At The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall This Week: April Draws To A Close With ‘Red Dog’ and ‘Trishna’

The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall concludes its April programme this week, with a stellar duo of films each taking both 'Screen Tea' matinee and standard evening performance times, so you can catch either (or both) of these great films at a time to suit you.


The first is the family film that has taken its home city of Australia by storm, in the form of Red Dog. Based on the legendary true story, later adapated into the acclaimed novel of the same by Louis de Bernieres (Captain Correlli's Mandolin), the film charts the adventures of a Kelpie/cattle dog cross named (you gussed it) "Red Dog." Whilst roaming the Australian outback for his long last master, the canine critter's touching story unites a disparate local community. The cast includes Josh Lucas (Glory Road, A Beautiful Mind, Poseidon), Rachel Taylor (Transformers, Shutter, Splinterheads) and introducing as 'Red Dog', Koko.


To say this film has taken the Australian film world by the storm is an understament. After becoming a huge box office success, breaking records such as the highest grossing Austrailian film of 2011 and the eigth-highest grossing Austrailian film of all time, the film went on to win big at the Inside Film Awards (the Australian equivalent to the 'Oscars') where it took 7 of its 9 nominations including Best Picture. Judging by the critical response both here and overseas, it's not hard to see why this success is deserved.  With reviews ranging from the likes of The Guardian's Phillip French..."guaranteed to bring you tears and laughter" to another positive review from Mark Adams of The Sunday Mirror calling it "an engaing, feel-good family drama", this is a film that will undoutedly find equal, if not more sucess, as it has in its home country.

If however you are looking for something a little more gritty, then look no further than our other release for this week- Trishna. Directed by self-effacing auteur Michaeal Winterbottom (Welcome To Sarajevo, Wonderland, 24 Hour Party People) and adapted from the classic Thomas Hardy novel Tess of the d'Ubervilles, the film starring Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Miral, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger) tells the story, set against a contemporary Indian backdrop, of one woman whose life is destroyed by a combination of love and circumstances.


Set in contempoarary Rajasthan, Trishna meets a wealthy young businessman Jay Singh, played by Riz Ahmend (The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty, Four Lions), who has come to work in his father's hotel businesss. After an accident destroys her father's Jeep, she decides to work for Jay and they fall in love. But despite their feelings for each other, they cannot escape the conflicting pressures of a rural society which is changing rapidly through industrialisation, urbanisation and, above all, education. Torn between the traditions of her family life verus the dreams and ambitions her education has given her, the film also unearths the tragedy of her relationship with Jay that becomes increasingly sorids and volatile.


Premiering at last year's Toronto International Film Festival to huge critical acclaim, and shot on location in Mumbai, the film also completes Winterbottom's Hardy trilogy following the success of Jude (1996-based on Jude The Obscure) and The Claim (2000-based on The Mayor of Casterbridge). This film is a fitting installment to this personal cinematic pursuit of Winterbottom's and is definetely worth checking out.


Check out the trailers for both Red Dog and Trishna here:





Red Dog (PG) runs from Friday 27th April-Thursday 3rd May with a 'Screen Tea' matinee on Monday 30th April


Trishna (15) runs form Saturday 28th April until Wednesday 2nd May with a 'Screen Tea' matinee on Saturday 28th April.

Big changes to the Gloucester Cinematics Film Club

Last night we announced big changes to the Gloucester Cinematics Film Club. For those of you that missed it, we're changing the whole format of the club. The next meeting will be on Thursday 24th May where we'll meet in the Guildhall bar at 7.15pm for a pre-film drink and to vote on June's film choice, before watching Jo Nesbo's Headhunters (15) at 7.45pm. We'll then decamp to The Regal in King's Square (which of course used to be a cinema itself) for a post-film drink and chat about the film. Stay for as much or as little socialising as you fancy!

Gloucester Cinematics film club is a group of friendly people who like watching films and chatting to other people about films. It's free to join - just turn up! - and we're always looking for new faces. It's a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and enjoy a social cinema experience, and most of our members come on their own so you don't have to worry about not having a friend or partner to bring along. Everyone is welcome, no matter what your film tastes or knowledge - we are not film snobs by any means, simply a diverse group of people of all ages with an interest in all genres of film, from blockbusters to world cinema. Members of the Gloucester Cinematics Film Club can get their films tickets for just £4.50 - get in touch to find out how!

We've been at the ICO Screening Days all weekend watching a selection of the best pre-release films including Shadow Dancer, Goodbye First Love, 2 Days In New York, All In Good Time, The Raid, A Royal Affair, The Fairy, Monsieur Lazhar, Your Sister's Sister, Cafe De Flore, Dark Horse, Where Do We Go Now and On The Sly. We can't say anything about the films until they're released but suffice to say, Cafe De Flore and The Raid knocked our socks off! Watch this space for some really great films to see at the Guildhall over the summer...

It is said that Alice Eve flew into a panic on the set of upcoming thriller The Raven after filming scenes in a closed coffin.  

She told Access Hollywood, "I definitely was claustrophobic. When they first put me in the coffin and they nailed the lid down, all the air went out of the coffin and I panicked... Then I had to learn there's only so much oxygen in a confined space and you have to sip the air... which is a good tip."

Catch the film at the Guildhall tonight (18th) and tomorrow (19th) at 7:45 pm 

At The Cinema at Gloucester Guidhall This Week: John Cusack Is Edgar Allan Poe in 'The Raven'

April continues at The Cinema at The Gloucester Guildhall this week with The Raven-a fictionalized thriller of a renowned poet and author in pursuit of a serial killer whose murders mirror those in his own stories. Directed by James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) and starring John Cusack (High Fidelity) in the lead role, the macabre and lurid tales as well as the final days of 19^th century American poet Edgar Allan Poe, are vividly brought to life - and death. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe's darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans-Tamara Drewe) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer's mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe's brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe's love (Alice Eve-Sex And The City 2) becomes the next target.

Co-starring Brendan Gleeson (The Guard) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (TV’s Lark Rise To Candleford), the film presents us with director McTiegue’s vision of a 19^th century Baltimore that is vibrant and alluring complete with gothic architecture and swirling fog. It plays almost like a Gothic version of Seven and ultimately succeeds thanks to a cracking script, atmospheric direction, some suitably grisly murder sequences and a superb performance from John Cusack.  

Check out the trailer below:

The Raven (15) runs until Thursday 19th April

*NOTE*
The Raven is just one of many films that will be up for discussion at our monthly film club-Gloucester Cinematics. If you would like to talk about this, or any other films you've seen at the Guildhall or even elsewhere over the past month, then why not come along and share your opinion with other like-minded people in the relaxed environment of the Guildhall's cafe/bar. The next meeting is on Wednesday 25th April at 8pm where BIG CHANGES are going to be announced that we are sure all members will want to be a part of. More details about the Gloucester Cinematics can be found on the 'Cinema' section of the Gloucester Guildhall website.

At The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall This Week: It's Time To Play The Music, It's Time To Light The Lights, It's Time To Meet 'The Muppets' at the Gloucester Guildhall tonight!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen...after a 12 year absence from the big screen, everyone’s favourite puppet troupe The Muppets, return for a musical comedy that is fun for the whole family.

The brain-child of uber-fans Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Sarah Marshall screenwriter Nicholas Stoller, The Muppets tells the story Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan from Smalltown, USA. Whilst on vacation to L.A.with his friends Gary  (Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams-Enchanted) they discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper-American Beauty) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. The question is, can they all be brought back for just one more show before their beloved theatre is lost forever?

With Brett Mackenzie of Flight Of The Concords fame as music supervisor as well as its director James Bobin at the helm, this clever, charming, and heartfelt film is a welcome big screen return for Jim Henson's lovable creations that will both win new fans and delight longtime devotees.

Check out the trailer below:

The Muppets (U) runs until Monday 16th April

*NOTE*
The Muppets is just one of many films that will be up for discussion at our monthly film club-Gloucester Cinematics. If you would like to talk about this, or any other films you've seen at the Guildhall or even elsewhere over the past month, then why not come along and share your opinion with other like-minded people in the relaxed environment of the Guildhall's cafe/bar. The next meeting is on Wednesday 25th April at 8pm where BIG CHANGES are going to be announced that we are sure all members will want to be a part of. More details about the Gloucester Cinematics can be found on the 'Cinema' section of the Gloucester Guildhall website.

At The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall this week: An adventurous April programme begins with the thrilling 'Rampart'

We begin with the latest offering from director Oren Movermann (The Messenger) in the form of Rampart- a gritty drama centred on what the poster claims to be ‘the most corrupt cop you’ve ever seen on screen.’  Movermann re-unites with his Messenger co-star Woody Harrelson (Kingpin, Natural Born Killers & Zombieland) who plays LAPD officer Dave Brown –a former Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing "the people's dirty work" and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate.

Co-written by renowned crime writer James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere & L.A. Confidential) and featuring an all star supporting cast including Ned Beatty (Network) Ben Foster (3:10 To Yuma) Ice Cube (Barbershop) Sigourney Weaver (the Alien series) Cynthia Nixon (Sex And The City) Robin Wright (Forrest Gump) and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), the film premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival to huge critical acclaim, with equal success found at subsequent international film festivals. All of which is of course deserved as this is a truly gripping movie, effortlessly assuming a strong position in the Ellroy canon- a definite must see if you are a fan. Performances are uniformly excellent particularly the powerhouse turn from Harellson who is riveting as a man with no hope from redemption, driven to madness by his personal demons.

Check out the trailer below:

Rampart (15) runs from Friday 6th-Thursday 12th April 2012.

**NOTE**

Rampart is just one of many films that will be up for discussion at our monthly film club-Gloucester Cinematics. If you would like to talk about this, or any other films you've seen at the Guildhall or even elsewhere over the past month, then why not come along and share your opinion with other like-minded people in the relaxed environment of the Guildhall's cafe/bar. The next meeting is on Wednesday 25th April at 8pm where BIG CHANGES are going to be announced that we are sure all members will want to be a part of. More details about the Gloucester Cinematics can be found on the 'Cinema' section of the Gloucester Guildhall website.

Bring the kids to a special family screening of The Muppets!

We're excited to be holding our first (for as long as we can remember anyway!) family screening on a Saturday afternoon during the Easter holidays! We'll be showing The Muppets on Saturday 14th April at 3pm and if it's successful we're planning to make it a regular occurrence with at least one Saturday afternoon family screening a month. (We've got our eye on The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists for June, so watch this space...)

To help keep costs down for parents there will be a new £3 ticket available for under 16s, and the Screen Tea option will also be available for adults wanting to treat themselves to a nice bit of cake with the film.

Suitable for all ages with a U rating, the film follows Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, as he uncovers a plan to demolish the Muppet Theatre and drill for oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping ground. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theatre, Walter and his friends help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways…  Clever, charming, and heartfelt, The Muppets is a welcome big screen return for Jim Henson's lovable creations that will both win new fans and delight long-time devotees.

The Muppets is also being screened at Gloucester Guildhall on Friday 13th and Monday 16th April at 7.45pm.

King's Square cinema plans update

News broke today that the proposed King's Square development probably won't include a cinema after all. Read the full news story here. This is great news for the Guildhall, not that we get a single mention in the article!

Spend Saturday night at the movies with Gloucester Guildhall!

We’re incredibly excited to announce the reintroduction of Saturday night film screenings for the first time in over three years. From May, Saturday nights will be added to the growing film schedule with a screening at 7.45pm, and to celebrate this welcome addition, we’re giving eager cinema goers the opportunity to purchase tickets at less than half the price they would normally pay. Throughout the month of May, the first 20 people to book tickets for each of the four films being shown on a Saturday night will pay just £2.50 per ticket.

Films you can catch for the special price of £2.50 are This Must Be The Place on Saturday 5th (Sean Penn with eyeliner and big hair), Hunky Dory on Saturday 12th (Minnie Driver attempts musical Shakespeare in a Welsh secondary school), Salmon Fishing In The Yemen on Saturday 19th (Ewan McGregor and lots of fish) and Albert Nobbs on Saturday 26th (Glenn Close’s Oscar-nominated turn as a woman posing as a man in 19th century England). Full details of these and all the other films in the programme can be found on the Guildhall website and tickets for all films throughout April and May are on sale now. £2.50 tickets are only available to purchase over the phone or in person at the Guildhall box office; all other tickets are also available online.