Max is back. Trumpet the news from the highest sand dune, as George Miller’s road warrior returns (sans Gibson) to glorious fanfare. It’s been a long, strange circular journey for Australian filmmaker Miller, from his ball-blistering Mad Max debut in 1979 to this week’s Mad Max: Fury Road – one which, along the way, inexplicably took in Babe: Pig In The City and animated family adventure Happy Feet. So, has the man gone too soft for his bold post-apocalyptic outback? Read this week’s review and find out.
Also in cinemas is Jimmy’s Hall from the UK’s foremost filmmaking socialists, writer/director duo Paul Laverty and Ken Loach. What appears from trailers to be a sort of 1930s version of Footloose, the film depicts the true-life events of exiled political activist Jimmy Gralton as he returns home to Ireland during the country’s ‘Red Scare’ and proceeds to set up a communal space where villagers can meet, sing, dance and express themselves freely. The local priest is unimpressed. The film opens this week at Grand, Gloria, Empire and Park Bio.
Cinemateket starts its new season, Made In China, which premieres six successful Chinese films, all of which are new to Denmark and subtitled in English.
Brotherhood Of Blades is set in 1627 after the fall of the Ming Dynasty: three swordsman tasked with finding the head of the secret police find themselves pawns in a deadly game of politics. It’s a spectacular actioner that takes place mostly at night in the rain and snow. The film is the first of the six and screens on the 15th at 19:15 with director Yang Lu in attendance. For the full Cinemateket program, see dfi.dk/Filmhuset.
Finally this week, if Jimmy’s Hall leaves you feeling somewhat repressed, there’s no better tonic than this musical celebration of sexual multiplicity: a founding artefact of the punk revolution and a heartfelt homage to the moth-eaten Hollywood of old. The Rocky Horror Picture Show screens on Saturday (and returns most months) at 20:00 at Huset. See huset-kbh.dk for details.
