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Preview by: Jack Foley
RAINDANCE audiences were queuing up to get the fright of their
lives on Friday (October 31), as The Last Horror Movie and the
Horror Shorts Programme saw sell-out audiences once again at the
festival.
The Last Horror Movie is a truly frightening film, which is nominated
for a Raindance Jury Prize, being awarded on Friday of this week.
Truly scary cinema is rare these days, so audiences were in for
a real treat with the films on offer from Raindance...
Miranda, which is described as being 'a sexy and highly original
adult comedy', starring Christina Ricci and John Simm, also had
its UK Premiere to a sell-out audience.
The film is also nominated for best UK feature.
Similarly, Infernal Affairs (pictured above), hotly tipped
to be the winner in the foreign language category at next year's
Oscars, played to a sell-out screening.
Coming up this week...
MUST SEE: Road Dogs: Contemporary Easy Rider with Unbeatable
Soundtrack
In Road Dogs - labelled by Variety as Boyz on the Road - two
Afro-American men take to the road in order to leave their violent
pasts behind, creating a thoroughly enjoyable Road Movie coined
as a contemporary Easy Rider. An incredible soundtrack including
tracks from artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg, Korn and Mystic
plays compliments the glorious photography of America's beauty
spots.
(Screening: Midday, UGC Haymarket, Tuesday)
**MUST SEE: Trilogie 1: On The Run
The first part of Lucas Belvaux's trilogy of films, showing at
Cine Lumiere, which work on the principle of cross encounters
- the main characters of one film have minor roles in the others
and vice versa.
Although they share sets, scenes and characters, the films are
genetically 'different'. The first is a thriller, the second a
comedy and the third a melodrama.
The director will be introducing each film (playing on Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday), and participating in a Q&A after
Thursday's showing.
(Showing: 7.30pm, Cine Lumiere on Tuesday)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: Tattoo, A Love Story (USA, 94mins) - Examination
of the relationship that forms between two seemingly complete
opposites, a repressed schoolteacher and a tattooed biker
(Showing: Midday, UGC Haymarket, Wed, Nov 5)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: Margarettes' Feast (Brazil, 80mins) - A
stunning tribute to the glorious cinematic past, this B&W
film tells the story of a man who discovers a suitcase that never
runs out of money.
(Screening: 7.20pm, UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, Wednesday, Nov
5)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: Nate Dogg (USA, 74mins) - A teenager's
struggle to keep to the straight and narrow despite impossible
odds.
(Screening: Midday, UGC Haymarket, Thurs, Nov 6)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: Trilogie 3: After Life (France, 123mins) -
Third part of Lucas Belvaux's acclaimed trilogy tells the
story of a cop who feeds his wife's drug addiction.
(Screening: 7.30pm, Cine Lumiere, Thurs, Nov 6)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: Making Venus (Australia, 70mins) - documentary
about the trials and tribulations of making a feature film.
(Screening: 8pm, UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, Thurs, Nov 6)
FILM HIGHLIGHT: The Sky, The Plane, The Girl (Russia, 90mins)
- a Russian romantic comedy in the tradition of the French New
Wave.
(Screening: 9.30pm, UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, Thurs, Nov 6)
FILM HIGHLIGHT AND CLOSING NIGHT GALA: 16 Years Of Alcohol
(UK, 102mins) - Richard Jobson's directorial debut is a foray
into the mind of an alcoholic.
(Screening: 8pm, UGC Haymarket, Fri, Nov 7)
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PAST NEWS: THE 11th Raindance Film Festival opened on
Friday night (October 24, 2003) with thought-provoking documentary,
Capturing the Friedmans
- and it was clear to see why this cutting-edge film was awarded
the Grand Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year.
This powerful film intersperses interviews with members of the
Friedman family with video-diary footage taken at the time of
the controversial case, inviting the audience to question the
guilt or innocence of the accused at every turn.
Sitting among the audience were Ken Russell, this year's Director
in Residence; internationally renowned photographer and Raindance
juror, Rankin, and actor, Marc Warren, who stars in short film
Perfect, screening at the festival.
The screening was followed by an exclusive party at Rouge, which
saw directors and audiences mingling and possibly swapping filmmaking
tips as they danced the night away.
More familiar faces arrived to enjoy the screenings on Saturday,
including In the Cut director,
Jane Campion, and TV impressionist Alistair McGowan.
Director in residence, Ken Russell, spoke to Mark Kermode about
his inspirations and influences as a director, encouraging aspiring
filmmakers to pick up a camera and shoot - as he now does in his
back garden with family and friends.
The audience was treated to a rare screening of Savage Messiah,
cited by Russell as the film he is most proud of.
Fuse, one of this year's Raindance Official Selection films,
played to a sold out screening to much praise - many heralding
the film as one of the best independent features to emerge for
years.
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