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

Melbourne Film Diary 23rd Jan - 29th Jan

Welcome to the first edition of the RAOC weekly Melbourne film diary.

THE WEEKLY TOP 5

1. This week represents your last chance to catch ACMI's excellent Star Voyager exhibition.I expected to see more props and so forth from space based films (of which there are still several), but instead found myself enthralled with footage and artifacts from actual space exploration. My highlight is a camera that was attached to one of the Apollo lunar landers, displayed next to a monitor showing moon footage shot with that very camera. A must see.

Star Voyager, ACMI, 23rd-29th Jan, Full $16.50 Concession $14 Child $9 Members $11

2. Thursday is Australia Day, and and discerning cinemas around Melbourne have your ocker movie needs covered. The least whelming of these offerings is the three movie Australia Day Eve marathon at the Village Coburg. For $25 you get to see Underworld: Awakening, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Jack and Jill. Starts 9PM. Also on the day before the big one, Rooftop Cinema is showing Muriel's Wedding. On the day itself ACMI is serving up a smorgasbord of local film. Take your pick from Strictly Ballroom, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding and Mull. Pick of the crop however is The Shadow Electric, with an outdoor screening of Ten Canoes at the Abbotsford Convent.

Australia Day Eve Marathon, Village Coburg, 25th Jan 9:00PM $25
Muriel's Wedding, Rooftop Cinema, 25th Jan 9:30PM Full $20+BF Concession $16+BF
Various Australian Movies, ACMI, 26th Jan various times, Full $15 Concession $12 Member $11
Ten Canoes, The Shadow Electric - Abbotsford Convent, 26th Jan Sundown (circa 8:30) Full $19 Concession $16 Child $14 Pensioner $14

3. Pick of the crop at the marvellous Astor Theatre this week is Wednesday night's double feature. A pair of critically acclaimed recent releases are lined up in the form of Take Shelter, followed by Moneyball. Both films have been attracting strong notices, particularly for their leading men, Michael Shannon and Brad Pitt respectively. As an added bonus, Wednesday is the Astor's cheap night, so you can see both these gems for a mere tenner!

Take Shelter / Moneyball, The Astor, 25th Jan 7:30PM, All tickets $10

4. ACMI is continuing to shine this week with a pair of documentaries covering very different subjects. Firstly Being Elmo looks at the story of Kevin Clash, who created and handles the fuzzy red Sesame Street star. This is the second run for this doc, and has returned due to popular demand. In a very different vein, The Interrupters is the much anticipated new documentary from the creators of 1994's Hoop Dreams. Tickets have been selling fast for The Interrupters, with new sessions having just been announced. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

Being Elmo, ACMI, 25th Jan - 30th Jan, Full $15 Concession $12 Member $11
The Interrupters, 23rd Jan - 5th Feb, Full $15 Concession $12 Member $11

5. The summer heat has arrived making it the perfect time to visit on of Melbourne's fine outdoor or rooftop cinemas. Top option for this week is the Rooftop Cinema showing of We Need To Talk About Kevin. Starring the always great Tilda Swinton, this harrowing film examines the bond (or lack thereof) between a mother and her troubled teenage son. If it all sounds a bit maudlin, just remember the attached bar will be open after the film until 1am to drown your sorrows.

We Need To Talk About Kevin, Rooftop Cinema, 27th Jan 9:30PM Full $20+BF Concession $16+BF

NEW RELEASES

Slim pickings this week, with a wedding based British romcom, a 3D video game inspired action fourquel and a Clint Eastwood picture that has been getting mixed reviews at best. This week is a lull in the usual Jan-Feb glut of Oscar Bait pictures.

A Few Best Men: Hoyts, Village, Palace, Greater Union
Underworld: Awakening : Hoyts, Village
J. Edgar : Village, Palace, Greater Union