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MOVIES RELEASED DECEMBER 2003 AUSTRALIA
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4 DECEMBER |
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Cabin Fever (MA): Selected.
Icon. Horror. 92 mins. Jordon Ladd, Rider Strong, James BeBello, Cinina
Vincent, Joey Kern. D: Eli Roth (TV's Chowdaheads). As a last
hurrah after college, friends Jeff, Karen, Paul, Marcy and Bert embark
on a vacation deep into the mountains. With the top down and the music
up, they drive to a remote cabin to enjoy their last days of decadence
before entering the working world. Then somebody gets sick. Karen's
skin starts to bubble and burn as something grows inside her, tunneling
beneath her flesh. The group is so repulsed, shocked and sickened
watching their friend deteriorate before their eyes; they lock her in a
shed to avoid infection. As they debate about how to save her, they
look at one another and realize that any one of them could also have
it. What soon began as a struggle against the disease turns into a
battle against friends, as the fear of contagion drives them to turn on
each other.
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The Housekeeper (M): Selected, Adel/ Bris. Gil Scrine Films. 2 screens. 89 mins. France. Comedy. C: Chauvel & Valhalla, Syd. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Émilie Dequenne, Brigitte Catillon, Jacques Frantz, Axelle Abbadie, Catherine Breillat. D: Claude Berr (Amen). After his wife leaves him for another man, Jacques hires a housekeeper, Laura, to keep his Paris apartment in order. As he starts increasing her hours and spending more time with her on her days off, Jacques is torn between the pleasure of Laura's company, and the headache that such an intrusion brings to his new domain of singlehood. Also screening at:- Syd & Melb Dec 11. (Syd Chauvel and Valhalla, Melb Lumiere.).
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| The Leopard (TBA): Selected, Syd/ Melb. Potential. 1963. Re-release. Subtitled. Italy. War. Aka Il Gattopardo. Probably Visconti's richest, most personal film, The Leopard was adapted from Giuseppe di Lampedusa's internationally acclaimed novel. A cousin of Lampedusa, who himself was a Sicilian prince, acted as technical advisor. For his spectacular reconstruction of Italy at the time of the Risorgimento, Visconti wove childhood memories with sensual imagery from the novel, creating a monumental portrait of a dying era. Although a Marxist, Visconti's privileged birth gave him a unique understanding of the aristocracy's decline. In a film glittering with powerful set pieces, the justly famous ballroom scene is a filmic tour-de-force. Set in a sumptuous palazzo, the Palermo nobility played their own ancestors, elegantly attired and served with steaming hot food, the ornate rooms lit by chandeliers glowing with real candlelight, surrounded by flowers that were fresh every day. The director's obsessive insistence on detail is transformed on screen into stylistic mastery. |  |
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Master And Commander: The Far Side of The World (M): National. Fox. 138 mins. USA. Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, George Innes, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Robert Pugh, David Threlfall. D: Peter Wier (Witness). Based on the best-selling novels of Patrick O'Brian, Master And Commander features young Captain Jack Aubrey, whose reputation as a bold, courageous fighter in the Navy is tested when he pits the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise against a much better armed and ruthless privateer, in a battle of wits, skill and courage in a deadly chase that takes him halfway around the world.
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11 DECEMBER |
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Brown Sugar (M): Selected, Syd. Fox. 109 mins. Taye
Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe, Queen
Latifah, Wendell Pierce. D: Rick
Famuyiwa.. Brown Sugar opens with a series
of hiphop emissaries, including Method Man, Common and Big Daddy Kane,
explaining how they first fell in love with their music, the recurring
question put to them by music journalist Sidney (Sanaa Lathan). Hip-hop
is Sidney's lifeblood, and she takes us back to the defining moment
during the 80s when she heard street MCs for the first time. This was
also when she began a lifelong friendship with fellow devotee Dre (Taye
Diggs), who's now working for a hiphop record label in New York. Moving
to a new job as a magazine editor in New York City, Sidney is reunited
with Dre, whose idealist dreams of being a hip-hop producer are fading
in the light of commercialism. Luckily he's got Sidney to put him back
on track, even if their friendship makes his fiancée (Nicole Ari
Parker) jealous. |
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Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met
Lloyd (M): National. 85 mins. Roadshow. Comedy. Eric Christian
Olsen, Derek Richardson, Josh Braaten, William Lee Scott, Eugene Levy,
Luiz Guzman, Elden Hensen, Michelle Krusiec, Shia LeBouf. D: Troy
Miller (Jack Frost). This summer, for every outcast who has
tried to fit in, comes the prequel to the worldwide hit Dumb &
Dumber, which sees the triumphant return of lovable goofballs Harry and
Lloyd in an adventure of truly idiotic proportions. From the very
beginning, Lloyd Christmas (Eric Christian Olsen) knew he had a friend
for life in Harry Dunne (Derek Richardson). It’s the first day of high
school and Harry, who previously has been home schooled by his mother
(Mimi Rogers), needs someone to show him the ropes. Lloyd, who
conveniently lives in the school’s basement with his adoptive
dad/school custodian Ray (Luis Guzman), turns out to be just the guy. |
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Looney Tunes: Back In Action (G): National. Roadshow (WB). 92 mins. Animated/ Live Action. Brendan Fraser, Joan Cusack, Jenna Elfman, Heather Locklear, Timothy Dalton, Bill Goldberg, Robert Picardo, Matthew Lillard (cameo), Steve Martin (cameo). D: Joe Dante (Innerspace). The story, which begins on a studio backlot and careens all over the map in the time-honored style of the "Looney Tunes," stars Fraser and the familiar, beloved assortment of animated characters led by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz and Tweety, but set in a live-action world where animated and "real" characters interact for maximum comic effect.
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| Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (Extended
Edition) (M): Selected, Dec 11 to 17. Roadshow. 200 mins.
Adventure. USA. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin,
Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic
Monaghan, Orlando Bloom. D: Peter Jackson (Meet The Feebles). An
ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a
strange twist in fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo.
When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark
Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in
order to destroy it! However he does not go alone. He is joined by Gandalf, Legolas the elf, Gimli the Dwarf,
Aragorn, Boromir and his
three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Through mountains,
snow, darkness, forests, rivers and plains, facing evil and danger at
every corner the Fellowship of the Ring must go. Their quest to destroy
the One Ring is the only hope for the end of the Dark Lords reign! |
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Scary Movie 3 (M): National. Buena Vista. 84 mins. Comedy. Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Regina Hall, Denise Richards, Anthony Anderson, Simon Rex, Jeremy Piven, Eddie Griffin, Timothy Stack, Darrell Hammond, William Forsythe, Camryn Manheim, Peter Boyle, Leslie Nielsen, Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy. D: David Zucker. You're warned in 2003. From the director "Airplane!" comes the final installment of the hilarious Scary Movie trilogy. The story follows Cindy and her newly acquired friends as more strange things occur such as the appearance of crop circles and disturbing video tapes. Now Cindy has to discover the truth behind these mysterious happenings, in order to rid the world of evil... whilst being stalked by several crazy photographers.
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18 DECEMBER |
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Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) (M): Selected, Dec 18 to 22. Roadshow. 226 mins. Adventure. USA. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom. D: Peter Jackson (Meet The Feebles). The Fellowship has been broken. Boromir (Sean Bean) is dead, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) have gone to Mordor alone to destroy the One Ring, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) have been captured by the Uruk-hai, and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) have made friends of the Rohan, a race of humans that are in the path of the upcoming war, led by its aging king, Théoden (Bernard Hill). The two towers between Mordor and Isengard, Barad-dúr and Orthanc, have united in their lust for destruction. The corrupt wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee), under the power of the Dark Lord Sauron, and his slimy assistant, Gríma Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), have created a grand Uruk-hai army bent on the destruction of Man and Middle-earth. |
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Peter Pan (TBA): National. UIP (Uni). 110 mins. Adventure. Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Issacs, Ludivine Sagnier, Lynn Redgrave, Olivia Williams, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Richard Briers, Harry Newell, Freddie Popplewell. Rupert SimoneonD: PJ Hogan (Muriel's Wedding). There are no details yet about how this 21st century version might differ (such as maybe having a modern setting) from the book, but here's a brief summary of what Peter Pan is about, regardless. Peter Pan is the boy who won't age, who lives in Neverland with other ageless kids, the Lost Boys. Tinker Bell, a fairy, gives three children (Wendy, John, and Michael Darling) the ability to fly, and soon they're off to Neverland, where they're soon in battle with the evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates...
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| The Spanish Apartment (TBA): Selected. Fox. French. Subtitled. Comedy. Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France, Kelly Reilly, Cristina Brondo, Federico D'Anna, Barnaby Metschurat, Kevin Bishop, Xavier De Guillebon, Wladimir Yordanoff, Irene Montalà, Javier Coromina, Iddo Goldberg. D: Cédric Klapisch. As part of a job that he is promised, Xavier (Romain Duris), an economics student in his late twenties, signs on to a European exchange program in order to gain working knowledge of the Spanish language. Promising that they'll remain close, he says farewell to his loving girlfriend then heads to Barcelona. Following his arrival, Xavier is soon thrust into a cultural melting pot when he moves into an apartment full of international students. An Italian, an English girl, a boy from Denmark, a young woman from Belgium, a German and a girl from Andalusia all join him in a series of adventures that serve as an initiation to life. |  |
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26 DECEMBER |
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Bright Young Things (TBA): Selected. Icon. Comedy. UK. 97 mins. Emily Mortimer, Jim Broadbent, Michael Sheen, Peter O'Toole, Richard E Grant, Dan Aykroyd, Stockard Channing & Stephen Fry. D: Stephen Fry. The young hero Adam, needs to get enough money to marry the beautiful Nina. His friends – eccentric, wild, louche and entirely shocking to the older generation, seem one by one to self-destruct, to crash and burn in their endless search for newer and faster sensations. Their world is that of the very young, wild, party-loving creatures known to the press, who follow their every move, as the Bright Young Things. |
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Brother Bear (G): National. Buena Vista. 81 mins. Animation. USA. V: Joaquin Phoenix. D: Aaron Blaise, Bob Walker. The powerful and playful bond between brothers, and man’s bond with nature, are explored with great drama and comedy in Walt Disney Pictures’ exciting new animated tale of brotherhood, bears and breathtaking outdoor adventure. Driven by six great new songs from Academy Award® winner Phil Collins (including a sensational performance by legendary singer Tina Turner on the Collins-composed tune, “Great Spirits”), the film follows the incredible adventures of a young man named Kenai who is transformed into a bear. From his new perspective, Kenai discovers the world through the eyes of another as he is befriended by a bear cub named Koda, has a hilarious encounter with a pair of misguided moose, and finds himself pursued by his own sibling. A colorful cast of animals adds to the fun and excitement of this third motion picture created by Disney’s Florida Animation Studio (“Mulan,’ “Lilo & Stitch”). |
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Dogville (MA):
Selected. Dendy. 138 mins. Denmark (English language). Nichole Kidman, Paul
Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara, James Caan. D: Lars von Trier (Breaking
The Waves). Lars von Trier’s latest
fable of revenge and cruelty marks the first in his U,S and
A trilogy. Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in the
1930s, Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a beautiful fugitive who persuades
the townspeople of Dogville, to hide her, however the town’s act of
kindness comes at a high price. Shot entirely in a studio with few
props, von Trier's style pays homage to Bertold Brecht's theatre as
well as televised theatre productions from the 1970s.
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Goodbye, Lenin! (M): Selected. Hopscotch. Germany. 121 mins. Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Maria Simon. D: Wolfgang Becker. From the producer of “Run Lola Run”, with the music composed by Yann Tiersen (Amélie) comes this moving comedy about a staunch, socialist mother in East Germany, who falls into a coma in October 1989 and wakes up eight months later. In the meantime, the Berlin Wall has crumbled, communism has fallen and her daughter is now working at the local Burger King ! Her son, advised by physicians that the shock of the monumental changes may be too much for her, decides to fool her into believing that the old GDR still exists and that communism has triumphed over the West. Although a sharp, political satire, the heart of the story is the tender relationship between mother and son and how he will go to any lengths to protect her.
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| A Heart Elsewhere (PG): Selected, Syd/ Melb/ Adel/ Perth. Palace. 108 mins. Drama. Italy. (aka Il Cuore Altrove). Neri Marcore, Giancarlo Giannini & Vanessa Incontrada. In the 30s, a clumsy 35 years old professor of latin and humanities moves to Bologna, under the pressure of his parents (very important tailors in Rome, who work for the Pope!) hoping that he would eventually find a wife, settle down and start a family, giving them an heir to their fortune. | |
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Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (TBA): National. Roadshow. Fantasy. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Brad Dourif. D: Peter Jackon (Meet The Feebles). The story of Gandalf and Pippen sets the stage for the battle before Minas Tirith. The Witch King of Angmar leads his forces to destroy the White City while the men of Umbar sail against the Pelagir. When all seems hopeless, the Riders of Rohan arrive, and Aragorn walks the Path of the Dead. Sam and Frodo travel through Mordor even as the last battle is nearing its beginning. The Nazgul fly from battle as the ring nears its destruction. Will Frodo and Sam finish their quest?
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Lost In
Translation (PG): Selected. UIP (Para). 101 mins. Drama. Anna
Faris, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanio Ribisi. D: Sofia
Coppola. Bob
Harris and Charlotte are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in
town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young woman
tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband. Unable to
sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the luxury hotel bar.
This chance meeting soon becomes a surprising friendship. Charlotte and
Bob venture through Tokyo, having often hilarious encounters with its
citizens, and ultimately discover a new belief in life’s
possibilities.
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Actually (M): National. UIP (Uni). 135 mins. Comedy.
UK. Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman,
Emma
Thompson, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Martine
McCutcheon,
Chris Marshall, Bill Nighy, Rodrigo Santoro, Rowan
Atkinson (cameo). D:
Richard Curtis (debut). The film follows 10 separate stories in the two
months
leading up to Christmas, which each strand climaxing on Christmas Eve.
Grant
plays a bachelor PM who falls in love on his first day in Downing
Street with
the girl (McCutcheon) who makes the tea. Thompson will feature as
Grant's
sister, and Rickman will play her husband. Neeson has a story of his
own
involving his relationship with a young stepson. Atkinson has a
two-scene cameo.
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