January Film Highlights

Both the GFT in Glasgow and the Filmhouse in Edinburgh are screening some of Werner Herzog's collaborations with Klaus Kinski this month. Shooting conditions with the volatile actor are legendary, but you can see the results between 28 Dec and 5 Jan at the Filmhouse and at the GFT later in the month, with both cinemas showing Aguirre, Wrath of God (17 Jan, GFT), Nosferatu the Vampire (24 Jan, GFT) and Fitzcarraldo (31 Jan, GFT). The latter in particular should not be missed, with Herzog dragging a real 340 ton steam ship over a mountain using Stone Age methods.

After the success of BBC's documentary series Frozen Planet, it seems likely that the GFT's Frozen Landscapes season will be popular. Five films are included, starting with one of Charlie Chaplin's finest outings as the iconic Tramp, who attempts to make his fortunes in The Gold Rush (8 & 10 Jan). Also showing are How I Ended the Summer (15 Jan), The Great White Silence (22 Jan), a rare screening of Akira Kurosawa's Oscar-winning Dersu Uzala (29 Jan) and Herzog's unmissable depiction of the Antarctic, Encounters at the End of the World (5 & 7 Feb).

Two classic musicals are being shown at the DCA in Dundee, starting with Vincente Minnelli's An American in Paris on 3 Jan. Featuring choreographer and star Gene Kelly as a GI who stays in Paris after the war has ended, this sumptuous film allows the stunning set pieces and costumes to take the lead, culminating in a twenty minute dance extravaganza. This is followed by West Side Story on 4 Jan. The modern take on Romeo and Juliet won ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Director, at the 1962 Academy Awards, and here's your chance to see why.

Horror novelist and broadcaster Muriel Gray will be talking to Mark Millar at the GFT on 8 January for Geek Film Night. She has chosen Pitch Black for the month's screening, and will be providing her reasons for doing so. The sci-fi film, starring action star Vin Diesel, tracks ten survivors marooned on a barren planet struggling to survive monstrous aliens after the sun goes down.

Finally, for those who missed some of the most talked about films of 2011, head to the Filmhouse, where a selection are being screened again. Included in the line-up are the harrowing film adaptation of We Need to Talk About Kevin (1-3 Jan), the acclaimed Formula 1 documentary Senna (4 & 5 Jan) and A Separation (4 & 5 Jan). Check out the Filmhouse website for more details. [Becky Bartlett]