NOW SHOWING: LONDON SCREEN GUIDE w/c 10.03.17
To help your hunt for adventurous moving pictures, RADIANT CIRCUS hand-picks screen highlights for the week ahead*.
This week, there’s a smattering of excellent science fiction, a fair few film festivals and live experiments with the limitations of cinema.
Our featured film is – unashamedly – KONG: SKULL ISLAND. Peter Jackson’s bloated folly aside, there isn’t a Kong movie we haven’t loved (and yes, that includes KING KONG LIVES). Head to BFI IMAX for your encounter with the biggest Kong yet on the UK’s biggest screen.
FRIDAY 10 MARCH 2017, 19:30, CLOSE-UP
Start your week with SIGNAL NOISE, a trippy programme of contemporary short films where the screen becomes “a universe on its own, letting the viewer travel through space and time”.
Looking for an alternative? WUTHARR: SALTWATER DREAMS + THE LAST WAVE (17:30) is a double bill about indigenous communities, colonisation and conflict as part of the CLIMATES OF FICTION season at the Institute of Light.
SATURDAY 11 MARCH 2017, 18:30, THE HORSE HOSPITAL
A series of cinematic mashups, RESURRECTING AND RE-EDITING THE CINEMA DIVA looks at how women have been portrayed on film as “incandescent images of desire clothed in costumes of fantasy and role play”. Part of FASHION IN FILM.
Looking for an alternative? SONITA (19:30) at Deptford Cinema follows an Afghan refugee and wannabe rapper in Tehran as her family plots to sell her into matrimony.
SUNDAY 12 MARCH 2017, 15:30, BARBICAN
A masterpiece of Soviet silent cinema, MOTHER + LIVE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT screens as part of REVOLUTION: RUSSIAN ART 1917–1932 at the Royal Academy of Arts until 17 April.
Looking for an alternative? UNCERTAIN + Q&A at ICA (16:00) offers a more intimate exploration of people and place with directors Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands.
MONDAY 13 MARCH 2017, 20:30, BFI
Socially conscious horror movie GET OUT drags you kicking and screaming to the suburbs for its UK premiere. THE STEPFORD WIVES meets THE FOCKERS.
Looking for an alternative? Enjoy an evening of ALTERNATIVE FILM/VIDEO at the Close-up Film Centre (19:30) featuring 6 short films selected from competition at Belgrade’s Alternative Film/Video 2016.
TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2017, 20:45, PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA
Czechoslovakian space opera IKARIE XB-1 struts its stunning couture as part of FASHION IN FILM. The catwalk continues with tomorrow’s THINGS TO COME in 35mm (15 MARCH, 20:45), including an intro by that eminently qualified film geek, Sir Christopher Frayling.
Looking for an alternative? Genesis Cinema screens JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T (19:00) as part of their #DirectedByWomen2017 season.
WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2017, 19:00, FRONTLINE CLUB
INDIA’S LADYCOPS about a “special team of scooter-mounted female officers” includes discussion with director Ruhi Hamid and executive producer Christopher Mitchell.
Looking for an alternative? Cleanse yourself of 9-5 malaise with a screening of Terry Gilliam’s BRAZIL + MEDITATION (19:00) at Stanley’s Film Club. Breathing exercises provided by The Yoga Mela.
THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2017, VARIOUS
You’ve got a choice of two live cinema events to end your week with Tate Britain’s ANDY HOLDEN: WORLD AS CARTOON (19:00) and THE CABINET OF LIVING CINEMA (20:30) at Arthouse Crouch End.
Looking for an alternative? If you’re still feeling vexed after yesterday’s meditation, try purging your violent tendencies with THE 10TH VICTIM, a cult sci-fi flick starring Ursula Andress at Regent Street Cinema (19:30).
FESTIVALS / LONGER RUNS / TALKS (A-Z by venue/festival)
Barbican’s WHAT THE MOVIES DO TO US explores how films fiddle with our real lives. Gregg Araki’s THE DOOM GENERATION (16 MARCH, 20:45), is all about our haircuts. Other movies include LOST HIGHWAY, PAPRIKA, UNDER THE SKIN and BOY MEETS GIRL.
BFI: FLARE – London’s LGBT Film Festival – opens at BFI on 16 MARCH, running until 26 MARCH. Many screenings already sold out. Their KELLY REICHARDT season continues.
The HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL continues at various venues until 17 MARCH.
JW3’s CINETALK WAR JOURNALISM BY TALIBAN CAPTIVE (16 MARCH, 19:00) includes a talk from real-life hostage Sean Langan and the 2016 comedy WHISKY TANGO FOXTROT where he was played by Martin Freeman.
LONDON ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL continues at Regent Street Cinema. We like the look of two UK premieres: documentary CITIES OF SLEEP (14 MARCH 16:00) and RAHM – a Sufi adaptation of MEASURE FOR MEASURE (14 MARCH 19:30).
More places to shelter from the storm in next week’s GUIDE.
*As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any mistakes.
Featured image: KONG: SKULL ISLAND (2017).