Big names such as Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg have put their weight behind a new initiative in the US to stream films into homes on the day of their release for a nominal fee of $50. It’s designed to attract families who don’t/can’t often make it to a theatre or multiplex. Sound like the end of cinema? Well … up to $20 of that price will go to theatres but the idea still makes me uneasy… what if we discover no-one actually values the cinema experience above their ability to sit on their sofa in their underwear?
The characters in the Oscar-nominated Room would certainly sign up for the service. All I’ll say is you should see it and read nothing about it prior. Not even this week’s review.
After that you’re free to take the kids to see Kung Fu Panda 3 (original version available), a title which precludes further explanation.
Also released is A Bigger Splash, another Luca Guadagnino film starring Tilda Swinton, the last being I Am Love, which was an elegant romantic drama. Interestingly, this appears to be a familial crime caper. Reviews are generally positive.
Finally the YA demographic is served more sub-Hunger Games drivel in the form of sci-fi adventure Allegiant, a lacklustre sequel to last year’s Insurgent.
On Sunday at 12:30 Cinemateket continues its tribute to James Gandolfini with his penultimate role in Enough Said, a rare glimpse at Gandolfini in a comedic, romantic lead opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Also on Sunday you can see Denmark’s Oscar entry, A War, at 14:00 with English subs – and on Wednesday at 18:00 there’s an opportunity to sample the vineyards of none other than Francis Ford Coppola. Included is a screening of The Conversation with DFI director Henrik Bo Nielsen hosting the evening (dfi.dk/Filmhuset).
Finally, for those of you genuinely convinced that the end of cinema is nigh, Huset is offering you the chance to own a piece of history with their Cinema Flea Market starting at 12pm on Sunday. You can find everything from posters to projectors for very reasonable prices. (MW)
