September Film Highlights
The DCA in Dundee is showing a wide range of classic movies this month, all worth seeing on the big screen, including three films from Ealing Studios. The British production company is famous for its post-WWII comedies, including Whisky Galore! (4 Sep), in which a ship carrying a cargo of whisky is wrecked off a small Scottish island during rationing, and Kind Hearts and Coronets (19 Sep), starring Alec Guinness as all eight members of an aristocratic family. The Lavender Hill Mob, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year, is also showing on 25 September.
In Aberdeen, the Belmont has a special screening of Roll Out, Cowboy on 7 September. The documentary follows Chris “Sandman” Sand, a little known country/hip-hop musician from an even lesser known town in North Dakota, on a tour of small town America during the 2008 presidential elections. Through this portrait of an unusual individual with an unlikely dream, the film provides an insight into the political differences between liberal and conservative America. The screening includes a live Q&A session with the documentary's director/producer, Elizabeth Lawrence.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrates the centenary of film composer Bernard Herrmann, a genius whose music terrified millions, with a weekend of performances. Events include a live score to Hitchcock’s Psycho on 17 September, and, on the following day, Music to be Murdered By (18 Sep), a concert which will include the scores for Vertigo and Taxi Driver, offers a wider overview of Herrmann’s career. Both take place at City Halls, Glasgow.
Grunge fans will be pleased to hear that the DCA is showing Pearl Jam Twenty on 20 September. The documentary by Cameron Crowe, who won the Best Screenplay Oscar for Almost Famous in 2001, is a portrait of the prolific band to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Comprising of previously-unseen footage and new interviews, the film charts the band's beginnings, their rise to stardom and everything that's happened since. Whether you're a die-hard fan, or just interested in learning more, this promises to be an enlightening and entertaining documentary, with the added bonus of truly great music.
Finally, anyone interested in pursuing a career in screen-writing should head to the CCA on 12 September for this month's meeting of Scottish Screenwriters. Formed in 2005, the group aims to encourage and develop writing abilities. Meetings consist of a short talk and Q&A session with an industry guest, followed by workshops. Check out the CCA website for more details.