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PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
VERSION:2.0
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120724T114700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120724T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120724T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/1
DESCRIPTION:Best friends since college\, Jason (Scott) and Julie (Westfel
dt) are sceptical\, witty\, thirty-something urban philosophers who are
the only two in their circle of friends to have avoided marriage and chi
ldren - instead watching on as the social lives and relationships of the
ir friends struggled and deteriorated with the addition of kids to their
marriages.\n\nUpon reflection they decide that they actually do want ch
ildren and establish a loophole to ‘beat the system’ - by having a child
together\, in their platonic relationship\, thereby skipping over the l
urid pitfalls their friends have fallen into. Both agree to share parent
al responsibilities equally whilst simultaneously being free to pursue o
ther relationships.\n\nReminiscent of When Harry Met Sally\, Friends wit
h Kids appears to be the clichéd rom-com but goes beyond the archetypal
and offers an incredibly well-observed and smart piece of comedy about t
he painful truths of parenthood\, getting older\, responsibilities and f
riendship. Written\, produced and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt\, of Ki
ssing Jessica Stein fame\, the astute character development and dialogue
of Friends With Kids are enhanced by an excellent cast of seasoned come
dians - “Parks and Recreation” star Adam Scott\, “The IT Crowd”’s Chris
O’Dowd and “Saturday Night Live” Alumni\, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig.
\n\nWith an honest\, harsh\, sometimes crude\, but ultimately very funny
view of child rearing\, Friends with Kids is an excellent balance of th
e gritty\, down to earth realities of relationships and the schmaltzy ro
m-com.\n\n\n- Elyshia Hopkinson
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120724.html#film-1
SUMMARY:Friends with Kids
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120726T115300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120726T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120726T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nHere we go again - Tim Bur
ton\, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. This time Depp plays Willy W
onka The Mad Hatter Barnabus Collins\, a dolled up\, campy vampire. Same
\, same but different.\n\nBarnabus has been imprisoned in a buried coffi
n for hundreds of years. Once set free he returns to his ancestral home
to discover it looking far from its best and occupied by his descendants
- family matriarch Elizabeth (Pfeiffer) and her daughter Carolyn (Chloë
Grace Moretz)\, along with Elizabeth’s brother Roger (Jonny Lee Miller)
and his troubled son David (Australian Gulliver McGrath). This family i
s so dysfunctional they have a live-in psychiatrist Dr Julia Hoffman (Bo
nham Carter).\n\nThe family has fallen on hard times\, due in most part
to Barnabus’s nemesis\, the witch Angelique Bouchard (Green)\, a jilted
lover who cursed him all those years ago and is still alive and well. No
w it’s time to settle some scores.\n\nDark Shadows is based on a 60s soa
p opera of the same name. Never heard of it? Neither had I. It seems tha
t Burton may have tried too hard to incorporate some storylines from the
TV series as there are a few points in the movie that make you think “w
ell that was a bit random”. The film is still entertaining\, and if you
love Tim Burton then it won’t disappoint. Come and enjoy it for what it
is - a campy comedy.\n\n- Jacinta Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120726.html#film-2
SUMMARY:Dark Shadows
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T121100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3
DESCRIPTION:There’s a moment - well into the story\, believe me - when yo
u finally see how the movie is\, really\, based on the game Battleship.
(Side note: I was surprised to find that game is actually trademarked an
d sold - in primary school we used to play it with pen and paper.) In a
moment of glorious realisation we see how the previous hour and a half w
as really just a long\, contrived way of moving people\, ships and alien
s into position so that we could have five minutes of Battleship vividly
portrayed on the screen. I can’t wait to see how they handle noughts an
d crosses.\n\nThere’s just enough human interaction to prevent this big\
, unbelievably stupid film from being demeaning to watch - it remains th
e intellectual equal of Independence Day\, but it’s much more fun. Alex
(Kitsch) is a loveable young male screw-up type\; the cure for his feckl
essness is\, of course\, to join the navy\, so that his captain (Neeson)
\, who also happens to be the father of the woman he hopes to marry (Bro
oklyn Decker)\, can glare balefully at him until he gets a chance to pro
ve himself. And that chance\, of course\, comes in the form of an alien
invasion. (The aliens turn out to be almost perfectly humanoid\; this ma
kes no sense\, but at least they didn’t look like a rhinoceros with slim
e-coated tentacles\, which is what we usually get in alien invasion movi
es and which doesn’t make sense\, either.)\n\nAlex does prove himself\,
of course\; and I promise you it’s in a more ludicrous fashion than we c
ould have dared hope.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120727.html#film-3
SUMMARY:Battleship
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T143000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T122600Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120727T122600Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/4
DESCRIPTION:This movie is pretty much what you think it’s going to be abo
ut... a five year engagement. Taa daa\, review done! But that doesn’t me
an it’s not entertaining\, quite the opposite\, I’m here to tell you to
make sure this one is definitely marked on your calendar.\n\nSegel and B
lunt play Tom and Violet\, a loving San Francisco-based couple preparing
to get married after a year together. But\, as happens to the best of u
s\, life gets in the way\; including a change of location\, new jobs and
tests to their relationship from friends and family members. While the
film follows a relatively predictable path\, it’s not as obvious as some
other rom-coms. And at just over two hours it certainly seems to take i
ts time getting there... which isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending o
n how your butt feels after sitting that long in the same spot.\n\nWith
Apatow as producer\, this film has all the hallmarks of his best work\,
with its mix of slapstick\, gross humour and sweetness. Plus it has just
that little bit extra in the form of some slightly deeper moments\, and
the chemistry between Segel and Blunt\, which is really convincing. At
the risk of sounding like you’re surfing your way through Amazon.com ...
if you enjoyed Bridesmaids\, you should enjoy this movie.\n\n\n- Tamara
Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120727.html#film-4
SUMMARY:The Five-Year Engagement
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T094000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2671
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nOne of my favourite themes
in Pixar movies is the importance of our choices. Be it Woody and Buzz
deciding to work together\, Remy following his dreams or Carl hitching h
is house to a million balloons and fulfilling his childhood wish\, it co
mes up again and again as a message for young and old: you can change yo
ur fate. This is the tagline to the newest Pixar movie (and the first wi
th a female protagonist)\, Brave.\n\n\nThe daughter of King Fergus and Q
ueen Elinor of an old Scottish clan\, Merida is a skilled archer whose t
alent is ignored just because she's a girl. Determined to prove herself\
, she defies an age-old custom\, inadvertently causing controversy and t
hrowing the realm into chaos. Seeking help from a witch\, Merida acciden
tally curses her kingdom. To save it\, she must go out and discover the
meaning of true bravery.\n\n\nIt's hard to find fault with a Pixar movie
\; they are crafted so carefully and with so much love. This is no excep
tion\, with gorgeous animation (Merida's hair alone is distractingly bea
utiful) and a fun original story that draws on fairy tales and ancient S
cottish lore. \n\n\nIt's the year of the bow and arrow in movies\; Merid
a takes her place alongside skilled shooters such as Katniss (The Hunger
Games)\, Hawkeye (The Avengers) and a certain elf to appear in The Hobb
it - against all of whom she more than holds her own. This is a feisty\,
fantastic character and an awesome girl for girls (and boys) to admire.
\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120728.html#film-2671
SUMMARY:Brave
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T114800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120728T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2670
DESCRIPTION:The Tenenbaum family is one of high-achievers - geniuses in t
heir respective fields who excelled at whatever they put their minds to.
With the exception of their social lives\, as their eccentricities and
obsessions haven't exactly led to a family of happy and fulfilled souls.
When circumstance brings this most dysfunctional of families back toget
her under one roof\, one thing is clear - none of their lives are going
to be the same after this. And for most of them\, that's probably a good
thing.\n\n\nThis is a sly\, sardonic and at times very dark comedy buil
t around a fantastic\, Oscar-nominated script and excellent performances
across the board. The hand of Wes Anderson is clear as the film plays o
ut with the subtlety and skewed perspective of Rushmore or The Life Aqua
tic - those hoping for the more outrageous over-the-top humour that Stil
ler and co may suggest (Zoolander\, Meet The Parents) will certainly be
disappointed. There are more art jokes\, less fart jokes to be had here.
\n\n\nA character study with equal parts tragedy and comedy\, The Royal
Tenenbaums will have you laughing\, crying and (as with any good dark co
medy) at times laughing at situations you probably should be crying abou
t. An excellent\, intelligent film - if you were at Battleship last nigh
t then you owe it to your brain to come along and make amends.\n\n\n- Pe
dr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120728.html#film-2670
SUMMARY:The Royal Tenenbaums
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120801T115000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120801T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120801T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2672
DESCRIPTION:Inspired by the New York Times best-seller of the same name\,
this film explores the challenges of bringing a baby into the world. Th
e film looks at the surprising\, exciting and scary journey of having a
baby through the eyes of five very different but interconnected couples.
As someone who had a little person arrive not that long ago\, the stori
es probably made a bit more sense to me than they would have at a time w
hen the phrase 'eating for two' just sounded like a great excuse for mor
e cake. \n\n\nTo be honest this movie is one of a string of ensemble rom
-com films of recent years\, most of which have been varying levels of a
wful\, but this is actually a little more than you might be expecting. S
ure it's clichéd at times\, but the mix of storylines means that you don
't get too caught up in any one relationship/scenario\, and the cast is
full of friendly faces doing what they do best.\n\n\nAll of the parents
out there - both the person with the colourful language and the target o
f said colourful language - will probably be able to relate to lots of t
hings in this movie\, and you'll have a great time reminiscing in the ca
r on the way home. For everyone else\, this is still a movie that's wort
h seeing for the good cast and the light-hearted popcorn munching entert
ainment.\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120801.html#film-2672
SUMMARY:What to Expect When You're Expecting
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120802T113500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120802T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120802T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2673
DESCRIPTION:In Edwardian times\, a widower named Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe)
is struggling to cope with life as a single parent. He reluctantly leav
es his son with a nanny and heads to a backward village to assess the va
lue of\, and try to sell\, a Gothic mansion on behalf of the law firm fo
r which he works. The isolated house sits upon a peninsula that is only
accessible at low tide\, surrounded by an eerie bog. Not the most pictur
esque of locations\, but Kipps has been warned that any failure will not
be treated lightly by the firm.\n\n\nUpon his arrival he is spurned by
the superstitious locals\, who see his arrival as a bad omen. Kipps is t
aken in by the only local man of wealth\, Sam Daily (Hinds)\, who explai
ns that the reason for his hostile reception is that many locals have ha
d their children die in mysterious circumstances and blame the titular s
pirit that legend claims haunts the mansion Kipps is trying to sell. Gen
eral scariness ensues.\n\n\nThe Woman in Black marks an excellent rebirt
h for Daniel Radcliffe\, post-Harry Potter\, and the legendary Hammer ho
rror studio. It captures the general mood and style of classic Hammer fa
re remarkably\, yet also plays well to modern sensibilities. The film is
genuinely creepy. It builds tension in a manner that most modern horror
films simply do not have the patience\, or skill\, for and repeatedly o
ffers a rewarding payoff for its chills. Squeamish viewers will also be
pleased that it avoids cheap gore in doing so.\n\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120802.html#film-2673
SUMMARY:The Woman in Black
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T112300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2674
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAladeen (Cohen)\, the dict
ator of a tin-pot North African oil-rich banana republic is commanded by
the UN to address the assembly and explain the country's suspicious nuc
lear weapons program. His number two\, Tamir (Kingsley)\, sees this as t
he prime opportunity to get the bumbling leader out of his way once and
for all and arranges for Aladeen to be replaced by a double - a hillbill
y goat farmer named Efawadh (also Cohen). Lost in New York\, Aladeen bef
riends a local refugee advocate\, Zoey (Faris) and stumbles upon the ex-
head of his nuclear weapons program\, Nadal (Jason Mantzoukas). With the
aid of Nadal\, Aladeen hatches a secret plot to foil the secret plot th
at saw his life taken from him\, and takes a minimum wage job in Zoey's
hippie grocery store for cover.\n\n\nThe Dictator sees Sacha Baron Cohen
back in fine form\, after the misstep of Bruno (whose biggest crime was
not Cohen's execution but his fame standing in the way of the subterfug
e required to pull that film off). The film wraps unmistakable Sacha Bar
on Cohen humour into a fairly conventional Hollywood structure\, a feat
that legendary comedy director Larry Charles deserves particular credit
for (particularly if you ever saw Ali G Indahouse\, which struggled to a
chieve the same). By opting for a more conventional narrative than the r
eality-meets-fictional-character used in his last two outings as a leadi
ng man\, Cohen has again found a voice for his boundary stretching humou
r (as well as a reason to flop his naughty bits out in public).\n\n- Ada
m Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120803.html#film-2674
SUMMARY:The Dictator
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T131700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T113800Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120803T113800Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2675
DESCRIPTION:In 1904\, a young Russian woman arrives at a Zurich clinic. M
anic and hysterical\, she desperately struggles with her handlers\, howl
ing like a wild animal inside her horse-drawn carriage amidst the shriek
ing strings of the soundtrack. It's a frightening\, alarming - and decid
edly Cronenberg-ian - opening to the film\, and our first glimpse of a w
oman we soon learn is Sabina Spielrein (Knightley).\n\n\nSpielrein has b
een sent as a last resort to the clinic of Carl Jung (Fassbender)\, a di
sciple of the father of psychotherapy\, Sigmund Freud (Mortensen). Equal
ly driven and seduced by the challenge of curing his beautiful-but-bonke
rs new patient\, Jung uses Freud's methods to great success: Spielrein i
s soon calmed\, and her highly intelligent mind liberated. As the relati
onship between the married Jung and Spielrein becomes dangerously intima
te\, Jung begins to question the validity of Freud's theories. Having on
ly known Freud through his writings\, he travels to Vienna to finally me
et the great man himself. Before long\, the two titans of early psychoan
alysis are locked in an ideological struggle for conceptual supremacy: i
s it all about sex\, as Freud famously postulated\, or\, as disciple and
soon-to-be-rival Jung suspects\, is there more to it than that?\n\n\nDe
ceptively calm and cerebral on the surface\, A Dangerous Method is an ab
sorbing\, provocative exploration of matters of the mind as only David C
ronenberg could deliver. Yet\, despite the fascinating subject matter\,
the screenplay is admittedly a little dry and dialogue-heavy. Fortunatel
y\, riveting performances from Mortensen\, Fassbender and Knightley in p
articular make it all worthwhile.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120803.html#film-2675
SUMMARY:A Dangerous Method
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T114600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2677
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIt is really hard to belie
ve that it has been 10 years since the last Men in Black film and I've g
otta say I've missed them. So I was really glad to see that once again o
ur favourite MIB agents J & K are battling it out for Earth against colo
urful villains\, with the use of great settings\, CGI and comic relief i
n the face of imminent destruction.\n\n\nIn this film\, Boris the Animal
(bad alien) exacts his revenge after being locked up on the moon for 40
years since being arrested by Agent K. Boris's elaborate plan takes him
back into the past which results in ripples being sent into the present
. It is then up to J to save K and the Earth from the evil clutches of B
oris. Easy!\n\n\nOne thing I just have to mention here are the scenes wh
en J goes back to the past and meets up with the young 29-year old K\, p
erfectly played by Josh Brolin. Brolin amazingly captures the persona\,
and even the distinct voice\, of Jones so well that you can't help but f
orget it's him and actually completely believe it's just a younger versi
on of Tommy Lee Jones that you're seeing. Weird!\n\n\nDirector Barry Son
nenfeld seems to have gotten his mojo back on this one. Boris is also a
return to the half screwball and half menacing villains of old (remember
Vincent D'Onofrio?). There are definitely a few dips along the way (unf
ortunately)\, but overall this film is undeniably entertaining\, so come
along and be entertained.\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120804.html#film-2677
SUMMARY:Men in Black 3
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T135700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T120100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120804T120100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2676
DESCRIPTION:28 years ago\, 13-year-old Donny was having a relationship wi
th his teacher\, Ms. McGarricle\, until things went slightly awry... she
was caught\, sentenced to 30 years and had his baby\, whom Donny named
Han Solo. We've all been there.\n\n\nPresent day Donny (Sandler) is a be
er-loving\, directionless waste of space 40 year old in hot tax trouble
with the IRS\, owing close to $50\,000. When he discovers his son Han\,
now renamed Todd Peterson (Samberg)\, is a successful hedge fund manager
about to wed\, Donny schemes a scheme.
Todd has told everyone his pare
nts are dead\, so when his less (a LOT less) than desirable father appea
rs\, he attempts everything to keep up appearances with his bride-to-be
and her well-off family.\n\n\nA series of comedy pieces play out around
this generally formulaic plot\, leveraging off far too many racial and s
ocietal stereotypes to list. Some work more than others\, but the bachel
or's night out in a men's spa is hilarious and the following night out o
n the town (with Vanilla Ice in tow) is wondrous on many levels. Overall
\, That's My Boy carries the set pieces along with the balance of laughs
and winces you might expect from Sandler's brand of political incorrect
ness.\n\n\n- Steven Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120804.html#film-2676
SUMMARY:That's My Boy
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120806T114200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120806T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120806T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2678
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nThis is the story of Ata
feh (Boosheri)\, her best friend Shireen (Kazemy) and her brother Mehran
(Safai). Atafeh and Mehran are privileged children\, having grown up in
a well-off Tehran household surrounded by art\, music and intellect. Bu
t they are both tempted by the underground and the forbidden. For Mehran
this leads to a fight with drug addiction whereas for Atafeh\, the forb
idden is represented by her growing closeness to\, and love for\, her be
st friend. It's this developing relationship between Atafeh and Shireen
that gives the film its strength\, and at times sultry and sensual style
.\n\n\nFirst time director Keshavarz shows a wonderful eye for visuals\,
especially in the romantic scenes between the best friends. These are j
uxtaposed with unnerving CCTV shots that are unexplained when they appea
r\, but lead to a realisation late in the story. Unfortunately some sub-
plots introduced later into the film blur the film's intention and let d
own the strength of the main story leading to some melodramatic plot poi
nts. Overall it's a very personal story with some wonderful on-screen ch
emistry and visual styling.\n\n\n- Steven Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120806.html#film-2678
SUMMARY:Circumstance
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120807T113000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120807T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120807T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2679
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nWhat do get when you hav
e a Finnish production\, made by a Japanese director\, in French?\n\n\nT
his delightful fable centres on elderly\, working-class shoe shiner Marc
el Marx (Wilms\, reprising his role from Kaurismäki's 1992 film La Vie d
e Bohème)\, who lives a simple\, cheerful life with his loving wife Arle
tty (Outinen) in the French port city of Le Havre. Marcel's life takes a
turn when he discovers a young African boy named Idrissa (Miguel) hidin
g in the harbour waters. He befriends the child and learns that he and m
any other illegal immigrants have been hiding in a shipping container ne
arby. Idrissa left Africa with hopes of arriving in London to meet up wi
th his aunt but instead is stuck in Le Havre. Marcel takes the boy in an
d\, with the help of his friends and neighbours\, protects him from the
authorities and endeavours to get him to London.\n\n\nLe Havre has been
called a fairy tale and it's a very apt description. This may be a run-d
own\, shabby world but it is populated with the kindest of people. But\,
as in all fairy tales\, there is a dark side to this world\; seen in gl
impses\, most notably the film noir opening and the inherent implication
s of Idrissa's escape from his homeland. Yet this positive\, simple tale
is kept light and enjoyable with its drama buoyed by humour and hope. W
ith beautiful cinematography\, delightful characters and an upbeat outlo
ok on life\, it's guaranteed to leave you smiling.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120807.html#film-2679
SUMMARY:Le Havre
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120808T121200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120808T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120808T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2680
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nSuu Kyi is the daughter
of Burmese national hero General Aung San\, who led Burma to democratic
independence in the years after the war. As presented in the film\, her
earliest memory is of her father being assassinated by rivals (she's cer
tainly unlikely to have any memories earlier than that\; I checked the d
ates - she would have been two years old) who turn the country into a mi
litary dictatorship. Years later\, the adult Suu Kyi (Yeoh) is living in
England\, married to an English academic (Thewlis) and mother of two En
glish teenage boys. She returns to Burma to visit her mother and\, more
or less by accident\, finds herself leading the League for Democracy and
\, ultimately\, the country - although for a couple of decades she's 'le
ading' from her home\, under house arrest.\n\n\nIn a way this is a stran
ge film for director Luc Besson to have made. Master of a kind of slick\
, flashy crowd-pleaser that native French critics contemptuously called
'cinema du look' - its apotheosis is Besson's most famous movie\, The Fi
fth Element - he's now made something straightforward\, unpretentious\,
so true to the facts you can imagine the director didn't have to make an
y decisions at all\; about all that remains of the old Besson is that he
's never in danger of being dull. One reason it's as involving as it is\
, I think\, is that it's told as the husband's story as well as Suu Kyi'
s - it's just as much the story of how frustrated he is being free as it
is of her frustration with imprisonment.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120808.html#film-2680
SUMMARY:The Lady
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120809T115300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120809T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120809T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2681
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nMichael Winterbottom is
one of the most erratic filmmakers working today. Though his films are a
lways intense experiences\, he moves from genre to genre and tackles suc
h varied content you never know what to expect. Some of his most recent
films include the riotously funny The Trip with Steve Coogan and Rob Bry
don\, the deeply upsetting thriller The Killer Inside Me (which tapped i
nto the true creepiness of Casey Affleck) and the deeply moving A Mighty
Heart.
Trishna finds Winterbottom changing gear again\, taking a leaf
out of fellow Brit director Danny Boyle's book (Slumdog Millionaire) and
telling a sweeping romance story against a stunning Indian backdrop. Hi
s film is a unique spin on Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervill
es" and finds Trishna (the gorgeous\, engaging Pinto) living a poor\, sh
eltered life in Rajasthan until she meets the wealthy\, young Jay (Ahmed
) who has come back to India to work in his father's hotel business. Win
terbottom takes great pleasure in soaking up the vibrant\, conflicting w
orld of Mumbai\, drawing his audience into an alien\, yet beautiful worl
d.\n\n\nThough this is the third time Winterbottom has adapted Hardy's w
ork\, the Indian backdrop and central romance\, makes it feel as if\, on
ce again\, Winterbottom is trying something new and pulling it off with
his regular understated aplomb.\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120809.html#film-2681
SUMMARY:Trishna
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T112200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2682
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nMichaël has just moved i
nto the neighbourhood with his family and\, after initial reservations a
nd skirmishes\, starts to fit in with the local children. He especially
attracts the attention of Lisa\, who becomes smitten with him. However\,
Michaël struggles to contain a secret...\n\n\n...a secret that is revea
led in the first reel\, but if you feel like you want to be surprised by
the denouement (and it could be quite a surprise)\, then stop reading.\
n\n\nFor the rest of you... Michaël is actually Laure\, who stays as Lau
re around her parents and little sister\, but plays at being Michaël aro
und her friends. (Yes\, it's a secret that is probably given away by the
title\, but still...)\n\n\nThis is an endearing French film that\, in m
y opinion\, is one for the family (although it's not as jovial as your t
ypical 'family' film\, it's still not a depressing adult movie either)\,
covering themes of identity\, love and truth that all ages can identify
with. The focus is also on the children\, with the adults being support
or minor characters only glimpsed briefly. This film is sweet\, it's or
iginal\, and the younger sister is one of the cutest kids you'll see on
screen this semester. Come along and be charmed.\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120810.html#film-2682
SUMMARY:Tomboy
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T130500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T113700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120810T113700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2683
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nCyril is a young teenage
boy who is casually betrayed by his father\; who abandons him and sells
Cyril's treasured bike for not-particularly-needed cash\, letting him b
elieve the bike was stolen. While the abandonment may technically be the
greater betrayal\, Cyril hasn't lost much of a father\, but the bike is
an important part of his life\, his only true form of independence.\n\n
\nCyril is unofficially adopted by Samantha (De France)\, a young hairdr
esser who doesn't really know why she decided to perform this act of kin
dness - but it's more than a whim\; something deep ties her to him. His
ties to her\, on the other hand\, are tragically fragile\, and he's soon
making a royal nuisance of himself - and spending more and more time wi
th the local gang of petty criminals\, who are only a year or two older
than him.\n\n\nBecause this story takes place in a small and rather well
-run town in Belgium\, not Los Angeles\, the 'gang' members don't amount
to much: mugging a local merchant seems to be the highlight of their ca
reers. But this adds to the tragedy - or potential tragedy\, because the
Dardenne brothers are no more committed to an unhappy story than they a
re to a happy one. Cyril is tempted exactly as a rootless teenage male w
ould be tempted\; and somehow\, like Samantha\, we're hooked into caring
what happens to him.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120810.html#film-2683
SUMMARY:The Kid with a Bike
(Le gamin au vélo)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T120800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2684
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nThe Great Magician is an
action / fantasy / romance / comedy / mystery / political thriller / Ch
inese period piece. Surely that's the epitome of 'something for everyone
' isn't it?\n\n\nIn case you need more\, the film is set in early 20th c
entury China\, a tumultuous time following the fall of the Empire. The l
ocal warlord Bully Lei (Lau) is doing all he can to maintain control aga
inst the forces rising against him from all directions. Not to mention a
ttempting to woo his potential 7th wife\, Yin (Zhou).\n\n\nInto this mes
s returns magician Chang Hsien (Leung)\, looking to rescue his mentor fr
om the warlord and reclaim the affections of his former fiancée - who ju
st happens to be the object of Bully's affections too. So begins a twist
ing tale of double-crosses\, double agents and doublespeak as everyone d
oes whatever it takes to get their way. The perfect place for a skilled
magician to ply his trade...\n\n\nThis is an undeniably fun ride\, espec
ially the interplay between Leung and Lau who have a lot of fun with the
ir shifting characters. Just trying to keep up with the constantly chang
ing allegiances is enough to make the time pass quickly. Definitely some
thing here for everyone... which I'm confident includes you\, so come al
ong!\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120811.html#film-2684
SUMMARY:The Great Magician
(Daai mo seut si)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T141000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T122300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120811T122300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2685
DESCRIPTION:** FREE SCREENING AS PART OF THE DIVERSITY WEEK FILM FESTIVAL
. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/7585/diversity-week-film-festival-2
012-august.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nIt's not so much life wi
thout principle: most of the characters\, I think\, have principles\, so
mewhere\, deep down. But I suppose 'Life with Badly Compromised Principl
es' lacks punch. The original Cantonese translates as 'Lethal Gold': cer
tainly punchy\, but since this is not a Jason Statham heist movie\, perh
aps misleading. Or perhaps not: despite the fact that this is a movie ab
out the effects of the 2008 financial market crash - and it's a multi-pl
otline character study drama - it's also got some of the flavour of an a
ction movie\, with people desperately running for their lives. The direc
tor is a legend in Hong Kong (although I'm embarrassed to admit I hadn't
heard of him)\, who grinds out up to three mostly action movies a year:
this is his fifty-somethingth feature and\, while I'm sure he can direc
t something this polished in his sleep by now\, he somehow manages to ke
ep it feeling fresh.\n\n\nThere are three main stories: a junior gang me
mber\, fiercely loyal to his uncle boss\, finds to his surprise that naï
ve enthusiasm is not enough to make it in the criminal underworld\; a we
ary homicide detective struggles to make time for his fiancée\; and a yo
ung bank officer finds herself pushing risky stock options on guileless
pensioners\, against her better judgement (and better nature). Soon a gl
obal financial crisis will strike all three. Some will be literally stru
ck\, by objects both blunt and sharp.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120811.html#film-2685
SUMMARY:Life Without Principle
(Dyut meng gam)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120815T114700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120815T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120815T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2686
DESCRIPTION:2008. Eric Dale (Tucci) is fired from his job at a Wall Stree
t investment firm. On his way out\, he hands a USB stick to one of his c
olleagues Peter (Quinto)\, with words of caution - "Be careful". What Pe
ter finds are signals that the excrement is about to hit the fan\, and w
hat follows are a frantic and amoral 24 hours of meetings\, stock dumps
and ruthless decisions.\n\n\nThe first indication of the quality of the
film should be the cast\; Kevin Spacey\, Jeremy Irons\, Stanley Tucci\,
Mary McDonnell. The three men are at the top of their game here\, and ev
en though McDonnell is wasted in a one-scene coda\, she is still effecti
ve in putting the final splashes on Spacey's character (in regard to whi
ch living creatures he cares for and which ones he doesn't). The second
clue should be the Oscar-nominated screenplay by unknown J. C. Chandor (
who also directed). It's gripping\, tense\, and gives all the actors mem
orable lines and speeches.\n\n\nIf you remember the major events of 2008
\, then you'll probably guess where this is all going\, but the journey
is still worth it. A scintillating companion piece to the excellent docu
mentary Inside Job (screened by ANUFG in Semester 2\, 2011)\, this is an
explosive indictment of the 1% (they even slightly allude to companies
like Lehman Brothers) that is one of the must-sees on this semester's pr
ogramme.\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120815.html#film-2686
SUMMARY:Margin Call
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120816T121100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120816T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120816T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2687
DESCRIPTION:There's no denying that Christopher Nolan changed the way the
world looks at comic book movies. No longer just an exercise in merchan
dising\, Nolan's Batman films went beyond word balloons to the essence o
f comic book lore\, delivering not just great adaptations - but cinema o
f the highest calibre. So it's only fitting that we pay tribute to his D
ark Knight trilogy with a return to Gotham City in the lead up to The Da
rk Knight Rises\, the concluding chapter of the tale.\n\n\nAfter losing
his parents in a senseless mugging\, Bruce Wayne (Bale) exiles himself f
rom his privileged life in Gotham to search the world for answers. He ev
entually finds discipline in the Far East under the tutelage of Henri Du
card (Neeson) and the mysterious League of Shadows. Years later\, Wayne
returns to Gotham to save the city from the brink of destruction. Adopti
ng the fearful symbol of a bat\, he puts his new skills to use in the gu
ise of a masked crime-fighter known as the Batman.\n\n\nFirst and foremo
st\, this is a film about Batman. Despite having 'Batman' in their title
s\, the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher-directed versions of the Caped Crusad
er were always more about the villain of the week than Bruce Wayne himse
lf. Nolan wisely focuses his brooding film on the man beneath the mask\,
and shows us how someone dressed as a bat has captured our imagination
for 70 years. A visceral\, rousing start to the trilogy\, Batman Begins
transcends mere genre to become a cinematic experience that demands revi
siting at every opportunity.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120816.html#film-2687
SUMMARY:Batman Begins
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T120400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2688
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nDon't think of this as a p
requel to Alien. It is so much more than that. \n\n\nIn the year 2093\,
archaeologists Shaw (Rapace) and Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discove
r a series of cave paintings\, all pointing to the same constellation. C
onvinced they provide vital clues to humanity's origins\, the two join a
n exploratory mission on the titular ship\, bank-rolled (as always) by a
shady corporation. Theron (Monster\, Young Adult) plays the cold corpor
ate commander Meredith Vickers with Idris Elba (TV's "The Wire"\, "Luthe
r") as her insubordinate captain. Fassbender (Shame\, Jane Eyre) gives a
standout performance as a sinisterly existential cyborg (is there any o
ther kind?). All's well until they've reached their destination and may
have found more than they bargained for - and brought it aboard.\n\n\nHi
s few forays into other genres were lukewarmly received (Russell Crowe's
aging Robin Hood bewildered critics\, and only five people saw A Good Y
ear)\, but when it comes to dramatic\, awe-inspiring science fiction\, d
irector Ridley Scott knows his stuff. This visual feast is pure cinemati
c spectacle\; Scott has taken his tense\, pulsing original horror movie
and given it the King Kong treatment. With vivid cinematography of rich\
, otherworldly landscapes\, and futuristic technology incorporated with
seamless effects\, this was without doubt made with a lot of attentive l
ove. Don't compare it with its predecessors\; Prometheus is a different
creature (no pun intended). Penned by Damon Lindelof ("Lost")\, this is
a brooding meditation on life and humanity that won't loosen its grip un
til well past the final credits.\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120817.html#film-2688
SUMMARY:Prometheus
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T141500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T121900Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120817T121900Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2689
DESCRIPTION:'In space\, no one can hear you scream.' That would have to b
e one of the greatest\, and most recognisable\, tag-lines of any film in
history. An anti-Star Wars for the late 70s\, this film is actually jus
t a haunted-house story - it just happens to be set on a spaceship. But
director Ridley Scott managed to elevate the cheap thrills of a scary-mo
nster-in-space genre film and craft one of the most nerve-wracking horro
r films ever made.\n\n\nIf you haven't seen it and don't know the plot\,
then maybe you should go in all naïve and innocent (so stop reading now
)\, but if you must know... the crew of the deep-space mining ship Nostr
omo responds to a distress call\, and discovers a derelict space craft a
nd strange eggs. When it becomes apparent that the eggs house a special
type of parasite\, the crew members realise that they're dealing with so
mething very different and\, well\, alien...\n\n\nEssentially launching
the careers of director Scott and actor Weaver\, this movie will never l
ose its official place amongst the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You
Die". With Oscar-winning special effects\, a legendary alien designed by
HR Giger\, and that scene (where apparently the reactions of the cast a
re genuine\, because they themselves didn't know what was about to happe
n)\, this is a must-see.\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120817.html#film-2689
SUMMARY:Alien
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T094600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2690
DESCRIPTION:Fairy tales are experiencing a minor comeback this year\; esp
ecially on film\, with two versions of Snow White screening this semeste
r\, both giving the classic tale a new spin. This is the frothy\, family
-friendlier one. Since the King disappeared ten years ago\, the kingdom
has been controlled by his wife\, whose excessive lifestyle has bankrupt
ed the kingdom's coffers. When a wealthy prince visits\, the Queen (Robe
rts) sees an opportunity for an advantageous marriage to solve her money
problems. Unfortunately\, her beautiful eighteen-year-old stepdaughter
catches his eye before she can make her move. What's an evil queen to do
? Banish the girl\, of course! She'll never survive in the ominous fores
t\; especially with a gang of seven nefarious bandits and a mysterious\,
deadly creature about. Or will she?\n\n\nHelmed by visual perfectionist
Tarsem Singh (The Fall\, last semester's Immortals)\, this is a lavish
feast for the eyes\, with extravagant costumes and elaborate scenery. Ro
berts is delightfully snarky as the wicked queen who just wants to be ad
mired\; Nathan Lane amuses as her downtrodden lackey\, Brighton. Lily Co
llins (The Blind Side) is equal parts luminescent and spunky as the spir
ited Snow White\, and Armie Hammer (The Social Network) plays the love-s
truck Prince Charming as daring\, dashing and a little bit devastatingly
handsome (if you're into that sort of thing...).\n\n\nThis take on the
time-old tale is original and entertaining\; holding true to the traditi
onal story\, but with a few post-modern quirks. A joy for fairy tale fan
s\, young and old.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120818.html#film-2690
SUMMARY:Mirror Mirror
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120818T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2691
DESCRIPTION:Roger Brown (Hennie) is a recruitment consultant who moonligh
ts as an art thief\, and he's a pleasure to watch in action: clever\, us
ing his day job to best advantage as cover\, deeply professional\, caref
ul\, never too greedy. We want to see more of him - but we don't really
like him: he's a touch smarmy\, soured by an inferiority complex\, obses
sed with maintaining his ludicrously expensive lifestyle and uncomfortab
ly cynical in how he thinks of his stunning blonde trophy wife. (We're p
retty sure he misjudges her\, but whether she's much better\, or much wo
rse\, than he realises\, we won't find out until the end.)\n\n\nHe could
keep up his exhausting juggling act forever\, but one day he is too gre
edy\, goes for a theft too good to be true\, and finds himself losing ev
erything he valued - then losing even more\, as he runs for his life up
and down Norway\, pursued relentlessly by the man who set him up. We fea
r Mr. Brown may have met his match\; and we fear it because\, by now\, w
e've grown to like him.\n\n\nI haven't seen a tenser thriller in years:
it somehow manages to combine the ruthless delight a sadist might feel w
atching a rat trying to escape from a maze with a deep concern for the f
ate of its characters. I also think the plot twists are genuinely surpri
sing - but maybe not\; maybe we're simply having too much fun to waste t
ime trying to guess them.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120818.html#film-2691
SUMMARY:Headhunters (Hodejegerne)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120823T123200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120823T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120823T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2692
DESCRIPTION:If Batman Begins raised the bar for comic book movies\, then
Christopher Nolan's 2008 follow-up took that bar and launched it into ob
livion. By all accounts\, The Dark Knight isn't even a comic book movie\
; it's an ambitious crime saga that explores archetypal notions of good
versus evil with psychological acuity\, epic scope and moral complexity.
So what if it happens to feature a guy running around in a Bat-suit?\n\
n\nThe film picks up a few years after the end of Begins and finds the D
ark Knight (Bale) in the midst of a war against crime\, covertly aided b
y Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Oldman) and newly elected District Attorney\, H
arvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Their continued efforts to rid Gotham of its
criminal underworld are finally giving its citizens hope for the future
\, but everything changes when a maniacal criminal mastermind known as T
he Joker (Ledger) unleashes his reign of chaos upon the city.\n\n\nEvery
hero needs a great villain\, and Heath Ledger's iconic performance as T
he Joker is as good as it gets - demented\, frightening and mesmerising
in equal measure - and well-deserving of his posthumous Oscar for Best S
upporting Actor. But Ledger's Joker is just the tip of the iceberg in a
film packed with a plethora of iconic\, unforgettable moments. Be sure t
o catch this provocative\, visually thrilling epic once again - or for t
he first time\, if you've just woken up from a coma - on the big screen
before The Dark Knight Rises next week. You know you want to.\n\n\n- Adr
ian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120823.html#film-2692
SUMMARY:The Dark Knight
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T120300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2694
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFor a group of English pen
sioners the thought of retirement in their homeland is not as desirable
as they once hoped. So instead of living out their last years in bungalo
ws with emergency pull cords they make the unconventional decision to tr
avel to India and live out their retirement at the Marigold Hotel. The h
otel advertises a budget-priced retirement facility that can provide the
retirees with all the luxury and comfort they need to live out their go
lden years.\n\n\nUpon arrival at the hotel they discover that it doesn't
quite live up to expectations. The hotel is nowhere near completed and\
, rather than living in comfort in the sun\, the group find themselves o
n an unexpected journey of self discovery\, proving that you are never t
oo old for a new adventure.\n\n\nThe star-studded cast of British greats
certainly delivers and director John Madden has managed to achieve the
daunting task of giving each a moment to shine in this charming comedy.
The delights of Indian culture shine through without it being over-roman
ticised\, but it's the subtle\, heart-warming spark between the characte
rs of Evelyn (Dench) and Douglas (Nighy) that steals the show. Jean (Pen
elope Wilton) and Muriel (Maggie Smith) are relied on heavily for comic
value. Overall this is a film that will leave you with that feel-good fe
eling no matter which age group you fall into.\n\n- Amy Crimmins
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120824.html#film-2694
SUMMARY:The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T141700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T121800Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120824T121800Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2693
DESCRIPTION:'Adapted from the Hunter S. Thompson novel' is probably enoug
h for some of you to know what to expect from The Rum Diary - a distorte
d film seen through the lens of a distorted man. Being one of his early
works\, this film takes place prior to Thompson's heavy use of the more
illicit substances (and as such is much more straightforward than Fear a
nd Loathing in Las Vegas). As the title suggests\, this is instead a sto
ry told through the bottom of a rum glass.\n\n\nAn embellished autobiogr
aphical tale\, the central character of Paul Kemp (Depp) finds himself l
ooking for journalism work in Puerto Rico after a series of failures to
get his career off the ground in America. Scoring a job at the "San Juan
Star" he soon grabs the attention of land developer Sanderson (Eckhart)
\, who offers Kemp a better lifestyle than he currently enjoys in exchan
ge for some positive press around his commercial development of a nearby
island. This appeals to Kemp (who has not signed a charter of editorial
independence)\, though the opportunity to get closer to Sanderson's fia
ncée (Heard) is of more interest than any cash incentive. But getting cl
oser to Sanderson reveals truths about them both that make Kemp reconsid
er the direction his life is taking.\n\n\nThe disconnected nature of the
storytelling worked better in Fear and Loathing than it does here\, as
a potentially interesting story becomes hazy and disjointed as the film
progresses. That said\, there are some wonderful scenes along the way an
d the performances are excellent across the board\, in particular Giovan
ni Ribisi as one of the paper's former employees. Worth coming along for
\, and a stiff drink beforehand may be of value to get in the right fram
e of mind.\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120824.html#film-2693
SUMMARY:The Rum Diary
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T121600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2695
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nYour friendly neighbourhoo
d Spider-Man is back! Though amidst all the fan fervour surrounding this
year's other superhero offerings\, you'd almost be forgiven for not kno
wing. After all\, Spider-Man 3 didn't exactly leave everyone begging for
more. Luckily\, Hollywood did what it does best when faced with declini
ng profits and a lack of creativity: it hit the reset button\, and here
we are now with The Amazing Spider-Man.\n\n\nOddly-qualified but aptly-n
amed Marc Webb - whose only directorial effort to date is the superb (50
0) Days of Summer - delivers a striking film more akin to Christopher No
lan's reality-based Batman films than the fantastical\, colourful world
of Sam Raimi's original trilogy. It's admittedly an odd transition\; Spi
der-Man is\, after all\, not as dark and brooding as the Dark Knight\, b
ut the film weaves an element of mystery and intrigue that somehow fits.
Gone too are Tobey Maguire's dorky\, bug-eyed antics and Kirsten Dunst'
s damsel-in-never-ending-distress. Instead you'll find The Social Networ
k's Andrew Garfield as a pitch-perfect Peter Parker and the ever-lovable
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy\, Parker's first true love in comic book lore\
, as they're menaced by a founding member of Spidey's rogues gallery: Dr
. Curt Connors (Ifans)\, a scientist whose attempt to re-grow his missin
g arm using reptilian DNA turns him into The Lizard.\n\n\nThe Amazing Sp
ider-Man is very much an untold tale\, and even takes a few controversia
l\, non-canonical liberties with the web-head's traditional origin. But
as any true comic book fan can tell you\, Spider-Man has certainly been
no stranger to change throughout his storied 50-year history. And as it
turns out\, change was exactly what his cinematic counterpart needed too
.\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120825.html#film-2695
SUMMARY:The Amazing Spider-Man
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T142600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T123100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120825T123100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2696
DESCRIPTION:Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential ani
me series of all time\, cult classic "Cowboy Bebop" was so commercially
successful that the film Cowboy Bebop: The Movie was commissioned and re
leased in Japan in 2001. Fans of the series were not disappointed. Witty
\, cool and compounded with a funky soundtrack\, this Tarantino-esque ad
venture grabs you from the opening scene. \n\n\nA terrorist attack occur
s in a Martian city\, just before Halloween in 2071. A tanker explodes a
t the city limits\, releasing a noxious gas. Hundreds are killed by what
appears to be a completely unknown biological weapon and\, in response\
, the government issues the largest reward in history for the capture of
whoever is behind it.\n\n\nAfter living off nothing but cup noodles for
as long as they can remember\, the bounty hunter crew of the spaceship
Bebop\; Spike\, Faye\, Jet\, Ed and Ein\, take the case with hopes of ca
shing in. \n\n\nAlthough based on the wildly popular series\, Cowboy Beb
op: The Movie easily stands alone as an excellent film\, for those who h
ave not seen the series\, but just as easily slots in as an extended epi
sode of the series keeping fans sated.\n\n\nExpect to see brilliant\, fl
ashy martial arts\, gunplay and aerial dogfights coupled with an excelle
nt\, punchy\, jazz soundtrack and gorgeous cinematic visuals. Cowboy Beb
op: The Movie is simply awesome. If you are at all interested in anime\,
this is an absolute must see.\n\n\n- Elyshia Hopkinson
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120825.html#film-2696
SUMMARY:Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Gekijōban Kaubōi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tob
ira)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120829T111800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120829T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120829T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2697
DESCRIPTION:Angélique Delange (Carré) is a talented chocolatier with a se
cret past. Recently unemployed\, she wins a job at a small\, second-rate
chocolate factory owned by the stern Jean-René Van Den Hugde (Poelvoord
e). Unfortunately\, due to a misunderstanding\, the job she won is selli
ng the factory's inferior goods door-to-door... and Angélique is petrifi
ed of interacting with strangers. Too embarrassed to correct the mistake
\, she takes on the role rather than face up to her eccentric new boss (
who is secretly shy himself). \n\n\nThis sweet French rom-com about two
chocolatiers in therapy is both light-hearted and endearing. Carré is fa
bulous as the adorably flustered Angélique\, peddling her terrible-tasti
ng wares to unreceptive shop owners\, and Poelvoorde is suitably both gr
uff and appealing as the emotionally stunted Van Den Hugde\; who falls f
or his new recruit\, much to his consternation. Director Jean-Pierre Amé
ris uses a light touch\, treading on familiar but not overly worn ground
\, and brings out the humourous side of his characters' emotional diffic
ulties. This charming film is very French (watch out for some unexpected
ly risqué scenes)\, with just a hint of its cinematic predecessor Amélie
. Witty\, romantic and slightly bittersweet\, it is a warm chocolate sou
fflé whose slightly heavier themes don't weigh down its light tone.\n\n\
n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120829.html#film-2697
SUMMARY:Romantics Anonymous (Les émotifs anonymes)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120830T124400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120830T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120830T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2698
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAfter taking the fall for
Harvey Dent's crimes to protect the city's only hope for salvation follo
wing the Joker's reign of chaos\, Batman became a wanted fugitive - hunt
ed by the police and cast out by the very people he'd once tried to prot
ect. It's now eight years later\, and the Dark Knight hasn't been sighte
d in a very long time. Gotham City\, it appears\, is finally at peace.\n
\n\nBut when Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) uncovers a devastating plot to
destroy Gotham from within\, a broken Bruce Wayne (Bale) must reluctant
ly come out of retirement to become Batman once again and protect a city
that has turned against him. Awaiting his return is Bane (Tom Hardy)\,
a deadly terrorist who will stop at nothing to decimate Batman's legacy\
, and the mysterious Selina Kyle (Hathaway). Nothing is as it seems howe
ver\, and Batman soon discovers that there is far more to his new advers
aries and allies than meets the eye.\n\n\nThe Dark Knight Rises is the t
hird and final chapter of director Christopher Nolan's trilogy\, and whi
le most of us would rather he continue making these for as long as human
ly possible\, make no mistake about it: this is indeed the end. Nolan ha
s taken us full circle\, and delivers a tragically fitting and suitably
epic conclusion to the legend he began with Batman Begins seven years ag
o. Brutal\, unforgettable and awe-inspiring\, this is one film that you
really needn't be convinced to come along to. Absolutely essential viewi
ng.\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120830.html#film-2698
SUMMARY:The Dark Knight Rises
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120831T123000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120831T093000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120831T093000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2699
DESCRIPTION:You don't need to be a movie buff (or even a member) to have
a great time at the ANU Film Group’s sixth Annual Trivia Night!\n\n\nWhe
ther you think you already know all of the answers\, or if you can’t eve
n remember the last movie your saw\, there’s bound to be a little someth
ing for everyone. Plus\, there are heaps of awesome prizes up for grabs
(and not just for the winners) from our generous sponsors including Dend
y\, Limelight\, Empire\, Brodburger\, Nando’s and many more.\n\n\nThe Tr
ivia Night is also the Film Group’s main fundraiser for the year\, so pl
ease support us by coming along\, bringing your friends\, and having a f
antastic Friday night out! All members and non-members are welcome.\n\n\
nTickets are $15 per person for tables of up to 10\, and can be purchase
d from the laminator at all screenings leading up to the night\, as well
as at the door. Requests for full table bookings can also be made and p
aid for online -- simply email info@anufg.org.au to find out how. Be sur
e to secure your tickets soon\, however\, as the Trivia Night is just ov
er two weeks away!\n\n\nDATE: Friday 31 August\n\nTIME: 7:
30 PM start\, with doors open from 7:00 PM onwards\n\nVENUE: Canb
erra Club\, 45 West Row\, Civic\n\n\nFor more details\, including an eve
r-growing list of our sponsors\, click http://www.anufg.org.au/trivia[HE
RE].\n\n\n-
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120831.html#film-2699
SUMMARY:ANUFG Annual Trivia Night 2012
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T120700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2701
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nI'll credit everyone with
already knowing the story of Snow White.\n\n\nSo: Remember the huntsman?
The queen charged him with the task of killing Snow White and bringing
back her heart - but he took pity on the girl\, and cheated the queen by
giving her the heart of a pig instead.\n\n\nActually\, if that's what y
ou remember\, you've been given the sugar-coated version - in the origin
al\, the queen wanted Snow White's lungs and liver\; and not just as pro
of that she was really dead\, but so that she could eat them. The queen
in this film (Theron) is more in line with the Grimms' queen\, crossed w
ith the vampire Carmilla: she consumes the blood of virgins in order to
stay young.\n\n\nIt's the huntsman whose role has been really built up:
he (Hemsworth) becomes Snow White's (Stewart) mentor and trainer\, someo
ne who can coach her into the more active role of overthrowing a tyrant.
A much more satisfying relationship\, you must admit\, than could have
developed between Snow White and some prince or other.\n\n\nThanks in la
rge part to the wonderfully Germanic art direction\, this is a Snow Whit
e we can take seriously. Elsewhere in the program we're also screening a
kind of light-hearted\, semi-spoof version\; fine if you're into that k
ind of thing\, but this is the way the story is meant to be told.\n\n- H
enry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120901.html#film-2701
SUMMARY:Snow White and the Huntsman
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T140800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T122200Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120901T122200Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2700
DESCRIPTION:As children most of us\, at some point or another\, would hav
e had a faithful companion in the form of a fluffy toy mammal that we wo
uld have personified and gone to bed with every night\; wishing that one
day our friend would come to life. John (Wahlberg) is no exception to t
his childhood fantasy\, and one Christmas he wishes that his teddy bear\
, aptly named 'Ted'\, would come to life. Unlike the rest of us\, John's
wish is granted and Ted (MacFarlane) comes to life. Fast forward to pre
sent day and John and Ted are still the best of friends\; but rather tha
n playing hide and seek together the pair share a flat with John's girlf
riend Lori (Kunis) and spend most of their time drinking\, smoking and f
antasising about Flash Gordon.\n\n\nAs we grow up we lose our childhood
innocence and\, so it seems\, so do our cuddly companions if they follow
us into the complicated world of adulthood. Ted is your typical male bu
ddy comedy filled\, as you may expect from a film by Seth MacFarlane ("F
amily Guy"\, "American Dad")\, with raunchy envelope-pushing humour. The
story focuses on the adult friendship between boy and teddy bear and ho
w those friendships change as we mature - some faster than others.\n\n\n
- Amy Crimmins
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120901.html#film-2700
SUMMARY:Ted
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120904T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120904T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120904T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2702
DESCRIPTION:As dawn breaks\, a full police SWAT team prepares to invade a
notorious high rise in the slums of Jakarta. Notorious because it is th
e ultimate hive of scum and villainy in the city\, run by a vicious drug
lord who primarily rents out the rooms to the nastiest customers in the
city in order to ensure there is a deadly buffer between his pad and th
e rest of the world. Floor by floor the cops take down the scum - until
word gets out and the crime boss puts out a bounty for any resident who
takes down a cop.\n\n\nAs the police get cut down to a handful\, the sur
viving cops discover that their raid was an off-the-books operation by a
rogue captain and there is no backup on the way. With only their wits\,
their fists and a handful of bullets to save their lives the final few
press on to take the top dog down.\n\n\nThe Raid is a wake up call to th
e action genre. Packed full of real stunts and top shelf martial arts th
is film shows us what can be achieved with real talent rather than a mes
s of quick edits. The greatest star of the piece is undoubtedly Iko Uwai
s\, whose body movement is up there with the greats and comes with solid
acting ability to back it up. Though the premise itself is pretty strai
ghtforward the film manages to construct a story with surprising depth\;
certainly enough to make viewers actually care for the characters as we
ll as take in the breathtaking action on display. The Raid is an unmissa
ble experience.\n\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120904.html#film-2702
SUMMARY:The Raid (Serbuan maut)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120906T115000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120906T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120906T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2703
DESCRIPTION:Magic Mike is a film about male strippers. There\, I said it.
Now\, for about half of our members you are probably suitably intrigued
and won't care that much about the rest of this review. However\, in ca
se you need a bit more convincing\, there is actually a plot\, and a pre
tty good one at that. Tatum plays Mike\, an entrepreneur and talented fu
rniture designer who earns cash for his serious ambitions by performing
with an all-male revue. McConaughey plays the club's owner and newcomer
Pettyfer is a 19-year-old novice who learns the rules of the job (partyi
ng\, picking up and making money) from Mike.\n\n\nJoe Manganiello\, know
n in the film as Big Dick Richie\, described this movie perfectly in thr
ee simple words: "funny\, sexy\, cool". It is definitely a great source
of male eye candy\, and thank goodness\, as a movie about male strippers
cast with a bunch of ugly people wouldn't be much fun at all! But beyon
d that the film also spends time reinventing the usual dramatic stereoty
pes and storylines it in a way that makes you stop and think. I say this
because a) it's true\, and b) it is something you can tell other people
as your explanation for why you are off to see a movie full of stripper
s\, nudity and some notable prosthetic improvements.\n\n\nMagic Mike cer
tainly has people talking\, so why not join in the conversation and make
your next discussion at your local water cooler just that little bit mo
re interesting.\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120906.html#film-2703
SUMMARY:Magic Mike
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T113600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2705
DESCRIPTION:Two clowns\, one bleeding profusely\, are in a car chase\, be
ing pursued by cops\, somewhere near the USA-Mexico border. There seems
to be a lot of money in the car. One clown removes his mask\, revealing
himself to be Mad Mel. In typical spectacular Lethal Weapon style\, Mel
launches the car over the border\, only to find himself at the mercy of
the Mexican authorities. This does not make his predicament any easier.\
n\n\nAnd all this in the first five minutes of the film.\n\n\nYes\, Mad
Mel is back in the movies. Despite his questionable personal life choice
s\, Gibson does know how to make a good silly action/heist/buddy movie (
and one suspects that\, despite giving the directing job to his assistan
t from Apocalypto\, Mel probably had a lot of input\, in the name of 'tr
aining'). There are plot-holes aplenty\, and it looks like it was shot o
n the cheap\, but it's still a whole lot of fun\, with shoot-outs\, craz
y plans that somehow come off and shady characters everywhere. Throw in
a love interest\, a tough-but-still-precocious kid and enough bad-asses
to populate all four Die Hard films\, and you have a formula for a barre
l-load of Friday night fun!\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120907.html#film-2705
SUMMARY:Get the Gringo
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T132500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T115100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120907T115100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2704
DESCRIPTION:Mei (Chan) is a young numbers whiz with a photographic memory
who's taken from her family and brought to New York\, where she's ensla
ved by a Chinese Triad boss (Hong) with a disdain for computers and data
trails. But when word gets out that his 'niece' is tasked with memorisi
ng the combination to a safe containing 30 million dollars\, Mei immedia
tely becomes a target for everyone from the Russian mafia to dirty cops
and even a corrupt mayor (Sarandon).\n\n\nLucky for her\, Luke Wright (S
tatham) also happens to be having a bad day. A disgraced cage fighter an
d ex-cop whose family was murdered by mobsters\, Luke has been wandering
the streets haunted by guilt. Finally pushed to the brink of suicide\,
he heads to a subway station to end his suffering\, but is stopped short
when he witnesses Mei being chased by the same gangsters that destroyed
his life. Rescuing her on impulse\, he quickly becomes her only protect
or in an all-out war with New York's entire criminal underworld.\n\n\nWh
ile the cinematic value of Statham's films may be admittedly questionabl
e\, there's no denying they're usually good fun\, and Safe is up there w
ith the best of what is surely a sub-genre of its own by now (Stath-acti
on films?). A refreshing return to the gritty\, old school action flicks
of the 70s\, the film is a terrific showcase for all of Statham's talen
ts - with plenty of fighting\, driving\, wisecracking and tough-looking
staring - making for an adrenaline-pumping\, rollicking good time at the
movies.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120907.html#film-2704
SUMMARY:Safe
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T093000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2706
DESCRIPTION:They fight and fight and fight and fight and fight it's the..
. well\, not the "Itchee and Scratchee Show"\, but certainly the remake/
re-imagining of/homage to the original trio that inspired generations of
cartoons and live action slapstick (that said cartoon-within-a-cartoon
is a spoof of)\, from back in the days before jokes needed words. The go
od old days when a poke in the eye with a red hot poker wasn't something
to be feared but instead something that warmed the cockles and brought
forth a cavalcade of chuckles and general good times\, even for the pers
on getting poked in the eye.\n\n\nArmed with an assortment of cheap TV a
ctors\, all punching surprisingly well above their weight\, the Farrelly
brothers (yup\, they're still around somewhere) have managed to pull to
gether a far better than you would expect homage to their heroes (somewh
at impressively after the years of development hiccups the project went
through). The story is suitably all over the place\; Moe\, Larry and Cur
ly set out to save the orphanage only to be led on a string of loosely t
ied together adventures that offer plenty of excuses for over-the-top an
tics and spoofs of modern pop culture (most notably the infamous "Jersey
Shore").\n\n\nEssentially\, if you like\, ever have liked or are ever g
oing to like silly\, slapstick humour then you will definitely get a kic
k out of The Three Stooges. Haters need not apply.\n\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120908.html#film-2706
SUMMARY:The Three Stooges
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T122400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120908T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2707
DESCRIPTION:Inspired by the 1979 comedy Gol Maal\, Bol Bachchan is a Boll
ywood romantic comedy involving siblings Abbas (Bachchan) and Sania (Des
ai) moving to the remote village of Ranakpur\, where Abbas causes a stir
by breaking into a temple to save a child. As he scrambles to cover his
Muslim roots\, a series of comic mishaps unfold.\n\n\nAs is to be expec
ted in a Bollywood film\, there is plenty of singing and dancing as the
likeable protagonist attempts to extricate himself from the difficult si
tuations he confronts. These sequences also highlight the beautiful loca
tions in which the film was shot. Comedy is primarily provided by Ajay D
evgn who\, in his role as Akhaada King Pehelwan\, frequently attempts to
speak in English instead of the normal Hindi\, despite his thorough lac
k of ability to do so.\n\n\nDirector Shetty is well known for his action
sequences\, even though his films are not traditional action films. Bol
Bachchan is no different\, with 40% of the film's budget reportedly bei
ng spent on the action scenes. There is a memorable scene in which a bus
\, complete with passengers on the roof\, explodes.\n\n\nCome along and
enjoy a rare opportunity to see Bollywood on the big screen here in Canb
erra.\n\n\n- Rob Bourke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120908.html#film-2707
SUMMARY:Bol Bachchan
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T112900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2708
DESCRIPTION:We open on a beautiful beach\, where Jeremy (Starr) and Alice
(Price) are talking about dreams. We then cut to scenes that show two A
ustralian couples seemingly having a great time on a South East Asian ho
liday\; with markets\, more beaches and dance parties. However\, scenes
towards the end of this section allude to something darker. Then\, when
we re-join the characters in Australia\, one horrible holiday tragedy un
earths many smaller secrets...\n\n\nThe Gen X collective of film-makers
known as Blue-Tongue Films are fast growing a reputation as quality craf
ts-people. Their first feature-length was The Square (Semester 1\, 2009)
and\, whilst not technically a 'Blue-Tongue Film'\, many principals wer
e involved in Animal Kingdom (Semester 2\, 2010). This\, their latest\,
was chosen to open the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah this y
ear. It's been sold in many quarters as a bit of a thriller but\, whilst
it does have some edge-of-your-seat moments\, it's more of a family dra
ma with a heavy degree of mystery\, one that unfolds at a delicious pace
. The cast is led by the ever-impressive Edgerton (Animal Kingdom)\, and
at no stage does the style and pacing indicate that this is a film from
a debut director.\n\n\nIt's early days\, but we may well have here a co
ntender for the best Aussie film of 2012. Don't miss it!\n\n\n- Travis C
ragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120915.html#film-2708
SUMMARY:Wish You Were Here
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T133600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T114400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120915T114400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2709
DESCRIPTION:Seated next to each other on a flight home\, Margot (Williams
) and Daniel (Kirby)\, meet and casually\, and quirkily\, flirt. They sh
are a taxi\, only to discover that they live on the same street\, across
from one another. Awkwardly\, Margot admits that she is married and the
y part. From this initial meeting\, Take This Waltz delves into an explo
ration of forbidden attraction and the consequences of desire.\n\n\nMarg
ot loves her husband Lou (Rogen) and he loves her\; their marriage is cu
te\, safe and quiet. However\, she finds herself constantly tempted by t
he proximity of the refreshing Daniel. She is torn between familiarity a
nd the habitual\, and the temptation of new and erotically charged possi
bilities.\n\n\nOscar-nominated writer/director Sarah Polley returns with
Take This Waltz and\, with an adorably soft and awkward manner\, explor
es themes of melancholy\, ennui and infidelity. She avoids the clichéd p
itfalls of the Hollywood 'love triangle' and brings a profundity and hum
anity to all involved. Michelle Williams\, as usual\, is excellent\; her
natural charm and beauty engages us to sympathise with Margot. Seth Rog
en brings depth and maturity to the dorky\, likeable\, but oblivious Lou
. \n\n\nAn undeniably cute\, hipster film\, lavish with colour and music
\, Take This Waltz is delightful\, sad and funny.\n\n\n- Elyshia Hopkins
on
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120915.html#film-2709
SUMMARY:Take This Waltz
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T112400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2710
DESCRIPTION:Alexandre Lagarde (Reno) is a legendary French chef\, running
the kitchen at his successful 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Paris. But
he is losing his edge\, struggling to find the passion for food he once
enjoyed. Jacky Bonnot (Youn) has almost the opposite problem - he has th
e culinary skill of his hero Lagarde and is overflowing with passion. So
much so that he struggles to keep a job\; his love and devotion to his
art being more important to him than maintaining a civil relationship wi
th his employers or customers.\n\n\nWhen Bonnot lands an internship with
Lagarde\, he may be the great chef's last hope of saving his restaurant
from Stanislas Matter (Boisselier)\, the corporate (read: evil) owner's
son looking for an excuse to get rid of Lagarde and change the restaura
nt to one featuring molecular gastronomy. But only if these two very dif
ferent men can learn to get along...\n\n\nLe Chef is a bawdy comedy that
employs the traditional funny man / straight man setup. Youn channels J
erry Lewis as the shameless\, know-it-all Bonnot dragging Lagarde throug
h the film\, insisting he is trying to help. It's over the top and all a
bit silly but there's a lot of fun to be had along the way. And if you
don't enjoy the comedy\, there's plenty of mouth-watering food on displa
y to keep you in your seat.\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120922.html#film-2710
SUMMARY:Le Chef (Comme un chef)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T134000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T113900Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120922T113900Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2711
DESCRIPTION:Two stories of love and responsibility separated by four deca
des have a common link in this drama from writer and director Jean-Marc
Vallée. In 1969\, Jacqueline (Paradis) is a single mother who is raising
her seven-year-old son Laurent (Marin Gerrier). Laurent was born with D
own's Syndrome\, and is not expected to live past 25. Jacqueline is dete
rmined to do whatever she can for the boy during the time he has\, but t
he stress of these demands take their toll.\n\n\nMeanwhile\, in 2011 Mon
treal\, Antoine (Parent) seems to have it all: a thriving career\, two b
eautiful daughters\, partner Rose (Brochu) with whom he is passionately
in love. However nothing is perfect\, and Antoine's ex-wife Carole (Flor
ent) remains devastated by their recent separation. Carole is experienci
ng increasing inner turbulence\, including sleepwalking and recurring ni
ghtmare-like visions. After a visit to a medium\, Carole begins to suspe
ct she has some spiritual\, metaphysical connection to the past.\n\n\nTh
ere's little doubt that the non-linear narrative\, which jumps back and
forth in time with frequent regularity\, ensures that Café de Flore init
ially comes off as a somewhat jarring moviegoing experience. However you
r patience will be rewarded as the various characters are developed and
their problems explored. The progressively stirring atmosphere is height
ened by Vallée's often astonishing directorial prowess\, as the filmmake
r offers up a number of engrossing sequences that are nothing short of i
ndelible in their impact. Named for a song beloved by both Antoine and L
aurent\, Café de Flore was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto Int
ernational Film Festival.\n\n\n- Jacinta Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120922.html#film-2711
SUMMARY:Café de Flore
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120925T113800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120925T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120925T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2712
DESCRIPTION:The Door is set in Hungary in the 1960s and features a powerf
ul performance by Helen Mirren as Emerence\; a poor\, blunt and elderly
maid to Magda (Gedeck)\, a well-off author. Magda needs a cook and clean
er and tolerates Emerence's uncompromising manner\, often insulting spee
ch and eccentric habits - including bursting into rooms unannounced and
an unnatural insistence on the display of ceramic dog statues. The relat
ionship between these two characters is the drawcard of the film and the
viewer grows in fondness for both characters as their bond solidifies\,
drawing out the strengths and weaknesses of each.\n\n\nThe door (of the
film's title) to Emerence's shack remains shut\, as it has for decades
- the mystery of why is a rumour mill for the town and constantly in Mag
da's thoughts. When Magda wins an award for her latest novel and travels
to the capital\, all is not well at home\, bringing a rushed resolution
to the connection between the two women.\n\n\nThe film is played out in
a manner that suits the period piece\, and is a lot less laboured than
many more modern films. However this pace doesn't give the audience the
chance to fully engage with the powerful characters both Gedeck and Mirr
en develop. One highlight for me was the wonderfully symphonic soundtrac
k that surrounds the work of the women and that suits the film to a tee.
The Door is of high quality with dramatic performances that resonate wi
th the emotional\, and sometimes dark\, histories of its characters.\n\n
\n- Steven Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120925.html#film-2712
SUMMARY:The Door
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120927T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120927T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120927T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2713
DESCRIPTION:Hope Springs is set in the seaside town of Great Hope Springs
. But the title has a double meaning - also referring to a sense of opti
mism for the chances of rescuing the stale marriage of Kay and Arnold (S
treep and Jones)\, a couple of more than 30 years from the US mid-west.\
n\n\nGiven the two leads\, you could be forgiven for expecting a screami
ng\, dramatic film examining in raw detail the difficulties of keeping a
marriage alive. You would\, however\, be wrong - Hope Springs takes its
impressive cast down a firmly comedic path. Mr Jones\, well-known for p
laying threatening characters with an edge of menace\, has done award-wi
nning comedy (Men in Black). Ms Streep also has comedy credentials (She-
Devil and It's Complicated).\n\n\nThe plot is simple\, as the two 60-som
ethings go through a very funny but thought-provoking weekend of marriag
e and sex therapy under the guidance and scrutiny of relationship therap
ist Dr Bernie Field (Carell). A weekend of more interest to bored and un
happy Kay\, who has dragged the cantankerous and sceptical Arnold out of
his much-loved regular routine to submit to the therapy.\n\n\nDirected
by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada)\, don't miss the chance to watc
h Ms Streep and Mr Jones bring their distinctive character portrayals to
comedy\, and see if they can reignite the spark of their marriage.\n\n\
n- John Rogers
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120927.html#film-2713
SUMMARY:Hope Springs
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T113800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2715
DESCRIPTION:Bel Ami is the latest film adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's
1885 novel of the same name. It is set in Paris in the 1890s and tells t
he story of Georges Duroy (Pattinson)\, a soldier returned from war. Geo
rges has come from poverty and uses three of the wives of his acquaintan
ces - Madeleine Forestier (Thurman)\, Clotilde de Marelle (Ricci) and Vi
rginie Walters (Scott Thomas) - to rise above that poverty in the wealth
y environs of Belle Epoch Paris.\n\n\nGeorges goes from being a clerk to
journalism after a chance meeting with an old army friend in a bar. The
film charts Georges success at journalism (with the help of Madeleine F
orestier's words and ideas) and uses flashbacks to a scene of Georges's
poverty to highlight his change in fortune - at least initially.\n\n\nI
found this to be a well-paced movie\, with beautifully shot scenes. Chri
stina Ricci does an excellent job as the wife Georges takes as a mistres
s and Kristin Scott Thomas is always good. Unlike some\, I didn't find R
obert Pattinson's performance too wooden and found what the film had to
say about human motives very interesting. I also found Colm Meaney excel
lent in the supporting role of the owner of the newspaper Georges ends u
p working for. All in all\, this film is a good night out.\n\n\n- Melani
e Drake
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120928.html#film-2715
SUMMARY:Bel Ami
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T134700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T115300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120928T115300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2714
DESCRIPTION:Taking its title from David Byrne's 1983 classic song of the
same name\, This Must be the Place charts the middle-aged and washed-up
Cheyenne's (Penn) quest to find out some fundamental facts\; about himse
lf\, about his father and about where his home really is. As a backdrop
to this quest is Cheyenne's past as a former international rock-star\, h
is father's experience during the holocaust and his dislocation from his
native America.\n\n\nDirected by Paolo Sorrentino\, unknown outside of
his native Italy\, This Must Be the Place is a film that\, despite all i
ts claims about discovering basic truths and re-asserting your life's di
rection\, is weirdly shapeless. There are some strong performances from
Penn\, Frances McDormand\, Judd Hirsch\, Harry Dean Stanton\, and Eve He
wson (Bono's banging daughter)\, and there is a solid sprinkling of humo
ur and wistfulness\, yet the film lacks a cohesive narrative structure o
r any real character development. You might be left disappointed if you
come to a film looking for those things\, if not jump aboard this quixot
ic road-quest film and see if you can find any truths that might've elud
ed Cheyenne.\n\n\n- Carl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120928.html#film-2714
SUMMARY:This Must Be the Place
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T093200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2717
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nOne of the oldest works in
literature is "The Odyssey" by Homer\, the story of the nautical journe
y home from the Trojan War by Odysseus and his many adventures en route.
Abridged translations of "The Odyssey" are still eagerly read by studen
ts. Indeed the best-selling Young Adult novel and forthcoming 2013 movie
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters has a setting very much inspired
by "The Odyssey".\n\n\nOne of the youngest works in literature is the an
imated feature-length movie. Ice Age: Continental Drift nevertheless bor
rows from its ancient Homeric predecessor. (Or perhaps that should be Ho
meric successor\, since the Ice Age franchise of movies are set in prehi
storic times well before the Trojan War.) As Odysseus sought to sail hom
e to his wife Penelope\, so Manfred "Manny" (Romano) the woolly mammoth
seeks to sail home to his wife Ellie (Queen Latifah). And both Odysseus
and Manny encounter the deceptively attractive singers\, the Sirens.\n\n
\nWoolly mammoths are not usually nautical by choice. However\, Manny an
d the other two protagonists Sid (Leguizamo)\, the stupid sloth\, and Di
ego (Leary)\, the soft-hearted saber-toothed tiger\, accidentally find t
hemselves marooned on an iceberg. Yet worse is to come when they are 're
scued'...\n\n\nAlthough Manny\, Sid and Diego are - as always - the prot
agonists\, the hero is - as always - the prehistoric squirrel-rat Scrat
(Chris Wedge). The animators create increasingly inventive ways for Scra
t to eternally pursue a nut\; and eternally fail.\n\n- Richard Hills
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120929.html#film-2717
SUMMARY:Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T131400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120929T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2716
DESCRIPTION:Forget the 3D conversion\; we're rescreening the original in
all its Oscar-winning 2D glory! One of the highest-grossing films of all
time\, Titanic had a record-breaking budget of $200 million\, brought b
ack ten-fold with box office takings of over $2 billion worldwide. You c
an see why\, with its sumptuous sets and stunning costuming (The hat! Th
e dress!)\, all shot with beautiful cinematography.\n\n\nIf you haven't
seen the film and don't know the story\, let me first congratulate you o
n avoiding spoilers for the past 15 years! The film follows the story of
Rose DeWitt Bukater (Winslet)\; a survivor of the infamous sinking. The
elderly Rose (Gloria Stuart) tells the story of her time aboard the ill
-fated vessel to crewmembers of a wreckage recovery mission\, who seek a
legendary diamond on the ship but get caught up in the tale of her rela
tionship with a young man named Jack Dawson (DiCaprio). While Rose is tr
avelling in first class style\, impoverished artist Jack is in steerage\
; yet the two bond\, much to the consternation of her well-to-do mother
and stuffy\, controlling fiancé. Meanwhile\, an iceberg lurks ahead...\n
\n\nJames Cameron made this with a lot of love\, recreating the original
ship down to even the smallest detail. The film may have been overshado
wed by its own hype (it did 'Go on and on')\, but it still stands up as
an enthralling story of young love made all the more gripping by impendi
ng disaster.\n\n\nCome and revisit the film behind the phenomenon.\n\n\n
- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20120929.html#film-2716
SUMMARY:Titanic
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121004T121800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121004T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121004T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2718
DESCRIPTION:It is the end of the 18th century\, and fifteen-year-old prin
cess Caroline (Vikander) travels from England to Copenhagen\, full of hi
gh hopes for her arranged marriage to Denmark's King Christian (Følsgaar
d). Any fantasies of a fairy-tale life are quickly dashed\, however\, wh
en she discovers that her husband-to-be is a child-like imbecile\, more
excited about his dog than his luminous new bride. Disillusioned\, she a
cts upon sound advice from her mother and promptly bears the King a son
to gain the acceptance of his Court. After all\, if Christian is more co
ncerned with buxom prostitutes than the well-being of his struggling cou
ntry\, then she might as well use her proximity to the throne for the gr
eater good.\n\n\nWhen the King returns from a tour of Europe accompanied
by his new friend\, confidante and personal physician\, Johann Struense
e (Mikkelsen)\, Queen Caroline finds an unexpected ally. A fervent disci
ple of the Enlightenment movement that advocates morality over oppressio
n\, Struensee's revolutionary ideals immediately invigorate the represse
d Queen\, and what starts out as a meeting of the minds soon leads to a
physical connection. Before long\, Struensee and Caroline are using thei
r newfound influence to persuade the King to assert his previously unuse
d power\, enacting reforms that will change Denmark forever.\n\n\nYou'd
think the Brits would have cornered the market on historical dramas abou
t cuckolded royals and bodice-ripping liaisons by now\, but A Royal Affa
ir shows that the Danish have equally sensational tales in their history
too. Beautifully produced\, immensely entertaining and superbly acted\,
this is a refreshingly engaging film that will have even the most disce
rning filmgoer gripped.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121004.html#film-2718
SUMMARY:A Royal Affair
(En kongelig affære)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T114500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2720
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAbraham Lincoln: Vampire H
unter is a fantasy action/horror story based on the novel of the same na
me by Seth Grahame-Smith\, who also contributed to the screenplay. The d
irector is Russian Timur Bekmambetov\, best known for his work on Night
Watch and Day Watch.\n\n\nThe film opens with Abe\, President of the Uni
ted States from 1861 to 1865\, proclaiming: "However history remembers m
e\, before I was President\, I shall always think of myself as a hunter.
" The story then shows Abe's bloodthirsty mission to avenge his mother's
death and save America from being invaded by hordes of undead bloodsuck
ers and their slave-owning conspirators.\n\n\nA giant among men at 1.9m\
, Lincoln adopts the axe as his preferred tool of the trade\, hiding it
inside his signature long black coat. It is precisely this kind of proac
tive dedication to the cause and deadly skill with a sharp instrument th
at is missing from the politicians of today.\n\n\nHis adversaries are te
rrifying creatures of the night - aggressive\, visceral and relentless w
ith a voracious appetite for blood. They have superhuman strength and ar
e only mildly fazed by sunlight. These vamps appear human until they sho
w their true appearance: fangs\, veiny blue skin and deep black eyes.\n\
n\nIf you like your supernatural revenge tales violent\, blood-spattered
and based on a very original concept\, this is the film for you.\n\n- R
ob Bourke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121005.html#film-2720
SUMMARY:Abraham Lincoln:
Vampire Hunter
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T134200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T120000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121005T120000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2719
DESCRIPTION:This interesting and unusual take on the Beauty and the Beast
myth was the first collaboration between director Tim Burton and his lo
ng-time leading man\, Johnny Depp\; and perhaps their best. An inventor
(played by horror movie legend Vincent Price) builds himself a son\, Edw
ard (Depp)\, who has a complex construction of scissors for hands. Just
as he is gifting his son new hands of flesh and fingers\, the inventor s
uddenly dies\, leaving Edward alone in an isolated gothic mansion\, stil
l with his razor-sharp hands. He is rescued eventually by motherly Avon
lady\, Peg Boggs (Wiest)\, who takes the trusting young man to her home
in the suburbs\, much to the bemusement of her family and neighbours. Wh
en Edward meets her teenage daughter\, Kim (Ryder)\, he is transfixed by
her beauty\, and the stage is set for this fairy tale of love and woe.\
n\n\nWhile his later films may have begun to grate with their over-styli
sed look\, this is Tim Burton at his early creative best\, with imaginat
ive and eye-popping imagery accompanying an original and charming story
that will tug a few heartstrings.
The Boggs's pastel suburbia was a lov
ingly constructed homage to the director's home town and the film is bur
sting with detail\, captured with gorgeous cinematography. Punctuated by
Danny Elfman's beautifully haunting score\, this is an enchanting fable
of innocence meeting the harsh real world. Loved by film geeks\, casual
viewers and everyone in-between\, this is a modern classic not to be mi
ssed.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121005.html#film-2719
SUMMARY:Edward Scissorhands
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T115500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2722
DESCRIPTION:Zixin (Gao) is kind\, funny\, smart and easy on the eyes - a
real catch. She also has a couple of admirers\; the cute investment bank
er Shen-ran (Koo) who lives across the street and QiHong (Wu)\, a drunke
n architect who's at a low point in his career. QiHong met Zixin by chan
ce and\, besotted by her\, gave up the bottle\, while Shen-ran slowly bu
ilds the courage to ask her out by sending wordless windows messages - n
ot the Microsoft kind\, the old-fashioned glass kind. But missed chances
mean Zixin stays single\; for now. Three years later a series of coinci
dences bring all three back together for another chance at love.\n\n\nDo
n't Go Breaking My Heart embraces this happenstance in its storytelling\
, and also deals out a decent amount of surprises and witty banter\, mak
ing a great rom-com. All the actors here revel in their characters and b
ring a strong exuberance to the film. Johnnie To at the helm does a grea
t job\, despite it being a departure from his normal action-crime genre\
, and shows a subtle hand at comedy. Overall it's a fun and engaging rom
antic film from start to finish. Who does Zixin end up with? Well you'll
have to come along to find out!\n\n\n- Steven Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121006.html#film-2722
SUMMARY:Don't Go Breaking My Heart
(Daan gyun naam yu)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T141200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T121000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121006T121000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2721
DESCRIPTION:When a scientist working on a deadly strain of the smallpox v
irus decides to turn in his creation to the authorities\, Jon (Chou) and
his elite team are deployed to bring him in. But what was meant to be a
routine escort mission quickly descends into chaos after one of their o
wn betrays them and steals the virus. Left with an inoperable bullet in
his brain\, Jon is told he has only two weeks to live\, and decides to s
pend his remaining time with his disabled mother. Then\, as if the poor
guy didn't already have enough to deal with\, she goes and drops a bombs
hell on him: he has a long lost brother. \n\n\nSetting off to Malaysia t
o track him down\, Jon soon discovers that Yeung (Tse) isn't quite the s
ibling he'd always wanted. In fact\, he just so happens to be part of a
criminal operation that's shopping around a recently acquired smallpox v
irus (small world!). And before you know it\, the two brothers on opposi
te sides of the law are in a race against time to prevent a global catas
trophe. So much for bed rest...\n\n\nThe Viral Factor certainly isn't go
ing to win any awards for originality (or logic\, or acting\, or for hav
ing an actual plot) but it's still an awesome blend of sprawling action
set pieces\, impressive stunt work and co-ordinated chaos that delivers
exactly the sort of thrills you'd want from a late-night movie at the Fi
lm Group.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121006.html#film-2721
SUMMARY:The Viral Factor (Jik zin)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121010T104600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121010T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121010T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2723
DESCRIPTION:Winner of the Cannes Prize for best screenplay in 2011\, Foot
note is a story of feuding academics that lack the ability to contain th
eir egos and how those egos flare over the smallest matters. Fought out
between an unrecognised\, bitter Professor of Talmudic studies Professor
Eliezer Shkolnik (Bar-Aba) and a well-regarded\, younger and charismati
c Professor Uriel Shkolnik (Ashkenazi)\, Footnote is a story of pride an
d family. This father and son duo are incapable of sharing in each other
's success and this tension between career recognition and what must rem
ain of their love for one another drives the film.\n\n\nGenerally well-r
eceived internationally\, it was nominated for a foreign language Oscar\
; it is a shame then that a film with such a strong script wasn't quite
realised in its filming. Joseph Cedar tends to meander when he should ex
plain\, and avoids exploring the anxieties of the relationship. The char
acters\, especially the elder Shkolnik\, are at times grossly unappealin
g and their closely-knit worlds are difficult to emotionally penetrate.
Maybe in the hands of a more experienced director this film would have c
ome off\, unfortunately however it doesn't quite fly with Cedar\, and it
's a shame it didn't.\n\n\n- Carl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121010.html#film-2723
SUMMARY:Footnote
(Hearat Shulayim)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121011T113000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121011T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121011T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2724
DESCRIPTION:In rural Anatolia a prosecutor\, a police chief\, a doctor an
d various policemen and diggers escort two prisoners around the steppes
in search of a dead body. Given the prisoners' hazy memory of where said
body is\, this search goes well into the evening and early hours of the
morning. This provides much time for weary discussion and reflection\,
and even a midnight dinner rest in a small village\, where some encounte
rs (particularly the appearance of the mayor's daughter) appear magical
through the tired eyes of the men.\n\n\nThis movie is what real cinema i
s all about. The scenes at night (which takes up the first 75% of the mo
vie) are superbly shot\, and hypnotically draw you in (to the extent tha
t I even started to feel cold in a heated cinema\, such was the effectiv
eness of the wind through the trees). But you have to give yourself over
to it - if you're someone who can get bored through the slow parts of a
n Ice Age movie\, for example\, then I have no qualms about warning you
away from this\, as your ADHD will not cope. For the rest of us however\
, as long as you are prepared for a meditative enveloping experience\, y
ou won't be disappointed. My interest waned slightly in the last act\, a
fter the sun has risen\, as it didn't have the same hypnotic effect. But
the rest of this Cannes-winning film is worth every second.\n\n\n- Trav
is Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121011.html#film-2724
SUMMARY:Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
(Bir zamanlar Anadolu'da)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T104200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2726
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThe Expendables 2 is\, pro
bably unsurprisingly\, a sequel to The Expendables where a gung-ho group
of mercenaries were hired to free some goodies from the clutches of lot
s of baddies. It was such a good romp\, that they've clipped in another
round of ammo and are ready to go again. Barney (Stallone)\, Lee (Statha
m)\, Yin Yang (Li)\, Gunnar (Lundgren) and co are reunited when Mr Churc
h (Bruce Willis) enlists them to take on what looks to be quite an easy
job with a hefty paycheque. But things go wrong and one of their own is
brutally killed. This leaves the Expendables with only one option - get
revenge in the middle of hostile territory.\n\n\nThe crew cut a huge pat
h of destruction through their enemies\, causing chaos and shutting down
a plot to utilise weapons-grade plutonium to throw out the balance of w
orld power. Joining the team for this action-filled sequel are none othe
r than Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. And if you haven't decide
d to come along yet\, then you mustn't have read the last sentence. Ther
e isn't a lot of brain power needed here\, but there's a lot of eye and
ear power required to take in the explosions\, fight scenes and pure amo
unt of awesomeness that one screen is attempting to contain.\n\n- Steven
Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121012.html#film-2726
SUMMARY:The Expendables 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T124200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T105700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121012T105700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2725
DESCRIPTION:In stark contrast to the high energy no-need-for-a-plot explo
sionfest (not that there's anything wrong with that!) which precedes it\
, comes The Long Voyage Home. Adapted from a series of plays by Eugene O
'Neill ("The Iceman Cometh")\, this is a tense and dramatic character st
udy of the motley crew of a World War II cargo ship as they struggle wit
h weather\, cargo (the ship is full of volatile ammunition)\, duty and\,
above all\, one another.\n\n\nThese are not the cut-and-dry heroes of a
n action movie\, or indeed of most war films. The cast does an excellent
job of bringing full\, rounded characters to the screen\, with all thei
r failings. Most of the journey here is within the men themselves\, the
events serving primarily as a backdrop for the exploration of the men an
d their relationships with one another - for many\, their shipmates are
the closest thing to family they've had. Yet heroes they are\, in their
own way.\n\n\nThe film was nominated for 6 Oscars\, though John Ford was
not among them\, being nominated (and winning) instead for his work on
The Grapes of Wrath that year. Perhaps the most deserved nomination was
for cinematographer Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane) whose work was ahead of
its time\, experimenting with angles and techniques that really help to
capture the sense of cramped\, suffocating fear felt by the men. The Lon
g Voyage Home isn't a feelgood film\, but it is certainly an honest one
that will leave you pondering the true meaning of heroism.\n\n\n- Pedr C
ain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121012.html#film-2725
SUMMARY:The Long Voyage Home
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121018T112400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121018T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121018T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2727
DESCRIPTION:The aptly titled In Darkness is based on a true story from th
e Holocaust in Lvov\, Poland\, where a group of Jews escaped from the Na
zi massacres by hiding in the sewers under the city. The film tells the
story of that escape\, but spends most of its running time on the subseq
uent rigours and pressures of survival in horrendous conditions.\n\n\nTh
e darkness of the title is three-fold. Firstly there is the obvious dark
ness of the events unfolding above ground\, knowing those they knew and
loved are being slaughtered metres above their heads. Secondly the physi
cal darkness in which they find themselves\, which must have been a daun
ting prospect to film. The set design and cinematography are to be appla
uded in this regard\, as the sewers are brought to life with disgusting
believability.\n\n\nThe final aspect of darkness explored comes from a s
trange place - the darkness forced into the hearts of good people faced
with horrific events. This is not a simple film about heroic Jews overco
ming evil Nazis - our protagonists are forced by circumstance into moral
dead-ends and constantly struggle to keep the darkness out. Trying to c
ling to hope\, respect and dignity has never been more difficult than wh
en you are In Darkness.\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121018.html#film-2727
SUMMARY:In Darkness
(W ciemności)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T102500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2729
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nI'll be honest with you. I
am not really a fan of the movies of either Ferrell or Galifianakis. Bu
t I have been a fan of their political parodies of American politics ove
r the past decade. Ferrell does a lovely impersonation of George Bush Jr
\, being confused about nearly everything. Galifianakis has become one o
f the most famous Karl Marx impersonators in history\, but his public pa
rticularly enjoy his character of Marty Huggins - a very closeted Southe
rner who can't resist the limelight.\n\n\nIn The Campaign\, Ferrell's Ge
orge Bush transforms into Cam Brady\, a very successful politician who i
s particularly skilled at sounding like he agrees with everyone - even t
hough he is in fact just as shallow a corporate tool as the rest of his
colleagues in Congress. The election is looming and Cam is unopposed...
until Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) signs on to challenge him.\n\n\nMarty
is\, generally speaking\, naïve about everything twenty first century -
and large parts of the twentieth century. It should be easy for Cam to
defeat him\, but this is the age of the insatiable beast that is the Twe
nty-four Hour News Cycle. To feed the beast the candidates are forced to
go to extremes just to get their message out. It makes them pretend tha
t they are what they are not and it is exhausting for them in a deeply c
omedic existential sense as they struggle to keep up with who they appar
ently now are\, and what they apparently now want to be.\n\n\nSpoiler Al
ert! Tim Robbins's character 'Bob Roberts'\, does not make an appearance
in this movie. Which is really disappointing. Oh well.\n\n- Chris Patte
rson
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121019.html#film-2729
SUMMARY:The Campaign
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T123300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T104000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121019T104000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2728
DESCRIPTION:Hart (Bottoms) is a very intelligent new arrival at Harvard\,
excited to begin his law degree and ready to make a name for himself. W
hat he is not ready for is Professor Kingsfield (Houseman) - the man who
has seemingly taken it upon himself to ensure second year Harvard law c
lasses have as few students as possible. Kingsfield wrote the book on co
ntract law\, and is prepared to throw it at any student he comes in cont
act with.\n\n\nLife is made even harder for Hart when he falls in love w
ith Susan (Wagner\, of "Bionic Woman" fame). It's a challenging relation
ship that threatens to distract him from the already difficult coursewor
k he is tasked with. When it turns out that Susan is Professor Kingsfiel
d's daughter things get even more difficult for Hart\, who is now trying
to impress both a professor and a potential father-in-law.\n\n\nThe Pap
er Chase is an intelligent film which\, at its heart\, is about the rela
tionship between a student and teacher. Kingsfield is a tough nut to cra
ck - he respects Hart's intelligence and clear respect for the course ma
terial but is not about to show any signs of affection. Hart feels equal
parts fear and anger toward Kingsfield\, but above all respects the Pro
fessor\, to the extent that he is willing to battle through that fear to
try and impress. The script and performances are wonderfully natural in
regard to this relationship\, everything rings true and that makes for
an enjoyable ride as events play out.\n\n\nHouseman won the Best Support
ing Actor Oscar for his performance\, and it's well-deserved - in a char
acter so rigid he does a masterful job of presenting subtle nuances\, al
lowing the audience to catch a brief glimpse of the truth behind the gru
ff mask. He steals every scene he's in with ease and the film is well wo
rth seeing for his performance alone. So come along and enjoy - perhaps
you'll learn something to help deal with that awful Professor you're str
uggling with at the ANU (though it should be noted that the ANUFG does n
ot endorse breaking into university libraries for any reason).\n\n\n- Pe
dr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121019.html#film-2728
SUMMARY:The Paper Chase
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T105600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2730
DESCRIPTION:Devil's Island is actually Bastøy\, which in the first half o
f last century was a harsh youth prison in Norway. The film is set in 19
15 and begins with the arrival of Erling or 'C19' as he's known. Very st
rong bonds are created between the boys\, particularly for Erling and Ol
av 'C1'\, as all of the boys come to terms with the harsh winter\, even
harsher treatment and the hated Housefather Braaten. The film goes on to
tell the true story of the 1915 prison rebellion which resulted in the
Norwegian army being summoned.\n\n\nAlthough it's quite a long film (abo
ut two hours) the grey and exotic location creates a powerful character\
, which alongside the convincing performances from a largely unprofessio
nal cast of young actors\, means you don't really notice the time. This
is a good example of when the truth is stranger than fiction so you feel
drawn into this dark\, crazy place. Particularly towards the end of the
film which is dramatic\, tragic and truly gripping. This isn't a mind-b
lowing experience in cinema terms\, but it's a really well done film\, a
nd definitely worth seeing... unless you're in need of some cheering up
in which case I'd suggest some chocolate and some re-runs of your favour
ite sitcom instead.\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121020.html#film-2730
SUMMARY:King of Devil's Island (Kongen av Bastøy)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T130100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T111100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121020T111100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2731
DESCRIPTION:This is a deceptively simple movie. It tells the story of a y
oung woman torn between two men\, both of whom she loves deeply but in c
ompletely different ways.\n\n\nThe young woman is Camille (Créton) and w
hen we first meet her she is fifteen\, living with her parents in Paris
and having an intense relationship with a teenage boy named Sullivan. We
follow Camille through the passing of that relationship and the develop
ment of a new one with Norwegian architect Lorenz (Brekke)\, from employ
er/employee to casual acquaintances to emotional confidantes to lovers.
But when Sullivan returns to the scene everything gets a lot more comple
x.\n\n\nThis film is about as far removed from a Hollywood romance as it
can be. There isn't a snappy plot\, manufactured linkages and warm-fuzz
y closure in the end. Instead\, the movie is less about drama and more a
bout character. This means that for some people it may seem to be a litt
le slow\, but I guess that's precisely the way real life happens. If you
are a fan of French cinema this is the perfect opportunity to don your
beret\, grab a croissant and get lost in the feelings of love - not the
sentimental ones but those real life feelings of love where the shortest
separation feels like forever and the slightest misunderstanding a cata
strophe.\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121020.html#film-2731
SUMMARY:Goodbye First Love
(Un amour de jeunesse)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T090200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T070000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T070000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2733
DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS FILM WIL
L NOW BE SCREENED ON SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER AT 6 PM. FOR MORE DETAILS\
, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/8218/screening-change-polisse-red-s
tate-now.html[HERE]. **\n\n\nPolisse - which uses an intentionally c
hild-like\, French spelling of 'police' - takes a fascinating look into
the professional and personal lives of the men and women that comprise a
Parisian police department's Child Protection Unit. Told from the point
of view of a photojournalist assigned to document the unit\, the film u
ncovers the City of Light's tough\, dark underbelly as well as the profo
und impact that unspeakable crimes can have on those tasked with investi
gating them\, many of who are enduring crises of their own. For these de
dicated cops\, the daily grind consists of dealing with all manner of cr
imes against\, and perpetrated by\, minors: everything from underage pic
kpocketing to child molesters\, to abusive parents and the never-ending
excesses of teen sexuality (and that's on a good day). What would be an
unimaginable ordeal for most is just a day in the life for the tight-kni
t team\, who rely on each other to diffuse the realities of their days w
ith solidarity\, humour and the occasional breakdown.\n\n\nDespite the c
onstant flurry of harrowing\, unflinching crimes featured in Polisse\, i
t's the motley crew of cops that is ultimately the film's highlight - wh
ich is more than one can usually say for procedural police dramas of thi
s ilk and their case-of-the-week predilection. As a result\, what begins
as a patchwork of unrelated cases (all based on real investigations) en
ds up becoming much\, much more: a confronting\, challenging\, powerfull
y thought-provoking film that will surprise\, move\, and stay with you l
ong after you've left the theatre.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121021.html#film-2733
SUMMARY:Polisse
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T102500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121021T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2732
DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS FILM WIL
L NOW BE SCREENED ON SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15 PM.
FOR MORE DETAILS\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/8218/screening-cha
nge-polisse-red-state-now.html[HERE]. **\n\n\nIn the 90s (the glorio
us 90s)\, I was a Kevin Smith geek. I was impressed with his debut Clerk
s (a quintessential 90s slacker movie if there ever was one)\, had fun w
ith Mallrats and absolutely fell in love with Chasing Amy\, given that i
t addressed many issues that I was dealing with at the time (I almost fe
lt like I was Holden McNeil... although I never dated a lesbian). Then S
mith started to make less-engaging movies: on second viewing\, Dogma was
less spectacular once you got over the anti-religious wordplay\, and Ja
y and Silent Bob Strike Back\, Jersey Girl and Clerks 2 just felt like h
e was resting on laurels and going through the motions. Then came the ex
ecrable Zack and Miri Make a Porno\, and I declared that the Kevin Smith
I knew and loved no longer existed.\n\n\nBut along came Red State\, and
I started rejoicing and declaring that Kevin Smith was BACK\, BABY!\n\n
\nThis horror-cum-thriller-cum-action-cum-political movie\, with heavy d
oses of humour all the way through\, is Smith trying something different
... and succeeding. The movie itself (about teenage boys who are capture
d and tortured by extreme religious fundamentalists) is unlike most othe
r movies on this semester's programme. With endless quotable dialogue\,
an Oscar winning actor (Leo)\, a wonderful performance by Michael Parks
as the pastor\, and indictments against almost everybody (from incompete
nt left-wing government agencies to right-wing religious nutjobs)\, this
is Smith's best film to date! Welcome back\, sir\, we missed you so muc
h!\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121021.html#film-2732
SUMMARY:Red State
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121024T103800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121024T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121024T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2734
DESCRIPTION:Lee Hirsch's confronting documentary was at the centre of a r
atings debate on its release in the US\, with the MPAA insisting on an R
rating due to some foul language in the mouths of the kids in the film.
This severely limited access to the film for the people it was speaking
to and about most directly\, children and young adults. The MPAA later
relented and changed the rating to PG-13. Bully opens with David Long te
lling us how his son committed suicide due to bullying\, and as his hear
tbreaking tale unfolds it swiftly becomes apparent that this film should
certainly be seen by all and sundry.
\n\n\nThe documentary follows five
families\, mostly from the Southwest\, and their experiences with bully
ing in the school system. Though the film may have a tight focus on indi
vidual experience\, it speaks to a much wider epidemic that affects chil
dren throughout the US and\, for that matter\, here in Australia as well
. Dangers of intolerance\, ignorance (on the part of teachers and parent
s) and an overarching attitude of 'kids will be kids' are in the foregro
und of this powerful and moving documentary. Though the film does not of
fer solutions to the problem\, it draws attention to an issue that many
are dismissive of. Told with an empathetic eye and containing revealing
footage of both bullying and its after effects\, this is a documentary t
hat as many people as possible should see.\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121024.html#film-2734
SUMMARY:Bully
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121025T112500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121025T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121025T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2735
DESCRIPTION:Marley is a biographical documentary about the life and music
of Bob Marley. The film's director is Kevin Macdonald\, whose previous
work includes State of Play (2009) and The Last King of Scotland (2006).
\n\n\nCreated with the support of Marley's family\, and over 2 hours lo
ng\, this film is the definitive story of the reggae legend's life. It i
ncludes never-before-seen footage\, explosive live performances and in-d
epth interviews with the people that knew him best before his early deat
h from cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.\n\n\nMarley\, the first musician
from a developing country to achieve worldwide acclaim\, contradicted t
he idea that reggae musicians are laid-back with a carefree approach to
life. Macdonald provides a vivid picture of his journey\, from the forma
tion of The Wailers in 1963 with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in dirt-poo
r Trench Town in Kingston\, to the band becoming a major phenomenon with
success in both the UK and America.\n\n\nThe film portrays Marley in te
rms of a bigger narrative: the story of Jamaica itself\, pushing to find
its way beyond two different cultural empires\, Britain and America\, w
hile seeking to find a peaceful solution to its sectarian violence and c
rime. \n\n\nMarley emerges as a driven\, industrious\, competitive and c
harismatic leader who was political in the broadest sense\, but never li
mited by this.\n\n\n- Rob Bourke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121025.html#film-2735
SUMMARY:Marley
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T103600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2736
DESCRIPTION:In the tradition of The Wedding Singer\, When Harry Met Sally
...\, Knocked Up and any other movie that could not decide whether it wa
s a Rom Com or a Slacker Movie\, so decided to try to be both\, comes No
t Suitable for Children.\n\n\nPoint is\, with Not Suitable for Children\
, you pretty much know what you are going to get. The hero\, Jonah (Kwan
ten) lives in a well-to-do inner city suburb\, gets his income from stag
ing raves and\, like all good slackers\, has no real responsibility at a
ll. Then he gets diagnosed with testicular cancer. More predictable hila
rity ensues as Jonah tries to convince one of his many\, many ex-girlfri
ends and other flings to have a baby with him before he gets one of his
boys removed. This is followed by some deep soul searching. Followed by
some more hilarity\, with the ever predictable catharsis at the end in w
hich A and B discover that even though they are not perfect individually
they may be perfect together. Still\, that is not a reason not to see t
he movie. Nothing much is on television nowadays so why don't you come d
own to the film\, park your brain in the corner and just enjoy the fanta
sy.\n\n\nSpoiler: Sorry to all you "True Blood" fans\, there are no vamp
ires in this film. A few zombies\, but no vampires.\n\n\n- Christopher P
atterson
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121026.html#film-2736
SUMMARY:Not Suitable for Children
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T124000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T105100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121026T105100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2737
DESCRIPTION:It's the not-too-distant future in New York City and billiona
ire Eric Packer (Pattinson) is the pinnacle of capitalism. At only 28\,
Packer is the uncontested king of Wall Street\, a brilliant financial wh
iz who has made his fortune playing the stock market using the billions
and minions at his disposal. Today\, on a whim\, Packer decides to trave
l across Manhattan to get a haircut at his father's old barber.\n\n\nHis
chauffeur and bodyguard (Kevin Durand) warns him about potential compli
cations: a presidential motorcade has slowed traffic to a crawl\, with t
he resultant protests and credible threats against Packer's own life bei
ng slightly more pressing than his hair length difficulty. But Packer pe
rsists\, more concerned about the mounting exchange rate of the Chinese
yuan\, which he has been unwisely betting against. Monitoring the situat
ion from his leather throne inside a fully equipped\, sound-and-bullet-p
roof stretch limousine\, Packer begins his perilous journey across town.
\n\n\nYes\, Cosmopolis is ostensibly about a man going to get a haircut\
, but in the hands of David Cronenberg you'd be foolish for not expectin
g more. During the course of his 24-hour odyssey across Manhattan\, Pack
er meets with an assortment of figures (played by an impressive roster o
f guest stars) - both in-limo and during pit stops - who engage him in a
series of bizarre\, hyper-intelligent conversations that pick apart the
plutocrat's psyche as only Cronenberg can. Buoyed by a surprisingly goo
d performance from everyone's favourite sparkly vampire\, this ambitious
\, talky and surreal social satire may not be for everyone\, but is well
worth the ride for those willing to give it a go.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121026.html#film-2737
SUMMARY:Cosmopolis
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T103500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2738
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFive teenagers head off fo
r a weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods. They arrive at their remot
e destination to find themselves completely isolated\, with no means of
communicating with the outside world. When things start to turn eerily o
minous\, their idyllic holiday turns into a struggle for survival. Sound
familiar? Like the set-up to pretty much every horror film ever made? T
hat's the point!\n\n\nWriter/director Drew Goddard (best known for Clove
rfield and his work on JJ Abrams's sci-fi/action shows "Alias" and "Lost
") teams up with uber-geek writer Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"\, last semester's The Avengers) to create a self-aware\, meta-horror m
ovie that is so twisty-turning that to describe it any further would rui
n the experience. This may seem to cover painfully familiar ground but o
nce the five main characters arrive at the titular cabin\, it becomes a
film very much unlike any other. Simultaneously gory\, witty and intelli
gent\, this is not just a scary movie (or\, thankfully\, Scary Movie). I
t's also a commentary on itself\, the genre and all the associated clich
és\; while still upholding the true horror movie spirit (think Shaun of
the Dead only more madcap). \n\n\nYou don't need to be a horror devotee
to enjoy this. If you've seen any horror film\, ever\, or even just hear
d about one\, you have the background to more than appreciate this movie
for its many merits.\n\n\nAvoid the trailers\, forget this review\; jus
t come see it: the less you know\, the more fun you'll have.\n\n- Emma P
etrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121027.html#film-2738
SUMMARY:The Cabin in the Woods
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T121800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T105000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121027T105000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2739
DESCRIPTION:This is quite an obscure Fritz Lang movie but it is definitel
y a movie that deserves to be better known. Novelist Stephen Byrne (Hayw
ard) makes a play for his housemaid and unwittingly kills her when she r
ejects his advances. Enlisting the help of his disabled brother\, John (
Bowman)\, to dispose of the body in the river\, Stephen suddenly finds t
hat the publicity surrounding the maid's disappearance starts to increas
e his popularity. But as easy as Stephen finds it to have no conscience\
, the opposite is the case with John - and with the river refusing to ho
ld its secrets\, something is going to give.\n\n\nHouse by the River is
a dark and intense movie with one of the most despicable characters I ha
ve ever seen. Although this film doesn't rank as one of Lang's major fil
ms\, such as M or Metropolis\, this morbid melodrama about murder most f
oul (I've always wanted to use that phrase in a film review!) contains e
nough of his characteristic themes to make it rewarding for Lang fans. T
hese older films are getting harder and harder to see on the big screen
so don't miss the chance to experience House by the River the way it sho
uld be seen.\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121027.html#film-2739
SUMMARY:House by the River
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121101T111200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121101T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121101T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2740
DESCRIPTION:An action/comedy/western\, Let the Bullets Fly is set in 1920
s China where bandit Zhang (Jiang) moves into Goose Town posing as its n
ew mayor\, putting him in direct conflict with the town's current mayor
(Chow). This leads them to stage a hyper-violent and hilarious series of
escalating mind games.\n\n\nThe film switches from playful comedy to st
ylish action in the blink of an eye\, opening with a spectacular scene i
n which a train is hijacked and flips end over end into the air.\n\n\nAs
director\, Jiang strikes a good balance between the narrative and the a
ction\, subtly disguising the characters' true motives even while they'r
e trying to outwit and double-cross each other. Jiang's style of filmmak
ing has in the past been larger-than-life\, but unlike other Oriental We
sterns such as The Sun also Rises (2007)\, South Korea's The Good\, The
Bad\, The Weird (2008) or China's Wind Blast (2010)\, the set pieces and
performances are tied to a script that has a good foundation in charact
ers\, not just over-the-top action. A partial tribute to the spaghetti w
esterns of Sergio Leone\, Let the Bullets Fly combines a good mixture of
widescreen action with dialogue rich in literary tropes and double-talk
.\n\n\n- Rob Bourke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121101.html#film-2740
SUMMARY:Let the Bullets Fly
(Rang zidan fei)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T103900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2741
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nJust like 2010's Bran Nue
Dae\, The Sapphires is an indigenous musical based upon a successful sta
ge play - a musical comedy tinged with sadness.\n\n\nIn this case\, the
comic feel-good nature of The Sapphires is counterpointed by its dramati
c setting during the Vietnam War in 1968. The indigenous girl band of Ju
lie (Mauboy)\, Gail (Mailman)\, Cynthia (Tapsell) and Kay (Sebbens) - ac
companied by their self-proclaimed 'soul brother'\, white Irish manager
Dave (O'Dowd) - travel to Saigon to boost the morale of the troops with
their singing.\n\n\nOne of the reasons I liked Dark Shadows (set in 1972
) was its toe-tapping 1960s soundtrack. So I like The Sapphires even mor
e\, as The Sapphires sing many more toe-tapping 1960s songs\, with an em
phasis on Motown and soul music.\n\n\nA special note should be made of p
roduction designer Melinda Doring\, who evokes my memories of the 1960s
with sets so primary-coloured that they are almost fluorescent. Likewise
cinematographer Warwick Thornton keeps his lensing brightly saturated.
But most importantly\, the sound team led by Andrew Plain and Bry Jones
ensure that the classic 1960s hit tunes are eminently audible.\n\n- Rich
ard Hills
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121102.html#film-2741
SUMMARY:The Sapphires
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T122900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T105400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121102T105400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2742
DESCRIPTION:Hysteria is the story behind the invention of the vibrator -
in the name of medical science\, of course. Set in the 1880s it tells th
e story of how Dr Mortimer Granville (Dancy) came to invent the vibrator
to treat Victorian ladies' 'hysterical' disorders.\n\n\nDr Granville ha
s been fired from his most recent post for suggesting such ridiculous no
tions as bandages being changed regularly and doctors washing their hand
s before treating patients. He takes a position working for Dr Dalrymple
(Pryce)\, who has a booming business treating ladies diagnosed with 'hy
steria'\, which pretty much encompasses everything you could possibly th
ink of\, mostly psychological.\n\n\nWhile working for Dr Dalrymple\, Mor
timer lives with Dr Dalrymple and his daughter Emily (Felicity Jones)\,
whom he is encouraged to court. But it is the older\, more strong-willed
daughter\, Charlotte (Gyllenhaal) who attracts Mortimer's interest. Cha
rlotte runs a charitable set-up to help the poor\, much to the chagrin o
f her father. Through their friendship Mortimer starts to see women are
capable of far more than he gives them credit for.\n\n\nAfter providing
'treatment' to many women each day Dr Granville's future career is put a
t risk when he develops hand cramps and is unable to perform his duties.
That is until he and his rich\, eccentric friend Edmund (Everett) semi-
accidentally invents an electronic equivalent. Hallelujah! \n\n\nHysteri
a is an entertaining comedy which more than lived up to my expectations\
, with Rupert Everett being a highlight. Now I know what I need the next
time someone tells me I'm being hysterical.\n\n\n- Jacinta Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121102.html#film-2742
SUMMARY:Hysteria
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T083400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T070000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T070000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2744
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nSet in simpler times\, 196
5\, Moonrise Kingdom is a love story that follows a pair of 12 year olds
who run away together one summer. Well-meaning outcast Sam (Jared Gilma
n) is an orphan attending a Scouts summer camp\, led by scout master Ran
dy Ward (Norton). Sam meets Suzy (Kara Hayward)\, who is staying at her
parents' summer house across the lake from the camp with her dysfunction
al parents Walt (Murray) and Laura (McDormand)\, and the pair take off i
nto the woods for their own naïve adventure where no social boundaries c
an stand in the way of their blossoming friendship. Understandably\, the
adults responsible for Sam and Suzy launch a full-scale search for the
pair\, led by the local police captain (Willis).\n\n\nThe general consen
sus among critics is that Moonrise Kingdom is Anderson's (Rushmore\, The
Royal Tenenbaums) best film to date\, an impressive claim for a directo
r that is typically a critical darling. As with his past ventures\, the
film is an ensemble dramedy that relies on a window dressing of quirk to
stand out from the pack. The style has been done to death in the last d
ecade\, but Moonrise Kingdom still manages to make the formula feel fres
h and above all else endearing. This is a film it is impossible not to l
ove.\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121103.html#film-2744
SUMMARY:Moonrise Kingdom
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T111500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121103T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2743
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWriter/ director Tony Gilr
oy has expanded the 'Bourne' movie series\, created by Robert Ludlum\, t
his time through an original story. But it doesn't stray far from the fo
rmula - The Bourne Legacy is another globe-trotting action thrill ride.\
n\n\nThe film takes place after the conclusion of The Bourne Ultimatum a
nd expands on events which unfolded in the original Bourne trilogy. We a
re introduced to a new hero\, Aaron Cross (Renner). Cross is another ass
assin trained in the same program as Jason Bourne\, part of Operation Ou
tcome and linked to the Treadstone Project. Also like Bourne\, Aaron fin
ds himself running from... well\, most everyone\; entangled in life or d
eath situations caused by the personal and political fallout from that p
roject. Joining him on the run is Dr Stephanie Snyder (Weisz)\, a member
of the original team responsible for creating the super-spies.\n\n\nDav
id Strathairn\, Joan Allen and Albert Finney reprise their supporting ro
les and the exotic locations and action scenes are just what you expect
from a Bourne movie. So Jason's not there\, but everything else feels ri
ght - it's the same fun ride\, we just have a new driver.\n\n- Matthew A
uckett
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121103.html#film-2743
SUMMARY:The Bourne Legacy
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T104200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2745
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIn The Watch\, Ben Stiller
\, Vince Vaughn\, Jonah Hill and British comedian Richard Ayoade play fo
ur regular guys who find their humdrum existence in the suburbs excrucia
tingly boring. Surrounded by routine and utter ordinariness\, they take
it upon themselves to inject some excitement into their lives by forming
a neighbourhood watch group. At first it's only an excuse to escape the
ir respective families one night a week\, but they soon find that being
able to perform citizens' arrests\, abuse miscreant teenagers and wear c
ool embroidered jackets definitely has its perks. \n\n\nThings take a tu
rn for the extra-terrestrial\, however\, when they accidentally discover
that aliens not only exist - they're living right next door! Before the
y know it\, their town has become overrun by aliens posing as ordinary s
uburbanites\, and it's up to the four of them to save their neighbourhoo
d - and the world - from total annihilation.\n\n\nHollywood 'Frat Pack'
members Stiller\, Vaughn and Hill - whose recent comedies have been admi
ttedly pretty hit-or-miss - are at the top of their game here\, deliveri
ng a hysterical dose of their signature (read: sophomoric) brand of impr
ovisational humour that's a perfect fit for the film's ludicrous plot. O
dd-one-out Ayoade doesn't fare too badly either\, acquitting himself nic
ely in his first major Hollywood role. But if seeing four talented comed
ians fighting aliens isn't your idea of fun\, then I'd probably recommen
d you sit this one out. For everyone else\, The Watch is an outrageously
rowdy ride you won't want to miss.\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121109.html#film-2745
SUMMARY:The Watch
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T124100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T105700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121109T105700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2746
DESCRIPTION:In this long-awaited sophomore feature from the directors of
Little Miss Sunshine\, Paul Dano plays Calvin\, a young novelist who pub
lished his much-lauded first book at the age of 19 and is now struggling
to produce his second at 29. Taking the advice of his therapist\, he be
gins hammering out a detailed outline for a character in an effort to cu
re his writer's block. Naming her Ruby Sparks\, Calvin is immediately in
spired and\, before long\, smitten. The more he writes about his imagina
ry muse\, the more he falls in love with her\, but it's not until she ap
pears in the flesh (Kazan) one morning that he realises just how good a
writer he is.\n\n\nSomehow\, Ruby has materialised in the real world bel
ieving that she is Calvin's girlfriend - a state of affairs that he is m
ore than happy to accept\, once he has recovered from his initial panic
attack\, and assured himself that others can see her too. Ruby turns out
to be exactly as Calvin has written her\, and is the perfect girl for h
im\, especially since her actions and moods appear to be dictated by wha
tever he writes about her.\n\n\nMuch like Calvin's creation\, Ruby Spark
s is a charming and inventive film that you won't be able to help fallin
g in love with. Despite its fantastical premise\, the film is grounded i
n universal truths that ultimately help it tap into that emotional sweet
spot that all romantic films attain to\, but few - the beautiful Eterna
l Sunshine of the Spotless Mind being one other example - ever reach.\n\
n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121109.html#film-2746
SUMMARY:Ruby Sparks
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121110T123400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121110T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121110T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2747
DESCRIPTION:If you haven't seen it on the big screen\, you haven't seen i
t. Lawrence of Arabia is an experience that was never meant for televisi
on\, it's an epic in every sense of the word and is a shadow of its true
self on anything less than a cinema screen. Go and put it in your diary
now\, I'll wait here until you get back...\n\n\nOk\, you've booked it i
n? Good. We can move on then.\n\n\nT. E. Lawrence (O'Toole) was an offic
er serving in the British army in the Middle East during World War I. An
eccentric man not particularly well suited to army life\, Lawrence foun
d his calling when assigned to Arabia\, where he was to assist the Arabs
in their rebellion against the Turks. Here in the desert this unlikely
hero became a character almost of legend - charismatic\, intelligent\, s
trategic and powerful - somehow uniting the disparate Arab tribes and le
ading them to unlikely victories.\n\n\nWhile it is undoubtedly a long fi
lm\, it never drags - despite having a clean\, simple plot. It is the st
ory of one man\, his rise to glory and fall from it\, worthy of Shakespe
are\, shot in breathtaking style and painted on a harsh but beautiful ca
nvas. O'Toole did not win the Oscar (though the film did win seven)\, pe
rhaps because the true leading actor here is the desert locale itself (t
hough Gregory Peck WAS pretty damn good in To Kill A Mockingbird). There
are moments in Lawrence of Arabia which will stay with you for years af
ter you leave the cinema\, I hope to see you there. What am I saying\, i
t's already in your diary!\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121110.html#film-2747
SUMMARY:Lawrence of Arabia
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T105800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2748
DESCRIPTION:Joe (Gordon-Levitt) is a Looper in the year 2042\, a hit man
contracted by gangsters 30 years into the future where time travel exist
s on the black market. The job of a Looper is to dispose of targets sent
back in time by killing their bound-and-hooded quarries the second they
materialise\, after which they retrieve the silver taped to the back of
their victims - compensation from the future for a job well done.\n\n\n
But Loopers\, like any other profession\, must eventually face retiremen
t. So if one day they find that their victim has gold bars strapped to t
heir back instead\, then the Looper has just killed his future self and
"closed the loop". Richly rewarded with a final payday\, the Looper then
gets to live out the remaining 30 years of his life in luxury. It's a c
lean\, convenient system\, but when Joe's future self (Willis) is sent b
ack to be killed\, he unexpectedly thwarts his own execution and escapes
into the past. Present-day Joe must then track down his future self to
close the loop for good\, or risk being given an early retirement.\n\n\n
Looper is far more than your run-of-the-mill time travel movie\; it's a
smart\, cleverly constructed and truly masterful film from Rian Johnson\
, who brought us the brilliant teen noir Brick a few years back (inciden
tally\, also starring Gordon-Levitt). Add into the mix a pair of uncanny
performances from Gordon-Levitt and Willis\, some highly inventive acti
on sequences\, along with a thought-provoking\, genre-defying script tha
t will give you plenty to talk about afterwards\, and the end result is
sci-fi at its absolute\, mind-blowing best.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121116.html#film-2748
SUMMARY:Looper
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T123900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T111300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121116T111300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2749
DESCRIPTION:Eben Adams (Cotten) is a penniless\, disconsolate painter in
Depression-era New York\, who encounters a strangely fervent little girl
in Central Park. She dresses and talks as though from a bygone era\, an
d sings an odd unsettling song. Thereafter\, he continues to run into Je
nnie or\, rather\, she is continually running towards him from out of th
e gloom. And she's a little older each time. Adams's painting\, meanwhil
e\, is marked by a new passion...\n\n\nI first came across this in a mov
ie list of 'Ten Otherworldly Girls' (a list that also included Regan McN
eil from The Exorcist\, Catwoman from Batman Returns and Sadako from Rin
gu/The Ring)\, and immediately went searching for it. It's an enchanting
movie\, with excellent location shots of 1940s NYC.\n\n\nProducer David
O. Selznick devised and funded this for Jones\, his wife at the time -
and it had the painful\, tumultuous production that is common for works
born of emotion. Those films also end up pretty awful more often than no
t... luckily Portrait of Jennie bucks that trend. The acting is great -
this is widely regarded as Cotten's best role (he won at Venice for it)\
, Jones is suitably charming as Jennie and they are supported by great c
lassic actors like Ethel Barrymore\, Cecil Kellaway and Lillian Gish. Di
rected by Dieterle (who was best known for biopics of Emile Zola and Lou
is Pasteur)\, it won an Oscar for special effects (as well as being nomi
nated for its B&W cinematography). Come along and marvel at the timeless
ness of this classic\, mesmerising film about true love.\n\n\n- Wellingt
on Sludge
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121116.html#film-2749
SUMMARY:Portrait of Jennie
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T083100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T070000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T070000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2750
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nStunning views\, large and
spacious rooms\, a secluded location for the ultimate peace and quiet.
A place of relaxation for you and your family\, Hotel Transylvania is th
e perfect destination for a getaway... especially if you're some of the
world's most famous monsters!\n\n\nBigfoot\, Frankenstein (James) and hi
s bride\, the Mummy (Cee Lo Green) and Quasimodo (Jon Lovitz) are on the
guest list for a huge birthday party that the hotel's owner\, Dracula (
Sandler) is hosting for his beloved 'teenage' daughter - she's finally t
urning 118!\n\n\nDracula has no problems with plumbing issues or the var
iety of guests in his hotel\, but he is fiercely over-protective of his
baby girl\, Mavis (Gomez) and has been fabricating tales of elaborate da
ngers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. Thanks to Dracula's careful pl
anning the hotel has been human free since 1898 - a place where monsters
are free to be themselves - until Jonathan (Samberg) stumbles upon the
hotel. With Jonathan's arrival\, Dracula's world could come crashing dow
n as the 21 year-old human boy takes a shine to Mavis.\n\n\nHotel Transy
lvania brings to life all your favourite characters from classic monster
movies (in much less creepy versions). Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (
best known for his work on Cartoon Network's "Dexter's Laboratory" and "
The Powerpuff Girls") and featuring the voices of a star-studded cast\,
this movie caters to all members of the family - the monster variety or
otherwise.\n\n- Xin Yi Tan
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121117.html#film-2750
SUMMARY:Hotel Transylvania
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T105800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121117T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2751
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nDouglas Quaid (Farrell) is
a working man that longs for more in life. This longing inspires him to
visit Rekall\, a company offering to implant the memory of the holiday
of a lifetime for a fraction of the cost\, against the express wishes of
his wife (Beckinsale) and best friend. After choosing a package with al
l the extras\, Quaid discovers that his whole life is a lie. Those peopl
e that warned him off Rekall were in fact agents trying to prevent the s
ecrets inside Quaid's head from being unlocked\, and Quaid himself is a
rogue agent caught up in a war between the two superpowers that control
the world\, Euroamerica and New Shanghai.\n\n\nThe original Total Recall
stands as a bastion of the action genre\, essentially the culmination o
f a decade of excess and the last great effects movie before CGI crashed
the party (and began to kill off ingenuity in the genre). A remake of s
uch a critical and commercial success was always going to be a ballsy mo
ve\, however it looks like one that has paid off thanks to the involveme
nt of writer Kurt Wimmer (best known for Salt and cult favourite Equilib
rium) and director Len Wiseman (who surprised many with his surprisingly
good fourth Die Hard outing). The pair elected to keep the broad story
of the original but shift the action to a significantly different locale
\, replacing the Martian conflict of the original for an Earth-based war
ring superpowers setting (the original took no more than the basic story
and general vibe of the short story it was based on\, at any rate). The
resulting film is familiar but far from a complete rehash\, and well wo
rth a look.\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121117.html#film-2751
SUMMARY:Total Recall
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T110900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2752
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nOliver Stone is back to hi
s gritty\, conflicted and violent roots. About time.\n\n\nTwo pretty boy
pot growers\, Chon and Ben (Kitsch and Johnson\, respectively)\, have t
heir naïve way of life thrown into turmoil when their communal girlfrien
d (Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel in a bid to knock out the co
mpetition. Rather than roll over to the cartel's demands the pair head o
ut to confront the cartel head on\, drawing on Chon's military backgroun
d\, Ben's la-de-dah education and roping in another chum along the way (
Emile Hirsch). In their way stands a corrupt DEA agent (Travolta)\, and
the cartel's heavies (Salma Hayek\, Benicio del Toro).\n\n\nConveniently
forgetting about Alexander\, it has been nearly 20 years since Oliver S
tone has gotten his great big action drama thing on. This ensemble film\
, based on a cult novel by Don Winslow\, certainly hopes to remind us wh
at he used to be able to deliver. Expect Natural Born Killers meets U Tu
rn with the breadth of Any Given Sunday\, and some great performances fr
om the ensemble of cult actors.\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121123.html#film-2752
SUMMARY:Savages
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T132000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T112400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121123T112400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2753
DESCRIPTION:18 years after Muriel's Wedding\, director P.\n\n\nJ. Hogan a
nd lead actress Toni Collette are reunited for Mental - a comedy which r
eads scarily like an adaptation of "The Nanny" for the big screen but th
ankfully isn't.\n\n\nBarry Moochmore (LaPaglia) is a philandering politi
cian who is more interested in pursuing his political and extra-marital
interests than supporting his wife Shirley (Gibney). When the stress of
trying to raise five daughters without her husband's support finally ove
rcomes Shirley\, she suffers a nervous breakdown and is taken to a menta
l hospital for treatment. Barry is now a single parent of 5 girls... a r
ole he is not overly familiar with.\n\n\nThe answer\, naturally\, is to
run into and impulsively hire hitchhiker Shaz as nanny to his five girls
(Shirley\, Barry and Shaz - could this get any more Australian? Yes - L
iev Schreiber plays Trevor). Shaz is very different to any authority fig
ure the girls have seen before - loud\, outgoing\, fiercely independent
and impulsive. Have they replaced one mental case for another? Or is Sha
z exactly what this family needs - and is this family exactly what Shaz
has been looking for?\n\n\nMental treads familiar fish-out-of-water grou
nd but it doesn't care - it treads it with real heart and a beaming smil
e on its face. Just like that wedding 18 years ago\, it's hard not to ha
ve a good time here.\n\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121123.html#film-2753
SUMMARY:Mental
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T103200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2754
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nTaken was a surprising fil
m - not only was it an above-average action thrill ride\, it brought us
a new\, and unexpected\, badass action hero in the form of Liam Neeson.
In fact if there was one lesson that Taken taught all of us\, it was thi
s... don't @^#& with Liam Neeson. All of us\, that is\, except for those
associated with kidnapping his daughter in the first film\, who apparen
tly didn't learn their lesson at all.\n\n\nIn the course of rescuing his
daughter\, ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills (Neeson)\, killed one or two of the
criminals responsible for her kidnapping (sorry\, should that have had
a spoiler alert?). The angry father of one of the kidnappers\, aided by
his son's former associates\, is now out for revenge. Seeing his opportu
nity\, he takes Bryan and his wife (Janssen) hostage while Bryan is work
ing security in Istanbul. And so once again Bryan must save his family t
he only way he knows how - going badass and killing everybody.\n\n\nAs w
ith the first film\, this is Luc Besson's baby. Ostensibly it has a diff
erent director\, but Besson's guiding hand is present here just as it wa
s in the original. Taken 2 isn't nearly as surprising as the first\, but
it was never going to be - we know what to expect now\, so come along a
nd jump on for another great ride.\n\n- Pedr Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121124.html#film-2754
SUMMARY:Taken 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T124600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T104700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20121124T104700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/2755
DESCRIPTION:Barnes: "What are you gonna do?"\n\n\n\nMcClane: "Whatever I
can."\n\n\n\nDie Hard 2 is the 1990 follow-up to the classic action/thri
ller Die Hard. Under the tagline 'Die Harder'\, this instalment sees Bru
ce Willis return as John McClane\, an off-duty New York cop who is once
again thrust into life-threatening action when a mercenary group takes c
ontrol of an entire airport. Demanding the release of a foreign dictator
captured by the US army\, the group shuts down all runway lights\, leav
ing the planes stranded in the air and running out of fuel. It's up to J
ohn to stop the mercenaries and regain control of the airport\, lest the
plane carrying his wife come crashing down.\n\n\n\nThe film takes just
a few minutes to set the scene before plunging right into the relentless
parade of shootouts\, stunt work\, explosions and hair-raising tension
- it never lets up\, carrying its hero from frying pan to fire and back
again\, including through one of the most spectacular (and shocking) cra
sh scenes in cinema. Bruce Willis is fantastic as the most persistent he
ro in history\, enduring one gruelling ordeal after another. The villain
doesn't leave as strong an impression as Hans Gruber from the first fil
m\, and the plot stretches credibility at many points\, but there are en
ough surprises as the third act unfolds to carry the film to a gripping
and satisfying climax. \n\n\n\nPut simply\, Die Hard 2 is pure entertain
ment\, and essential viewing for any action fan.\n\n\n- Josh Paul
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20121124.html#film-2755
SUMMARY:Die Hard 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR