Film Screening 14th August, 2015

Poster for Entourage

Entourage 

7:30 PM, 14th August, 2015

  • MA
  • 104 mins
  • 2015
  • Doug Ellin
  • Doug Ellin
  • Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven

No expense has been spared for the big-screen version of TV’s “Entourage” with plenty of cameos, mass extras for beach and party scenes, and European cars. You know it’s a Hollywood movie when sporty, gaudy cars have no number plates and a parking spot is always effortless to find.

For those who haven’t seen the TV series which ran from 2004 to 2011, the film starts with a quick introduction to all of the characters by none other than Piers Morgan, Princess Diana’s favourite interviewer.

Basically, the plot follows successful actor Vincent Chase (Grenier) hanging out with his group of friends, Eric (aka E), Turtle, and less successful older half-brother Johnny (aka Drama) – all transplanted from Queens with their camaraderie intact. Chase’s latest venture is to be a first-time film director, but meets opposition from a father-and-son pair of Texan film financiers, played by Billy Bob Thornton and an unrecognisable Haley Joel Osment (the boy from The Sixth Sense, all grown up).

There’s something for every generation here. The baby boomers and generation X will enjoy numerous blink-and-you-miss-it appearances ranging from the dad in “Full House” to Mr. Sulu (George Takei) from the “Star Trek” TV series. Jeremy Piven as the agent-turned-studio-head will throw in fast-paced pop culture one-liners, mentioning everything from The Crying Game to Tonya Harding. Generation Y will be satisfied by lithe, tanned young women, not wearing much.

This is one of the few films for the boys released this year, so come and enjoy a guilty pleasure.

Carol Christopher

Poster for It Follows

It Follows 

9:24 PM, 14th August, 2015

  • MA
  • 100 mins
  • 2014
  • David Robert Mitchell
  • David Robert Mitchell
  • Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary

High school senior Jay (Monroe) has met a great guy, Jeff (Weary). After some weirdness while watching a movie together on their latest date, the two make love together for the first time – in the back seat of Jeff’s car, as would any self-respecting movie teen. Then Jeff ties Jay up and takes her kicking and screaming to a disused factory to see the horrors that await her. As he explains, it is not his fault – something was after him and he could only make that something go after someone else by sleeping with them. That something moves slowly but can take on the appearance of anyone.

Leaving Jay far enough away for ‘it’ not to get her, Jeff speeds off into the night to enjoy what freedom he can before ‘it’ comes after him again when it is done with its new victim. Teaming up with her sister and her male-friend-who-has-always-had-a-crush-on-her the three endeavour to find a way to keep Jay alive and away from the slow-moving menace that is now hunting her.

It Follows is a masterclass of classic horror movie tropes. All the usual window dressing (character and monster back-stories, unusual settings, etc.) has been stripped away and purely the essential elements play out; something evil is coming to get everyone that scores a hump, all the while moving slowly so that in the end it is the fear and poor decisions of the characters that get them killed rather than the ability of the monster itself. The warm, yet ominous soundtrack magnificently apes John Carpenter’s best scores without ripping off any one in particular. The boobs and bums to blood ratio is spot-on. Despite trotting out every classic horror movie trope – in fact, because of the way it does – It Follows manages to be one of the most original and thrilling horror movies in years.

Adam Gould