The Prince Charles Cinema

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Tar
2022 158mins Germany, USA (15) Drama
Directed by Todd Field Starring Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Adam Gopnik

As celebrated conductor Lydia Tár starts rehearsals for a career-defining symphony, the consequences of her past choices begin to echo in the present.

Celine and Julie Go Boating [Céline et Julie vont en bateau]
1974 190mins France (12A) Comedy / Drama
Directed by Jacques Rivette Starring Juliet Berto, Bulle Ogier, Dominique Labourier

A mysteriously linked pair of young women find their daily lives pre-empted by a strange boudoir melodrama that plays itself out in a hallucinatory parallel reality. An undisputed classic of the French New Wave, Jacques Rivette's Celine and Julie Go Boating is a delightful movie about the spiritual journey of a pair of young women, told with a playful approach to the cinematic form. A masterpiece of cinematic creativity, Rivette, the same mind behind 1969's L'amour fou, effortlessly draws the viewer into the whimsical world of the titular protagonists.

Thief
1981 122mins USA (18) Crime
Directed by Michael Mann Starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson

A highly skilled jewel thief, Frank (James Caan) longs to leave his dangerous trade and settle down with his girlfriend, Jessie (Tuesday Weld). Eager to make one last big score in order to begin living a legitimate life, Frank reluctantly associates with Leo (Robert Prosky), a powerful gangster. Unfortunately for Frank, Leo wants to keep him in his employ, resulting in a tense showdown when he finally tries to give up his criminal activities once and for all.

On the Silver Globe
1988 165mins Poland (15) Science Fiction
Directed by Andrzej Zulawski Starring Andrzej Seweryn, Michał Bajor, Jerzy Trela

A small group of cosmic explorers, including a woman, leaves Earth to start a new civilization. They do not realize that within themselves they carry the end of their own dream. They die one by one, while their children revert to a primitive native culture, creating new myths and a new god.

Picnic at Hanging Rock
1975 115mins Australia (12A) Thriller / Mystery
Directed by Peter Weir Starring Rachel Roberts, Anne Lambert, Karen Robson, Helen Morse

In the early 1900s, Miranda (Anne Lambert) attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine's Day, the school's typically strict headmistress (Rachel Roberts) treats the girls to a picnic field trip to an unusual but scenic volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Despite rules against it, Miranda and several other girls venture off. It's not until the end of the day that the faculty realizes the girls and one of the teachers (Vivean Gray) have disappeared mysteriously.

Mandy
2018 121mins USA (18) Horror
Directed by Panos Cosmatos Starring Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache

The enchanted lives of a couple in a secluded forest are brutally shattered by a nightmarish hippie cult and their demon-biker henchmen, propelling a man into a spiraling, surreal rampage of vengeance.

All The President's Men - 50th Anniversary
1976 138mins USA (15) Thriller / Mystery
Directed by Alan J. Pakula Starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden

Two green reporters and rivals working for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), research the botched 1972 burglary of the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex. With the help of a mysterious source, code-named Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), the two reporters make a connection between the burglars and a White House staffer. Despite dire warnings about their safety, the duo follows the money all the way to the top.
 

The Dark Crystal
1982 93mins UK, USA (PG) Fantasy
Directed by Jim Henson|Frank Oz Starring Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Kathryn Mullen

In another time, the Dark Crystal - a source of balance and truth in the universe - was shattered, dividing the world into two factions: the wicked Skeksis and the peaceful Mystics. Now, as the convergence of the three suns approaches, the crystal must be healed, or darkness will reign forever.

It's up to Jen - one of the last of his race - to fulfil the prophecy that a Gelfling will return the missing shard to the crystal and destroy the Skeksis' evil empire. But will young Jen's courage be any match for the unknown dangers that await him?

The Terminator
1984 108mins USA (18) Sci-Fi / Horror
Directed by James Cameron Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn

Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.

40th Anniversary restoration from a 4K film scan of the 35mm negative and a new Dolby Atmos mix with final sound and picture approved by director James Cameron. Presented by Park Circus with thanks to MGM. Post House: Park Road Post, Colourist: Tashi Trieu, Sound Mixer for Atmos: Mike Hedges

Lust, Caution
2007 158mins China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, USA (18) Romance
Directed by Ang Lee Starring Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen

During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

A Generation [Pokolenie]
1955 87mins Poland (12) Drama
Directed by Andrzej Wajda Starring Tadeusz Lomnicki, Urszula Modrzynska, Tadeusz Janczar

Stach is a wayward teen living in squalor on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Guided by an avuncular Communist organizer, he is introduced to the underground resistance—and to the beautiful Dorota. Soon he is engaged in dangerous efforts to fight oppression and indignity.

No Other Choice
2025 139mins South Korea (15) Crime/Comedy
Directed by Park Chan-Wook Starring Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon

Looking for a job? When a happy family man is dismissed after twenty-five years of loyal service at a paper company, he finds the perfect solution to land his next role: truly eliminate the competition.

The King of Comedy
1982 109mins USA (PG) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott

Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) is a failure in life but a celebrity in his own mind, hosting an imaginary talk show in his mother's basement. When he meets actual talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), he's convinced it will provide his big break, but Langford isn't interested in the would-be comedian. Undaunted, Pupkin effectively stalks Langford -- and when that doesn't work, he kidnaps him, offering his release in exchange for a guest spot on Langford's show.

The Wizard of Oz
1939 102mins USA (U) Musical
Directed by Victor Fleming Starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger

When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help.

El Topo
1970 125mins Mexico (18) Mind F**k
Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky Starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, José Legarreta

El Topo decides to confront warrior Masters on a trans-formative desert journey he begins with his 6 year old son, who must bury his childhood totems to become a man.

Tender Mercies
1983 92mins USA (PG) Drama
Directed by Bruce Beresford Starring Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley

Down-on-his-luck country singer Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) has nowhere to turn when he wakes up in a motel, short on cash. So he takes a job from Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), the kindly widow who runs the place. Mac begins to fall for Rosa, who helps him confront his drinking, and also finds an unexpected bond with Rosa's young son (Allan Hubbard). When the opportunity for a career comeback surfaces, Mac must choose between his new life and the life he let slip through his hands.

After Hours
1985 97mins USA (15) Comedy
Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom

In a Manhattan cafe, word processor Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) meets and talks literature with Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). Later that night, Paul takes a cab to Marcy's downtown apartment. His $20 bill flying out the window during the ride portends the unexpected night he has. He cannot pay for the ride and finds himself in a series of awkward, surreal and life-threatening situations with a colorful cast of characters. He spends the rest of the night trying to return uptown.

Obsession (1976)
1976 98mins USA (12) Thriller / Mystery
Directed by Brian De Palma Starring Cliff Robertson, Geneviève Bujold, John Lithgow

Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) is a husband and father whose wife, Elizabeth (Geneviève Bujold), and daughter, Amy (Wanda Blackman), have been kidnapped. When a rescue attempt fails, Elizabeth and Amy are killed, leaving Michael devastated and alone. After years of mourning, Michael travels to Italy and meets Sandra Portinari, a woman with a familiar face. Deeply in love and still haunted by the memory of Elizabeth and Amy, Michael fears that Sandra may face a similar fate.

Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis
2001 107mins Japan (PG) Anime
Directed by Rintaro Starring Scott Weinger, Toshio Furukawa, Toshi, Yuka Imoto

A future society, where humans and robots co-exist. Amidst the chaos created by anti-robot factions, detective Shunsaku Ban and his sidekick Ken-ichi are searching for rebel scientist Dr. Laughton, to arrest him and seize his latest creation, a beautiful young girl named Tima. When they locate them, Shunsaku soon realizes that the eccentric scientist is protected by a powerful man and his fierce desire to reclaim a tragic figure from his past and therefore is beyond their reach.

The Keep
1983 96mins UK, USA (18) Supernatural / Horror
Directed by Michael Mann Starring Ian McKellen, Jürgen Prochnow, Robert Prosky, Scott Glen, Scott Glenn

They were all drawn to the keep. Tonight, they will all face the evil.

Set during World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in a village in Romania’s Carpathian mountains and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar and a mysterious traveller.

Wake in Fright - 4K Restoration
1971 108mins Australia, USA (18) Psychological Thriller
Directed by Ted Kotcheff Starring Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty

After finishing up the school term in a remote outback town, teacher John Grant (Gary Bond) looks forward to spending his holiday with his girlfriend in Sydney. But John gets waylaid in a mining town where a gambling spree leaves him completely broke. He quickly falls in with the hard-drinking locals, who constantly ply him with alcohol and force him to participate in a gruesome kangaroo hunt. Disgusted, John tries to hitchhike out of town and, when that fails, begins to contemplate suicide.

Please Note: This is a new 4K Restoration, presented from a 2K DCP, courtesy of Arrow Video

Pretty in Pink
1986 97mins USA (15) Comedy
Directed by Howard Deutch Starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, James Spader, Harry Dean Stanton

Andie is an outcast, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky high school classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realize that dating someone from a different social sphere is not easy.

Polyester
1981 86mins USA (18) Comedy
Directed by John Waters Starring Divine, Edith Massey, Tab Hunter

A frustrated housewife, Francine Fishpaw (Divine), tries to maintain her sanity while taking care of her dysfunctional household. Elmer (David Samson), her husband and the owner of an adult theater, is sleeping with his secretary, and her delinquent teen son, Dexter (Ken King), and pregnant teen daughter, Lulu (Mary Garlington), aren't helping matters any. But when Francine meets dashing Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter), the owner of a theater specializing in art films, her life appears rosier.

Presented in Odorama – Scratch 'n' Sniff Odorama cards will be handed out to ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last (if you are coming as a couple, take one card, please, so we have enough to go around). 

The Deer Hunter
1978 183mins UK, USA (18) Drama
Directed by Michael Cimino Starring Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro

In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town, prepare to ship out overseas following Steven's elaborate wedding and one final group hunting trip. In Vietnam, their dreams of military honor are quickly shattered by the inhumanities of war; even those who survive are haunted by the experience, as is Nick's hometown sweetheart, Linda (Meryl Streep).

Tokyo Drifter [Tōkyō nagaremono]
1966 82mins Japan (12) Comedy / Action
Directed by Seijun Suzuki Starring Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani

In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Tetsu's attempt to go straight is thwarted when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. Director Seijun Suzuki's onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colors is equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima—an anything-goes, in-your-face rampage. Tokyo Drifter is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties.

Hospital
1970 84mins USA (15) Documentary
Directed by Frederick Wiseman Starring Eugene Friedman, Robert Schwartz, Stanley Friedman

Daily activities of the Metropolitan Hospital in New York City, with emphasis on the emergency ward and outpatient clinics. The cases depicted illustrate how medical expertise, availability of resources, organizational considerations and the nature of communication among the staff and patients affect the delivery of health care.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
2001 115mins Japan, USA (12A) Anime
Directed by Shin'ichirô Watanabe|Tensai Okamura Starring Beau Billingslea, Melissa Fahn, Nicholas Guest

The year is 2071. Following a terrorist bombing, a deadly virus is released on the populace of Mars and the government has issued the largest bounty in history, for the capture of whoever is behind it. The bounty hunter crew of the spaceship Bebop; Spike, Faye, Jet and Ed, take the case with hopes of cashing in the bounty. However, the mystery surrounding the man responsible, Vincent, goes deeper than they ever imagined, and they aren't the only ones hunting him.

Battle Royale [Batoru rowaiaru]
2000 114mins Japan (18) Action / Thriller
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku Starring Aki Maeda, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Tatsuya Fuji, Tarô Yamamoto

42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive collar is fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Their mission: kill each other and be the last one standing. The last survivor is allowed to leave the island. If there is more than one survivor, the collars explode and kill them all.

Amadeus: Director's Cut
1984 180mins USA (PG) Drama
Directed by Milos Forman Starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

The Young Girls of Rochefort [Les demoiselles de Rochefort]
1967 126mins France (U) Musical / Comedy
Directed by Jacques Demy Starring Catherine Deneuve, George Chakiris, Françoise Dorléac

Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac) are twin sisters who each want to find romance and leave their small seaside town of Rochefort, France. Soon they befriend a couple of visiting carnival workers who frequent their lonely mother's (George Chakiris) café and hire the girls to sing in the carnival. Wanting a career as a songwriter, Solange falls for an American musician, Andy (Jacques Perrin), while Delphine dumps her beau and searches Rochefort for her ideal man.

Crash (1996)
1996 100mins Canada (18) Erotic / Thriller
Directed by David Cronenberg Starring James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas

Technology and sexuality meet in a head-on collision in David Cronenberg's controversial adaptation of writer J.G. Ballard's hugely transgressive 1973 novel, starring James Spader and Holly Hunter.

Spader stars as James Ballard, a film producer whose deviant sexual desires are awakened by a near-fatal automobile accident with Dr. Helen Remington (Hunter). Soon, the pair, alongside Ballard's wife Catherine (Deborah Kara Unger), are drawn into an underground world of car crash fetishism presided over by renegade scientist Vaughan (Elias Koteas). Danger, sex and death become entwined as eroticism and technology join together in a disturbing, deadly union.

Rope
1948 80mins USA (PG) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Douglas Dick, Edith Evanson

Just before hosting a dinner party, Philip Morgan (Farley Granger) and Brandon Shaw (John Dall) strangle a mutual friend to death with a piece of rope, purely as a Nietzsche-inspired philosophical exercise. Hiding the body in a chest upon which they then arrange a buffet dinner, the pair welcome their guests, including the victim's oblivious fiancée (Joan Chandler) and the college professor (James Stewart) whose lectures inadvertently inspired the killing.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
1989 90mins USA (PG) Comedy
Directed by Stephen Herek Starring Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin

Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are high school buddies starting a band. However, they are about to fail their history class, which means Ted would be sent to military school. They receive help from Rufus (George Carlin), a traveler from a future where their band is the foundation for a perfect society. With the use of Rufus' time machine, Bill and Ted travel to various points in history, returning with important figures to help them complete their final history presentation.

Mean Streets
1973 112mins USA (18) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, David Proval

Martin Scorsese emerged as a generation-defining filmmaker with this gritty portrait of 1970s New York City, one of the most influential works of American independent cinema. Set in the insular Little Italy neighborhood of Scorsese's youth, Mean Streets follows guilt-ridden small-time ringleader Charlie (Harvey Keitel) as he deals with the debts owed by his dangerously volatile best pal, Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), and pressure from his headstrong girlfriend, Teresa (Amy Robinson). As their intertwined lives spiral out of control, Scorsese showcases his precocious mastery of film style—evident in everything from his propulsive editing rhythms to the lovingly curated soundtrack—to create an electrifying vision of sin and redemption.

No Country For Old Men
2007 122mins USA (15) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Ethan Coen|Joel Coen Starring Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones

While out hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the grisly aftermath of a drug deal. Though he knows better, he cannot resist the cash left behind and takes it with him. The hunter becomes the hunted when a merciless killer named Chigurh (Javier Bardem) picks up his trail. Also looking for Moss is Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), an aging lawman who reflects on a changing world and a dark secret of his own, as he tries to find and protect Moss.

Enter The Dragon
1973 99mins Hong Kong, USA (15) Martial Arts
Directed by Robert Clouse Starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, John Saxon

Sent to an exotic island by his government, a spy (Lee) competes in a deadly tournament by day and infiltrates a ruthless crime lord's illegal drug operation by night. With plot twists, exquisite cinematography and bone-crushing fight scenes choreographed by Lee himself, ENTER THE DRAGON remains cinema's most influential martial arts action film.

Zola
2020 86mins USA (18) Crime/Comedy
Directed by Janicza Bravo Starring Taylor Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo, Nicholas Braun

Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of “hoeism” rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some shady guys in Tampa, and other unexpected adventures in this wild, see-it-to-believe-it tale.

Bullet in the Head
1990 131mins Hong Kong (18) Action / Crime
Directed by John Woo Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau, Waise Lee Chi-Hung

Three childhood friends from the slums of Hong Kong flee to war-time Saigon after accidentally murdering a gang leader, but their troubles only escalate.

California Split
1974 108mins USA (15) Film
Directed by Robert Altman Starring Ann Prentiss, Elliott Gould, George Segal

Carefree single guy Charlie Waters (Elliott Gould) rooms with two lovely prostitutes, Barbara Miller (Ann Prentiss) and Susan Peters (Gwen Welles), and lives to gamble. Along with his glum betting buddy, Bill Denny (George Segal), Charlie sets out on a gambling streak in search o

Hard Eight [aka Sydney]
1996 102mins USA (18) Crime
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall

Veteran gambler Sydney befriends a young man named John, transforming into a Las Vegas casino champion. John falls for a prostitute, and the couple soon finds themselves in need of Sydney's help.

Persepolis
2007 95mins France, USA (12) Animation
Directed by Vincent Paronnaud|Marjane Satrapi Starring Chiara Mastroianni, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own.

Men In Black
1997 98mins USA (PG) Comedy / Sci-Fi
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio

Working for a highly funded yet unofficial government agency, Kay and Jay are the Men in Black, providers of immigration services and regulators of all things alien on Earth. While investigating a series of unregistered close encounters, the MIB agents uncover the deadly plot of an intergalactic terrorist who is on a mission to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies currently in residence in New York City.

Hackers
1995 105mins USA (15) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Iain Softley Starring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller, Jesse Bradford

A teenage hacker finds himself framed for the theft of millions of dollars from a major corporation. Master hacker Dade Murphy, aka Zero Cool, aka Crash Override, has been banned from touching a keyboard for seven years after crashing over 1,500 Wall Street computers at the age of 11. Now keen to get back in front of a monitor, he finds himself in more trouble than ever.

Ashes and Diamonds
1958 103mins Poland (15) Drama
Directed by Andrzej Wajda Starring Zbigniew Cybulski, Waclaw Zastrzezynski, Adam Pawlikowski

A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.

Goldeneye
1995 130mins UK, USA (15) Action
Directed by Martin Campbell Starring Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco

Years after a friend and fellow 00 agent is killed on a joint mission, a secret space based weapons program known as "GoldenEye" is stolen. James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using the weapon.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
2001 92mins USA (15) Musical
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell Starring John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask

Raised a boy in East Berlin, Hedwig undergoes a personal transformation in order to emigrate to the U.S., where she reinvents herself as an ‘internationally ignored' but divinely talented rock diva, inhabiting a ‘beautiful gender of one'.

Ugetsu
1953 97mins Japan (12A) Fantasy
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi Starring Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Mitsuko Mito, Kinuyo Tanaka, Sakae Ozawa

By the time he made Ugetsu, Kenji Mizoguchi was already an elder statesman of Japanese cinema, fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other directors of a younger generation. And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and fortune leads them far astray from their loyal wives. Moving between the terrestrial and the otherworldly, Ugetsu reveals essential truths about the ravages of war, the plight of women, and the pride of men.

Branded To Kill
1967 91mins Japan (18) Action / Crime
Directed by Seijun Suzuki Starring Jô Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari

Seijun Suzuki's delirious 1967 hit-man film has drawn comparisons with contemporaries Le Samourai and Point Blank and influenced directors such as John Woo, Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino among others.

The story of laconic yakuza Hanada, aka 'No. 3 Killer', the third rated hit-man in Japan who takes an impossible job from the mysterious, death obsessed Misako. Hanada bungles the hit and finds himself the target of his employers and a bullet ridden journey leads him to face the No. 1 Killer.

Shot in cool monochrome with beguiling visuals, Branded to Kill is an effortlessly cool crime film with a jazzy score that caused Suzuki to be fired by the studio's executives but is now rightly recognised as his masterpiece.

Five Easy Pieces
1970 98mins USA (15) Drama
Directed by Bob Rafelson Starring Jack Nicholson, Billy Green Bush, Karen Black

Rejecting his cultured upper-class background as a classical pianist, Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson) opts for a blue-collar existence, working in a California oil field and spending time with his waitress girlfriend, Rayette (Karen Black). But when Robert discovers that his father is gravely ill, he wants to reunite with his estranged family in the state of Washington. He and Rayette take a road trip that brings the two paths of his life to an uncomfortable intersection.

The Last Detail
1973 104mins USA (18) Comedy / Drama
Directed by Hal Ashby Starring Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Otis Young

When sailor Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) is sentenced to eight years in a New Hampshire prison, Navy lifers Billy Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Mule Mulhall (Otis Young) are assigned to escort him there from Virginia. Along the way, they warm up to their prisoner, indulging him in small ways such as making excursions to a brothel, and to his mother's house. As they get closer to their destination, their fondness for Larry makes it harder for them to execute their orders.