News Archive

June 2013

COMPETITION: Win tickets to IN THE HOUSE

26th June, 2013

A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusion soon unleashes a series of uncontrollable events.

IN THE HOUSE is the latest film from acclaimed French director François Ozon (8 FEMMES, SWIMMING POOL) and is in cinemas from June 27. For more details about the film, including a look at its trailer, click HERE.

Thanks to Transmission Films, we have ten in-season double passes to give away.

To be in the running to win, send an email to info@anufg.org.au with 'IN THE HOUSE' in the subject line along with your name, mailing address, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card) and the answer to the following question: ‘Kristin Scott Thomas is one of the stars of IN THE HOUSE. Name the only film (so far) for which she received an Oscar nomination.’

Competition closes Wednesday July 3 at 5 PM, with winners to be contacted via email and prizes to be sent directly to their nominated address.

COMPETITION: Win tickets to REALITY

26th June, 2013

Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, REALITY takes audiences on an emotionally charged journey through Italy's obsession with TV and celebrity culture. The film follows a charming fishmonger (Aniello Arena) who unexpectedly and suddenly develops an obsession with being a contestant on a reality show, which leads him down a rabbit hole of skewed perceptions and paranoia.

For more details about the film, including a look at its trailer, click HERE.

REALITY is the latest film from Matteo Garrone, the acclaimed director of GOMORRAH, and is in cinemas from July 4. Thanks to Curious Distribution, we have ten in-season double passes to give away.

To be in the running to win, send an email to info@anufg.org.au with 'REALITY' in the subject line along with your name, mailing address, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card) and the answer to the following question: ‘True or False: REALITY is the first film for Aniello Arena, who used to be a real-life Italian gangster, convicted of killing three rival mobsters and currently serving a life sentence in prison.’

Competition closes Wednesday July 3 at 5 PM, with winners to be contacted via email and prizes to be sent directly to their nominated address.

Last Minute Screening Change + Spanish Film Festival

19th June, 2013

Due to an issue with print availability that was only just brought to our attention, we have had to make a last minute cancellation of this Saturday's second feature, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.

THE BIG WEDDING, the night’s originally scheduled first feature, will still be screening as planned at 7 PM. As we were unable to secure a replacement film in such a short timeframe, THE BIG WEDDING will be the only film of the night.

We deeply apologise for making another unexpected screening change (it's the last one, we promise!) and will ensure that THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES screens as part of our Semester Two programme.

• Sat 22 June @ **7 PM**: THE BIG WEDDING

Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl, Robin Williams and more make up the star-studded cast for THE BIG WEDDING, a romantic comedy that sees a long-divorced couple (De Niro and Keaton) fake being married when their family unites for a wedding.

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WIN BUY-ONE-GET-ONE-FREE PASSES TO THE SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL!
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The 16th Spanish Film Festival kicks off this week at Palace Electric with an exceptional programme of 22 films, celebrating the best of contemporary Spanish-language cinema.

Thanks to our friends at Palace Electric, we’ve got twenty buy-one-get-one-free passes to give away. Each pass is valid for one session only, apart from Opening or Closing Nights, or those marked as Special Events. They are not valid after 5 PM on Saturdays.

To win one of the passes, simply check out the full programme at THIS LINKand then email us at info@anufg.org.au to let us know which film you’re most excited to see. Be sure to include your name and membership number as well!

Winners will be picked on a first come, first served basis, so be quick! Competition closes on June 25, with prizes to be collected from the Palace Electric box office.

Additional Programme Change: RUST AND BONE on June 29

11th June, 2013

It’s a rom-zom-com and Bill Murray as FDR in this weekend’s double feature. Plus, another one bites the dust as we announce an additional Semester One programme change. Read on for more!

• Sat 15 June @ **7 PM**: WARM BODIES followed by HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

WARM BODIES tells the story of an introspective zombie by the name of R (Nicholas Hoult) in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead. When R unexpectedly saves the life of a human girl (Teresa Palmer) from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that could change the entire lifeless world.

Then, in HYDE PARK ON HUDSON, it’s 1939 and US President Franklin Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife are about to play host to the King and Queen of England. But international affairs quickly take a back seat to FDR’s domestic affairs -- including a relationship with his far-removed cousin (Laura Linney) -- making the weekend an unforgettable one.

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ADDITIONAL PROGRAMME CHANGE: ‘RUST AND BONE’ ON JUNE 29
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Due to limited print availability, we regret to inform you that we are no longer able to screen RUST AND BONE as originally scheduled on Saturday 29 June. In its place, we will instead be screening the award-winning film WHERE DO WE GO NOW?, the second feature from acclaimed Lebanese director Nadine Labaki (CARAMEL).

The film tells the story of a remote, isolated Lebanese village in which both Muslims and Christians have lived peacefully together for years, although always on the brink of animosity. When civil strife begins engulfing the country and religious tensions rise, the women of the village conspire to keep their men in the dark through a series of clever schemes in an attempt to avoid escalating the already-delicate situation.

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? will screen at approximately 9 PM, following our screening of the musical drama PERFORMANCE (a.k.a. A LATE QUARTET) at 7 PM. We apologise for any and all inconvenience caused, and will strive to re-screen RUST AND BONE at a later date as part of our upcoming Semester Two programme.

Win tickets to A CLOCKWORK ORANGE at Palace Electric

4th June, 2013

We kick of the month of June with one of our most eclectic double features, featuring the last of this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominees, as well as a violent take on the Hansel and Gretel tale. Plus, tickets to be won!

• Sat 8 June @ **7 PM**: AMOUR followed by HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

In AMOUR, the lives of Anne and Georges, an elderly couple, are changed forever when Anne suffers a stroke, which paralyses half of her body. Directed by Michael Haneke, and winner of Best Foreign Language Film at the 2013 Oscars as well as the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Then, in HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, the siblings from the fairy tale have grown into bounty hunters (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) who hunt and kill witches all over the world. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, they encounter a new form of evil that might hold a secret to their past.

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WIN TICKETS TO ‘A CLOCKWORK ORANGE’ AT PALACE ELECTRIC!
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Palace Electric’s Vintage Electric season of classic films continues into June with films like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, PSYCHO, SUNSET BOULEVARD and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS each Sunday this month. To celebrate, we’ve got two double passes to give away to this week’s offering of the ultra-violent, critically-acclaimed A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, screening this Sunday (June 9) at 3 PM.

Set in futuristic Britain, the film follows Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a charismatic, sociopathic delinquent, who embarks on a horrific crime spree with his gang of thugs. Before long, he is jailed but volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy programme that changes his life forever.

For your chance to win, simply email us at info@anufg.org.au with your name, membership number, and answer to the following question: ‘Who wrote the novel upon which A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is based?’

Entries close at 12 PM this Friday, so get in quick!

May 2013

Annual Memberships now $15 off + What's On

29th May, 2013

The billion-dollar-grossing blockbuster IRON MAN 3 hits the screen at the Film Group in our last full week of screenings. Plus, we’re discounting the price of Annual memberships for the remainder of the semester. Read on for more, but first, here’s what on this week:

• Thu 30 May @ 8 PM: IRON MAN 3

Still reeling from the events of THE AVENGERS, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds his world destroyed by a formidable terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Left to survive only with his intellect intact, he embarks on a quest of retribution.

• Fri 31 May @ 8 PM: SAVE YOUR LEGS! followed by THE ANGELS' SHARE

Check out the opening and closing night films of last year's Canberra International Film Festival, kicking off with SAVE YOUR LEGS!, an Australian comedy about three friends who follow a childhood dream by taking their local cricket team to India.

Then, in director Ken Loach's THE ANGELS' SHARE, four down-on-their-luck friends hatch a crazy plan to solve their financial problems by stealing the most valuable keg of whisky in Scotland.

• Sat 1 June @ **7 PM**: THE HOST followed by I MARRIED A WITCH

In THE HOST, when an unseen enemy begins taking over bodies and erasing memories, a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) attempts to find the last pocket of human resistance in order to save mankind.

Then, in I MARRIED A WITCH, a beautiful 17th century witch returns to life to romantically plague a politician who happens to be the descendant of the man who persecuted her.

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2013 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS NOW $15 OFF
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Starting from this Thursday’s screening of IRON MAN 3, all Annual Memberships for 2013 will be reduced to $55.

There are still plenty of big films coming up this semester -- including AMOUR, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD and THE CROODS -- as well as the entirety of our upcoming Semester Two programme to look forward to.

At only $15 more than a Semester Two membership, there simply isn’t a better deal in town when it comes to seeing great films at a fraction of the cost. So what are you waiting for? Come along to any screening or head onto our website to join now!

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REMINDER: FILM SUGGESTIONS + CALL FOR REVIEWERS CLOSES ON SATURDAY
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Don’t forget to submit your film suggestions for next semester’s programme by this Saturday. Suggestions close at 11:59 PM, so if you haven’t already told us what you’d like to see on the big screen during Semester Two, be sure to do so by clicking HERE!

Finally, if you’re interested in writing reviews for our Semester Two publications, please let us know by contacting us at info@anufg.org.au by Saturday too.

Review Writers Wanted + What's On This Week

22nd May, 2013

Preparations are well underway for our upcoming programme, and we’re now seeking review writers for our Semester Two 2013 booklet. Read on to find out how to volunteer, but first, here’s what we’re showing this week:

• Wed 22 May @ 8 PM: LAWLESS

In Depression-era Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits. Featuring an all-star cast including Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska.

• Fri 24 May @ 8 PM: I GIVE IT A YEAR followed by TWO LITTLE BOYS

I GIVE IT A YEAR follows a newlywed couple (Rose Byrne and Rafe Spall) in their first year of marriage, amidst trials, tribulations, attractive alternatives, and everyone around them doubting that their relationship can last.

Then, in TWO LITTLE BOYS, two friends (Hamish Blake and Flight of the Conchord's Bret McKenzie) find their friendship put to the test when an unfortunate incident occurs involving a meat pie, a cat and the death of a Scandinavian soccer star.

• Sat 25 May @ **7 PM**: OBLIVION followed by IDENTITY THIEF

Tom Cruise stars as a lone repairman on Earth in a post-apocalyptic future where the planet's surface has long been devastated by war. But when he discovers a crashed spacecraft, he begins to question everything he believed about the war.

Then, in IDENTITY THIEF, a mild-mannered businessman (Jason Bateman) discovers that his identity has been stolen and embarks on a cross-country quest to bring the deceptively harmless-looking thief (Melissa McCarthy) to justice.

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WANTED: REVIEW WRITERS FOR SEMESTER TWO 2013
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It’s that time of the year again -- we're currently looking for volunteers interested in helping write reviews for our Semester Two 2013 booklet!

These reviews will be published in our 64-page booklet that all members receive at the beginning of each semester, as well as on our website. Reviews will need to be approximately 200-250 words in length and completed over a period of 7-10 days in mid-June, so please only volunteer if you think you’ll have time around then to write your reviews.

Successful volunteers will be sent a list of films from which they can nominate the ones they’d like to write reviews for, and you’re welcome to write just one review or as many as you’d like.

Please also note that:
1. The ANU Film Group does not provide reviewers with tickets to, or a copy of, films that they have been assigned to review.
2. Unsolicited reviews will not be accepted.

So if you love movies or writing -- or both -- be sure to respond to this message, or write to us at info@anufg.org.au by SATURDAY 1 JUNE.

P.S. Film suggestions also close on Saturday 1 June, so don’t forget to suggest films that you’d like to see on our upcoming programme by clicking HERE.

Win tickets to CHINATOWN at Palace Electric + What's On This Week

14th May, 2013

We've got tickets to give away this week to the classic CHINATOWN, screening this Sunday as part of Palace Electric's Vintage Electric programme of timeless films. But first, here's what on at the Film Group this week:

• Tue 14 May @ 8 PM: YOUR SISTER'S SISTER

Iris (Emily Blunt) invites a friend to stay at her family's remote getaway after the death of his brother. Once there, he unexpectedly runs into Iris' troubled sister, which kicks off a revealing stretch of days in this critically acclaimed indie comedy.

• Fri 17 May @ 8 PM: BROKEN CITY followed by CRY OF THE CITY

In BROKEN CITY, a former New York City cop (Mark Wahlberg) seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by the city's most powerful figure: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe).

Then, in the classic film noir CRY OF THE CITY, a New York City lieutenant walks a fine line between duty and sentiment when he is tasked with handling the case of a cop killer who also happens to be a childhood friend.

• Sat 18 May @ **7 PM**: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN followed by ARBITRAGE

In OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, a disgraced former Presidential guard (Gerard Butler) finds himself trapped inside the White House following a terrorist attack. Using his inside knowledge, he must rescue the President (Aaron Eckhart) from his kidnappers. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY).

Then, in ARBITRAGE, Richard Gere plays a troubled financial businessman who is desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire. But his life takes a turn for the worse when he makes a fatal mistake that threatens to derail everything he has achieved.

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WIN TICKETS TO ‘CHINATOWN’ AS PART OF PALACE ELECTRIC’S VINTAGE ELECTRIC PROGRAMME
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The Palace Electric cinema in NewActon are putting on a number of classic films every Sunday at 3 PM until September 29 as part of their eclectic new Vintage Electric programme.

With films from a whole range of genres -- including THE BIRDS, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and ROMAN HOLIDAY -- this is a chance to relive some old favourites on the big screen. Tickets are $8 for Palace Movie Club members and $10 for everyone else.

For more information, and to view the full programme, visit their website by clicking HERE.

Roman Polanski’s classic 1974 crime drama CHINATOWN is their offering for the week, and we’ve got two double passes to give away to the screening on Sunday 19 May at 3 PM. Starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, the film follows a private detective (Nicholson) investigating a run-of-the-mill adultery case, who stumbles onto a complex web of murder, incest and corruption.

For your chance to win, simply email us at info@anufg.org.au with your name, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card), contact number and your answer to the following question: ‘What did CHINATOWN win its only Academy Award for?’

Be sure to get in quick – this competition will close at 12 noon this Friday!

Suggest Films for Semester Two + What's On

8th May, 2013

Don't forget that this Saturday's originally scheduled second feature has been replaced with the Australian musical-comedy GODDESS, which will screen at approximately 9:15 PM following BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

Here's what's on the big screen at the ANUFG this week:

• Thu 9 May @ 8 PM: THE LAST STAND

He's back! Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the sheriff of a small town on the Mexican border, who must face off against the leader of a drug cartel when he makes a daring escape and speeds towards the border.

• Fri 10 May @ 8 PM: SIDE EFFECTS followed by SHADOW OF A DOUBT

SIDE EFFECTS follows a young woman (Rooney Mara) whose world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist (Jude Law) has unexpected side effects. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, and also starring Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Then, in Alfred Hitchcock's classic SHADOW OF A DOUBT, a young woman longing for excitement begins to suspect that her visiting uncle may not be the man he seems to be. 70th Anniversary screening.

• Sat 11 May @ **7 PM**: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES followed by GODDESS

In BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, a young man's life takes a turn for the mystical when a mysterious new girl arrives in town and uncovers dark secrets about their respective families.

Then, in GODDESS, a lonely housewife installs a webcam in her kitchen to keep in touch with her travelling husband, but finds fame and fortune when she takes the world by storm with her impromptu musical performances.

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SUGGEST FILMS FOR SEMESTER TWO 2013!
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Have you got a film that you’d like to see at the ANU Film Group next semester?

Whether it’s a new film that isn’t out yet, an old favourite that you’ve never seen before on the big screen, or anything in between, be sure to let us know by suggesting the film for our upcoming Semester Two 2013 programme.

You can easily suggest films by completing a suggestion form on our website by clicking HERE

Alternatively, if you’re looking for something to do before a film starts, we’ll also have printed copies of the form available on the table underneath the screen at all screenings from this week onwards.

Suggestions close on SATURDAY 1 JUNE -- in just over three weeks’ time -- so be sure to get in quick to have your say in shaping our next programme!

April 2013

Win tickets to THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES + What's On This Week

29th April, 2013

We’ve got tickets to give away to a new film starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, but first, here’s what’s screening at the Coombs Theatre this week:

• Tue 30 Apr @ 8 PM: THE PAPERBOY

In this steamy 1960s-set thriller, a reporter (Matthew McConaughey) returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate (John Cusack), who he believes has been wrongly accused. Directed by Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS) and also starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron.

• Fri 3 May @ 8 PM: CLOUD ATLAS

An epic exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future. Featuring an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant, among many others, with each of them appearing in multiple roles across interconnected stories.

• Sat 4 May @ **7 PM**: ANNA KARENINA followed by THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS

In 19th century Russia, aristocrat Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) breaks from her cold marriage to her husband (Jude Law) and enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Directed by Joe Wright (PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ATONEMENT) and based on the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy.

Then, the action shifts to 19th century China in THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, starring RZA, Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu. In this homage to classic kung-fu action flicks, warriors, assassins and a lone hero must unite amidst feuding factions to uncover a traitor who threatens to destroy them all.

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WIN TICKETS TO A PREVIEW SCREENING OF ‘THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES’
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Thanks to Dendy Cinemas and Roadshow Films, we have tickets to give away to preview screenings of the powerful new crime drama THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes.

Directed by Derek Cianfrance (BLUE VALENTINE), the film explores the consequences of a motorcycle stunt rider’s (Gosling) fateful decision to commit a crime to support his lover (Mendes) and their newborn child. This puts him on a collision course with an ambitious local cop (Cooper), and the repercussions have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is in cinemas on May 9 and is also screening at the ANU Film Group on June 22, but here’s your chance to see it first.

Dendy will be holding preview screenings of the film this weekend, and we have four double passes to give away that are ONLY valid between FRIDAY 3 MAY and SUNDAY 5 MAY at Dendy Canberra.

For your chance to win, simply be in attendance by 8 PM at this Friday’s screening of CLOUD ATLAS. The passes will be distributed via a lucky draw to randomly selected members in attendance just before the film starts, so if you’d like to be in the running, make sure you’re there on time!