Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters celebrates and challenges the mythology of superheroes, presenting heroes of derivations divine and damnable. The program explores the often-complex line between god and monster.
The Dark Knight 2008 M
Fri 13 Jan 8.30pm and Sat 25 Feb 9.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 152 MINUTES, USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN / BASED ON THE DC COMIC CHARACTERS CREATED BY BOB KANE / SCRIPT: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, JONATHAN NOLAN / CINEMATOGRAPHER: WALLY PFISTER / EDITOR: LEE SMITH / CAST: CHRISTIAN BALE, HEATH LEDGER, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL / PRODUCTION CO: WARNER BROS PICTURES, LEGENDARY PICTURES, SYNCOPY, DC COMICS / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: ROADSHOW ENTERTAINMENT
The follow-up to Batman Begins 2005, The Dark Knight sees Batman coming face to face with his nemesis — the rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker — who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman to choose between his role as hero or vigilante.
X2 2003 M
Sat 14 Jan 8.00pm and Wed 15 Feb 8.15pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 133 MINUTES, CANADA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BRYAN SINGER / BASED ON THE MARVEL COMIC CHARACTERS CREATED BY STAN LEE AND JACK KIRBY / SCRIPT: MICHAEL DOUGHERTY, DAN HARRIS, DAVID HAYTER / CINEMATOGRAPHER: NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL / EDITORS: ELLIOT GRAHAM, JOHN OTTMAN / CAST: HUGH JACKMAN, HALLE BERRY, PATRICK STEWART / PRODUCTION CO: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM, MARVEL ENTERPRISES, DONNERS’ COMPANY, BAD HAT HARRY PRODUCTIONS, XM2 PRODUCTIONS / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
More ambitious and refined than its predecessor, X2 is a tightly scripted exploration of the marvel X-Men universe. When a rogue mutant attempts to assassinate the President, Professor Xavier and his school of mutants come under fire and must track down the would-be assassin before an unknown force annihilates all mutants. At its heart, X2 is a drama that wields pathos and humour, grounding it in humanity before exploding into the fantastic.
Superman 1978 PG
Fri 20 Jan 6.00pm and Sun 19 Feb 2.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY, 143 MINUTES, UK/USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: RICHARD DONNER / BASED ON THE DC COMIC CHARACTERS CREATED BY JERRY SIEGEL AND JOE SHUSTER / SCRIPT: MARIO PUZO, DAVID NEWMAN, LESLIE NEWMAN, ROBERT BENTON, TOM MANKIEWICZ / CINEMATOGRAPHER: GEOFFREY UNSWORTH / EDITORS: STUART BAIRD, MICHAEL ELLIS / CAST: MARLON BRANDO, GENE HACKMAN, CHRISTOPHER REEVE / PRODUCTION CO: ALEXANDER SALKIND, DOVEMEAD FILMS, FILM EXPORT AG INTERNATIONAL / PRINT SOURCE: GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE / RIGHTS: HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS
Truth, justice and the American way: from his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton to the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, Superman must battle the villainous Lex Luthor while hiding his true identity from the woman he loves. Richard Donner’s classic adaptation of America’s most-beloved superhero was the first comic book blockbuster. With its deft blend of humour and gravitas, Superman has stood as the benchmark for all comic book adaptations that have followed.
Hellboy 2004 M
Sat 21 Jan 4.00pm and Fri 3 Feb 6.00pm (with The Amazing Screw-On Head)/ Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 122 MINUTES, USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER: GUILLERMO DEL TORO / BASED ON THE COMIC SERIES ‘HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION’ (1994) BY MIKE MIGNOLA / SCRIPT: GUILLERMO DEL TORO, PETER BRIGGS / EDITOR: PETER AMUNDSON / CAST: RON PERLMAN, RUPERT EVANS, SELMA BLAIR / PRODUCTION CO: REVOLUTION STUDIOS, LAWRENCE GORDON PRODUCTIONS, STARLITE FILMS, DARK HORSE ENTERTAINMENT / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: SONY PICTURES
Guillermo Del Toro’s live-action adaptation of Mike Mignola's comic is a faithful homage to the beer-swilling, cigar-chomping, and fiery red devil-may-care demon ripped from hell’s inferno by power hungry evil-doers intent on restoring the Third Reich. Haunted by his origins, and ruled by painfully human emotions — love for his human ‘father’ and the unattainable Liz — this sarcastic hero kicks supernatural tale while defending the earth against the forces of darkness.
Spiderman 2 2004 M
Sat 28 Jan 9.00pm and Wed 15 Feb 6.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 127 MINUTES, USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: SAM RAIMI / BASED ON THE MARVEL COMIC CHARACTER CREATED BY STAN LEE AND STEVE DITKO / SCRIPT: ALFRED GOUGH, MILES MILLAR, MICHAEL CHABON, ALVIN ARGEN / CINEMATOGRAPHER: BILL POPE / EDITOR: BOB MURAWSKI / CAST: TOBEY MAGUIRE, KIRSTEN DUNST, JAMES FRANCO / PRODUCTION CO: COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION, MARVEL ENTERPRISES, LAURA ZISKIN PRODUCTIONS / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: SONY PICTURES
Darker, sharper and more passionate than its forebear, Spiderman 2 picks up two years later as Peter Parker struggles to balance life at college and his alter ego as Spiderman. While Peter is forced to watch long-time love Mary Jane move on to a new man and career, Spiderman must battle Doctor Octopus, the newest insane super-villain terrorising the people of New York City.
Watchmen 2009 MA15+
Sat 4 Feb 6.00pm and Sun 4 Mar 2.15pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 162 MINUTES, USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ZACK SNYDER / BASED ON THE ORIGINAL COMIC SERIES ‘WATCHMEN’ (1986-87) BY ALAN MOORE / SCRIPT: DAVID HAYTER, ALEX TSE / CINEMATOGRAPHER: LARRY FORD / EDITOR: WILLIAM HOY / CAST: MALIN AKERMAN, BILLY CRUDUP, MATTHER GOODE / PRODUCTION CO: WARNER BROS PICTURES, PARAMOUNT PICTURES, LEGENDARY PICTURES, LAWRENCE GORDON PRODUCTIONS, DC COMICS / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Alan Moore’s influential reworking of the superhero comic is given a lavish treatment in this intelligent and bloody examination of human nature. In a dystopian world in an alternate history, someone is killing retired superheros. Lead by vigilante Rorscharch, the remaining members of the league of Watchmen slowly reunite to uncover the truth — one that has the potential to rip apart the world as they know it.
Immortel Ad Vitam (Immortal Ad Vitam) 2004 Ages 15+
Wed 8 Feb 6.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 103 MINUTES, FRANCE, ENGLISH/FRENCH / DIRECTOR: ENKI BILAL / BASED ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL ‘LA FOIRE AUX IMMORTELS’ (1980) BY ENKI BILAL / CINEMATOGRAPHER: PASCAL GENNESSEAUX / EDITOR: VERONIQUE PARNET / CAST: LINDA HARDY, THOMAS KRETSCHMANN, CHARLOTTE RAMPLING / PRODUCTION CO: TELEMA, TF1 FILMS PRODUCTION, CIBY 2000, RF2K PRODUCTIONS, FORCE MAJEURE PRODUCTIONS, MEDUSA FILM, TPS STAR, COFIMAGE 13, NATEXIS BANQUES POPULAIRES IMAGES 2, SOFICA VALOR 6 / PRINT SOURCE: THE FESTIVAL AGENCY / RIGHTS: MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT
Possessing the body of an escaped political prisoner, the Egyptian god Horus must find and impregnate a mate capable of ensuring his immortality. Director and graphic novel creator Enki Bilal offers an ambitiously visual cyberpunk fantasy. Noted as being one of the first major films to be shot entirely on a ‘digital backlot’, blending live actors with computer generated surroundings, Immortal is a bold exploration of Egyptian mythos set within a futuristic New York City.
Iron Man 2008 M
Fri 17 Feb 6.00pm and 25 Feb 6.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 126 MINUTES, USA, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JON FAVREAU / BASED ON THE MARVEL COMIC CHARACTERS CREATED BY STAN LEE, LARRY LIEBER, DON HECK AND JASON KIRBY / SCRIPT: MARK FERGUS, HAWK OSTBY, ART MARCUM, MATT HOLLOWAY, JOHN AUGUST / CINEMATOGRAPHER: MATTHEW LIBATIQUE / EDITOR: DAN LEBENTAL / CAST: ROBERT DOWNEY JR, JEFF BRIDGES, GWYNETH PALTROW / PRODUCTION CO: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, MARVEL ENTERPRISES, MARVEL STUDIOS, FAIRVIEW ENTERTAINMENT, DARK BLADES FILMS / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Robert Downy Jr stars as charismatic industrialist Tony Stark, a gifted engineer and playboy. While demonstrating the latest in modern warfare he is captured and is forced to focus his inventive genius on developing a powered exoskeleton to escape. When he discovers a deadly conspiracy to destabilise the planet, Stark employs his considerable resources to stopping the diabolical plot.
Akira 1988 M
Fri 17 Feb 8.30pm and Wed 29 Feb 8.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY DIGITAL, 124 MINUTES, JAPAN, JAPANESE (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / DIRECTOR: KATSUHIRO OTOMO / BASED ON THE ORIGINAL MANGA SERIES ‘AKIRA’ (1982-90) BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO / SCRIPT: KATSUHIRO OTOMO, IZO HASHIMOTO / CINEMATOGRAPHER: KATSUJI MISAWA / EDITOR: TAKESHI SEYAMA / CAST: MITSUO IWATA, NOZOMU SASAKI, MAMI KOYAMA / PRODUCTION CO: AKIRA COMMITTEE COMPANY, BANDAI, KODANSHA, MAINCHI BROADCASTING SYSTEM, SUMITOMO CORPORATION, TOHO COMPANY, TOKYO MOVIE SHINSHA / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT / SCREENING FORMAT: DIGITAL CINEMA
In the 2019 post-war megalopolis of Neo-Tokyo, two high school dropouts stumble across a secret government project to develop new weapons — telekinetic humans. A watershed moment in Japanese anime, Akira successfully introduced a both manga and anime into the wider western consciousness.
Metoroporisu (Metropolis) 2001 PG
Fri 24 Feb 6.00pm and Wed 29 Feb 6.00pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, STEREO, 113 MINUTES, JAPAN, JAPANESE (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / DIRECTOR: RINTARO / SCRIPT: KATSUHIRO ÔTOMO / BASED ON THE ORIGINAL MANGA BY OSAMU TEZUKA / CINEMATOGRAPHER: HITOSHI YAMAGUCHI / ART DIRECTOR: SHUICHI HIRATA / MUSIC: TOSHIYUKI HONDA / PRODUCTION CO: BANDAI VISUAL COMPANY, DESTINATION FILMS, IMAGICA CORP, TEZUKA PRODUCTION COMPANY, TOHO COMPANY / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: SONY PICTURES, AMALGAMATED MOVIES
In the futuristic city of Metropolis, humans and robots that once lived together peacefully are now involved in a bitter revolution. Amid the chaos created by anti-robot factions, a detective and his sidekick search for a rebel scientist to seize his latest creation.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 2004 M
Fri 24 Feb 8.30pm / Cinema A
35MM, COLOUR, DOLBY, 100 MINUTES, JAPAN/USA, JAPANESE (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / DIRECTOR: MAMORU OSHII / BASED ON THE MANGA SERIES ‘GHOST IN SHELL’ (1989–91) BY MASAMUNE SHIROW / SCRIPT: KAZUNORI ITO, MASAMUNE SHIROW / CINEMATOGRAPHER: HISAO SHIRAI / EDITORS: SHUICHI KAKESU, SHIGEYUKI YAMAMORI / CAST: ATSUKO TANAKA, AKIO OTSUKA, LEMASA KAYUMI / PRODUCTION CO: BANDAI VISUAL COMPANY, KODANSHA, PRODUCTION I.G. / PRINT SOURCE/RIGHTS: MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT
In the year 2032 futuristic crime fighters Batô and Togusa are assigned to investigate a murder-spree suspected to be the work of rogue ‘gynoids‘ — female androids programmed for pleasure. As Batô dives deeper into the investigation and encounters an elusive hacker known as ‘The Puppet Master’, he is forced to reflect on the notions of love, attachment and arrogance in an increasingly artificial life. Mamoru Oshii's follows-up his ground-breaking sci-fi drama with a new version of the story that surpasses the original in its beauty and melancholic overtones.
