray the horrors of war, between a range of catchy ditties. A very surreal, but strangely moving feature.

So, all that remains is for me to mention once again… We will be kicking off our 2012 season with 'A Very Long Engagement', at Eastbourne Redoubt on 21st April at 8pm. We shall screen the film in original French with English subtitles.

See http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk/Events.htm for full details, and contact Eastbourne Redoubt for tickets on 01323 410300.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Filmspot and Redoubt Fortress – a great start to 2012 season (filmspotter.wordpress.com)
Ont un style-français printemps, Filmspotters! (filmspotter.wordpress.com)
Blu-ray Review: All Quiet on the Western Front (blogcritics.org)
Death Is Not an Adventure: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) (moviemorlocks.com)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Filmspot

Ont un style-français printemps, Filmspotters!

Posted: 09 Apr 2012 03:02 PM PDT

Everyone loves Paris in the Springtime… and the rest of France for that matter! So, while we’ve been thinking about Jean-Pierre Jeunet in advance of our screening of ‘A Very Long Engagement‘ at the Redoubt, Eastbourne (see below for details), we thought we’d have a think about a few films to give your springtime a distinctively Gallic flavour…

1. French Cancan [1954]

Jean Renoir‘s colourful and nostalgic celebration of fin-de-siècle Paris, stars Jean Gabin as the impresario Danglard who decides to launch his new club, the ‘Moulin Rouge’ by reviving the French Cancan. A musical full of memorable characters and joie de vivre, Renoir’s film is a tribute to the Paris painted by his father and the impressionists.

2. Les Demoiselles du Rochefort (Young Girls of Rochefort) [1967]

Another musical, but with a very different feel. Jacques Demy’s follow up to the highly acclaimed ‘Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ is fun, colourful and breezy, and includes some wonderful musical numbers. It stars Catherine Deneuve with her real-life sister, Françoise Dorléac as a pair of twins who work as a ballet teacher and a music teacher, respectively. Set over a weekend in Rochefort, when the fair comes to town, they film follows the girls and their search for romance.

3. Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (The Lovers on the Bridge) [1991]

Leos Carax’s ‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’ is a simple love story between two homeless people who meet on the oldest bridge in Paris, the ‘Pont-Neuf’. Alex (Denis Lavant) is a street performer who is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, and Michele (Juliette Binoche) is a painter who is gradually loosing her sight. Not exactly a ‘feel-good’ romance, it feels very un-Hollywood, and is certainly all the better for it.

4. The Red Balloon [1956]

You can watch this enchanting evocation of childhood in its entirety on YouTube. We would definitely recommend it. Written and directed by Albert Lamorisse, and starring the Director’s son, the beauty of this short film is its simplicity. It depicts a friendship between a young boy and a helium balloon, which has a mind of its own. With almost no dialogue, the charming score is far more effective than any kind of script could be.

5. Micmacs [2009]

Finally, to give a final plug to our filmmaker of choice for April – Jean-Pierre Jeunet – with his most recent feature. Uplifting, but not as saccharine as ‘Amelie’, ‘Micmacs’ has all the classic Jeunet hallmarks – many of his favourite collaborating actors pop up (for example, Dominique Pinon and Yolande Moreau), the eccentric characters and steampunk-eque gadgetry. Although not the quite the ‘satire on the world arms trade’ that the film bills itself as, its charm, wit and warmth make it delightful viewing.

We’re looking forward to presenting another of Jeunet’s films, the soaringly romantic ‘A Very Long Engagement’, at Eastbourne Redoubt on 21st April. See http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk/Events.htm for full details, and contact Eastbourne Redoubt for tickets on 01323 410300.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Filmspot

Filmspot and Redoubt Fortress – a great start to 2012 season

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:43 AM PDT

To kick off our 2012 season, we have two special events coming up at the Eastbourne Redoubt

Saturday 21st April, 8pm

‘A Very Long Engagement‘ (Un Long Dimanche de Fiancialles) [Cert 15] (2004)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s (director of ‘Amelie‘) quirky romantic film tells the story of Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), and her search for her fiance, who is believed by most to have been killed on the Somme. Tickets: £5 (£4 concessions), from the Eastbourne Redoubt: 01323 410 300

Saturday 11th May, drop-in screenings 7-10pm

Lotte Reiniger Fairy Tales [Cert U]
Filmspot will be screening three silhouette-animated fairy tales by pioneering film-maker, Lotte Reiniger as part of Redoubt’s ‘Museum at Night’ event – plus there will be the chance to try your hand at shadow puppetry. Details will follow shortly.

The Eastbourne Redoubt formed part of a chain of fortifications built to deter Napoleon’s forces in the early 1800s. Garrisoned by troops until the early 1900s, and again during WWII, it is now an atmospheric museum housing three military collections.

See www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk <http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk/> for full details.

We hope to see you all there!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Filmspot

Filmspot gets slushy

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 05:07 PM PST

So, here we go, Valentine’s Day – the day for half the population to go all lovey-dovey and the other half to huff about the former half and their lovey-dovey-ness.

Team Filmspot like any excuse to put together lists of films, though, so beware you cynics – here comes some of the Filmspot team’s favourite romantic films. We usually try to limit ourselves to 5 films, but we’ve come to realise that we’re hopeless romantics here in the Filmspot office, so please humour us!

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Bryan Ferry aside, Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love is an utterly spellbinding romantic melodrama. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung play neighbours who both suspect their spouses are having an affair, only to find themselves infatuated with each other. It is gently paced, dreamy and enigmatic. Christopher Doyle’s cinematography gives a beautifully nostalgic atmosphere, which complements its 1960s setting. Cheung exudes Hepburn-eque elegance – which alone is surely reason enough to watch it!

Gregory’s Girl (1981)

America has a great many films about love-lorn teenagers, but none of them can quite come up to John Gordon Sinclair‘s gawkish Gregory. Bill Forsyth’s very funny romantic comedy, set in a Scottish comprehensive school, is refreshing in that the teenagers aren’t angst-ridden or brooding – they all seem to be pretty nice, well adjusted (although somewhat quirky) kids. Gregory has an incredibly appealing, upbeat approach to life – a nice antidote to the current popular view of teenagers!

A Matter of Life & Death (1946)

One of Powell & Pressburger’s many masterpieces, A Matter of Life & Death is not only one of the great romantic films, but one of the most vivid screen fantasies. David Niven and Kim Hunter’s first scene together (above) is utterly heartbreaking. Niven plays Squadron Leader Peter Carter, who should have died when his Lancaster Bomber went down after a mission in 1945, but his ‘guide’ to the ‘other world’ (Marius Goring) cannot find him because of thick fog. Before his ‘guide’ catches up with him, Carter meets and falls in love with June (Hunter), and has to battle with ‘the powers that be’ to remain on earth with her. Unlikely though it sounds, this is a film that manages to reach its own ambitions!

Chico & Rita (2010)

This animated film, directed by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, is a vibrant slice of sunshine, music and romance. Set in the 1940s and 50s, it follows the fate of two promising musicians, Chico, a pianist, and Rita, a singer. The stylish animation and beautiful music make up for the fact that this is a plot line you will have seen before – and by the last scene, there won’t be a dry eye in the house!

Bringing up Baby (1938)

Howard Hawk’s hilarious comedy starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn is pure cinematic genius. If you don’t fall for the nervous, bookish museum paleontologist Dr Huxley (Grant) or the irritating and eccentric heiress Susan Vance (Hepburn), you surely have a heart of stone! It’s difficult to believe that it received poor reviews on its release, but Bringing up Baby has certainly stood the test of time, and is now justly seen as one of the great screwball classics.

Brief Encounter (1945)

Surely any list of romantic films worth its mettle must include David Lean’s masterpiece? Timeless in theme, but very much of its time, Brief Encounter is an essentially British love story. Everything about this film is pitch-perfect: it will leave even the least emotional amongst us struggling with ‘itchy eyes’.

NB – apologies to those of you waiting to hear of our upcoming Filmspot events. We promised you an update in this blog post, but sadly we are still awaiting confirmation of a couple of dates! We can let you know that there are a number of events planned for the coming months – with our first Filmspot of the year planned for April. More news is forthcoming!