I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name at the BFI - with Michael Winner

Forget that view you have of Michael Winner and think of him as a 1960s director of some note - producing gems like I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name, a tale of one man's attempt to escape from the world of advertising and its trappings.

The movie (which stars Oliver Reed, Carol White and Orson Welles) gets a rare screening at the BFI in September, with Michael Winner on hand to do a Q&A at the end of the flick. That's about all the detail we have right now, except that it;s a Flipside production taking place on Wednesday 17th September.

For fans of 60s cinema, it's one for the diary. More detail to follow when we have it.

Blood on Satan's Claw and Children of the Moor at London's BFI

One of the finest British horror movies of the 1970s gets a rare big screen outing in London in August - Blood on Satan's Claw.

This dark and atmospheric horror (produced by Tony Tenser's Tigon company) is set in an isolated rural community in 18th century Britain, with the devil taking over the village's youngsters, using the body parts of the local teens to manifest itself. It's a real gem - as is the score (which you can find out about here).

It's part of a Flipside presentation at the BFI, with the movie introduced by director Piers Haggard, screenwriter Robert Wynne-Simmons and actress Linda Hayden (pictured), who will also be around for a post-screening Q&A. Also on the bill is rarely-seen 70s folk documentary Children of the Moor, which looks at life in three remote village in Dartmoor.

It takes place on Thursday 21st August, with ticket details available here. Check out the introduction of Blood on Satan's Claw below...

BFI's Midsummer Psych-Out

The Flipside crew at London's BFI have another fine event on the agenda - the Midsummer Psych-Out.

As the name suggests, this is a night of mind-blowing visuals and late 60s tunes, which takes places on Saturday 21st June from 6:20pm. The film program is outlined over the page (taking place in two parts), with the visuals followed by a 'freak out' at no extra charge to the swirling psychedelic sounds of DJs Mariko and Anti-Gravity Man (The Girls in the Garage) in Benugo bar. Tickets are £8.60 each show or a joint ticket is available for £12.50 (concessions £9.25).

Midnight Movies at Curzon Cinemas

If you are in London and on the look out for a late night cult film in themed surroundings, free beer and a party thrown in, you should check out Midnight Movies, which is taking place at Curzon Cinemas.

The next event is on Friday 30th May, a 1960s-themed event with Skidoo on the big screen - a satirical comedy involving gangers, hippies, prison riots, LSD, a soundtrack by Harry Nilsson and starring Groucho Marx in his final role. Locked away by director Otto Preminger himself and never released on video and DVD, this is a rare opportunity to catch this groovy flick from 1968.

The event starts at 9:30pm (with DJs), with the film showing at 11:30pm. Entry is £10 (advance) or £12 on the door, with each ticket including a free beer. Tickets are available from the box office at Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5DY or from the website below.

Curzon Cinemas website

Review: Joy Division (2008)

One of my earliest childhood memories is being dragged into Manchester by my parents - and being ever-so-slightly scared by the decaying warehouses and factories, the disused Manchester Central railway station and the concrete monstrosities that made up the actual centre. It was grim beyond belief. But that decaying, depressing and hopeless environment produced one of Manchester's most iconic bands and the basis of this self-titled documentary - Joy Division.

Yes, with Control barely out of the cinema, here's another Joy Division story to replace it. But if you are a fan of the band, this is one you really need to see. Why? Well, it's all about the detail.

Reigning Cats & Dogs - Robert Downey Sr's Pound plus Robert Crumb's Fritz The Cat and Bob Stanley DJ set at the Barbican

Next Friday looks like a decent night at London's Barbican, with the Fortune Teller Press presents Reigning Cats & Dogs. That means an outing for Robert Downey Sr’s Pound (unseen for 30 years), supported Fritz the Cat and a DJ set from Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley.

Pound is Robert Downey Sr’s rarely-seen follow-up to Putney Swope - an existential look into the world of dogs locked up in a NY pound - except all the dogs are played by humans. Studio execs hated it so , much that all copies were destroyed. Well, not quite all - here's a surviving one. Backing it up is the cult movie based on Robert Crumb’s Fritz The Cat, with morality taking a backseat to drugs, sex and an incredibly soulful soundtrack.

Tickets are £11, with the 9th May event starting at 7pm.

Find out more at the Barbican website

Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville gets rare big screen outing in Manchester

The Breakfast Club at Manchester's Cornerhouse cinema is still going strong - offering a cooked breakfast (meat or veggie), a drink and a cult film for Sunday lunchtimes. And the next film is an absolute corker - Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville.

This ultra-stylish sci-fi noir finds inter-galactic special agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) in Alphaville, the capital city of a distant planet, on the hunt for the mysterious Professor von Braun.

But when he arrives, he finds a planet controlled by Alpha 60, a vast computer which has outlawed 'illogical' trivia such as love and poetry and turned the residents into emotional zombies. Assisted by the professor's daughter Natasha (Anna Karina), Caution's investigations set him on a collision course with the all-powerful machine.

It's showing in Sunday 11th May, with a price of £9.20, including your fry-up.

Find out more at the Cornerhouse website

Reviewed: The Flipside presents The Small World of Sammy Lee at the NFT

Those fellahs at The Flipside have done it again; they’ve tracked down a forgotten gem of British Cinema and who knows where The Small World of Sammy Lee has been hiding since it was made in 1962?

If you’re anything like me, the name Anthony Newley tends to conjure up a picture of a light entertainer who seemed to belong to the Victorian Music Hall tradition, more than the Swingin’ Age he became famous in. This film pays testament to his talent as an actor, and a damn good one at that.

Sinister Folk at the BFI

When meddling townies move to remote country communities and the old ways meet the new, things take a turn for the sinister.  Hail the Queen of the May as Flipside unearths two obscure, genuinely creepy ‘70s folk tales on Friday 2nd May - Sinister Folk.

Robin Redbreast (Play For Today 1970)
Smart urban divorcee Norah gets more than she bargained for when she retreats to a remote house in the country. Toyed with by some very curious locals who know more than they let on, Norah soon finds herself the unwilling participant in shocking traditions both ancient and frightening.

Murrain (Against The Crowd) (ATV 1975)
When a mysterious virus plagues local pigs and a family goes sick, panicking farmers blame a frail old woman - the ‘witch’ that lives up the lane. An idealistic young doctor from the city tries to dispel the rumours. Taut, intelligent, convincing, written by legendary Quatermass creator, Nigel Kneale.

Afterwards, Resonance FM DJs Jonny Trunk (Trunk Records) and Nervous Stephen (Murri) will be spinning 'dark folk ditties' on black vinyl in Benugo. Tickets for the whole event cost £8.60.

Book tickets at the BFI website

Fashion In Film Festival returns for a second year

Returning for a second year is the Fashion In Film Festival, mixing talks, exhibitions, newly-commissioned film works, but best of all, some rarely-seen cinema classics that show how fashion of the day was just as important as a good plot and scenery.

Some superb films on show this year too, with highlights (for me) including the visually stunning (see image above) 10th Victim (La Decima Vittima) from 1965 and Get Carter (1970) at the ICA, Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace (1964) at the Horse Hospital, as well as a double bill of delinquency curated by fashion designer and former mod Roger K. Burton (The Violent Years from 1956 and The Boys from '62), Dario Argento's The Bird With Crystal Plumage (1970) at the BFI plus Plein Soleil (1960) and Fata Morgana (1965) Ciné lumiére.

Much more besides, including some rare silent flicks and classic US film noir. Check out the full programme at the website - the event runs from 10th - 31st May 2008.

Fashion In Film Festival website

The Small World Of Sammy Lee and 60s Soho at London's BFI

Another great night planned by The Flipside at London's BFI on Thursday 24th April 2008, celebrating the seedy world of 60s Soho.

That means a screening of The Small World Of Sammy Lee (1962), with Strip club compere and small time wideboy Sammy (played by cockney crooner Anthony Newley) losing his shirt at an all-night card game, with the heavies are looking to collect. That means a race against the clock around the streets of Soho as Sammy tries to raise the readies, and escape with the girl who loves him, before his luck runs out.

Also showing is Strip (1966), a short movie looking at vintage burlesque dancers at the notorious Phoenix Club, Old Compton Street, with the girls backstage talking about life whilst having a cup of tea and warming-up the baked beans. And to top things off, Big Shots features rare footage of wartime Soho shot by Sammy Lee director, Ken Hughes.

Introduced by Flipside's Vic Pratt and Will Fowler, with 'Sammy Lee' actress Julia Foster doing a Q&A after the screening. Tickets cost £8.60 (£6.25 concessions).

Find out more at the BFI website

Joy Division documentary showing in London - plus Stephen Morris & Jon Savage Q&A

If you are a fan of the band, you might want to get yourself down to the Curzon Soho in London for a screening of Joy Division.

Joy Division looks at the band through never-before-seen live performance footage, personal photos, period films and newly discovered audiotapes, with contributions from Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris, as well as the late Tony Wilson, Factory Records graphic artist Peter Saville, photographer/filmmaker Anton Corbijn and Belgian journalist Annik Honoré (speaking for the first time about her relationship with Ian Curtis) the film is described as a 'fresh visual account of a unique time and place'.

If that's not enough, Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris and writer Jon Savage will be on hand to take questions. It's on Thursday 24th April, starting at 6:30pm.

Find out more and order tickets at the Cuezon website

Via Retro To Go

For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond at the Imperial War Museum

London's Imperial War Museum is the location for a major Ian Fleming and James Bond exhibition - For Your Eyes Only.

A look at the man and the character, it features a large amount of material on show for the first time, including  a selection of annotated Bond manuscripts and Fleming’s Colt Python .375 Magnum revolver, along with material from the films including the ‘blood–splattered’ shirt worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, Rosa Klebb’s flick–knife shoes in From Russia With Love and Halle Berry’s bikini from Die Another Day.

There's also a number of events and family activities relating to Bond, plus free screening of some early Bond classics - Dr No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. The exhibition opens on 17th April 2008, running until 1st March 2009. See the website for full listings.

Find out more at the Imperial War Museum website

Via Retro To Go

BFI's 60s French cinema season

This month, the BFI Southbank will be hosting a season of films relating to the spirit of revolution in the era called “Pop Goes the Revolution: French Cinema and May '68”.

Curated by Bob Stanley, the season shows how the enfranchisement of youth in the mid-60s was turning the world on its head. As you might expect, there are films here by Jean Luc Godard (“Masculin Féminin”, “Alphaville” and “Weekend”), Francois Truffaut (The Bride Wore Black”) and a double-bill starring Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin.

Perhaps the highlight of the season is the chance to see William Klein’s op-art satire on the fashion world “Who are You, Polly Magoo?” which is showing on 26th and 29th April.

For full listings, visit the BFI website.

Via Retro To Go

The Flipside presents... Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) with Susan George Q&A

A new year and a new presentation from the Flipside team at the BFI, this time Dirty Mary Crazy Larry from 1974, with the added bonus of a Q&A with star Susan George and director John Hough.

Peter Fonda is Crazy Larry, a racer on the run in his 1969 Dodge Charger after a ruthless robbery; Susan George is Dirty Mary, the sexy groupie who joins him for the ride. Before long the entire police force is on their tail in what the New York Daily News described as “the longest high-speed car chase in history” before a jaw-dropping finale.

It's showing on Thursday 24th January at  NFT1, with the screening starting at 8:20pm.

Book tickets online for the BFI website

Jean-Pierre Léaud: The New Wave and After

San Francisco Bay Area residents won't want to miss the upcoming Jean-Pierre Léaud: The New Wave and After film program taking place at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Jan. 18 - Feb 29th.

The French New Wave (Nouvelle Vague) produced many great stars, but Jean-Pierre Léaud is undoubtedly one of the brightest and most talented. He was only 15 years old when he first appeared in François Truffaut's classic The 400 Blows and the actor would go on to star in many other important French films for the next two decades. Jean-Pierre Léaud is still working and making great films and this impressive six week event brings together many of the iconic French actor's best work spanning a period of over 35 years. Some of the films being presented during the program include The 400 Blows (1959), Masculin Feminine (1966), La Chinoise (1967), Weekend (1967), Stolen Kisses (1968), Two English Girls (1971), Day for Night (1973), The Mother and the Whore (1973), Love on the Run (1979) and Irma Vep (1996).

Ticket prices and showtimes can be found at the official program site: Jean-Pierre Léaud: The New Wave and After.

- Kimberly Lindbergs

Coming soon: The Bank Job (2008)

Not long into 2008 and we're already being greeted by another British gangster flick - although The Bank Job has more to do with 1971 than the modern era.

It's actually based around true events, specifically an unsolved robbery 37 years ago, when thieves broke into a London bank vault, looting boxes worth millions. No-one was caught for it and the government issued a press gag on it. The movie second guesses what was hidden in those boxes, throwing in a tale of murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family, not to mention lots of early 70s style.

Coming soon: Martin's Scorsese's movie on the Rolling Stones - Shine A Light

Movie history is littered with movies about or featuring the Rolling Stones, but that's not stopped uber-director Martin Scorsese from adding to the collection with Shine A Light.

It could be good, it could be bad. In essence, this is a live show on film, with Scorsese capturing the band in a small venue in New York - in essence, trying to film the 'electricity' of the band's live performance, mixing it up with background, interviews and history. Which sounds great, but for the fact that the band are well past their peak (though still a decent live act), not to mention that the gig seems to have various walk-on 'special guests' who probably contribute nothing to the event.

But I'll wait until the film's release in April before I pass judgement. In the meantime, check out this trailer for the movie for a taster.

Via Electric Roulette

Quadrophenia Convention in Brighton

If you happen to love Quadrophenia, you might want to attend the Quadrophenia Convention in Brighton.

It's a two-day event in Brighton, running from April 5th to April 6th 2008, with appearances from the likes of Phil Daniels (Jimmy) Mark Wingett (Dave) Phil Davis(Chalky) Toyah Willcox (Monkey) Gary Shail (Spider) Garry Cooper (Peter) and Trevor Laird (Ferdy). No sign of Sting I see.

There's a range of events, talks and of course, a movie showing. You can even have a meal with the cast or a brew - but at a price. See the website for full details. Tickets are from £15.

Find out more at the Quadrophenia website

It's A Wonderful Life back on the big screen for Christmas

There's plenty of Christmas movies, but let's be honest, one stands head and shoulders above the rest - Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life.

If you haven't seen it, James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a man whose attempted suicide on Christmas Eve gains the attention of a guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) who is sent to help him in his hour of need. I defy anyone not to shed a tear!

And it's back at UK cinemas all over the country for the Christmas period, presented in a new frame-by-frame digital restoration. If you want to know when it's showing near you, seen the list over the page.

Review: Young Birds Fly (2007)

I have been privileged enough to be one of the first in the UK to view a new independent film based on Mod Culture and have been asked to write a review of the film by the film’s American director Leonardo Flores. Young Birds Fly is the first feature length film from Mod enthusiast and California State University graduate Flores and is the story of young quiet American girl, Jill, who blossoms into the Los Angeles Mod scene. 

The film tells a detailed tale of Jill’s transition as she discovers the joy and amazement of the Mod scene…the music, the dance moves, the scooters and the fashion. And it really does give you a sense of Jill’s wonderment as she grasps Mod with both of her hands until it is part of the air she breathes.

It takes a brave man to follow in the footsteps of a cult classic such as Quadrophenia. Indeed, Mods and those with an interest in the scene are quick to grab hold of any film made in connection with it, with movies so few and far between. But this isn't just a depiction of contemporary mod in LA, Leonardo has endeavoured to tell a tale that also criticises much of the scene’s lifestyle, showing young Jill’s disappointment and frustration as she discovers the shallow side of Mod.

Reviewed: Smashing Time at the NFT

Those nice fellas at The Flipside managed to secure not only the use of a print of Smashing Time, but also a personal appearance by the delightful Rita Tushingham! In case you haven’t run across this little belter of a film before, I’ll summarise:

Two girls from the North of England, Yvonne & Brenda, come down to London in search of ‘The Scene’, which they’ve heard is located somewhere around ‘Carnaby Street’ and we follow their hapless journey from the drive of St Pancras Station, forty years before the glittering refit that transformed it into a sight worth seeing, but here, begrimed with eighty years of soot, and in disrepair, to Camden Town, the result of asking a drunken gentleman of the road the way to that more fashionable street in W1, all the way to that dreamy thoroughfare of fashion, to the more upmarket of West London’s boutiques, fashion shoots and Yvonne’s thwarted pop career, then the long walk back to St Pancras and home.

Smashing Time on the big screen

We mentioned this a while back, but just to remind you, Smashing Time is showing at the NFT in London this Tuesday - and we've just had it confirmed that Rita Tushingham will be introducing the movie.

It is showing as part of a mini tribute to the recently-departed George Melly, with Smashing Time (scripted by Melly) showing on the first night - the classic swinging London movie, with Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave heading down to Carnaby Street from 'up north' for money and modelling careers. Fame and fortune finally arrives unexpectedly - but is it really what they want?

And if you want more Melly, a second screening features Melly on the Telly, the pick of the man on the small screen, including Milligan 'N' Melly (1973), Recollections (1985) and It's Your Funeral ( 2001)

Smashing Time shows on Tuesday 20th November at 6:15pm and Melly on the Telly at 8:45pm, both at NFT 1.

Find out more about the screenings at the BFI website

Rare showing of The Party's Over (1963) at the Barbican

The Barbican is currently running Seduced - Sex and Censorship in the Cinema, a series of banned or censored films from cinema's colourful past. And jumping out from the programme is The Party's Over from 1962.

Guy Hamilton and Anthony Perry’s beatnik era tale stars a young Oliver Reed as part of the bad crowd known as 'the pack', whose lifestyle happens to appeal to the daughter of a businessman living in London.

So why banned? Well, the wild parties, drink and a hint of necrophilia (yes, really) saw it fall foul of the censor, with the film getting a release after a few cuts in 1965, the last time it has been on general view.

The film will be introduced by producer Anthony Perry when it shows on 22nd October at 7:15pm.

Find out more at the Barbican website

Review: Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush at the NFT

The Scenester skips along to the NFT to check out the showing of Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, complete with Hunter Davies Q&A.

What other decade could a film with the title Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush possibly has been made in? It was probably unnecessary for our friends at the National Film Theatre to place it fairly, but not squarely, in the Psych Sunsplash 67 series, so evocative was that title.

A few of you VHS devotees may have picked up a copy from television many years ago, but for those of us who missed it, this nugget was a real treat. So with a spring in the step, I raced to the South Bank as soon as the 5:30 bell rang, and sank a swift one before diving into the fabulous NFT1, beneath London Bridge. Hunter Davies, a man who needs little introduction, was on hand to let us know how he came to write the novel this film was based on, even showing us his personal copy of the book, complete with appliqué lips on the cover that seemed to pucker up when you walked past it. If anyone out there in Modland has an original copy with these lips still intact, you’ve got a valuable artefact, as Hunter reckons that constant handling in the shop nearly always resulted in the lips falling off!

Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who (2007)

Music biopics and documentaries seem to be popping up all over the place this year and one of the new music documentaries currently getting rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival is Murray Lerner's Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who (2007). The film was authorized by The Who and it's being called "the definitive" film about the band. The documentary runs two hours long and features lots of archival footage, as well as insightful interviews with the surviving band members.

The film has only gotten a limited theatrical release so far, but Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who is being released on DVD in North America on November 2nd and it will be released on DVD in the U.K. on November 5th. For more information visit the film's official website and check out the trailer below:

- Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who - Offical Film Site

- Kimberly Lindbergs

Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush at the BFI

Not often seen - and certainly not on the big screen - 1967's Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush gets a showing at NFT 1 at the BFI South Bank in London on Friday 21st September, kicking off at 6:15 pm.

It's the latest Flipside presentation, under the heading Psych Sunsplash '67. And as well as seeing forgotten teen star Barry Evans swinging to a Spencer Davis Group/Traffic soundtrack, you also get two other 60s rarities to entertain you.

A Valentine For Tony Blackburn and Barry Evans is just that - the two men receiving cards from adoring fans in 1968. While In Gear (Look At Life) from 1967 is a trip round the era's grooviest boutiques.

Add to that a Q&A with Hunter Davies (novelist and screenwriter of Mulberry Bush) and the night looks like a winner. See the BFI website for ticket details and pricing.

Find out more at the BFI website

Look Back at England: The British New Wave

The Pacific Film Archive at the University of California in Berkeley is currently running a spectacular retrospective of British films from the late fifties and early sixties called Look Back at England: The British New Wave. Some of the terrific films being shown in the coming weeks include The Servant (1963), Room at the Top (1958), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Georgy Girl (1966), The Knack... and How to Get It (1965), Alfie (1966) and If... (1968).

If you're in Northern California you won't want to miss the chance to see some of these classic films on the big screen. The program started in early September and runs until October 27th. For more information about this special retrospective and all the films being shown, as well as ticket prices and show times, please visit the official Pacific Film Archive site below.

Look Back at England: the British New Wave

- Kimberly Lindbergs

I'm Not There Trailer

One of the most anticipated movies of 2007 has to be Todd Haynes' upcoming Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, which is scheduled to be released later this year. The film features six different actors in the role of Bob Dylan who play him at different stages of his life including Christian Bale, Marcus Carl Franklin, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Richard Gere and even Cate Blanchett.

The official trailer surfaced last week and the films already getting mentioned as a possible Oscar contender. You can view it for yourself below:

- Kimberly Lindebergs

Stax 50th anniversary movie at the cinema

Something to look out for at your local cinema, the  Stax 50th Anniversary Documentary and Concert - Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story. It will be showing all over the UK (at 23 cinemas) throughout August and September, with two special showings in Manchester and London:

London - Odeon Covent Garden, Tuesday 14th August at 19.00, with Sam Moore from Sam & Dave attending for a Q&A. Tickets £15.

Manchester - Odeon Printworks, Wedneday 15th August at  19.00, with Sam Moore from Sam & Dave will be attending for a Q&A. Tickets £12.50.

The 8th Annual Mods & Rockers Film Festival

If you're in the Los Angeles area you won't want to miss attending the fabulous 8th Annual Mods & Rockers Film Festival which runs July 13th - August 1st at the Egyptian Theatre. The festival will be playing a terrific collection of concert films, documentaries and movies. It will also feature live appearances by many special guests.

The festival's opening night extravaganza features a Beatles vs. Stones Cinematic Shoot-out Double-Feature that includes screenings of a rare 1964 Beatles documentary called What's Happening! The Beatles in the USA followed by The Rolling Stones' controversial 1969 concert film Gimme Shelter. Both movies were directed by the Maysles Brothers.

Other highlights from this impressive three week long event include the July 15th showing of Three Cult Films of Swingin’ London which features Peter Whitehead's Tonite Let’s All Make Love In London (1967) along with his short documentary about Pink Floyd recording the music score for the film called Pink Floyd In London 1966/1967. These will also show with Robert Amram's short documentary Dollybirds! about London's groovy chicks of 1966.

Grindhouse cinema hits Glasgow and London

The clamour for all things grindhouse continues with movie screenings in Glasgow and London, both showing a double bill of They Call Her Cleopatra Wong and One Armed Executioner and both directed by Filipino film maker Bobby A Suarez.

They're crime fighting capers, with about as many fight scenes and explosions as anyone can take as our heroes in both movies battle to right wrongs under the Interpol banner. The evenings also feature exclusive filmed introductions by the movie’s stars direct from Manila and Singapore, an off-the-wall compilation of Bobby A Suarez trailers, cool Asian art installations, lots of Asian food and Tiger Beer, courtesy of the sponsors.

The Glasgow event is at the ABC Cinema on 29th May, with the action moving to the SeOne Club, SE1, London on 31st May. Entry to the Tiger Grindhouse events is free, with doors open at 6.30pm. You can pre-register for events at the website or get free tickets at the venues on the night.

More on the events at the Tiger Grindhouse website

Anton Corbijn's Control (2007)

One of the most critically acclaimed films at this year's Cannes Film Festival has been Anton Corbijn's new movie Control (2007) which details the tragic life of Ian Curtis, the talented and enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal and professional problems led him to commit suicide at the age of 23. The film stars Sam Riley as Ian Curtis. Riley was also featured in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People.

Director Anton Corbijn is an accomplished band photographer who has also made many music video's for groups such as Joy Division, Depeche Mode and U2. Control is Anton Corbijn's first full-length feature film and it's based on the book Touching From a Distance which was written by Ian Curtis' widow Deborah Curtis.

According to Charlotte Higgins at the Guardian, during the film's debut at Cannes members of New Order flew in to support the movie. Corbijn has said "New Order hardly agree on anything, but all agree that they love the film."

Control should start playing in European theaters in the Fall. For more information see the film's official website:

- Control the Movie

John Waters' Trash Trilogy at the Barbican

We do high brow and low brow here at Cinedelica - and you certainly can't get much lower than John Waters' Trash Trilogy, which is getting a rare showing at London's Barbican.

All three movies show across 10th June 2007, kicking off with Pink Flamingos, which is followed by Female Trouble, then Desperate Living.

1972's Pink Flamingos stars Divine and has a plot based around two families competing for the tabloid title of "the filthiest people alive". Divine also appears in 1974's Female Trouble as a schoolgirl turned mass murder, while Desperate Living focuses on Mortville - a town for criminals.

Check with the cinema for pricing as deals are available for catching all the movies.

Find out more at the Barbican website

Fantastic Films Weekend 2007

The Fantastic Films Weekend is returning to the National Media Museum in Bradford in 2007 from Friday 15th June - Sunday 17th June, with the usual mix of cult film and TV, special guests and gems from the archives.

Special guests this year include sci-fi legend Brian Aldiss, cult TV man Lawrence Gordon Clark and Hammer director John Hough. There's also a mix of the old and the new on the big screen, including Dave Meyers’ remake of The Hitcher to open the festival, followed by a pile of classics including Hammer's Countess Dracula and Twins Of Evil (from new prints), Basket Case, Vincent Price’s Dracula (aka Dracula, the Great Undead) and showing from the only print currently in the UK, Suspiria.

Other titles playing during the weekend include Soylent Green, Sunshine, Forbidden Planet, I, Monster and Tales from the Crypt, plus a pile of classic TV moments (including a rare showing of Threads - the nuclear drama about a bomb hitting Sheffield).

Tickets are available now, with a choice of weekend or day passes, priced from £12.50 to £35.

Find out more about the Fantastic Films Weekend