Apr 30th  
Full Metal Jacket**       
(US 1987)                                                        
Warner Bros/Natant/Harrier Films. 116m.

Experiences of a US Marine from the hell of combat training into combat service in Vietnam.
Memories of Kubrick's Paths of Glory are conjured in this functional Vietnam war film (one of a cycle at the time, including Oliver Stone's Platoon), with a brutal and tragic first half in the training camp that has almost no bearing at all on the rest of the film, which like the later Saving Private Ryan. is relatively standard war film fare, but at least marked something of a welcome return to form for Kubrick.

Written by: Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford, from his novel "The Short-Timers".
Producer/Director: Stanley Kubrick.
Starring: Matthew Modine, Arliss Howard, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Kevyn Major Howard, Ed O'Ross, John Terry, Tim Colceri, Bruce Boa.
Photography: Douglas Milsome.
Music: Abigail Mead.
Production Design: Anton Furst (developing parts of southern England to resemble Vietnam).

Preceded by:
Bugs Bunny in
Falling Hare*
(US 1943. 8m.; p: Leon Schlesinger; d: Bob Clampett; voices of Mel Blanc; for Warner Bros/Merrie Melodies.)

Apr 28th
Sandra**
aka. Sandra of a Thousand Delights
original title: Vaghe Stella Dell'Orsa 

(Ita/Fra 1965) 
Columbia C.E.I.A.D./Vides. 104m.

A married woman returns to the ancestral home of her Jewish father murdered by the Nazis, and uncovers a few more family secrets including her incestuous relationship with her brother.
The Elektra legend, reworked and updated in typically Italian style by Visconti: quite expressive and at times enigmatic, but always watchable.

Written by: Suso Cecchi d' Amico, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti.
Producer: Franco Cristaldi.
Director: Luchino Visconti.
Starring: Claudia Cardinale, Jean Sorel, Michael Craig, Fred Williams, Marie Bell, Renzo Ricci, Amalia Trolani.
Photography: Armando Nannuzzi.
Music: Cesar Franck.

Preceded by:
Pathe Gazette (1923)
(FA Cup Final at Wembley - Bolton Wanderers v. West Ham United

Historical record of Wembley's first Cup Final 100 years ago today, the only one not to be all-ticket, because of mass overcrowding and the famous intervention of a white police horse to clear the field - making the film an uneasy mixture of news record and Pathe hagiography.)

Apr 22nd  
Klute**  
(US 1971)     
Warner Bros/Gus. 114m. Panavision

A private detective investigates the sinister disappearance of his businessman best friend, and gradually falls for the New York call girl who is his only major lead.
Skilful 70s thriller dwelling rather more on the seedy world of prostitution than on its central mystery, with the culprit revealed quite early on. To be followed in even better vein by the similar Parallax View and All the President's Men.

Written by: Andy Lewis, Dave Lewis.
Producer/Director: Alan J. Pakula.                        
Starring: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Roy Scheider, Charles Cioffi, Dorothy Tristan, Robert Milli, Rita Gam.
Photography: Gordon Willis.
Music: Michael Small.

Apr 10th
The Bible: In the Beginning*   
(US/Ita 1966)
Twentieth Century Fox/Seven Arts. 140m. Dimension 150

The book of Genesis, up to the story of Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God.

The Easter religious offering this year is a slightly freaky partial Biblical adaptation (originally planned as a series of films adapting all of the books), with the Garden of Eden looking sinister and dimly lit (for modesty's sake, and a U certificate), followed by a visually impressive rendition of Noah's Ark, and then a pompous latter half with Babel, Abraham, etc. Generally speaking the film would be better as a silent (Huston wanted Chaplin to play Noah who declined because he didn't want to be directed by someone else), and the rest of the Bible managed perfectly well by itself without need of any more Hollywood adaptations.

Written by: Christopher Fry, Jonathan Griffin, Ivo Perilli, Vittorio Bonicelli (and others).
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis.

Director: John Huston.
Starring: Michael Parks (Adam), Ulla Bergryd (Eve), Richard Harris (Cain), Franco Nero (Abel), John Huston (Noah/Narrator/voice of God), Rupella Maggio (Noah's wife), Stephen Boyd (Nimrod), George C. Scott (Abraham), Ava Gardner (Sarah), Peter O'Toole (as Three Angels), Gabriele Ferzetti (Lot), and others.
Photography: Giuseppe Rotunno.
Music: Toshiro Mayuzumi.
Art Direction: Mario Chiari.

Preceded by:

The Priest* 
(GB 1954. Brentwood. 22m. bw; Locally made recruitment documentary for more priests in the Brentwood diocese, featuring some interesting historical archive and also occasionally some very affecting moments.; Commentary: Bernard John Wakeling; ph: Ronald Stern; m: Jose Maria Alcacer.)

THE PRIEST (1954). Offertory at St. James the Less and St. Helen Church in Colchester.

Apr 6th
Close** (12A) 
(King Street Cinema, Ipswich)
   
(Bel/Fra/Netherlands 2022)                                        
Mubi/Menuet/Diaphana Films/Topkapi Films/Versus. 104m.

Two best friends go to a new school: one of them tries to fit in more with the other boys, which breaks the heart of the other. Absorbing and sensitively played (although abruptly edited) boyhood drama, capturing the innocent enthusiasm of pre-teenage years. The tragic course of the plot makes for a lengthy last hour, compelling but very drawn out.

w: Lukas Dhont, Angela Tijssens
p: Dirk Impens, Michiel Dhont
d: Lukas Dhont
s: Eden Damerine, Gustav De Waele, Emilie Dequenne, Lea Drucker, Marc Weiss, Kevin Janssens, Igor van Dessel
ph: Frank van den Eeden
m: Valentin Hadjadj

CLOSE. The smartened-up basement lobby of the Ipswich Film Theatre, now curiously renamed the King Street Cinema