Hitchcon'09 – Celebrating 30 Years of The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Get yourself a ticket for the biggest party the unfashionable end of the galaxy has ever seen and join best-selling author Eoin Colfer – creator of criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl – and actor Simon Jones, the original Arthur Dent, in a celebration of 30 years of the late, great Douglas Adams’ classic British comedy. This’ll be your first chance to see, hear and buy the sixth instalment, And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer.
With other out-of-this-world entertainment throughout the day – including special free screenings of the Hitchhiker’s series in The Clore Ballroom – this is one event no self-respecting lover of classic British comedy will want to miss.
One of the best dystopian sci-fi movies to come out of the 70s, Rollerball focuses on an ultra-violent sport used to keep an overpopulated planet under control and probes its links to politics, the media and big conglomerates. When a star player refuses to obey the owners of his team, the stage is set for a Gladiator-like confrontation between a rebellious individual and the corporate power that seeks to crush him.
Events include:
Photo Call
Start the day at a photocall of the largest number of Hitchhiker’s fans ever.
Session 1: The Douglas Adams Chat Show
A full panel of Hitchhiker’s experts and friends of Douglas Adams discusses the great man and his work.
Booksigning: Mega-signing of the fantastic new edition of the first five Hitchhiker’s novels.
Sessions 2 & 3 (And Another Thing… & Hitchhikers Live On Stage!)
The sixth book in the series, special guests and a live gig – Sessions 2 & 3 of our day-long celebration of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Booksigning: Eoin Colfer
Buy the new sixth book in the series a day before everyone else and get it signed by Eoin Colfer.
Where
The Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
When
Sunday 11 October, 2009
Preview of Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and Q&A
Preview of Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and Q&A with Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine and Mark Herbert.
Rock roadie, Le Donk, has lived, loved and learned. Along the way, he’s lost a classy girlfriend but gained a sidekick, Scorz-Ayz-Ee. He sets out to make Scorz a star with a little help from the Artic Monkeys.
A freewheeling, no-budget experiment by one of the UK’s most prominent and successful producer/director teams, LE DONK was born out of Shane Meadows’ and Mark Herbert’s frustration at the sheer expense of time and money required to get a new project off the ground. Why not just get together an enthusiastic team (including the actor often cited as the De Niro to Meadows’ “Scorsese of the Midlands”, Paddy Considine), cobble together a skeleton script, and simply play for a few days? So, Considine broke out an earlier comic creation of his, an endearing/repellent rock’n’roll roadie known as Donk; an Arctic Monkeys gig provided the backdrop; and Meadows played himself, as a documentary-maker seeking to capture the secrets of a life lived just beyond the reach of the bright lights. Irrepressible fun.
When:
Curzon Soho
99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London ,W1D 5DY
Where:
Sunday 11 October, 4:00pm
Curzon Screen Salon: Special Preview of The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS AND THE FANTASTIC WORLDS OF TERRY GILLIAM
This Curzon Screen Salon will look back over Terry Gilliam’s career, which has featured as many tragedies and disappointments as it has successes. The Curzon Screen Salons are a series of illustrated lectures before our regular screenings hosted by Ian Haydn Smith, Editor of the International Film Guide.
Dir: Terry Gilliam Starring: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Tom Waits,
A director seemingly affiliated with bad luck, that Terry Gilliam got to complete this at all is a minor miracle. A fantastical morality tale set in present-day London (for the most part at least), the alternate realities Gilliam spins will be more than familiar to fans of TIME BANDITS and BRAZIL. With more than a hint of Doctor Faustus, the film’s kernel is an ambitious travelling magician whose ambition has caused him to enter a number of deals with the devil, the most personally damaging of which has seen Parnassus (played impeccably by Plummer, THE NEW WORLD) trade immortality for his daughter (Lily Cole) on the occasion of her 16th birthday. A characteristic feast for the senses, the film is a fitting epitaph to Ledger, whose character is also ably portrayed in its transformative states by Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp. Extremely entertaining, the film also has at its heart a larger than life turn from Tom Waits as the devil
Where:
Curzon Soho
99 Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 5DY
When:
Sunday 11 September, 5pm
Preview of AWAY WE GO plus Live Satellite Q&A with Sam Mendes
Clapham Picturehouse are delighted that director Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD) will be joining them for a satellite Q&A following a preview of his new comedy, AWAY WE GO (15).
Thirty-something Burt (Krasinski, JARHEAD) and his heavily pregnant partner Verona (Rudolph) decide to leave Colorado and travel across America in search of the perfect place to bring up baby. Their road trip takes them to Arizona, Wisconsin, Montreal and Florida, and into eye-opening experiences in the company of assorted friends and relatives.
Where
Clapham Picturehouse
76 Venn Street, London SW4 0AT
Tel: 0871 704 2055
When
10-6pm Monday-Friday, 10-2 Saturdays
Classic screening: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Restoring the Midnight Movie to Chelsea, Curzon’s popular strand of late-night attractions hosts a special screening of cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with full audience participation. Join Janet and Brad as they enter the musical world of alien transvestites and Time Warps in one of the must-do events in life! Dressing up is essential and don’t forget to bring the essentials: rice, newspapers, water pistols, torches, rubber gloves, confetti, toilet paper, toast, party hat, bells and cards. Plus, all ticket holders receive a complimentary Jameson cocktail.
Where:
Curzon Cinema Chelsea
206 Kings Road
London
SW3 5XP
When:
Friday 18 September,10:30pm
Trailer for Woody Harrelson's Defendor
Seems that Everyman super Hero are the flavour of the year. A comedy centered around three characters: an everyday guy who comes to believe he’s a superhero, his psychiatrist, and the teenager he befriends.
Special Preview: Away We Go
AWAY WE GO (cert tbc)
Dir: Sam Mendes Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, US 2009.
Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD from an original screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, this funny and heartfelt film follows the journey of an expectant couple (Krasinski and Rudolph), as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family.
Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover “home” on their own terms for the first time. Sensitively scored by newly discovered folk sensation Alexi Murdoch, this is a beautifully performed work that eloquently speaks of changing lives and perceptions. The cinematography from Ellen Kuras (BE KIND REWIND) is stunning.
Opens 18 Sept
13 September, 1pm
Curzon Mayfair
38 Curzon St London W1J 7TY
Donnie Darko – Frank The Bunny Costume
In 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds, the world will end. Are you ready? If not, at least look ready. I recommend this bunny costume as modelled by Frank the Karma killer. Available from Forbidden Planet.
Hilarious short film from Virgin Media Shorts – Three Little Words
Three Little Words. All males have pondered Three Little Words at some time or other. If we say them is it a life-long commitment? What if I can’t live up the commitment? Careful consideration has to be given regarding Three Little Words. One can’t go around spewing Three Little Words all the time it has to be forever! And let’s not forget the timing of Three Little Words too early or too and the mark will be missed. Forget comedic timing, the timing of Three Little Words can result in long term happiness or the worst weekend eva!
Ed Lilly’s short film entry to the Virgin Media Shorts competition encapsulates the above quandary superbly whilst making you cringe or smile. Making a short film is difficult enough but engaging your audience and taking them along for the ride whether it be horror, drama or comedy is the Holy Grail of short film-making you have but 2-3 minutes to bring your audience into a made up world and ask them to engage in a scenario and have emotional buy in as well to ensure a pay off.
Of the 3 (horror, Drama or Comedy) comedy has to be the most difficult horror and drama has crutches like blood, shock, black & white film or dark ambient music. whilst comedy relies on actor’s expression and timing to pull it off. I’m in awe of Ed’s stylings with little more than a handful of actors and 2 locations he has created a scenario that engages. Three Little Words and She Farted And Created The World… have to be my favourite films of the shortlisted 12 to win the Virgin Media Shorts competition.
There seems to be lots of support from real players in the industry to champion undiscovered or unknown talent. For the Virgin medioa Shorts competion Virgin are ponying up a £30,000 prize to be used to make a film as well as the opportunity for your work to be judged by some star talent like Kevin Spacey, Gemma Arterton, Noel Clarke and Daniel Barber as well as many others. I hope the support doesn’t dry up moving forward.
Has there ever been a better time to be a filmmaker in the UK?
Robot Chicken Premiere this Friday & webcast Q&A with Seth Green
!!JUST ANNOUNCED!! Robot Chicken Premiere and Q&A Seth Green via Webcast
It’s time, once more, to get ANIMATED!
Teaming up with popular cable channel Adult Swim, and the London International Animation Festival, Curzon Soho bring you a night of titillating, shocking and absurd animations on the big screen. Check out the premiere of Robot Chicken Season 2. Brain child of Seth Green, the skits play around with cult film, cult TV and celebrity personalities. We also present a special selection of freaky animations as a taster for the LIAF which starts on 31st Aug at Renoir Cinema.
Before the film we will be hosting a Q&A via webcast with Seth Green. Come prepared with your questions whether it be anything Robot Chicken, Buffy or Scott Evil!
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