The Week in Film 24 - 30 October
This week sees Saw V cut a swathe out of cinema takings in the UK as the latest film in the franchise is unleashed. Having not seen any of the previous films I’m unable to pass comment on this one, though the suspicion is that people die. Horribly.
Ricky Gervais stars in Ghost Town, a story about a man who dies for seven minutes during an operation and finds he can see dead people when he wakes up…with hilarious consequences…
Just started at the Filmhouse is the Africa in Motion 2008 festival. 31 films will be screened between Thursday 23 October and Sunday 2 November with appearances from various filmmakers from the region alongside both mainstream and less well known African films. A staggering 17 films will be shown this coming week alone, with Wednesday’s Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon and Ezra two highlights.
Also watch out on Tuesday for a screening of the classic 1927 German film Metropolis, from director Fritz Lang. Mad scientists, evil robots and a bleak future are all present in this landmark production, new footage from which was recently discovered.
The GFT is getting in the Halloween mood this week by showing the best known Dracula, Christopher Lee in his first outing as the titular vampire. The digitally remastered print is being shown from Friday until Tuesday.
Also screening over the weekend is 1973’s Badlands, a tale of youthful exuberance gone badly wrong. Starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek it’s also showing in a nice new print.
Well worth searching out at the Cameo is Fears of the Dark, a bizarre animated film from France which incorporates horror, dark humour and general oddness in its 93 minutes. This film only seems to be running early afternoon, Saturday to Thursday.
There’s also a one-off screening of Margaret Mellis: A Life in Colour on Thursday evening. Mellis is an artist whose career encompasses some of the major movements of 20th Century British art and the film is followed by a Q&A with the director.
The DCA has a packed programme of films this week, all of which have something to recommend them. With a wide selection of animation features on offer, highlights include feature-length Spanish fairy tale Nocturna and Japanese apocalyptic anime Origin: Spirits of the Past.
Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen
As well as screening the visceral and controversial Gomorra all week, the Belmont has the October/November Future Short short film festival on Wednesday, which always has something unusual to offer. Documentary In Prison My Whole Life gets an airing on Tuesday, a film which tells of former journalist and Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal who has been awaiting execution but claims he is innocent.