Northwest Film Event Highlights – April 2014

Manchester’s Dancehouse Theatre brings a whole head of fun this month. Confidential Film Club kick things off with Reservoir Dogs (3 Apr), the movie that shot Quentin Tarantino into the public consciousness and modern cinema in the kneecaps. Tarantino’s controversial debut beckoned in a new wave of young filmmaking, much to the Board of Censors’ dismay. The Hocus Focus folks are at the same venue later in the month with two evenings' worth of movie magic: Joel Schumacher’s little-seen 1981 sci-fi comedy The Incredible Shrinking Woman makes an appearance on 14 Apr, followed by a bit of biblical buffoonery with Monty Python’s enduring classic The Life of Brian on 17 Apr.

Liverpool’s FACT, meanwhile, has a handful of re-releases worth catching, starting with Duncan Jones’ psychological sci-fi Moon (7 Apr), part of its Science Fiction: New Death season. This space tale follows an industrial worker who’s spent three years alone on that big rock above us mining for Earth’s new energy source, Helium-3. Days before his shift is up, things take a sinister turn when he runs into a familiar face. Thought-provoking and boasting an interstellar turn from Sam Rockwell, if you missed Moon on its limited theatrical run back in 2009, here’s a second chance. FACT also continues its Disney-lovin’ spree by revisiting classics The Love Bug (12 Apr), Beauty and the Beast (13 Apr) and The Lion King (20 Apr). Smiles at the ready, people.

On 9 Apr those Grimm Up North guys will host the exclusive UK premiere of James Franco’s latest directorial effort, Child of God. This sinister serial-killer horror is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s chilling novel of the same name and follows the fractured life of Lester Ballard, a twisted necrophiliac existing on the fringe of society. This one-off screening takes place at The Dancehouse and marks the only UK showing you’re likely to find in the near future.

And finally, Liverpool’s Philharmonic goes to the movies with two nights’ worth of live scored cinema (23-24 Apr). These immersive events transport the iconic sounds of beloved movies into the theatre thanks to legendary Hollywood conductor Richard Kaufman and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Expect tunes from the likes of Austin Powers, The Mission, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Meet the Parents, Flashdance and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Sounds good, right?