Melbourne Film Diary 01 Feb - 05 Feb

Welcome to another week of the Melbourne film diary, and I'm afraid things are not off to a great start! A couple of days late, and not only that but I have decided to fiddle with the format after a single solitary week. Rather than a top five of the weeks cinema, instead from now on the diary will offer a daily highlight, the must see movie on any given day in this fine city. So, on to the diary!

Wednesday 01 February

Summer continues, and that means outdoor cinema. Tonight's top pick is that evergreen classic, Casablanca. Showing at the rooftop cinema in Swanston St, watch Bogie and Bergman in one of the all time greatest romantic tales.

Casablanca, Rooftop Cinema, 9:30PM, Adult $20 + BF, Concession $16 + BF
http://www.rooftopcinema.com.au/screening/41

Thursday 02 February

It is Oscar season, which means the next month or so will see a steady stream of nominated and should've been nominated films. Today sees the release of a couple of doozies. First up, in the shoulda-been-nominated category, is film festival darling Martha Marcy May Marlene. Starring Elizabeth Olsen in a star making turn, this film deals with the struggle of a girl to pick up the pieces of her life after being ensnared by a cult. Secondly, in the definitely-nominated and current Best Picture front runner, The Artist. This French silent film took Cannes by storm and has since been going gangbusters on the American awards circuit. A must see for amateur Oscar pundits.

Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Artist. Both showing at Hoyts, Village and Palace Theatres.

Friday 03 February

Friday sees a return of the gleefully awful and the deliciously catty world of Cinema Fiasco at the Astor Theatre. To the uninitiated, CF features a tragically poor film, alongside the delightful commentary of hosts Geoff Wallis and Janet A. McLeod. Tonight's offering is the Blaxploitation/Horror mash up, Sugar Hill. The plot features both the Mob AND zombies! Awesome as that sounds, Thankfully it is not the plot you turn up for.

Sugar Hill, The Astor, 8:00PM, Adult $19, Concession $17
http://www.astortheatre.net.au/films/sugar-hill

Saturday 04 February

Back to the Astor for the second day running! Today they are showing the 2010 re release of Fritz Lang's masterpiece, Metropolis. This version is the extended version made with restored lost footage obtained from newly discovered prints in Argentina and New Zealand. Last time the Astor showed this film it was an absolute sell out, so be sure to get in early to grab a ticket. Doors open at 6:30PM.

Metropolis, The Astor, 7:30PM, Adult $15, Concession $14, Child/Pensioner $13
http://www.astortheatre.net.au/films/metropolis

Sunday 05 February

Sunday afternoons mean Sunday sessions, and where better than at The Shadow Electric? Located at the Abbotsford Convent, doors open at 3PM on Sundays with a full bar, comfy deckchairs, food available at the Convent, and table tennis for the athletically minded. This is all followed at sundown with a film. Tonight's showing is Submarine, a quirky British comedy directed by Richard Ayoade better known perhaps for his role as Moss on TV's The IT Crowd. Free entry until 7PM, after which a film ticket is required to stay.

Submarine, The Shadow Electric, Sundown, Adult $19, Concession $16, Child/Pensioner $14
http://shadowelectric.com.au/film/submarine

New Release films

All new releases opening Thursday unless otherwise noted.

The Artist - Hoyts, Village, Palace
Chronicle - Hoyts, Village
Man On A Ledge - Hoyts, Village
Martha Marcy May Marlene - Hoyts, Village, Palace
Bolshoi: The Sleeping Beauty - Village