At cinemas: anything but the shameless seasonal sequel option

Sicario, Stewart in good form and Smell-O-Vision present a strong week for cinema-goers

Mark Walker

Oct 22, 2015

Crimson Peak has suffered a devastating blow at the American box office. Perhaps it’ll pick up on the lead up to Halloween weekend, it certainly deserves to. Looking less deserving (but more likely to sell) is shameless seasonal cash-in, Paranormal Activity 6 – or is it 7? Whatever the number, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension arrives in cinemas this week.

It’s joined by the latest film from Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve who had previously scored a hat-trick with Incendies, Enemy and Prisoners. Sicario stars Benico Del Toro and Emily Blunt on opposite sides of an escalating war against drugs at the US-Mexico border. Reviews have been solid.

Also out this week is Clouds of Sils Maria that pits veteran actress Juliet Binoche, playing a veteran actress, against relative newcomer Kirsten Stewart. Stewart recently earned a Cesar award for her efforts.

The documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue traces the early life of legendary singer songwriter Janis Joplin, while the British western Slow West is released and reviewed this week.

Over at Cinemateket today (22nd) you have the extremely rare opportunity to experience Smell-O-Vision. Scent of Mystery was directed by cinematography master Jack Cardiff and originally released in 1960. Smell-O-Vision is now but a failed footnote in cinema history, but at the time it was hailed, after sound and colour, as the next major movie advance. It starts at 21:00 with an introduction by Saskia Wilson-Brown, an American expert on fragrance.

A new season of Romanian cinema starts on the 25th (Sunday) at 18:30 under the heading East by SouthEast. AFERIM! – which won Berlin’s Silver Bear for best director – is the first film to screen.

Earlier on Sunday at 14:15, as part of the Danish on a Sunday series (with English subs), they’re showing 9. April (2015) – the date in 1940 when German troops crossed the Danish border into Southern Jutland. Tickets are 70/45 kroner and an extra 40kr will get you coffee and a pastry. For Cinemateket’s full program see dfi.dk/Filmhuset.

Finally, Horror Festival Blodig Weekend (blodigweekend.dk) arrives next Wednesday – be sure to book early!