Aug 27th
The Witches**
GB 1989. Warner Bros/Jim Henson. 90m.

A resourceful boy and his grandmother turn the tables on the Grand High Witch who wants to turn all the children of Britain into mice.
Inevitably softened from the darkness of the original (a nice witch intervenes), this is nevertheless a splendidly accessible adaptation of Roald Dahl, one of the few films to genuinely capture the atmosphere of his stories, with some good comedy cameos and an ideal choice of director taking a change of pace.

Written by: Alan Scott, from the novel by Roald Dahl.
Producer: Mark Shivas.
Director: Nicolas Roeg.
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Jasen Fisher, Mai Zetterling, Rowan Atkinson, Charlie Potter, Jane Horrocks, Bill Paterson, Brenda Blethyn, Anne Lambton.
Photography: Harvey Harrison.
Music: Stanley Myers.


THE WITCHES. An unrecognisable Anjelica Huston (in a make-up not unlike the Spitting Image caricature of Margaret Thatcher) warms up for playing Morticia Addams.

Aug 19th
Valentino*
GB 1977. United Artists/Aperture/Chartoff-Winkler. 127m.

The life of the famous dancing movie idol, told from various perspectives after his unexpected early death.
Snappily designed, slightly garish and overbearing (as usual with Russell) showbiz biopic, with a miscast dancer who bears little other resemblance to Rudolf Valentino, nor does the film really capture his magnetic appeal to women, but does succeed in capturing the style of the period quite well.

Written by: Ken Russell, Mardik Martin, from the book "Valentino: An Intimate Expose of the Sheik" by Brad Steiger, Chaw Mank.
Producer: Irwin Winkler.
Director: Ken Russell.
Starring: Rudolf Nureyev, Michelle Phillips, Leslie Caron, Felicity Kendal, Carol Kane, Seymour Cassel, Huntz Hall, Alfred Marks, Peter Vaughan, William Hootkins, John Justin, John Ratzenberger.
Photography: Peter Suschitzky.
Music: Ferde Grofe, Stanley Black.
Editing: Stuart Baird.
Art Direction: Philip Harrison.

Preceded by:
Wallace and Gromit in
A Matter of Loaf and Death**
(GB TVM 2008. Aardman. 29m.; W & G deal with a serial pastry killer. Puns aplenty in this return to the animated short department for Aardman, a spoof thriller feeling a little derivative of A Close Shave, with increasing innuendo slipping in, but still excellent value for money as always.; w: Nick Park, Bob Baker; p: Steve Pegram; d: Nick Park; voices of Peter Sallis, Sally Lindsay.)

Aug 18th
The Runaway Bus**
GB 1954. Conquest-Guest. 78m. bw

A fog-bound Heathrow Airport is used by crooks as a getaway for a bullion robbery, one of whom is hiding on the emergency bus.
Slightly overplayed and improbable but ingenious comedy thriller variation on The Ghost Train, which spells out its villains' scheme from the start, but involves the audience in a "who is it" mystery instead, with plenty of red herrings.

Written, Produced and Directed by: Val Guest.
Starring: Frankie Howerd (his first film), Margaret Rutherford, Petula Clark, George Coulouris, Terence Alexander, Belinda Lee, Toke Townley, John Horsley, Frank Phillips.
Photography: Stan Pavey.
Music: Ronald Binge.

Aug 10th
The Prestige**
US 2006. Warner Bros/Touchstone/Newmarket Films/Syncopy. 130m. ws

Personal tragedy leads two rival magicians to wage a bitter battle to find the secret of the ultimate disappearing trick.
Two hours and ten minutes is a long time for a magic trick to finally be revealed (with lapses into science fiction), but if the resolution is a long time coming then what precedes it is at least interesting, well acted and evocative in rambling Victorian period style. A sort of Sherlock Holmes mystery but without the two detectives, pitting two Moriartys against each other instead.

Written by: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, from the novel by Christopher Priest.
Producers: Aaron Ryder, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan.
Director: Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis, Roger Rees.
Photography: Wally Pfister.
Music: David Julyan.
Production Design: Nathan Crowley.
Editing: Lee Smith.

Aug 9th
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (12A)
Flicks Clacton

Secret army operatives hidden underground in Egypt combat a dangerous arms dealing organisation.
Fast-paced action basis for selling teenagers toys; as a film at best average, not giving the plot enough time to settle in.

d: Stephen Sommers
s: Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Christopher Eccleston, Dennis Quaid, Rachel Nichols, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Said Taghmaoui, Jonathan Pryce, Byung-Hung Lee, Ray Park, Arnold Vosloo, Brendan Frasier (uncredited)