Film Screening 2nd April, 2016

Poster for Zoolander No. 2

Zoolander No. 2 

7:00 PM, 2nd April, 2016
No Guests

  • M
  • 102 mins
  • 2016
  • Ben Stiller
  • Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Nicholas Stoller, John Hamburg
  • Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig

It’s been 15 years since Derek Zoolander (Stiller) redefined the art of male modelling, saved the Malaysian Prime Minister, stopped a ninja throwing star with the power of Magnum and established the ‘Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too’.

Now he’s back, assisted (or more likely, obstructed) by his former rival and now firm friend, Hansel (Wilson) – this time to investigate why the world’s most beautiful celebrities are being killed, all with Zoolander’s distinctive look on their faces, and to combat the insanely evil Jacobim Mugatu (Ferrell) all over again. Can they crack the case? How many clothes can they wear? Can they remain really, really, ridiculously good looking?

Celebrity culture and the fashion world have only gotten sillier since 2001’s Zoolander, so a return dip into the parody-pool is very much required. And with the addition of Penélope Cruz as a catsuited Interpol agent and Kristen Wiig as a demented fashonista plus the usual cavalcade of cameos (everyone from Justin Bieber to Benedict Cumberbatch to a random Kardashian or two), you should expect a whole heap of ridiculousness with maybe a small smattering of social comment if you squint the right way.

Simon Tolhurst

Poster for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi 

8:52 PM, 2nd April, 2016

  • MA
  • 144 mins
  • 2016
  • Michael Bay
  • Chuck Hogan
  • John Krasinski, Toby Stephens, Freddie Stroma, Max Martini

This action thriller from director Michael Bay (Transformers, Pearl Harbor) is based on the true story of the events of September 11th, 2012 – the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

On that fateful day, six security contractors find themselves making a desperate stand to defend the American ambassador and his staff from radical militants when they attack the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The militants, who were staging public demonstrations outside the grounds to cover their initial presence, storm the building in a chillingly well-planned attack that the Americans are not prepared at all for.

The movie reveals a lack of detailed security preparation for possible terrorist attacks, and a number of key problems that led to the ambush, including ignored warnings and delayed action due to bureaucratic red tape. The American State Department, in particular, were of the belief that a small embassy security team would be able to defend the embassy if it were ever attacked.

The ensuing 13-hour siege is depicted with each harrowing, passing minute in full-blown Michael Bay style. Bombastic explosions, hyper-violent chaos, slow motion action – it’s all here, plunging the audience straight into the mayhem. If you like action movies, see this!

Matthew Auckett