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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130725T122200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130725T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130725T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3002
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nNot really a big fan of Ba
z Luhrmann’s directing style\, I went to see The Great Gatsby expecting
to dislike it but ended up quite enjoying it. Attempting to define Luhrm
ann’s style I am tempted to say that he is a latter-day Busby Berkeley:
the great director of spectacular musical extravaganzas from the 1930s t
o mid-’50s – famous for tightly choreographed complex large-scale geomet
ric formation-dancing / swimming scenes\; and imaginative camera angles
including top shots of the formations.\n\nLuhrmann’s forté is music and
imagery. As well as his innovative Romeo and Juliet\, Luhrmann’s films h
ave been either musicals (Strictly Ballroom\, Moulin Rouge) or feature b
ig\, choreographed\, party scenes (Australia). The Great Gatsby is no ex
ception\, and the ‘look’ of the movie is fabulous. David Stratton said t
hat the movie is ‘almost a musical’\; and New York Times’ AO Scott said
‘the result is less a conventional movie adaptation than a splashy\, tra
shy opera\, a wayward\, lavishly theatrical celebration’.\n\nHaving said
that\, Luhrmann\, ‘the enfant terriblé from down under’\, has delivered
a film that is true to F Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel of ‘the Americ
an dream’ and 1920s excess\, with some of the film’s dialogue and Nick C
arraway’s (Maguire) narration coming straight from the book. An older an
d worldlier DiCaprio is strong in the title role\, ably supported by Car
ey Mulligan as Daisy and with solid performances by Joel Edgerton as Tom
Buchanan\, Daisy’s arrogant ‘old money’ husband\; and Elizabeth Debicki
. Overall: well worth the effort.\n\n- Bob Warn
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130725.html#film-3002
SUMMARY:The Great Gatsby
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3003
DESCRIPTION:It’s been four years since The Hangover took the box-office b
y storm and now the Wolf Pack is back for the third and final instalment
of the popular movie franchise. Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playboo
k)\, Ed Helms (The Office) and Zach Galifianakis (Due Date) all return t
o the roles that made them household names\, and there are plenty of oth
er familiar faces back on board too.\n\nFollowing the death of Alan’s (G
alifianakis) father and his increasingly erratic behaviour\, his friends
decide that it is finally time to check him into a rehabilitation clini
c. On their way there however\, John Goodman (Argo)\, playing a ruthless
gangster seeking revenge for the earlier crimes of Leslie Chow (Ken Jeo
ng) in the first two films\, abducts the gang and demands that they trac
k down Chow or face deadly consequences.\n\nOne of the major gripes with
the second instalment was that it basically recycled the plot from the
first movie\, set it in a different location and added cruder jokes. Th
e third film takes a new direction and follows a slightly different form
ula that is certainly refreshing\, although the line between comedy and
action thriller is sometimes blurred.\n\nFans of the series will not be
disappointed\; there are plenty of laughs to be found here. The change i
n pace and formula is a welcome surprise and whilst the running time mig
ht be a tad long and the heavy focus on Ken Jeong’s character can be tir
esome\, the film is a fitting finale to the trilogy and is definitely wo
rth a viewing.\n\n\n- Zac Thomas
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130726.html#film-3003
SUMMARY:The Hangover Part III
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T132100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T115500Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130726T115500Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3004
DESCRIPTION:We’ve previously shown the original Scary Movie (which was dr
eadful) and Scary Movie 3 (which wasn’t) – and now we’re showing this on
e. I could pretend we’re deliberately showing only the odd-numbered movi
es in some perverse kind of practical joke. But I think I can safely rev
eal some of the Film Group’s secrets for this semester without anyone mi
nding too much. The truth is\, 35mm prints are on the way out\, and befo
re we go digital next semester\, we’re taking what we can get. For some
reason\, someone thought it was worth striking a 35mm print of this film
. (For some people this might be the last 35mm screening they ever see!
A sobering thought.)\n\nAnd I’ll be there. How bad can it be? Okay\, it
could be pretty bad – but how much do you really care? These parodies of
whatever movies the writers saw last week serve their purpose whether t
hey’re good or not. With a series of knowing references to every horror
movie made since the last Scary Movie (and some non-horror movies\, like
Inception and Rise of the Planet of the Apes)\, the writers aim to make
us feel superior to the genre. If they fail\, we can at least feel supe
rior to the writers. Either way\, we’re winners!\n\nSpeaking of which\,
there’s a cameo from Charlie Sheen. And\, in the same movie\, Lindsay Lo
han! Together at last! You can’t pass up on the opportunity of a sightin
g like this\, if only to make sure that both performers are breathing.\n
\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130726.html#film-3004
SUMMARY:Scary Movie V
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T105000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3005
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nImagine a college movie co
mplete with jocks\, cheerleaders and the misfits\; replace all humans wi
th colourful monsters and voila\, you have this movie! In this first eve
r Pixar prequel\, we find out where Mike and Sulley first met – in colle
ge.\n\nMike Wazowski’s dream started when he was a young monster (and we
all know how good Pixar is at making us go “awww…”). At his first tour
of the Scare Floor in Monsters Inc.\, he set himself a goal in life – to
work his way into MU\, because that’s where all the best scarers come f
rom.\n\nJames P. Sullivan\, on the other hand\, is that jock – the one w
ith the untarnished family track record. His father\, Bill Sullivan\, wa
s a legendary MU graduate and the top scarer in his day.\n\nThe movie te
lls us the story of how these inseparable buddies from Monsters Inc. cam
e to be. It is complete with laughs and cries\, perfect for a family nig
ht out. While I definitely missed the presence of Boo\, many new monster
s were introduced. They include some faculty members like Dean Hardscrab
ble\, the Dean of the School of Scaring\, and Professor Knight who teach
es SCAR101: Intro to Scaring.\n\nIf I dive into any further detail\, I’d
risk spoiling the movie for you. But the good thing is: we know how it
ends. It is a prequel after all.\n\n- Xin Yi Tan
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130727.html#film-3005
SUMMARY:Monsters University
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T123200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T110500Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130727T110500Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3006
DESCRIPTION:Called “the best science fiction film ever made” by author Mi
chael Crichton (“The Andromeda Strain”\, “Jurassic Park”)\, The Thing Fr
om Another World is certainly a classic of the genre and has influenced
countless filmmakers since. Producer Howard Hawks’s influence is felt th
roughout with the fast\, overlapping dialogue and the somewhat cynical p
rofessionalism of the group of soldiers and researchers facing an alien
threat in the wastes of the frozen north.\n\nThe film features some clas
sic and oft-reproduced moments\, such as the iconic shot of the team spr
eading out to identify the shape of the downed aircraft they find encase
d in ice\; the scare of the monster appearing from behind the door\; the
use of a geiger counter to track the monster’s proximity and the crazy
scientist using precious blood supplies to study the life form leaving h
is compatriots to get transfusions from their colleagues. Serious scienc
e fiction fans have criticised the movie for its attitude to science and
for initiating a cycle of ’50s horror/monster/sci-fi films\, but it’s v
ery much a product of its time. The team faces their task with grim dete
rmination and with a cynicism toward their military bosses.\n\nThe reckl
ess quest for knowledge of some of the science team echoes a world where
science’s splitting of the atom a little over a decade earlier had brou
ght the atomic bomb. The film also establishes a strong sense of locati
on harnessing the claustrophobia of the besieged base. An entertaining y
arn with some fine moments\, for both students of the genre and those lo
oking for some classic thrills.\n\n\n- Ben Snow
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130727.html#film-3006
SUMMARY:The Thing From Another World
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130801T122900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130801T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130801T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3007
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nI am old enough to remembe
r Clayton Moore playing the masked man known as The Lone Ranger in the e
arly years of television and cinema western serials. A Canadian Mohawk F
irst Nations citizen\, Jay Silverheels\, was the Lone Ranger’s faithful
Indian companion.\n\nMore than 60 years on\, Disney Pictures and Jerry B
ruckheimer Films is revisiting the legend of the ‘man in the mask’ who
famously did his good deeds and righting of wrongs in the ‘wild west’ be
fore riding into the distance on his white horse ‘Trigger’.\n\nJohnny De
pp\, as Tonto\, gives us the background of the Lone Ranger\, real name J
ohn Reid\, played by Armie Hammer (Clyde Tolson in J. Edgar)\; how he tr
ansformed from being the sole survivor of a group of Texas Rangers ambus
hed by desperados\, into a man of the law and then into a legend of just
ice\, fighting greed and corruption with Tonto at his side.\n\nThe cast
is a strong one\, also including respected British actors Tom Wilkinson\
, Helena Bonham Carter and Ruth Wilson.\n\nIf you were like me\, glued t
o your seats at Saturday film matinees watching “The Lone Ranger”\, or i
f your parents or grandparents told you what it was like\, this is your
chance to enjoy a new trip into the thrilling days of yesteryear.\n\n“Hi
-Ho Silver! …Away!”\n\n- John Rogers
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130801.html#film-3007
SUMMARY:The Lone Ranger
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T113800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3008
DESCRIPTION:I need to start this review by letting you know that the next
200-ish words will be less plot review and more personal reflection. Be
cause let’s face it\, 99.9% of you out there don’t need to be told about
the plot of this film (and the other 0.1% of you… well\, let’s just say
I am jealous that you have yet to experience your first exposure to thi
s film\, something that I would without hesitation submit to an Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind like memory wipe to be able to experience
again.\n\nPeople often ask me “What is your favourite movie?” and I can’
t narrow it down to one. I have managed to narrow it down to seven thoug
h\, and these seven movies are\, in my mind\, flawless. Perfect. A compl
ete rendering of the director’s and/or studio’s vision\, that hasn’t bee
n compromised or decimated. And The Wizard of Oz is one of those seven f
ilms. (You’ll have to ask me personally for the other six.)\n\nFrom the
opening bars of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” all the way through the cha
nge to colour and the incredible journey\, and leading to the conclusion
that\, in any lesser film\, commits one of my personal ‘Great Sins in M
ovie Plotting’\, but is the only movie to get away with it (again\, you’
ll have to ask me personally\, as it is a bit of a spoiler for the 0.1%)
\, this is pure bliss all the way. And if you’ve never seen it on the bi
g screen… well\, you must be here. Cancel all your plans for this evenin
g\, because it’s time to re-visit the yellow brick road once again.\n\n\
n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130802.html#film-3008
SUMMARY:The Wizard Of Oz
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T133300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T115300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130802T115300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3009
DESCRIPTION:Hi\, me again. You may remember me from the previous review o
f The Wizard of Oz. Well\, now you’ve experienced that film of beauty\,
can I encourage you to stay and watch one of the best monster features e
ver created.\n\nI’m going to be a bit self-indulgent again here… I actua
lly regard the 2005 version as my favourite Peter Jackson film. Yes\, I
loved it even more than any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The reason
is that it was extremely obvious that Jackson was a huge fan of the ori
ginal\, and made sure he kept the spirit of it alive throughout\, with s
hots\, storylines and even the final line of dialogue echoing the feel o
f this\, the 1933 version that you’re going to be dazzled with.\n\nThe p
lot is probably familiar to you\, but if not – film crew\, tropical isla
nd\, giant gorilla\, female blonde movie star\, unconventional romance.
That’s all I’m telling you\, because you should let the rest unfold itse
lf with the surprise and glee that audiences experienced back in the 30s
. There isn’t really anyone of note involved in the creation of this mas
terpiece – you’ll only ever hear mention of the likes of Fay Wray and th
e uncredited Merian C. Cooper in relation to this movie. But if my only
contribution to Hollywood folklore was to be involved in just one produc
tion of this quality and magnitude\, I would be happy with that.\n\nAnd\
, if you’re not convinced that you need to come along to see this\, well
then may you and your kind be forever banished to Skull Island!\n\n\n-
Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130802.html#film-3009
SUMMARY:King Kong
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T111200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3010
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThe trouble with making a
movie about how Captain Kirk came to be Captain of the Enterprise is tha
t there is a total of 333 hours of television footage\, and 19 hours of
movie footage\, showing everything that happened after he became captain
. The weight of all that future history would crush the excitement out o
f any story. While “Star Trek” fans may have been eager to watch actors
trudge fatalistically into position\, I doubt anyone else was. Which is
why I love the way J.J. Abrams calmly cut the Gordian Knot at the start
of the first movie – sending us all into unfamiliar territory\, and maki
ng all the familiar characters suddenly seem brand new.\n\nNow we head a
little further into the unknown – into darkness. After a sunshiny actio
n set piece on one of the most beautifully realised alien planets you’ve
ever seen (the cause? That damned Prime Directive once again clashes wi
th common sense – whose stupid idea was it\, anyway?)\, we somehow find
ourselves heading out the edge of Klingon territory\, on a covert missio
n after an icy villain (played by the frozen-veined Cumberbatch). In the
interests of preserving the sense of off-balanceness Abrams wants I can
’t reveal much more. Suffice it to say there’s a nice symmetry of Spock
learning to be more like Kirk\, while Kirk learns to be more like Spock.
That’s the real drama of the Star Trek universe\, anyway.\n\n- Henry Fi
tzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130803.html#film-3010
SUMMARY:Star Trek Into Darkness
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T132000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T112700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130803T112700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3011
DESCRIPTION:If you’re kind of vague on where Polynesia is\, that’s becaus
e it’s not really a place: it’s a very scattered collection of Pacific i
slands with nothing in particular in common except that they were discov
ered and first settled by the Polynesians. And who were they? The prevai
ling view in the 1940s was that they came from South-East Asia\, settlin
g the Pacific from west to east. But Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyer
dahl had the opposite idea: he thought Polynesia settled from east to we
st\, starting in Peru. This would have involved crossing thousands of ki
lometres of open ocean on nothing more seaworthy than a lashed-together
raft – so Heyerdahl\, and a bunch of good-natured amateurs\, lashed toge
ther their own raft (the Kon-Tiki)\, and triumphantly proved it could be
done.\n\nTheir voyage is now the subject of a movie from a pair of dire
ctors who seem to be specialising in Norwegian national heroes (their la
st was Max Manus\, 2010). It’s the story of an international crew learni
ng to trust one another\, and is much more gripping than a story about p
eople passively floating across the sea has any right to be.\n\nBut I ha
ve to point out: just before the final credits\, we get the usual biogra
phical stuff\, telling us what happened next to these people. What I tho
ught they’d mention – but they didn’t – was that the Polynesians were of
Asian origin\; they sailed west to east\, just as everyone in the 1940s
had thought. Heyerdahl risked his life in the service of a theory that
was completely wrong. But I think this knowledge only makes the film’s e
nding more agreeably bittersweet.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130803.html#film-3011
SUMMARY:Kon-Tiki
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130806T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130806T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130806T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3012
DESCRIPTION:For years\, superstar magician duo Burt Wonderstone (Carell)
and Anton Marvelton (Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip\, raking in
millions as the Aztec Casino’s headlining act. But when Wonderstone’s g
rowing ego and an on-stage accident cause the pair to split\, he is forc
ed to fend for himself against a rising new threat to his dominance of t
he Vegas magic scene: a daring street performer by the name of Steve Gra
y (Carrey). Gray’s death-defying stunts and cult following soon make Won
derstone’s now-solo act seem stale\, and he must revisit what made him l
ove magic in the first place in order to save his act and his friendship
.\n\nThe Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a dependably entertaining comedy
in the vein of Anchorman and Blades of Glory\, films that similarly ske
wered niche professions with cultures ripe for the picking. Carell and B
uscemi make a dynamic on-screen duo as the Siegfried-and-Roy-esque pair\
, while Alan Arkin steals scenes (as usual) as the magician that origina
lly inspired Wonderstone to take up his career of choice. Best of all\,
however\, is Carrey who makes a much-needed comeback of sorts in his sup
porting role as the film’s David-Blaine-like villain – conjuring a manic
performance that harkens back to his earlier\, career-making comedic ro
les.\n\nSolid\, silly entertainment\, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is
just the sort of film required to cleanse your cinematic palate from th
e recent barrage of superhero flicks\, sequels and sci-fi actioners. Don
’t pull a disappearing act\, and be sure to check this one out!\n\n\n- A
drian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130806.html#film-3012
SUMMARY:The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130808T115400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130808T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130808T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3013
DESCRIPTION:Reuniting with X-Men: First Class producer Bryan Singer (who
directs here)\, talented up-and-comer Nicholas Hoult takes a star turn i
n the titular role of Jack\, whose famously poor bartering skills earn h
im a pocket of magic beans for his horse\, which of course go on to sow
the greater rewards of adventure\, love and a grand coming-of-age.\n\nAn
adaptation of both “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Jack the Giant Killer”
\, this tale has young Jack dreaming of becoming a brave knight but who
grows up far more unlikely than hero. Adventure arrives on his doorstep
in the form of runaway Princess Isabelle and causes Jack to inadvertentl
y drop a bean under his house. The subsequent stalk carries the Princess
away and leaves the infatuated Jack with no choice but to test his hero
ic ambitions by joining the rescue party. At its summit\, things become
more complicated as Jack discovers the Giants’ plan to descend the stalk
and must prevent them from claiming the human world below.\n\nIn recent
times fairytale reimagining has been all the rage in Hollywood\, but wh
ere most of those films have adopted try-hard ‘darkness’ or ironic self-
indulgence\, Jack the Giant Slayer embraces its over-the-top origins and
presents a straightforward and whimsical journey through fairytale land
. So whilst it doesn’t present a fresh spin on the tale\, Jack the Giant
Slayer’s prestigious cast is clearly having fun and it is difficult to
not get swept away by their delightfully witty performances. \n\n\n- Ali
ce McShane
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130808.html#film-3013
SUMMARY:Jack The Giant Slayer
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T113800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3014
DESCRIPTION:If you are a filmgoer of my generation (i.e. Gen X) or older\
, and you were into the alternative movie scene in the 80s\, then chance
s are you will remember the classic movies Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi
. Or maybe this director’s other major film\, Baraka. If so\, then you w
ill not need me to explain this film\, as I will just say that it is of
that ilk. However\, if you are not familiar with them\, then be prepared
for a cinema experience that will blow your mind.\n\nThere is no plot.
There is no narration. There is only photography. Some of it is epic. Ot
her parts of it are intimate. All of it is beautiful\, and when put toge
ther\, it actually has a story to tell\, or rather\, a point to make. It
will challenge you\, engage you and take your breath away. It will swin
g between sweeping shots of desert landscapes to inside looks at food pr
oduction\, from time-lapse photography of the evening sky to sex dolls c
oming off the manufacturing line. And every single scene has something t
o say about humanity\, but you will need to see it for yourself to work
out exactly what.\n\nAt the risk of sounding pretentious\, I will say th
at this is a movie that everyone needs to see. And it absolutely has to
be seen on the big screen – not a big screen in your home theatre\, but
THE big screen where you can be enveloped in its vastness. Don’t miss it
!\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130809.html#film-3014
SUMMARY:Samsara
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T131000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T115300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130809T115300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3015
DESCRIPTION:If the title sounds familiar\, that’s probably because we’re
screening another film entitled Kon-Tiki just the week before this one.
Not to be confused with that version\, but equally notable\, this film i
s the 1950 Norwegian documentary of the same story and was the first (an
d so far only) film from Norway to win a feature-length Oscar (Best Docu
mentary Feature in 1951).\n\nKon-Tiki was the name of a wooden raft used
by six Scandinavian scientists\, led by Thor Heyerdahl\, to make a 101-
day journey of over 6\,900 km from South America to the Polynesian Islan
ds. Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theory that the Polynesian Islands wer
e populated from the east\, from Peru in fact. The boat was made from ba
lsa wood and hemp ropes by local craftsmen using only the materials and
technologies available to those people in pre-Columbian times.\n\nThe mo
vie has an introduction explaining Heyerdahl's theory\, then shows diagr
ams and images explaining the building of the raft and its launch from P
eru. Thereafter it is film of the crew on board\, shot by themselves\, w
ith commentary written by Heyerdahl and translated. The whole film is bl
ack and white\, shot on a single 16mm camera.\n\nCome and see this film
in 2013 but remember that this was done over 60 years ago without all th
e amazing technology and knowledge that we have today. Admire the scienc
e and the courage of these men.\n\nFans of the documentary genre should
attend in large numbers to encourage more of such screenings.\n\n\n- Bre
tt Yeats
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130809.html#film-3015
SUMMARY:Kon-Tiki
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T110200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3016
DESCRIPTION:Ali (Schoenaerts) is penniless\, homeless and has a young son
to take care of. Stephanie (Cotillard) works as an orca trainer at a se
a park. They meet in a night-club\, exchange numbers and leave separatel
y. Then tragedy strikes one of them\, which brings about the impulse to
call the other.\n\nDirector Audiard previously gave us A Prophet (Semest
er 2\, 2010) which was nominated for an Oscar and received many other aw
ards. I personally wasn’t enamoured with that movie\, but this new one h
ooked me. It takes the old cliché ‘whatever doesn’t kill you makes you s
tronger’ and infuses it with mystical realism so as to make it feel orig
inal. It never descends into melodrama\, but keeps you in its vice-like
grip with tension\, thrills and emotion. Schoenaerts will be new to most
of us (most of his films remain unreleased here)\, but he’s an acting f
orce to watch. We are quite familiar with Cotillard however\, and with e
very new movie she continues to show us that her Oscar win was no fluke.
She’s amazing here.\n\nStreet fighting\, topless swimming\, wheelchair
dancing – this film has something for everybody. It even got me liking a
Katy Perry song (in the context of the movie\, of course). I encourage
you to come along and see one of the best films released this year.\n\n\
n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130810.html#film-3016
SUMMARY:Rust And Bone (De Rouille Et D’os)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T131700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T111700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130810T111700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3017
DESCRIPTION:Francis Ford Coppola made this film in 2007. His extensive CV
includes such varied films as Is Paris Burning\, The Godfather and Apoc
alypse Now\, winning Oscars\, BAFTAs and film festival awards along the
way. That should be enough incentive to come and see this less well know
n but challenging film.\n\nIt is 1938 in Romania. Dominic Matei (Roth) i
s a 70 year old professor of language and philosophy dissatisfied with h
is achievements and contemplating suicide after the death of the woman h
e loved. After being struck by lightning he grows younger and his mind g
rows more brilliant.\n\nHis now incredible memory and his astounding kno
wledge about languages create great scientific interest. When the Nazis
find out about him he flees abroad. Determined to understand the origins
of language and consciousness\, the fugitive professor leads authoritie
s on a wild chase through Romania\, Switzerland\, Malta\, and India. He
meets a young woman who also passed through a lightning storm and falls
in love with her. The film explores reincarnation and karma\, mysticism
and spirituality and time - excellent acting\, beautiful photography and
wonderful locations.\n\nReactions to this film are extremely divided (s
ee David and Margaret’s ratings!). As well as surviving the lightning Do
minic also gained weird powers such as the ability to read books by simp
ly staring at them. If you can suspend your doubts\, if you are willing
to bring your own interpretation to what is happening\, you might end up
loving this film.\n\n\n- Brett Yeats
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130810.html#film-3017
SUMMARY:Youth Without Youth
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130814T122000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130814T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130814T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3018
DESCRIPTION:This film stars Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. There\, rev
iew done.\n\nActually even though I’m a big fan of these actors (both gu
ys are pretty darn hot… just saying… girl reviewer confession) to leave
it at that would sell the movie short… which is hard to do given it’s al
most two and a half hours long!\n\nThe story starts off with Luke\, who
quits his job after he finds out that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant and
had his child. The situation is complicated and in an attempt to take c
are of his new ‘family’ Luke begins to rob banks – which puts him on a c
ollision course with Avery Cross\, Bradley Cooper’s idealistic cop. Not
wishing to ruin the plot\, I won’t say any more as this film-going exper
ience benefits from not knowing too much. That said\, Gosling is fantast
ic as the perfectly reckless and unsympathetic Luke\, with Cooper no les
s captivating as he delivers one of his best performances to date.\n\nTh
e film unfolds over fifteen years as the sins of the past haunt the pres
ent day lives of two high school boys wrestling with the legacy they’ve
inherited. It is a long film\, so be prepared\, but while your butt may
not necessarily thank you\, the rest of you will have experienced a thou
ght-provoking film exploring guilt\, revenge and justice.\n\n\n- Tamara
Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130814.html#film-3018
SUMMARY:The Place Beyond The Pines
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130815T122300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130815T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130815T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3019
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nSuperman is the embodiment
of the superhero\, and the epitome of the unwritten ‘code’ of the genre
. He’s an iconic figure now entrenched in our cultural memory\; the bigg
est of the big in the comic-book golden age. But it’s been a long time s
ince we’ve seen him in a good movie.\n\nLately the stage has been domina
ted by the more relatable\, human heroes: Iron Man and Batman. The super
human narrative of Superman is almost too big for this world\, yet it fa
scinates us. When done well it resonates powerfully with people. When do
ne badly\, it bothers us immensely. The task of taking an invincible cha
racter and crafting a compelling film around them is ambitious\, to say
the least. Though not flawless\, the team appear to have pulled it off.\
n\nMan Of Steel brings us the epic quality of Zack Snyder’s directorial
style under the guiding hand of Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins)\, set
to a phenomenally rousing score by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator)… all around\,
the pedigree of the talent behind this film is spectacular. The set pie
ces are jaw-dropping\, with CGI used subtly in low-key scenes\, but ratc
heted up to 11 in the high-octane action scenes.\n\nThe titular characte
r is magnificently pulled off by Henry Cavill\, with Amy Adams playing L
ois Lane\, and Michael Shannon as the villainous General Zod. The acting
is solid all-around. This film is probably not going to pick up any awa
rds for writing\, but as far as blockbuster action fare\, this is as big
as it gets. \n\n- Josh Paul
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130815.html#film-3019
SUMMARY:Man Of Steel
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T114200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3020
DESCRIPTION:Casablanca is a cinematic icon\, sometimes lauded as the best
film ever. Unlike some contenders in that category\, Casablanca holds i
ts own in engaging a modern audience. It has a tight script crafted arou
nd a gripping plot – involving a love triangle between a jaded saloon ow
ner\, a resistance leader and a mysterious young woman – performed by a
hugely talented cast\, to the pitch-perfect direction of Michael Curtiz.
\n\nAt the height of the Second World War\, with the Nazis occupying Fra
nce\, the port city of Casablanca in French-Morocco has become a hub of
illicit activity. Refugees from across Europe are drawn there in the hop
es of making it to America\, and many of them find themselves trapped in
German-occupied territory.\n\nRick Blaine (Bogart)\, is the stand out o
f the piece\; the original Han Solo with his cynical attitude of blatant
neutrality to everyone he meets. His saloon runs at the whim of the cor
rupt German officials\, who get good odds on roulette\, but equally serv
es the under-the-table dealings of the immigration trade\, as desperate
escapees of Europe seek exit visas to leave.\n\nThe film is also known f
or its romance\, but it does not deal in romantic cliché. The relationsh
ips between the three central characters are mysteries slowly unveiled o
ver the course of the film\; but enough ambiguity is left to leave the a
udience with questions\, even today. It’s a cinematic classic\, and abso
lutely worth checking out\, whether for the first or the fiftieth time.\
n\n\n- Josh Paul
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130816.html#film-3020
SUMMARY:Casablanca
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T135600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T115700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130816T115700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3021
DESCRIPTION:Repeatedly named as one of the greatest films ever made\, Cit
izen Kane opens at the palatial estate of Xanadu\, where the reclusive o
wner\, the eponymous Charles Foster Kane (Welles) is on his deathbed. In
bed\, and holding a snow globe\, he utters his final word “Rosebud…” as
the globe slips from his hand and smashes\, in one of the most famous s
cenes of black and white cinema.\n\nNewsreel reporter Jerry Thompson (Al
land) decides to investigate the meaning of Kane’s last word. The interv
iews with Kane’s former friends and associates provide a framing device
for telling the romantic story of Kane’s life\, a life where he ‘got eve
rything that he wanted and then lost it’.\n\nCitizen Kane is one of thos
e movies worth watching not just for its own value\, but also for the co
untless allusions\, references and quotes that pepper other works. Every
time I’ve seen the film I’ve come away realising at least one other wor
k contained a reference to Citizen Kane. If you haven’t seen it before a
nd see only one film this semester\, make it this one.\n\n\n- Matthew Ca
lvin
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130816.html#film-3021
SUMMARY:Citizen Kane
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T103800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3079
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nColourful\, joyful and gre
at family fun\; like its predecessor\, Despicable Me 2 will amuse kids w
hile keeping the adults on board.\n\nIn 2010\, Despicable Me introduced
us to Gru (Carell)\, a bumbling but warm-hearted super villain. In his q
uest to become the most infamous villain in the world by stealing the mo
on\, he wound up adopting a trio of orphaned girls\; Margo\, Edith and A
gnes.\n\nDespicable Me 2 picks up where that film left off\, with Gru as
a retired villain and single father\, struggling to deal with the probl
ems of growing girls (like texting boys!). The thrust of the film is the
arrival of the Anti-Villain League\, who enlist Gru’s help\, as someone
who knows how a villain thinks\, to save the world.\n\nGru’s adorable y
ellow minions are back\, with a slew of new highly amusing escapades\, a
s well as Dr. Nefario (Brand)\, Gru’s elderly gadget-man. The film also
introduces us to Lucy Wilde (Wiig)\; an agent of the Anti-Villain League
\, with whom Gru finds a romantic connection.\n\nDespicable Me 2 takes t
he solidly entertaining foundation of the first film and builds on its w
orld and characters to create another entertaining thrill ride. Kids wil
l appreciate the bright colours\, cartoonish style\, and cute humour. Ad
ults will appreciate the quality of the story and characters\, as well a
s the not-so-cute humour. This is definitely a movie best enjoyed as a f
amily affair! \n\n\n- Josh Paul
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130817.html#film-3079
SUMMARY:Despicable Me 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T130300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T105300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130817T105300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3022
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWith so many franchises fa
ltering after just one sequel\, the Fast and Furious series has somehow
managed to buck the trend\, with each new instalment – including this\,
its sixth and latest – exhilarating cinemagoers more than the one before
. The key to its success? Reinvention.\n\nFast Five retooled the series’
s engine into a heist thriller and added the nitrous injection that is D
wayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson into the mix. Long gone is the focus on small-t
ime street racers and Furious Six (this film’s official title) continues
on that path\, with the plot revolving around Dom (Diesel) and his team
being recruited by Johnson’s international lawman to take on a group of
mercenaries specialising in vehicular warfare.\n\nIf you’ll remember\,
at the end of the last film\, Dom’s crew had just successfully pulled of
f a $100 million heist and disappeared around the globe. So what could p
ossibly bring them back? The answer is the return of Dom’s old flame\, L
etty (Michelle Rodriguez)\, who was seemingly killed off in the fourth f
ilm and is now a part of Owen Shaw’s (Luke Evans) villainous crew.\n\nSo
ap-opera-style plot developments aside\, Furious Six delivers with awe-i
nspiring action sequences featuring not only souped-up cars\, but tanks
and planes too\, all topped off with some thrilling hand-to-hand fights.
And isn’t that all you really need from a film like this?\n\nBe sure to
also stick around as the credits start rolling for a promising tease of
the fast-tracked (pun fully intended) seventh instalment\, set to hit c
inema screens in just a year’s time. Bring it on!\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130817.html#film-3022
SUMMARY:Fast & Furious 6
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130820T113400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130820T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130820T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3023
DESCRIPTION:Halle Berry stars as Jordan\, a hotshot 911 operator who rule
s the call centre known as ‘the Hive’. Receiving a 911 call from a teena
ge girl in the midst of a home invasion\, Jordan comes up with an elabor
ate strategy to help her evade the predator\, but ends up giving the gir
l away by hitting the redial button when the call is cut off. Shaken by
this experience\, Jordan subsequently receives a call from Casey (Bresli
n)\, a teenager who has been drugged and kidnapped from a mall parking l
ot. Once again it is up to Jordan to try to talk her out of harm’s way.
It’s here the film gears up as Jordan is forced to coach the hysterical
teen though a series of actions to try to save her.\n\nEveryone watching
The Call will realise just how implausible the plot is… but sometimes t
hat's half of the point of escaping to the movies. If all the films you
ever watched were based on things that happened in real life then you m
ay as well just turn to the person beside you and ask them what they did
that day!\n\nThere are plenty of reasons to come along and see this mov
ie\, but really you just need these two. Firstly\, The Call is well acte
d with a really good heroine and villain\, and secondly this film is def
initely edge-of-your-seat worthy which means most of your butt won't hav
e to spend as much time on the Coombs theatre seats!\n\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130820.html#film-3023
SUMMARY:The Call
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130822T115200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130822T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130822T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3024
DESCRIPTION:As far as former-professional-wrestlers-turned-actors go\, Dw
ayne ‘Don’t Call Me The Rock’ Johnson has been by far the most successfu
l in pulling off the transition to Hollywood movie star. Fully capable o
f tackling straight-up action (Fast and Furious 6)\, crime capers (Pain
& Gain)\, light comedies (The Other Guys) and even family fare (Race to
Witch Mountain)\, Johnson now goes one step further in expanding his rep
ertoire by venturing into dramatic thriller territory with a nuanced\, t
oned-down performance that is actually/impressively/surprisingly his bes
t yet.\n\nIn Snitch\, Johnson plays John Matthews\, a construction compa
ny owner who is devastated when his eighteen-year-old son is wrongly acc
used of drug trafficking and sentenced to a ten-year mandatory prison se
ntence. Desperate to help him\, Matthews makes a deal with the opportuni
stic District Attorney (Sarandon) to work as an undercover informant and
infiltrate a drug cartel in order to earn his son’s freedom.\n\nNow\, b
efore you go thinking that the film consists of The Rock single-handedly
laying the smack down on the entire Mexican drug trade\, it’s worth rei
terating that this is no action flick. Snitch is closer to a drama/thril
ler\, touching on issues such as unjust prison sentencing and family tie
s\, and only occasionally allowing for Johnson to flex some muscle\, suc
h as in the spectacular\, monster-truck-fuelled final act. That said\, i
t’s still a gripping (if implausible) grounded film full of twists and t
urns\, with Johnson’s solid performance making the whole thing worthwhil
e – a far cry from his first film role as a CGI man-scorpion in The Mumm
y Returns\, and for that we should be thankful. \n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130822.html#film-3024
SUMMARY:Snitch
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T114000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3025
DESCRIPTION:After Earth is a science fiction action/adventure story starr
ing Will Smith and his son\, Jaden Smith\, Zoe Kravitz and Australia’s o
wn Lincoln Lewis in a supporting role. Its director is M. Night Shyamala
n\; who also contributed to the screenplay.\n\nThe film is set a millenn
ium after humans have fled planet Earth. Smith Sr. is General Cypher Kai
ge\, a tough\, military veteran who finds it difficult separating his wo
rk life from his home life. Smith Jr. plays his son Kitai\, who desperat
ely wants his father's approval. Kitai is haunted by memories of seeing
his older sister\, Senshi (Kravitz)\, killed by enemy Ursa (giant monste
r bugs that hunt humans by smelling their fear) right in front of him.\n
\nCypher's wife suggests a father-son space voyage in order to consolida
te their strained relationship. During the journey\, their ship is sever
ely damaged in an asteroid belt\, killing everyone on board except Cyphe
r and Kitai\, and sending their ship on a crash course to the abandoned
planet Earth.\n\nAs with previous Shyamalan films\, his ability to creat
e a suspenseful mood within the scenes is a strong point. This adds an e
xtra layer of emotion to the ongoing conflict between father and son. Th
e visuals of the surface of the Earth and the remaining animal life are
spectacular.\n\nThis film is an opportunity to enjoy an underdog seizing
his chance to overcome the odds and potentially prove his strongest cri
tic wrong.\n\n\n- Robert Bourke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130823.html#film-3025
SUMMARY:After Earth
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T140600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T115500Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130823T115500Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3026
DESCRIPTION:Critically drubbed upon its initial release in 1993\, Last Ac
tion Hero has long been deemed one of Hollywood’s biggest flops and the
first misstep in star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s then-booming career. Twent
y years on\, and the film is now widely regarded as an underrated cult c
lassic that was ahead of its time\, and in this reviewer’s humble opinio
n\, a true guilty pleasure and one of Arnie’s best films.\n\nThe film fo
llows a young movie buff by the name of Danny Madigan (O’Brien) who is i
nvited to catch a special print-check screening of the latest in the ‘Ja
ck Slater’ action franchise. Given a mysterious golden ticket by the the
atre’s projectionist\, Danny soon finds himself unexpectedly transported
into the world of the film and face to face with none other than Slater
himself (Schwarzenegger). At first\, it’s a dream come true for Danny\,
but when his magical ticket gets into the wrong hands and the world of
the film and his ‘real’ world collide\, Danny must convince Slater to re
turn with him in order to prevent a madman’s villainous rampage against
the actor who plays Slater on-screen: the ‘real’ Arnold Schwarzenegger.\
n\nDirected by John McTiernan (Die Hard\, Predator)\, featuring plenty o
f meta-in-jokes parodying the genre courtesy of co-writer Shane Black (I
ron Man 3\, Lethal Weapon) and chock full of awesome cameos\, Last Actio
n Hero boasts an action movie pedigree that makes its initial failure im
possible to comprehend. Thankfully\, with the benefit of time\, the film
has finally found its audience and is an absolute must-see for any self
-respecting movie buff.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130823.html#film-3026
SUMMARY:Last Action Hero
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T104200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3027
DESCRIPTION:From acclaimed children’s author/illustrator William Joyce (R
ise of the Guardians) and director Chris Wedge (Ice-Age\, Robots) comes
an ‘epic’ story told on a tiny scale. Epic is a computer animated fantas
y/adventure film loosely based on Joyce’s children’s book “The Leaf Men
and the Brave Good Bugs”.\n\nIt tells the story of an eccentric father\,
Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis)\, who is convinced that the forest con
tains miniature inhabitants – and has sacrificed his career\, marriage a
nd relationship with his daughter in pursuit of them. It is Bomba’s skep
tical daughter Mary Katherine (Seyfried)\, who reunites with him after h
er mother passes away\, who is then thrust into an ‘epic’ adventure afte
r an encounter with a forest inhabitant.\n\nWhile it employs familiar tr
opes such as good/evil and light/darkness\, Epic deftly handles these th
emes by focusing its attention on the beauty and interconnectedness of a
ll forms of life. The storybook-like aesthetic of the film as well as th
rilling point-of-view action sequences reinforce this notion by enabling
us to identify with and appreciate the magnificence of their world.\n\n
Epic assembles a ‘something for everyone’ cast\, featuring musicians Bey
oncé Knowles\, Pitbull and Steven Tyler alongside established actors lik
e Josh Hutcherson\, Colin Farrell\, Chris O’Dowd and Christoph Waltz. Ul
timately\, although the film is well constructed\, its predictability ke
eps it from reaching the illustrious heights of say\, a Pixar feature. S
o while it may not be quite the ‘epic’ of its title\, it is nonetheless
a solid family film that makes up for its lack of originality with sheer
and simple enjoyment factor.\n\n\n- Alice McShane
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130824.html#film-3027
SUMMARY:Epic
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T125600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T105700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130824T105700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3028
DESCRIPTION:After Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson) find out that their em
ployer has gone out of business\, they set out to find new jobs to prove
that they aren’t as obsolete as everyone believes. Doing so is easier s
aid than done\, but when Billy manages to talk their way into a coveted
internship at Google\, things start looking up – at least until they mee
t their competition. It turns out that gaining entry into Google’s Silic
on Valley utopia was only half the challenge\, and the two former watch
salesmen soon find themselves vying for jobs against the country’s most
elite\, tech-savvy – not to mention younger – geniuses.\n\nReuniting Vau
ghn and Wilson after their first mega-successful collaboration in 2005’s
The Wedding Crashers should have been the easiest casting decision in t
he history of filmmaking. The two have an infectious comic chemistry tha
t sparks whenever they’re on screen together\, which almost makes up for
all the duds they made while apart.\n\nThe duo are ably supported by th
e likes of Rose Byrne and John Goodman (and a familiar face in a scene-s
tealing cameo)\, but the true discoveries of the film are the young acto
rs playing the “Big Bang Theory”-like über-nerds that Billy and Nick tea
m up with. They may be complete unknowns\, but that certainly doesn’t di
minish how hilariously they play off the seasoned veterans.\n\nAll in al
l\, The Internship is a charming\, warm-hearted and thoroughly entertain
ing underdog comedy that fans of Vaughn or Wilson (or even Google – that
should cover everyone) should see.\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130824.html#film-3028
SUMMARY:The Internship
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130828T115700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130828T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130828T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3029
DESCRIPTION:Victor (Farrell) is a new member of a gang led by Alphonse (H
oward)\, a menacing kingpin with a large criminal empire beneath him. Be
atrice (Rapace) lives in an apartment that looks onto Victor’s\, and the
y cautiously enter into a relationship for which each has their own agen
da.\n\nOplev was the director of the original The Girl with the Dragon T
attoo (and hence the only good entry in the original Swedish trilogy)\,
and he has recruited his Lisbeth Salander in his debut American feature.
This is a movie that may confuse in the first half hour\, but gradually
the motivations of the two main characters emerge and everything makes
sense. The two central actors do alright\, but the story becomes much mo
re interesting when some of the supporting cast occupy the screen – Terr
ence Howard plays the classic Mob boss well\, and F. Murray Abraham is e
ngaging in his two or three scenes (as one of the characters who you don
’t quite figure out until near the end)\, but the classic French Actress
Isabelle Huppert is wasted in a role that any jobbing actress could hav
e played.\n\nDon’t be misled by the generic title of this film\, because
it is a tightly scripted\, action filled revenge plot that is well wort
h seeing on the big screen.\n\n\n- Travis Cragg
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130828.html#film-3029
SUMMARY:Dead Man Down
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130829T121100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130829T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130829T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3030
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAlien invasion and giant r
obots. Need I say more? Personally I don't think so. As far as I'm conc
erned you now have all the reasons you would need to ensure this movie i
s on your ‘Go To’ list for this semester. That said\, apparently Film Gr
oup reviews need to be longer than a couple of lines so I'll take the op
portunity to fill you in a bit more about Pacific Rim.\n\nAs with all go
od alien invasion films\, aliens attack the Earth and threaten its very
existence. In this case the aliens are monstrous creatures known as Kaij
u which rise from the sea to take over the world. The humans of course
won't give up without a fight so in pairs they pilot giant robots called
Jaegers to combat the aliens. But even the Jaegers may not be enough to
beat the aliens so the task of defending mankind falls to a couple of u
nlikely heroes (surprise!) – a former pilot and an untested trainee – in
an obsolete Jaeger to save the day… and the planet.\n\nSo if you are in
the mood for some fantastic special effects\, lots of action and did I
mention the alien invasion and giant robots then I'll see you there. How
many chances do you get to see a giant robot Hollywood blockbuster with
no Michael Bay involvement?\n\n- Tamara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130829.html#film-3030
SUMMARY:Pacific Rim
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130830T123000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130830T093000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130830T093000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3031
DESCRIPTION:It’s back! We’ll be holding our annual Trivia Night this year
on Friday 30 August at 7:30 PM\, once again graciously hosted by the Ca
nberra Club in the city.\n\nOpen to both members and non-members\, our T
rivia Nights have been getting more popular with each passing year\, wit
h tickets to last year’s event sold out nearly a week before the night.
Tickets for tables of up to ten will be available for purchase soon both
online and at screenings\, so be sure to save the date and start assemb
ling your teams now!\n\n\nVisit www.anufg.org.au/trivi
a for more details!\n\n\n- ANUFG
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130830.html#film-3031
SUMMARY:ANUFG Trivia Night
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130831T123200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130831T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130831T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3032
DESCRIPTION:If Stanley Kubrick had never lived\, I think William Wyler wo
uld be the next best thing. The two men had the same gift for making us
feel that\, whatever was ostensibly happening on screen\, the fate of na
tions hung in the balance. They also made one Ancient Roman epic each (w
ithin a year of each other)\, and they’re the only two Roman epics I cou
ld unreservedly recommend to anyone.\n\nWyler’s epic\, Ben-Hur\, is of a
ll movies ever made\, the most likely to be called ‘big’. It’s not merel
y long: it covers a lot of ground\, and we see our titular hero (Charlto
n Heston – perfect casting) as a Judean prince\, then slave\, then Roman
aristocrat – then more. The territory is big (half the Mediterranean)\,
the sets are big\, the music is big\, the cast is big\, the themes are
big. The novel\, a blockbuster bestseller in 1880\, is subtitled “A Tale
of the Christ” (as is an earlier version of the movie\, made in 1925) –
Ben-Hur is a contemporary of Jesus\, and every so often runs into him.
Unlike the book and earlier film\, Wyler doesn’t overplay this bit: he r
ealises that what’s really going on is a struggle within the hero betwee
n his nobler impulses and his need for revenge (like in The Count of Mon
te Cristo\, but without the fashionable French cynicism).\n\nAnd\, as ev
eryone knows\, the biggest bit is the chariot race: nine nail-biting min
utes in which\, however many times you’ve seen it before\, you’re never
quite sure if Ben-Hur will survive\, or who will next be trampled to dea
th by a horse.\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130831.html#film-3032
SUMMARY:Ben Hur
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130905T120200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130905T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130905T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3033
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nRobert Redford leads a ste
llar cast as Jim Grant\, a former member of the Weather Underground grou
p who\, in protesting the Vietnam War in the 1960s\, committed a number
of terrorist bombings and hold-ups resulting in deaths. Since then he ha
s been living peacefully in stealth with a young daughter under a false
name as a respected public-interest lawyer and widower in upstate New Yo
rk. But all is not well… a breakthrough made in the cold case when one o
f the group (Sarandon) turns herself in to the authorities\, puts the FB
I on his trail and he must again go on the run to find the one group mem
ber who can prove that he is innocent of the capital offences.\n\nSomewh
at ‘preachy’\, like many of Redford’s movies with a political foundation
\, the movie provides a well-paced fugitive thriller of a more cerebral
nature than most contemporary action films\, in which moral questions of
the tactics of the group are put under the spotlight. While the violenc
e has abated\, many members of the group Grant contacts on his flight pr
ofess unchanged views as to their aims. Through this Grant stands firm i
n his opposition to violence and his claims of innocence as he pressures
those guilty to clear him – something only possible through their own s
urrender to the authorities.\n\n- Bob Warn
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130905.html#film-3033
SUMMARY:The Company You Keep
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T115700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3034
DESCRIPTION:Shannon Mullins (McCarthy) is a cop and good at her job – she
’s a lone gun on the Boston beat and uses her street smarts and fiery te
mper to solve her cases. Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) is a no-nonsense and up
tight solo FBI Special Agent. Their paths cross and partnered up they ar
e tasked with taking down a ruthless mobster. The hitch is that neither
woman has ever had a partner… or even a friend.\n\nThis buddy cop-comedy
is not your usual kettle of fish as it’s a role reversal this time\, as
Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy take the lead under the helm of Pau
l Feig. Both Bullock and McCarthy deliver great characters\, each being
the polar-opposite of the other\, but through some clever scripting and
situations some bonds do develop. The winning formula isn’t new\, but Fe
ig is able to deliver some great action alongside some ripper comedy wit
h both stars providing a few laugh out loud moments. All in all\, The He
at isn’t breaking new ground\, but like Bridesmaids it’s showcasing some
great female talent. And if you can’t stand the heat\, get out of the k
itchen and head to Film Group for a great night out… and order takeaway.
\n\n\n- Steven Cain
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130906.html#film-3034
SUMMARY:The Heat
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T133300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T121200Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130906T121200Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3035
DESCRIPTION:A classic. US comedian Dick Van Dyke has written that Laurel
and Hardy ‘invented comedy’ as we know it. British-born Stanley ‘Stan’ L
aurel had cut his teeth as Charlie Chaplin’s understudy and was the crea
tive side of the duo\, while Georgia (US)-born Oliver ‘Ollie’ Hardy was
a laid back chap who spent most of his off-screen time playing golf. One
possibly needs to be ‘of a certain age’ to know and love these two – bu
t it is never too late to learn!\n\nThe formula of two muddling idiots w
as fine-tuned by ‘the boys’ to hilarious perfection: one (Ollie) who thi
nks he is smart\, and the other (Stan) obviously dumb who is of course t
he (slightly!) smarter of the pair. Bonnie Scotland has the boys in Scot
land\, having come in the hope of inheriting the MacLaurel estate. Findi
ng themselves down on their luck they are tricked into signing-up with a
Scottish regiment and are posted to the Northwest Frontier in India whe
re they are ‘volunteered’ for a dangerous mission by their sergeant-majo
r (fellow silent era comedian and frequent co-star James Finlayson) hopi
ng to get rid of the two nitwits. Ollie utters his ‘signature’ phrase (b
laming Stan for his own bungles): “Well\, here's another nice mess you'v
e gotten me into!” Come along\, settle down and prepare yourself for sid
e-splitting guffaws. And if you enjoy it\, other classics to watch out f
or: The Music Box\, Way out West\, Block-Heads\, The Flying Deuces … \n\
n\n- Bob Warn
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130906.html#film-3035
SUMMARY:Bonnie Scotland
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T110600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3036
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIf you are hesitant about
seeing this movie simply because of a possible scarring experience with
the first of this Marvel series\, X-Men Origins: Wolverine\, don’t be.
The Wolverine was made to be something new and different\, a standalone
film that fits into the Marvel universe but liberates itself from the li
mitations of a standard sequel.\n\nThis time we see Wolverine (Jackman\,
in his sixth time playing this career-defining role)\, being taken to m
odern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultim
ate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever change
d. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotiona
l limits\, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner
struggle against his own immortality\, emerging more powerful than we h
ave ever seen him before.\n\nThe choice of director alone signals the re
freshing change this film brings. James Mangold (Girl\, Interrupted\, Wa
lk the Line) tries to break away from the stereotypes of action movies w
hich build upon the three acts structure of: the super villain ? attempt
ing to stop the super villain ? succeeding in stopping the super villain
. Of course all the excitement of an action movie like this will still b
e there – the unique powers and a wealth of high-octane action scenes. W
hat will keep you glued and hooked however\, is a much more internal sto
ry about the character\; his yearnings\, fears\, depressions\; and what
is truly beneath the Wolverine that makes him one of the most fascinatin
g and unique heroes of our childhood.\n\n- Ingrid Zhang
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130907.html#film-3036
SUMMARY:The Wolverine
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T133400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T112100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130907T112100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3037
DESCRIPTION:It’s hard to remember\, but as little as a decade ago\, super
hero movies were rare and surprising. Unlike today\, where a dozen or so
comic-book heroes make their way into cinemas every year\, you had to w
ait a bit. Bryan Singer’s first two X-Men films did major work in changi
ng the trend – with a topline cast (including a star-making role for Hug
h Jackman) and grand heroic plots\, these films helped Hollywood to star
t taking superheroes seriously.\n\nX2 amps up the stakes of the battle b
etween humanity and mutant-kind immediately\, with a demon-like mutant\,
Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming)\, attacking the White House. This leads to
a military attack on the mutant school run by Professor Charles Xavier (
Stewart)\, and to his team of X-Men being split\; some captured\, the re
st on the run. Inevitably Wolverine (Jackman) finds himself drawn in aga
in\, this time to fight a threat that connects to his mysterious past. O
ne person who knows more than he’s saying is the X-Men’s former enemy\,
Magneto (McKellen) – who still has his own agenda in play.\n\nFor a stor
y with so many key characters\, X2 keeps a surprisingly tight focus. The
re’s the usual mix of heroics\, superpowers\, fights and scrapes\, but t
here’s also a very solid sense of character – these people are all clear
ly defined and you feel for them and understand their dilemmas.\n\n\n- S
imon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130907.html#film-3037
SUMMARY:X-Men 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130914T115000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130914T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130914T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3038
DESCRIPTION:How do you solve a problem like Maria when she whistles\, sin
gs and dances on the hills? And is late for everything except for meals?
All Maria wants is to be called a nun but the other nuns call her a fli
bbertijibbet\, a will-o’-the-wisp and a clown. So when the opportunity a
rises for her to become governess to the children of a widowed Naval Cap
tain\, Maria is strongly encouraged to go along.\n\nUpon arriving in her
new abode\, Maria discovers that Captain Georg von Trapp runs a tight s
hip at home. He and his seven children lead a very dull and regimented l
ife. Much as this is quite a shock to the free-spirited Maria\, Maria is
also quite a shock to the von Trapps. Her playfulness\, songs and warmt
h soon endear her to the children. And even the uptight Captain finds hi
mself warming to her charms. This fuels the jealousy of Baroness Elsa Sc
hraeder who sees herself as the next Mrs von Trapp. And so this musical
classic takes us on a journey as Maria discovers the mother and the woma
n in herself and as the family von Trapp deals with the trials of the Na
zi Third Reich in Austria.\n\nBrilliant performances and music and lyric
s by Rodgers and Hammerstein make this a must see for all age groups.\n\
n\n- Nandhi Nagar
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130914.html#film-3038
SUMMARY:The Sound Of Music
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T104700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3039
DESCRIPTION:Two Canadian boys in LA\, Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel\, head
off to a party at James Franco's house. But the apocalypse intervenes\,
with giant explosions and earthquakes and other things killing off large
chunks of LA's mid-level celebrity douchebags\, and now\, between cabin
fever\, reduced rations and one surprisingly deceptive Harry Potter sta
r\, survival is anything but inevitable.\n\nWith every cast member playi
ng\, essentially\, a horrible version of themselves\, the question is no
t ‘is this going to become self-indulgent’\, so much as ‘does the self-i
ndulgence matter’? And the answer is – largely no – the performers are v
ery much mocking themselves throughout\, behaving like terrified idiots
in the face of increasing disaster. There's all manner of anti-social be
haviour (drinking\, drug use\, a little bit of nudity) and some quite hi
larious shenanigans as these pampered celebrities cannot help but bump e
gos even in the face of impending doom. For anybody expecting deep and d
ark exploration of the end of the world – go rent Lars Von Trier's Melan
cholia. For shits and giggles\, watch this.\n\n\n- Simon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130921.html#film-3039
SUMMARY:This Is The End
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T123700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T110200Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130921T110200Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3040
DESCRIPTION:If you have not seen this movie\, this could well be your las
t chance to correct this egregious error you have made with your life. O
K\, so it probably isn’t\, but you never know\, right? Think about it. C
ome and see this movie. You can thank me later.\n\nThis is a movie about
the threat of nuclear annihilation. It is also a comedy. And it is funn
y. You will laugh. You will also be mildly terrified and taken on an emo
tional roller-coaster that will leave you rocking back and forth in a fo
etal position\, giggling gently at the insanity of it all.\n\nReleased d
uring some of the darkest days of the cold war\, only two years after th
e Cuban Missile Crisis\, Kubrick had originally intended to make a more
conventional ‘race against time’ thriller. Finding that\, to maintain th
is tone\, he had to continually gloss over increasingly absurd aspects o
f this story about the prevailing ‘balance of terror’ he eventually just
threw in the towel and made a full-blown comedy instead.\n\nI love this
movie. I love that it’s the only race against time movie I know where y
ou genuinely have no clue whether we’ll make it. I love how emotionally
manipulative it is – you’ll be alternately screaming support for the bra
ve bomber crew and recoiling in horror for doing so. I love so much more
about this movie\; they’re just the first two things that jumped into m
y head just now.\n\nFor the love of God\, see this movie.\n\n\n- Andrew
Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130921.html#film-3040
SUMMARY:Dr. Strangelove
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130926T115200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130926T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130926T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3041
DESCRIPTION:This film is based on the real life story of paranormal inves
tigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who are engaged to try to help the Perro
n family\, who are being haunted by a dark presence. The Warrens are bes
t known for their involvement in the Amityville Horror case about which
there have been several movies made. There isn't all that much more to s
ay about this film in terms of plot\, although it is a little different
from others in the genre as the story is shown through the eyes of the i
nvestigators rather than those being haunted. In the end\, the decision
about whether to circle it on your calendar is really just going to be b
ased on whether you're a fan of haunted house movies or not.\n\nThat sai
d\, I've gotta put it out there… what is it about families moving into h
ouses that have a secret scary past that’s led to so many horror films?
You’d think we’d tire of it at some point\, but for whatever reason a cr
eepy undead presence violating the place where we’re supposed to feel th
e safest gets us every time. Myself included. And this script certainly
has a few scares that will leave some audience members feeling a little
red-faced after screaming out loud. Myself included.\n\nSo don't miss th
is latest haunting film or you'll be missing not only a good movie\, but
also a nervous drive home afraid of what's lurking in the backseat of t
he car and a reason to go to sleep with all of the lights on.\n\n\n- Tam
ara Lee
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130926.html#film-3041
SUMMARY:The Conjuring
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T115900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3042
DESCRIPTION:Mean Streets has become one of the source points for all mode
rn gritty working-class gangster movies. It is Martin Scorsese’s third f
ilm\, made on a tiny budget\, and shows the director still learning as h
e directs now famous actors at a time when they were still finding their
way. Yet its elemental\, raw power has stamped it as a twentieth-centur
y classic.\n\nCharlie (Keitel) leans on the edge of ‘respectable’ organi
sed crime. He tries to escape the sin of inner city New York\, but is co
nstantly dragged in by his hapless friend Johnny Boy (De Niro). Whatever
plot there is more or less centers on the daily lives of these characte
rs and the people they associate with. They go to bars\, they hang out\,
they get in fights and they rob people. It is a sinful\, gritty world.\
n\nShot in a verité style\, with furious hand-held camerawork that heigh
tens the madness of the images\, Mean Streets has a sharply improvisatio
nal quality. Scorsese’s pioneering use of pop music alongside his slow-m
otion cinematography (such as when Johnny Boy makes his early entrance t
o “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones) is an early example of wha
t would become a Scorsese trademark. Overall it is a film of realism\, a
nd we get a true sense of being thrust into the action.\n\n\n- Tom Baily
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130927.html#film-3042
SUMMARY:Mean Streets
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T140400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T121400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130927T121400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3043
DESCRIPTION:Probably the most famous martial arts film ever made\, the fi
lm is enjoyable for its exotic travel feel and 1970s James Bond vibe but
is a classic because of Bruce Lee’s performance\, particularly his figh
ting in the film. Lee plays a Shaolin martial artist approached by the B
ritish secret service to attend a fight tournament held on his private i
sland by Han (Shih Kien)\, a fellow former Shaolin student.\n\nHan is su
spected of drug trafficking and white slavery but his island is in neutr
al territory\, out of the reach of the authorities. Invitees attend the
tournament from all over the world including Williams (Kelly)\, taking
a break after trouble with some racist cops\, and Roper (Saxon) who owes
money to the mob. The two provide some humour (and Saxon and Lee share
some ironical moments) and do well in their fight scenes\, but Lee is fa
ntastic\, showing a mesmerising physical ability that takes the breath a
way.\n\nThe film has an enjoyable seventies vibe\, fashions and a darn g
ood funky score from Lalo Schifrin. Lee spars with future HK action star
Sammo Hung at the start and has memorable bouts against heavy Bob Wall
and Han himself. Jackie Chan even makes an appearance as one of Han’s he
nchmen who gets mowed down by Lee as he sneaks around Han’s underground
lair.\n\nAn entertaining action classic\, this anniversary version is en
hanced with 12 minutes of extra footage mostly expanding on the back-sto
ry and with welcome extra moments of Lee expounding on his martial philo
sophies.\n\n\n- Ben Snow
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130927.html#film-3043
SUMMARY:Enter The Dragon
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T104800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3044
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIn their late teens\, five
friends attempted an epic twelve-part pub crawl across the small Britis
h town of Newton Haven.\n\nThey failed.\n\nTwenty years later\, instigat
ed by the enthusiastically immature Gary (Pegg)\, they're back for anoth
er attempt at the same pub crawl. But something's different. Something q
uite deadly\, as the townspeople's eyes start glowing and launching viol
ent attacks on the five returnees. And soon\, the battle is on – five no
t-too-sober men versus the terrifying prospect of an almost-inevitable a
pocalypse.\n\nSimon Pegg and Edgar Wright's Three-Colours-Cornetto trilo
gy combines themes of male bonding\, genre-film nerdery\, extreme splatt
er-esque violence and hilarious comedy\; and in this\, the third part\,
the flavour is mint-choc-chip. Obviously\, for those of you looking to a
nalyse\, the bracing freshness of mint indicates a desire for social ren
ewal\, while the choc-chip is about spreading the good bits in clumps ac
ross the work. It's also green\, which is the traditional appropriate co
lour for aliens. For those of you not looking to analyse an ice-cream\,
there's running\, jumping\, making aliens’ heads explode\, one hell of a
giant death-dealing robot and Nick Frost being violent with a pub-stool
.\n\n- Simon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130928.html#film-3044
SUMMARY:The World’s End
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T130400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T110300Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20130928T110300Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3045
DESCRIPTION:This movie is the second instalment of the Three Flavours Cor
netto trilogy which also includes Shaun of the Dead and The World's End.
Each film features a scene in which one of the main characters purchas
es a Cornetto of a flavour based on the film. Hot Fuzz features the clas
sic blue cornetto\, in reference to the blue of police uniforms.\n\nNich
olas Angel (Pegg) is a highly professional police officer of the London
Metropolitan Police who\, following some office politics (his success at
his job has made his colleagues look bad in comparison)\, is transferre
d to a supposedly crime free town in rural Gloucestershire. There he is
paired with well meaning\, but poor performing\, PC Danny Butterman (Fro
st). Shortly after Angel ‘s arrival a series of grizzly deaths shakes th
e small town\, and most disturbingly puts at risk the town’s title of ‘V
illage of the Year’. Angel and Butterman are put on the case\, their inv
estigations threatening to shake the town to its core.\n\nMy favourite t
hing about this movie is the way it successfully mashes up British and A
merican crime movie traditions – the setting of a rural town is traditio
nally English\, the ‘buddy cop’ element American\, the mystery plot Brit
ish and the violence unmistakably American\; producing a truly transatla
ntic crime movie well worth a watch.\n\n\n- Matthew Calvin
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20130928.html#film-3045
SUMMARY:Hot Fuzz
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131002T115700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131002T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131002T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3046
DESCRIPTION:René Saavedra (Bernaz) is an advertising executive with a you
ng son\, an ex-wife and a high paying job. Except that’s where the norma
lity ends. René lives and works in 1980s Chile\, a country controlled by
the dictator Augusto Pinochet – a man who arrested 80\,000\, tortured 3
0\,000 and murdered 3200 people during his 17 year rule.\n\nIn a snap de
cision\, and under pressure from international allies\, Pinochet calls f
or a referendum on his leadership\, with the Yes and No campaigns given
15 minutes every night to present their case on television in the 27 day
s leading up to the election. René is approached by the No campaign and
although the members of the old guard are determined to remind Chileans
of the brutality of Pinochet\, René instead recommends pointing to the h
appiness available under a democratic regime. René’s use of advertising
gimmicks\, jingles\, comedy and dance numbers to overthrow a dictator is
treated with great irony by director Larraín\, and we’re never quite co
nvinced of René’s motivations.\n\nNo is based on and stars a series of r
eal life figures and the film’s stylistic use of the early ’80s U-matic
video camera envelops the audience in this treacherous Chile\, where the
advertising of Coca-Cola is used as a tool for enabling political freed
om.\n\nA beguiling\, entertaining\, and engaging film\, No deserved its
nomination for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards\, and is well wor
th a watch.\n\n\n- Carl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131002.html#film-3046
SUMMARY:No
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T112900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T100000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3047
DESCRIPTION:While watching Only God Forgives you have the feeling that yo
u’re witnessing the birth of a seminal\, cult film. One of those films t
hat\, in five years\, young men will hang reverential posters of in thei
r rooms. It is a hyper-violent film\, much of which is shocking\, that d
epicts a series of underworld figures in Thailand who trade in the old w
arrior principles of honour\, revenge and responsibility.\n\nThe God ref
erred to in the title\, as far as I could tell\, never lived in this Ban
gkok. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn\, of Drive fame\, Only God Forgiv
es reunites him with Drive star Ryan Gosling in the lead role of Julian\
, the American with a murky past\, who may not be the toughest fighter b
ut has the clearest principles.\n\nWinding Refn is a distinctive directo
r\, his earlier film Bronson is a classic example of spooky violence\, a
nd he has again made an individual motion picture. This is not to say it
is perfect\, there are far too many plot holes and pieces of absurd dia
logue for it to be taken seriously. In one exchange Julian says to his f
emme fetale mother\, “He raped and killed a 16 year old girl”. Her reply
is the icy\, “I’m sure your brother had his reasons”.\n\nThe audience I
watched the film with shifted from laughing at the violence to disgust\
, and inevitably some left. However those that stuck it out to the end w
ere\, by the time the lights came up\, talking about Only God Forgives w
ith such passion that the few brave souls who started applauding were dr
owned out by the sudden rush of voices. \n\n\n- Carl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131004.html#film-3047
SUMMARY:Only God Forgives
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T131800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T114400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131004T114400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3048
DESCRIPTION:Controversial filmmaker Harmony Korine returns for his fifth
outing with the divisive Spring Breakers. A shameless study in gratuitou
s imagery\, the film revels in its extensive exposition of nubile\, semi
-naked young adults. Although uncomfortable\, this distinctively sleazy
tone plays into the themes of hedonism and excess which pervade not only
the idealisation of this party ‘paradise’\, but the obsession with chas
ing the intangible American dream.\n\nSpring Breakers centres on a gang
of bored suburban college girls for whom spring break functions as a tra
nscendent nirvana. The mantra ‘Spring break forever’ dictates their deba
uched celebrations\, but as spring break winds down\, their transgressiv
e refusal to go back to their lives sees them become deeply embroiled in
the dangerous world of local drug dealer\, Alien (Franco).\n\nA unique
feature of Spring Breakers lies in its cast\, who function as one of man
y overt references to celebrity culture and fallen idols. Spring Breaker
s picks apart the illusion of innocence which must have been a draw-card
for the film’s all-star cast of former Disney ingénues. Aside from this
telling move\, Korine allows the film to play out without comment and w
hile a focus on style over substance would normally devalue a film’s mes
sage\, the gratuitousness\, shallowness and intense visual beauty speak
volumes about out contemporary popular culture landscape. The film ultim
ately resembles a drug-fuelled music video\, and the disarming effect of
this appropriation ensures the voyeuristic nightmare that is Spring Bre
akers will stay with its audience long after Spring Break(ers) is over.\
n\n\n- Alice McShane
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131004.html#film-3048
SUMMARY:Spring Breakers
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T105600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3049
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWorld War Z follows ex-Uni
ted Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Pitt) as he attempts to save the wo
rld from a zombie outbreak that threatens to result in the end of humani
ty. Called back into service by his former boss\, Gerry is tasked with t
raversing the globe and using his special skill set to discover the root
of the plague – in the hopes that he might be able to salvage the world
for his wife and two young daughters to return to. All the while he fac
es that age old dilemma of working dads: does it make me a bad father to
prioritise work ahead of my family?\n\nExpect swarms of zombies moving
at breakneck speed\, exhilarating action sequences\, studio bankrupting
blockbuster special effects and dramatically intense screams of fright i
nducing moments – all of which are best experienced on a big screen with
a full audience to giggle at your reactions.\n\nThe film is inspired by
the best book ever written about zombies\, Max Brooks’s “World War Z: A
n Oral History of the Zombie Wars”. With a focus on the humanity of the
situation\, wider social and political themes emerge\, thereby making i
t an entertaining and thoughtful foray into the zombie apocalypse. In w
hich humans emerge victorious over the undead. Sort of.\n\n- Alastair Wi
lson
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131005.html#film-3049
SUMMARY:World War Z
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T125500Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T111100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131005T111100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3050
DESCRIPTION:Left to fend for themselves after their SS officer father and
mother\, a staunch Nazi believer\, are interred by the victorious Allie
s at the end of World War II\, five German children undertake a harrowin
g journey that exposes them to the reality and consequences of their par
ents' actions. \n\nLed by the eldest sibling\, 14-year old Lore (newcome
r Saskia Rosendahl)\, they set out on a harrowing journey across a devas
tated country to reach their grandmother in the north. After meeting the
charismatic Thomas\, a mysterious young refugee\, Lore soon finds her w
orld shattered by feelings of both hatred and desire as she must learn t
o trust the one person she has always been taught to hate in order to su
rvive. \n\nLush cinematography and an evocative\, haunting mood infuse t
his unconventional take on the Holocaust legacy with unforgettable impac
t. \n\n"Few films recently have affected me as powerfully as Lore. It's
an outstanding achievement from one of our most talented filmmakers." -
Margaret Pomeranz\, At The Movies.\n\n\n-
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131005.html#film-3050
SUMMARY:Lore
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131010T105000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131010T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131010T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3051
DESCRIPTION:The family road-trip adventure is given new meaning in this n
ew comedy from Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
). David Burke (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer who minds his own b
usiness and supplies to a small clientele that includes chefs and soccer
mums. He likes to keep a low profile for obvious reasons\, but when a b
ad deal goes wrong with some teenage punks\, he’s forced to change his p
osition. Left in major debt to his supplier Brad (Helms)\, David has lit
tle control over his position.\n\nHe has no option but to take drastic m
easures to wipe his slate clean. At the command of his boss\, David must
now become a big-time drug smuggler. His task is to bring his boss’s la
test shipment in from Mexico\, but David\, inexperienced with such a big
job\, needs all the help he can get.\n\nWith few options available to h
im he comes up with a cunning plan – form a fake family. He gets the hel
p of his neighbours\, hiring stripper Rose (Aniston)\, geeky wannabe Ken
ny (Will Poulter) and streetwise teen Casey (Roberts) as his wife and ch
ildren.\n\nAnd so the new ‘family’ head for the border\, in what is a ve
ry unique road-trip adventure…\n\n\n- Tom Baily
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131010.html#film-3051
SUMMARY:We’re The Millers
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T103200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3052
DESCRIPTION:This is a film for all of those who are a little bit ‘weird’.
If you’ve never seen Tim Burton’s classic 1988 dark comedy (with a litt
le bit of drama and a thin smear of scary bits) – you really should NOW!
If you’ve seen it before – SEE IT AGAIN!! An all-star cast headed by Al
ec Baldwin\, Geena Davis\, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. There’s also
a strong supporting cast of famous ’80s comedy faces including Jeffrey
Jones and Catherine O’Hara.\n\nAdam Maitland (Baldwin) and his wife Barb
ara (Davis) die in a car accident in their picturesque Vermont town but
remain as ghosts in their old house. While struggling to come to grips w
ith their ‘passing’\, the Maitlands are shocked by the rich\, yuppie Dee
tz family that moves into their home and the deep isolation and sorrow o
f their goth daughter Lydia (Ryder).\n\nThe Maitlands try their incompet
ent best to scare-away the Deetzes\, but only succeed in attracting inte
rest and attention from them and their pretentiously stylish hangers-on.
In an act of desperation\, the Maitlands call-in professional ‘haunter’
Beetlejuice (Keaton) – but at what cost?\n\nThis film is a sheer joy\,
Keaton’s Beetlejuice steals every scene with machine-gun dialogue and ma
dcap slapstick. Burton’s surreal visions of the afterlife and the ‘undea
d civil-service’ are a wonder to behold (even if the Harryhausen-esque m
odel-work looks a bit dated by today’s standards). The Harry Belafonte t
unes really top-off a gem of a film.\n\n\n- Miles Goodhew
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131011.html#film-3052
SUMMARY:Beetlejuice
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T124100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T104700Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131011T104700Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3053
DESCRIPTION:The Freelings are your average early 1980s family – Dad (Nels
on)\, Mum (Williams) and three kids. It's even sort of adorable that the
youngest daughter\, Carol Anne (O’Rourke)\, has started talking to the
TV. Until strange events start taking place – items spontaneously breaki
ng\, furniture moving on its own… and soon Carol Anne is missing\, and i
t becomes obvious that malevolent ghosts are at work. With the assistanc
e of Tangina (Rubenstein)\, a skilled medium\, the Freelings have to fig
ht to get their daughter back.\n\nPoltergeist brings the haunted house m
ovie into ’80s suburbia – into ’80s Spielberg suburbia\, in fact (the di
rector credit on this film is particularly controversial\, but it's unde
niable that this does reflect Spielberg's style more than it does Hooper
's). But this also reflects some of the malevolent side that Spielberg g
ot away with during the early ’80s – between this (which was\, astonishi
ngly\, rated PG in its original release)\, Gremlins and Indiana Jones an
d the Temple of Doom\, Spielberg is responsible for quite a degree of ch
ildhood terrors for those of us who were of the right susceptible age. A
nd thirty years later\, it's still a scary night in the cinema. \n\n\n-
Simon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131011.html#film-3053
SUMMARY:Poltergeist
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T094900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3054
DESCRIPTION:When Richard Linklater was in his early thirties he wrote\, s
hot and released a film based in his hometown\; Austin\, Texas. The film
was made for $23\,000 and its international gross of 1.25 million\, and
acclaim at the Sundance film festival\, assured the start of a promisin
g new American director’s career. Slacker\, as it was named\, shadows ov
er Linklater’s later films\, like Clerks does for Kevin Smith\, and its
influence can be felt again in Before Midnight\, the third instalment in
Linklater’s Before series\, and our third introduction to the two lover
s – Jesse and Celine.\n\nIn Before Midnight Jesse and Celine are married
\, with two young children\, and on holiday in Greece. It’s possible to
watch the Before series as a sort of creative wish fulfilment on Linklat
er’s part\, who devoted the series to Amy Lehrhaupt\, a woman he met in
a Philadelphia toyshop just after releasing Slacker\, and with whom he s
pent a romantic evening before losing contact.\n\nLehrhraupt died in 199
4 in a motorcycle accident\, a random act of accidental violence that Li
nklater seems determined to re-write into a love story that\, much like
other tragic love stories\, was never meant to be. With this in mind\, B
efore Midnight becomes less another hard-nosed American indie romance bu
t the heartbreaking eulogy of a man unwilling to admit that a one off me
eting will\, forever and ever\, remain just that.\n\n\n- Carl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131012.html#film-3054
SUMMARY:Before Midnight
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T113800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T100400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131012T100400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3055
DESCRIPTION:Song for Marion is a London-set comedic drama about a cantank
erous pensioner\, Arthur (Stamp)\, who is reluctantly motivated by his b
eloved wife Marion’s terminal illness to join the highly unconventional
local choir which she was part of to help the group enter a national cho
ir competition. At odds with his son James (Eccleston)\, Arthur must con
front the undercurrents of his own grumbling persona as he embarks on a
life-affirming journey of musical self-discovery.\n\nThis is another ent
ry in the burgeoning sub-genre of ‘uplifting comedies about older people
confronting death’\, standing alongside great films such as Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel\, Quartet and basically anything else Maggie Smith has d
one outside of “Downton Abbey” lately. This is a charming film\, with so
me lovely musical set-pieces as the choir performs its unorthodox set li
st.\n\nVanessa Redgrave is wonderful as the titular Marion and her relat
ionship with Arthur is the heart of the film. Gemma Arterton gives a swe
et performance as charismatic choir director Elizabeth who is determined
to persuade Arthur to embrace life. This is a moving film but it doesn’
t exploit its characters in order to get you reaching for the tissues (b
ut you should probably bring some just in case). One for lovers of bitte
rsweet British comedies with quirky characters and real emotional pull.\
n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131012.html#film-3055
SUMMARY:Song For Marion
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131015T105900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131015T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131015T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3056
DESCRIPTION:Before Elvis\, before Elton John\, Madonna and Lady Gaga\, th
ere was Liberace (Douglas) virtuoso pianist\, outrageous entertainer and
flamboyant star of stage and television. \n\nA name synonymous with sho
wmanship\, extravagance and candelabras\, he was a world-renowned perfor
mer with a flair that endeared him to his audiences and created a loyal
fan base spanning his 40-year career. Liberace lived lavishly and embrac
ed a lifestyle of excess both on and off stage. \n\nIn summer 1977\, han
dsome young stranger Scott Thorson (Damon) walked into his dressing room
and\, despite their age difference and seemingly different worlds\, the
two embarked on a secretive five-year love affair. Behind the Candelabr
a takes a behind-the-scenes look at their tempestuous relationship - fro
m their first meeting backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton to their bitter
and public break-up.\n\n"The glitter and kitsch\, and jaw-dropping perfo
rmances by Michael Douglas as the middle-age Liberace and Matt Damon as
his much younger boy-toy Scott Thorson\, make this a wild ride without c
ompare." - Nancy DeWolf Smith\, Wall Street Journal.\n\n\n-
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131015.html#film-3056
SUMMARY:Behind The Candelabra
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T104900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3057
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nNeill Blomkamp\, director
of the thoughtful and wildly entertaining District 9\, returns to the dy
stopian future with Elysium.\n\nIn 2154 earth is a mess: grungy and over
crowded\; its population living in poverty. The rich live in the ultimat
e gated community – Elysium – a man-made floating city in space. Max Cob
urn (Damon) needs the medical care only available in the privileged encl
ave and agrees to take on a desperate mission to break into the heavily
protected space station.\n\nCoburn is a grimmer\, more stoic hero than S
harlto Copley's wild-eyed character in District 9 but he looks tough in
his new haircut\, particularly after his cohorts literally bolt him into
a power-assisted exo-suit. Copley is back\, as the heavy this time\, ba
cked by a chilling Jodie Foster as the ruthless administrator of the spa
ce station.\n\nBlomkamp\, arguably one of the best directors for getting
bang for the buck out of visual effects\, has a bigger budget this time
and has teamed up with artists like concept designer Syd Mead (Blade Ru
nner). The director has described his job as ‘painting ridiculous ideas
with a brush of reality’ and it's exciting to see what he does with this
\, much bigger\, brush.\n\n- Ben Snow
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131018.html#film-3057
SUMMARY:Elysium
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T125200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T110400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131018T110400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3058
DESCRIPTION:The plot of Gattaca is familiar to many (perhaps especially s
o for some of our high school memories). It is set in a world where gene
tic engineering has become the norm for procreation. Vincent Freeman (Ha
wke) is a traditionally conceived human\, a ‘faith birth’\, an ‘INVALID’
\, in this future where all births are planned in the laboratory. He mus
t hide his multitude of genetic flaws if he is to ever achieve his dream
of becoming a spaceman on a voyage to one of Saturn’s moons. Jerome Eug
ene Morrow (Law) is the genetically gifted yet paraplegic man who lost a
ll hope in this world and barters his perfect DNA identity\, used by Vin
cent to get through his daily life and the rigorous screening process at
Gattaca Aerospace. However a murder investigation threatens this elabor
ate subterfuge and causes everyone to re-examine themselves and their co
ld\, scientific society.\n\nWriter-director Andrew Niccol’s first movie\
, Gattaca received widespread critical acclaim for being an intelligent
and thought-provoking film. It presents a world of unapologetic discrimi
nation\, a seemingly distant fiction yet strangely possible extension of
our current society. More than 16 years have passed since its first rel
ease\, yet the film still poses some provocative questions we need to co
nsider today: should we embrace genetic engineering as a justifiable pra
ctice? Are we living in a world being destroyed by the pursuit of perfec
tion? Can we ever conquer discrimination and prejudice? Perhaps this is
why Gattaca will always remain intriguing and moving.\n\n\n- Ingrid Zhan
g
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131018.html#film-3058
SUMMARY:Gattaca
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T094600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3059
DESCRIPTION:What if people tried being superheroes in real life? That was
the question posed by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. when they sat dow
n to write their eight-issue graphic (in every sense of the word) novel
series entitled “Kick-Ass”. Due to their no-holds-barred approach to sup
erheroes\, the rights for a film adaptation were bought up before the fi
rst issue was even published and immediately put into development. The e
nd result was this: an audaciously entertaining\, outrageously violent\,
profanity-laden comic book movie unlike anything that had come before.\
n\nReleased mere weeks after the comic’s initial run and matching its st
oryline nearly blow-for-blow\, Kick-Ass the film follows ordinary New Yo
rk teenager Dave Lizewski (Johnson) as he sets out to become a real-life
superhero. Suiting up in a green-and-yellow wetsuit and calling himself
‘Kick-Ass’\, he joins forces with fellow costumed vigilantes Big Daddy
(self-professed comic book super-fan Cage\, in a show-stealing performan
ce) and his sidekick/young daughter Hit-Girl (Moretz) in their quest to
take down a drug lord (Mark Strong).\n\nThough not massively successful\
, the film was still well received albeit criticised by some for its off
ensive content\, particularly in relation to Hit-Girl\, who does her fai
r share of foul-mouthed killing (Moretz was eleven at the time of filmin
g). Nonetheless\, the film found its audience\, gaining enough of a foll
owing to warrant a sequel\, which – surprise! – is conveniently screenin
g right after this. So mark your calendars and catch both Kick-Ass films
back-to-back at the Film Group for a night of ultra-violent\, spandex-c
lad action!\n\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131019.html#film-3059
SUMMARY:Kick-Ass
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T114400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T100100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131019T100100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3060
DESCRIPTION:In 2010 the original Kick-Ass served up a slice of hyper-viol
ence pie with a scoop of foul language on top\, which soundly upset some
of the people who saw it and earned it plenty of free publicity along t
he way. Underneath all the offensive content though was a surprisingly s
weet story about a teenager (Johnson) who decides to become a costumed h
ero named Kick-Ass\, and winds up in deep trouble.\n\n \n\nNow\, in Kick
-Ass 2\, the inevitable has happened: other people\, inspired by the new
s reports about the exploits of Kick-Ass and badass eleven-year-old Hit-
Girl (Moretz)\, have decided to suit up as well. Meanwhile Red Mist (Min
tz-Plasse) has reinvented himself as villain The Motherf*cker and intend
s to make Kick-Ass pay for the death of his mobster father. With Hit-Gir
l grounded\, Kick Ass is going to have to team up if he wants to survive
.\n\n \n\nFollowing the graphic novels by Mark Millar\, Kick-Ass 2 bring
s in the old concept of costumed heroes teaming up\, and gives it the sa
me cynically realistic treatment as the first film did with crime fighte
rs in general. With almost the entire original cast returning\, and scre
enwriter Jeff Wadlow taking over as director\, the sequel looks set to b
e just as offensive – and just as fantastically entertaining – as its pr
edecessor.\n\n\n- Katie J Taylor
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131019.html#film-3060
SUMMARY:Kick-Ass 2
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131024T111000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131024T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131024T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3061
DESCRIPTION:Set in contemporary New York City\, a seemingly ordinary teen
ager\, Clary Fray (Collins)\, discovers she is the descendant of a line
of Shadowhunters\; a secret group of young half-angel warriors locked in
an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. When her mother (“G
ame of Thrones” star Headey) disappears\, Clary joins forces with a grou
p of Shadowhunters to save her\, and is introduced to Downworld\, a dang
erous alternate-world New York filled with demons\, warlocks\, vampires\
, werewolves and other deadly creatures.\n\nThis is the latest in the cu
rrent trend of action-romance films based on a best-selling young adult
book series. There aren’t a lot of surprises here\, plot-wise\, but it’s
still an entertaining ride\, especially if you enjoyed the Twilight fil
ms or last semester’s Beautiful Creatures (even if you don’t want to adm
it it in public). Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) is engaging as our wide-e
yed heroine encountering the dark side and Jamie Campbell Bower was clea
rly taking notes during his stint on the Twilight films\, turning in a s
uitably smouldering performance as the mysterious Jace Wayland\, Clary’s
guide to the Downworld and inevitable love interest. Will this franchis
e (yes\, there’s already a sequel in the works) overthrow The Hunger Gam
es to become the next cultural phenomenon? Only time will tell\, but reg
ardless\, it’s still a lot of fun.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131024.html#film-3061
SUMMARY:The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T105900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3062
DESCRIPTION:Say what you will about director Michael Bay\, there’s no den
ying that no one does carefully calculated cinematic chaos and destructi
on – a style best described as ‘Bay-hem’ – better. Having gone on to dir
ect such smash-em-up hits as The Rock\, Armageddon and the Transformers
trilogy\, this film is where it all began.\n\nStarting out directing com
mercials and music videos\, Bay made his feature directorial debut in 19
95 with Bad Boys\, teaming up with two other stars of the small screen –
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith\, at the time still best known as TV’s “
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” – to deliver a violent\, foul-mouthed\, riotous
romp of a film.\n\nThe plot (or what resembles it) revolves around two
best friends and detectives (Lawrence and Smith) in the narcotics divisi
on of the Miami Police Department. When a daring overnight heist removes
the takings of the biggest drug bust of their careers from a secure pol
ice vault\, the duo must recover the $100 million in seized heroin or ri
sk their entire division being shut down. The investigation leads to an
eyewitness on the run (Leoni)\, a French drug lord\, swapped identities\
, gunfights\, car chases and\, of course\, plenty of the frenetic visual
style and breakneck editing that Bay has since made his trademark.\n\nO
ne of the defining action movies of the 1990s\, Bad Boys may be a textbo
ok example of that decade’s focus on style over substance\, but at least
in the hands of Michael Bay\, it all looks pretty damn good!\n\n\n- Adr
ian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131025.html#film-3062
SUMMARY:Bad Boys
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T130300Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T111400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131025T111400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3063
DESCRIPTION:After he becomes too much for his single mother (Bassett) to
handle\, 10 year old Tre Styles is sent to live with his father Furious
(Fishburne) in south-central LA's notorious Crenshaw neighbourhood in th
e hopes that a firm-but-fair fatherly hand can straighten him out and te
ach the otherwise bright boy some respect. There he makes friends with a
neighbouring pair of brothers\, ‘Doughboy’ and Ricky\, as well as Chris
\; together they get a glimpse of gang life in the neighbourhood when th
ey find a dead gang member in an alley and are bullied by gang members.\
n\nFast forwarding seven years we re-join the friends. Tre (Gooding\, Jr
)\, Ricky (Morris Chestnut) and Chris (Redge Green) are attending a welc
ome home party for Doughboy (Ice Cube)\, who has just been released from
his first stint in the big house. Though Doughboy is desperately trying
to leave gang life behind\, his past demons won't leave him alone and h
is friends get caught in the crossfire.\n\nCoincidentally releasing a fe
w short months after the Rodney King beatings shocked America\, and the
western world at large\, Boyz n the Hood painted a picture of life in th
e American ghettos in an honest fashion at a time when the American midd
le class were ready to lap it up – some have described the movie as 20%
blaxploitation\, 80% social commentary. The movie was an amazing feat fo
r writer/director John Singleton who made the film on a very modest budg
et fresh out of film school. In the process he became the youngest filmm
aker ever to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar\, produced a film th
at sits in the Library of Congress National Film Registry\, is one of th
e “1001 films to see before you die” and a staple at film schools the wo
rld over.\n\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131025.html#film-3063
SUMMARY:Boyz N The Hood
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T093900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3064
DESCRIPTION:India Stoker (Canberra’s own Wasikowska) has just lost her fa
ther in a car accident. With her mother (Kidman) unstable and alienating
\, she finds herself drawn to her newly arrived uncle Charlie (Goode). E
ven as his motives become more suspicious\, India can’t help herself fro
m becoming infatuated\, in ways that become more and more dangerous.\n\n
Screenwriter Miller is better known as an actor\, appearing on four year
s of “Prison Break” as the emotionally restrained Michael Schofield. Thi
s is his first produced screenplay\, a dark and twisted story perfect fo
r the English-language debut of director Chan-wook Park (Korean director
of Thirst and Old Boy). With some great performances (including the Aus
tralian triple-decker of Wasikowska\, Kidman and Weaver)\, and a very na
sty approach to family bonds\, it’s a great way to get creeped out at th
e movies.\n\n\n- Simon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131026.html#film-3064
SUMMARY:Stoker
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T120400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T095400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131026T095400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3065
DESCRIPTION:What Lies Beneath has a good solid cast – Michelle Pfeiffer a
nd Harrison Ford in the lead roles as well-off Claire Spencer and her hu
sband Professor Norman Spencer – and although you’ve seen the plot many
times before\, it is what is not said that adds layers of suspense.\n\nO
minous\, creepy silences dominate the telling of the story – a mixture o
f drama and horror with a large helping of the supernatural – aided by t
he sounds of breathing\, footsteps and doors that creak fuelling the bui
ld-up of tensions. Sounds clichéd but it isn’t.\n\nClaire suffers memory
losses\, the result of a car accident. She is also unsettled after her
daughter leaves home to go to college. They live next door to a husband
and wife (Remar and Australia’s Otto) whose loud arguments are matched b
y the volume of their sex.\n\nThe story gets going when Claire sees the
husband from next door apparently putting a bag with a body inside into
the boot of his car. Then follows a series of strange events and a séanc
e which takes a nasty turn. Dogs bark\, pictures fall off walls and ghos
ts come haunting before guilty secrets are inevitably revealed.\n\n\n- J
ohn Rogers
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131026.html#film-3065
SUMMARY:What Lies Beneath
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131031T105000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131031T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131031T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3066
DESCRIPTION:A French farce of the highest order\, Le prénom couples a str
ong script\, oozing vibrant wit\, with a cast of first rate performers.
The film was written and directed by Alexandre de LaPatellière and Matth
ieu Delaporte\, and was originally conceived as a play by the same autho
rs. The actors\, too\, return to the piece having spent years on the sta
ge practicing their lines for the film.\n\nVincent and Anna (Bruel and E
l Zein) are about to become first-time parents. At a family dinner with
Vincent’s sister\, brother-in-law Pierre (Berling) and family friend Cla
ude (de Tonquedec)\, Vincent announces the name of their child-to-be… an
d it doesn’t go down so well.\n\nOutraged by the chosen name\, the famil
y is in shock\, Pierre particularly going on the offensive. As the night
wears on\, deeper truths emerge about the characters and the fierce arg
ument brings to light the cracks in the group.\n\nThe limited scene chan
ges\, theatrical origins and middle-class setting beg the comparison bet
ween What’s In A Name and Roman Polanski’s Carnage. There are similariti
es undoubtedly\, but where Carnage is a searing satirical deconstruction
of social convention\, What’s In A Name is more… well\, fun.\n\nThe pre
mise of the film is a little silly\, but the actors sell the scene well
enough to draw the audience in to keep listening. As the conversations u
nfold\, they ultimately reach a more optimistic place than that of Carna
ge. Overall\, the film is pleasant to watch.\n\n\n- Josh Paul
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131031.html#film-3066
SUMMARY:What’s In A Name? (Le Prénom)
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T105600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3067
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIt’s opening night and a L
as Vegas casino is premiering its latest act: a quartet of master illusi
onists calling themselves The Four Horsemen. Their illusions are spectac
ular\, but it’s the finale that quite literally stops the show as they a
ppear to teleport a member of the audience all the way to the vault of h
is bank in Paris\, and then rain down its entire contents on the theatre
’s packed house.\n\nWhen it’s discovered that the Parisian bank is actua
lly short a few million Euros\, the Robin-Hood-like illusionists are imm
ediately apprehended by the FBI\, but soon released due to a lack of any
hard evidence linking them to the crime – unless\, of course\, the magi
c was real (spoiler alert: it’s not). The Horsemen then head back on tou
r\, doggedly pursued across the country by an FBI agent (Ruffalo) determ
ined to find out how they pulled the trick off – and to stop them before
they do it again.\n\nNow You See Me cleverly blends a tense cat-and-mou
se thriller with the grandeur of stage magic for an incredibly fun and f
lashy – if slightly flimsy – cocktail of a film. Taking time off from cr
eating Facebook\, Jesse Eisenberg nails his role as the cocky leader of
the Horsemen\, with Woody Harrelson\, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco (James
’ younger brother) rounding out the rest of his crack team.\n\nWith plen
ty up its sleeves\, Now You See Me is a cinematic sleight-of-hand that’s
well worth a watch – just make sure you’re paying close attention! \n\n
- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131101.html#film-3067
SUMMARY:Now You See Me
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T130400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T111100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131101T111100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3068
DESCRIPTION:Drift is a film made by a literal who’s who of Australian com
mercial television. It was co-directed by Ben Nott and Morgan O’Neill (“
Home and Away”)\, stars Sam Worthington (“Water Rats”)\, Xavier Samuel (
“McLeod’s Daughters”)\, Steve Bastoni (“Police Rescue”\, “Neighbours”)\,
and Myles Pollard (“Mcleod’s Daughters”\, “Water Rats”\, “Home and Away
”). Needless to say it presents a certain “Neighbours”-esque counterfeit
of Australian life\, with characters given such lines as “yeah\, I reck
on” and “speeeeeech”\, although to be fair that one was probably deliver
ed impromptu.\n\nDrift tells the story of the ‘Kelly’ brothers\, a group
of reckless Australian larrikins who\, joined by their mother\, escape
what’s suggested is an abusive home and surf the big waves off rural Wes
tern Australian in the mid-1970s. Story established\, cue plot developme
nt\, enter JB\, played by Sam Worthington\, the mysterious yet helpful s
urf-photographing wizard figure who brings along the American love inter
est Lani. Now the rest of the plot comes crashing through\, much like on
e of the big waves the Kellys love to surf\; love squabbles\, drug deals
\, bad guys\, selling the family home and then a redemptive\, yet inexpl
icable\, surfing contest that resolves all the above problems. \n\n\n- C
arl Reinecke
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131101.html#film-3068
SUMMARY:Drift
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T100900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3069
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nYou see those words under
the title\, ‘Directed by Michael Bay’? That should be all you need to kn
ow in deciding whether you want to see this film or not. Either you love
the testosterone-fuelled\, shotgun-edited antics of the man behind the
live-action Transformers movies\, Armageddon\, Bad Boys and Bad Boys II\
, or you consider his work a blemish upon cinema\, worthy only of your d
eepest contempt.\n\nFor those of you who need a bit more than instant gu
t responses to the director in choosing a movie – a quick plot summary.
Danny Lugo (Wahlberg) is an ex-con\, working in a Miami gym\, servicing
a rich and morally ambiguous clientele. Danny's plan to get rich quick\,
via a little light extortion\, quickly spirals out of control into viol
ence\, double-crossing and a death or two.\n\nApparently ‘based on a tru
e story’ (but with a lot of\, ahem\, improvements to actual events)\, th
is is Bay attempting realism\, or at least as close as he's going to get
. So there's no giant robots\, no explosions… but there are musclebound
lunkheads indulging in male bonding in pursuit of dubious goals. There i
s an implicit criticism of the American Dream of conspicuous consumption
\, but at the same time it's clear Bay really enjoys the crass side of A
merican culture (hell\, he embodies it)\, so the seduction is better sol
d than the consequences. But for those who enjoy this sort of thing… thi
s is the sort of thing you will enjoy.\n\n- Simon Tolhurst
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131102.html#film-3069
SUMMARY:Pain & Gain
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T115900Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T102400Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131102T102400Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3070
DESCRIPTION:A budding entrepreneur (Rogen) takes his overbearing mother (
Streisand)\, whom he usually goes out of his way to avoid\, along for th
e ride as he tries to sell his eco-friendly cleaning product to all mann
er of major retailers. Needless to say\, the son has a secret ulterior m
otive: he wants to try and set his long-single mum up with the ex-love o
f her life\, after whom he was named.\n\nThe pair encounter all manner o
f wacky adventures and unusual folks along their trip. The highlight und
oubtedly being Streisand getting stuck into a giant-steak-eating challen
ge and picking up in the process\, which is worth a gawk for the sheer a
bsurdity of it all!\n\nThe Guilt Trip is a broad crowd-pleasing road mov
ie that brings together comedy actors from two distinctly different gene
rations\, along with enough cameos from their friends to fill a small ar
my. It may not be original or edgy\, but the film hits enough of the rig
ht notes with the tried-and-tested formula it follows to keep fans of ei
ther of the film's leads who might be looking for some easy-going entert
ainment satisfied.\n\n\n- Adam Gould
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131102.html#film-3070
SUMMARY:The Guilt Trip
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T103600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3071
DESCRIPTION:It’s not long into R.I.P.D. that you figure out it’s a pretty
obvious rehash of the Men in Black formula. Based on the Dark Horse Com
ics’ mini-series of the same name\, the homage runs deep with Ryan Reyno
lds playing recently deceased/resurrected cop Nick Walker partnered-up w
ith Jeff Bridges playing gnarled\, surly “Agent K” facsimile\, Roy Pulsi
pher. Initially Nick seeks to identify his killer\, but before long the
pair end up in the generic\, supernatural vague world-saving using bizar
re technology and secret identities plot you’re expecting.\n\nThe ‘undea
th’ mechanic is the same as in “Dead Like Me” or Heaven Can Wait – where
the characters’ outward ‘avatar’ appearance is dramatically different t
o their identity’s (Nick is outwardly played by Hollywood bit-part veter
an\, James Hong. Roy is outwardly Marisa Miller).\n\nAt least the cast a
nd crew are fresh to the theme\, unlike M.I.B. 3\, which was decidedly ‘
tired’. Despite its unabashed unoriginality\, the movie is relatively fu
n and good for a few mindless yuks. A nice development is that Ryan Reyn
olds arguably does not suck in this\, but his fish-out-of-water characte
r type was always going to be overshadowed by Bridges’ Cogburn-cum-Custe
r (Even the avatars are more interesting\, but that’s really to be expec
ted).\n\nSo: silly humour\, wild special effects\, secret bunkers\, futu
ristic gizmos\, surreal bad guys\, cataclysm aversion – it’s got it all\
, go have fun and try not to step in the plot-holes.\n\n\n- Miles Goodhe
w
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131115.html#film-3071
SUMMARY:R.I.P.D.
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T123800Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T105100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131115T105100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3072
DESCRIPTION:The Pythons open this with a 17-minute supporting feature abo
ut elderly office clerks commandeering a building\, turning it into a pi
rate ship and overthrowing a large multinational corporation. Why does i
t open like that? Well\, probably for much the same reasons as they did
pretty much everything in this movie: because they could\, damn it.\n\nY
ou get the impression that this is the movie the Python Crew most enjoye
d making. They never really had any conventions to be freed from\, but t
hey somehow seemed to manage it anyway with this movie. I guess you’d sa
y it’s that movie exploring all those jokes about live organ transplants
you’ve always wanted to make but couldn’t\, because you’re not Monty Py
thon and you couldn’t get away with it.\n\nOh\, yeah\, and it’s really f
unny and awesome\; which is kind of a redundant statement\, really\, bec
ause Monty Python made it. \n\nAnyway\, if the thought of a Catholic man
selling his children off for medical experiments while leading a sing-a
long called “Every Sperm is Sacred” offends you deeply\, I would really
appreciate your coming along to see this movie. It will make that scene
a little more hilarious for the rest of us.\n\n\n- Andrew Fitzgerald
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131115.html#film-3072
SUMMARY:Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T093600Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3073
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFrom Dreamworks\, the make
rs of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda\, Turbo is a high-velocity animated c
omedy about a snail who dares to dream big - and fast!\n\nAfter a freak
accident infuses him with the power of super-speed\, Turbo (voiced by Ry
an Reynolds) kicks into overdrive and embarks on an extraordinary journe
y to achieve the seemingly impossible: competing in the world's fastest
race\, the Indianapolis 500. With the help of his tricked-out streetwise
snail crew\, this ultimate underdog puts his heart and shell on the lin
e to prove that no dream is too big\, and no dreamer too small. \n\nFeat
uring an all-star cast of voices\, including Ryan Reynolds\, Paul Giamat
ti\, Michelle Rodriguez and Samuel L. Jackson.\n\n"Filled with inventive
ideas\, wacky concepts and characters so colourful they are off the rai
nbow chart\, Turbo is a breath of fresh air guaranteed to delight youngs
ters and adults alike." - Louise Keller\, Urban Cinefile\n\n-
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131116.html#film-3073
SUMMARY:Turbo
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T113700Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T095100Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131116T095100Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3074
DESCRIPTION:Based on the best-selling series of novels by Rick Riordan\,
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is the sequel to the 2010 action/adventur
e film Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning thief and continue
s the young demigod's epic journey to fulfil his destiny.\n\nTo save the
ir dying world\, Percy (Lerman) and his friends must find the fabled and
magical Golden Fleece. Embarking on a treacherous odyssey into the unch
arted waters of the Sea of Monsters (known to humans as the Bermuda Tria
ngle)\, they battle terrifying creatures\, an army of zombies\, and more
in order to stop an ancient evil from returning.\n\n\n-
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131116.html#film-3074
SUMMARY:Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T103100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T090000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T090000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3075
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAlthough this film gained
significant attention with its spectacular trailer\, it was something of
an opaque enigma. While it lets you become intimately familiar with eve
ry little scintillating fragment of shuttle debris\, you didn’t get much
of an insight into the plot. However\, it’s really pretty much right up
there before your eyes: a group of astronauts try to return to Earth af
ter their shuttle from The International Space Station is destroyed by s
pace junk. Sure\, it’s slightly anachronistic\, given that the Space Shu
ttle is no more\, but look at that view!\n\nSandra Bullock stars as Dr.
Ryan Stone\, a brilliant medical engineer on her first mission. George C
looney plays retiring veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Mike Wazowski?)\,
on his last mission commanding the shuttle home from the ISS. With no s
huttle\, no hope of rescue and no communications with Earth\, doom is in
evitable… or is it?!\n\nThe film was directed\, co-written and co-produc
ed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men\, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban)\, so the pacing and style are tight. Some of the visual effect
s and special effects crews worked on Gladiator and The Dark Knight\, wh
ich really shows in the awe-inspiring vistas of earth and vividly compli
cated destruction scenes.\n\nAlthough it could be said to be a reimagini
ng of Apollo 13 (But… you know… less factually based)\, it’s a visually
stunning movie and a gripping thriller.\n\n- Miles Goodhew
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131122.html#film-3075
SUMMARY:Gravity
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T124400Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T104600Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131122T104600Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3076
DESCRIPTION:Riddick is back! The infamous criminal hero has been left for
dead on a desolate desert planet. The only way off planet is for Riddic
k to activate an emergency beacon and alert nearby mercenaries\, who rap
idly descend in search of their priceless bounty. The first to arrive ar
e a group of a new breed of ‘merc’\, more lethal and violent than the re
st\, while the second ship is captained by a man hunting down Riddick fo
r ‘personal reasons’. With time running out and a deadly storm on the ho
rizon\, Riddick must survive against all odds against hunters who don't
plan to leave the planet without his head as their trophy. That is\, unt
il the local inhabitants become aware of their new prey…\n\nFollowing 20
04’s The Chronicles of Riddick\, itself a sequel to the cult sci-fi clas
sic Pitch Black\, this action sci-fi thriller goes back to its roots\, t
aking the dangerous man with reflector eyes once again to a forsaken pla
net in an uneasy alliance with people who want him dead against creature
s trying to kill everyone. It’s a winning story\, even if this isn’t the
first time we’ve seen it\, made new by strong performances by some fami
liar faces. Vin Diesel is thoroughly entertaining\, returning to the rol
e that made him a star\, while “Battlestar Galactica” fans will be thril
led to see Starbuck\, I mean Katee Sackhoff\, as tough-but-vulnerable me
rcenary Dahl. This is a really fun film with an interesting twist on the
original formula. Disengage your brain and enjoy the ride.\n\n\n- Emma
Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131122.html#film-3076
SUMMARY:Riddick
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T101100Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T080000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T080000Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3077
DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWhen North Korean<
/strike> American terrorists take over the White House\, it’s up to a disgraced aspiring Secret Service agent to rescue the Pre
sident\, foil the terrorists’ nefarious plot\, and save the Pres
ident’s son his daughter in the process…\n\nHang on – haven’t w
e already seen this? Is it Groundhog Day all over again? (Nope\, that’s
actually screening afterwards). In reality\, this is just another instan
ce of Hollywood producers getting similar ideas around the same time\, a
nd going into production on two films hoping the success of one rubs off
on the other (see: Armageddon v. Deep Impact\; A Bug’s Life v. Antz\; D
ante’s Peak v. Volcano).\n\nLast semester’s Olympus Has Fallen was first
out of the gate\, and while a moderate box office success\, was ultimat
ely a blatant Die Hard-rip off that took itself way too seriously. Thank
fully\, White House Down doesn’t make that same mistake and is a fun act
ion-packed romp courtesy of director Roland Emmerich\, the Master of Dis
aster responsible for Independence Day and other such films through whic
h he’s already built up a résumé obliterating American institutions.\n\n
Man-of-the-hour Channing Tatum plays our hero\, with Jamie Foxx taking u
p Presidential duties\, and the two make a highly watchable on-screen te
am as they join forces to foil the terrorist plot. Throw in a game cast
that includes Maggie Gyllenhaal\, Richard Jenkins and James Woods\, and
you’ve got a recipe for disaster – of the good kind!\n\nSo\, if you see
only one White House invasion film this semester\, be sure to make it Wh
ite House Down.\n\n- Adrian Ma
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131123.html#film-3077
SUMMARY:White House Down
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T120200Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T102600Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20131123T102600Z
UID:anufg.org.au/films/3078
DESCRIPTION:“Okay\, campers\, rise and shine\, and don't forget your boot
ies 'cause it's cooooold outside.”\n\nIndisputably a modern classic\, Gr
oundhog Day is Bill Murray at his comedic best and a fantastic example o
f how a movie can encapsulate an idea so perfectly that the title alone
explains it. (If you have no idea what I mean\, congratulations on final
ly escaping from the rock you’ve been trapped under for the past 20 year
s.)\n\nIt’s the story of Phil (Murray)\, a pessimistic TV weatherman on
location with his cameraman Larry (Home Alone’s Elliott) and producer Ri
ta (MacDowell at the height of her appeal) in a small town called Punxsu
tawney. It’s the fourth year he’s been to the home of the Groundhog Day
tradition\, and Phil can’t wait for the hated day to be over so he can r
eturn to Pittsburgh and get away from the celebrations and pleasantries
of the town and its friendly residents. But the next morning he wakes u
p to find\, once again\, it’s Groundhog Day. As is the next day. And the
next. And the next. And the next.\n\nIf you’ve never seen this excellen
t film\, do yourself a favour and watch it. Twenty years on\, it’s still
incredibly funny\, strangely insightful and actually quite moving\, as
Phil tests the boundaries of the time loop he’s stuck inside and realise
s that Punxsutawney and\, more importantly\, Rita are actually rather ch
arming. If you have\, come relive Groundhog Day all over again. It’ll ge
t you\, babe.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie
URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20131123.html#film-3078
SUMMARY:Groundhog Day
LOCATION:ANU Film Group
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR