LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
Rating: MA15+
Duration: 92 mins
Director: Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
Cast: David Dastmalchian, Fayssal Bazzi, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss
Genre: Horror
Opens: April 4
Saw this at a full-house late show at MIFF last year – and it went off. This is one ‘helluva’ ride, the unfolding impending doom is deliciously horrifying and intoxicating.
It’s October 31, 1977. Johnny Carson rival, Jack Delroy, is the host of Night Owls, a once hugely popular syndicated talk show. A year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted, and sponsors are getting nervous. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack pulls out all the stops for his annual Halloween special, booking a psychic, a professional skeptic, a parapsychologist, and a young girl allegedly possessed by the devil… What could possibly go wrong?
MONKEY MAN
Duration: 113 mins
Director: Dev Patel
Cast: Dev Patel, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sharlto Copley, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte
Genre: Action, thriller
Opens: April 4
Dev Patel, who stole our hearts in Slumdog Millionaire has not only grown up, he’s now directing and starring in his own Bollywood John Wick-ish style action revenge movie. The trailer left me so breathless I had to compose myself, and watch it again straight away.
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
BACK TO BLACK
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Cast: Eddie Marsan, Jack O’Connell, Lesley Manville, Marisa Abela
Genre: Biography, drama, music
Opens: April 11
An Amy Winehouse biopic, made with the cooperation of her estate, featuring her beloved music as well as the film being scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, it’s one I’ve been eagerly awaiting.
A celebration of the most iconic, and much missed, star of the 21st century, the extraordinary tale of Amy Winehouse. Painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame, the gritty yet affectionate and moving drama honours Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons. An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent.
FREUD’S LAST SESSION
Rating: M
Duration: 109 mins
Director: Matthew Brown
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Stephen Campbell Moore, Matthew Goode
Genre: Drama
Opens: April 18
I was hooked on this film half way through the trailer. Anthony Hopkins as Freud in a verbal sparing of ideas with Matthew Goode as C. S. Lewis is a couple of hours I can’t wait to spend in the cinema.
Set on the eve of WWII and towards the end of his life, Freud’s Last Session sees Freud invite iconic author C. S. Lewis for a debate over the existence of God. Exploring Freud’s unique relationship with his lesbian daughter Anna and Lewis’ unconventional romance with his best friend’s mother, the film interweaves past, present and fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.
