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Victoria showed up in droves to enjoy the opening weekend of the free films in Beacon Hill Park, with a record 1700 at friday nights screening of Edward Sissorhands.
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Up Next , Friday, August 13th
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Fri, Aug-13th, 9pm, Centennial Square
Gamera the Invincible (PG)
1966, 87 min, Dir: Sandy Howard, Noriaki Yuasa
As always, the Free-B loves a movie with a bang. And this one's got an ATOMIC BANG! It's cold war paranoia with a perfectly goofy giant-monster-from-the-deep "twist". Awakened from the frozen wastes by a nuclear explosion and a downed pilot, Gamera has come to bring devastation on all who have destroyed his slumber. He just wants to get his grouchy butt back to bed but mankind keeps dropping bombs on him and flying noisy machines around him so you can't blame him for laying a little smackdown on Tokyo. Desperate for a solution, scientists come up with the perfect plan to save the earth. But will Gamera take the bed? I mean, bait?
This is the Americanized version of a Japanese hit that was basically a derivative knock-off of the the far more popular Godzilla series. As you've probably guessed, it wasn't the masterpiece it could've been. Badly-dubbed dialogue, cheesy inserted scenes and low-brow special effects are fairly rampant here but they never take away from the pure havoc-reeking low-budget joy. Get your big rubber suit on, its stomping time!
(Screens with the short: A Jazzed Honeymoon starring Harold Lloyd, 8 min.)
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Sat, Aug-14th, 9pm, Cameron Bandshell
The War of the Worlds (PG)
1953, 85 min., Dir: Byron Haskin
The original movie!
Everbody knows how Orson Welles first brought HG's story to life but it wasn't until this gem invaded the drive-in, that the human-race really got to see first hand the cold-heartedness of an all-out alien war. But in case you've never seen it before, this original The War of The Worlds movie is your classic army-meets-aliens, aliens-nearly-wipe-out-the-planet-except-for-the-tiniest-of-oversights-that-accidentally-saves-our-butts-story-line.
The sometimes corny dialog and occasional visible-fishing-line special effect may seem a bit antiquated by today's production standards but this highly original sci-fi classic still has the tight pacing and globally catastrophic story that has kept it a fresh-faced thriller for all time.
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Fri, Aug-20th, 9pm, Centennial Square
The Pink Panther (G: Violence)
1966, 115 min, Blake Edwards
The original and best Inspector Clouseau is here for the first time ever at the Free-B!Peter Sellers as the ever bumbling and never suave Inspector is hot on the trail of the notorious jewel thief known only as "The Phantom". No one knows who he is but the inspector is pretty sure that he knows what the thief's next target will be... you guessed it: The Pink Panther, the world's largest diamond in the world.
This movie was supposed to set up David Niven in a new franchise series but on the set, Sellers' amazingly natural and drop-dead hilarious slapstick stole the show, making the series what it is today. It's a comedy classic with a delightfully low-brow beat.
(Screens with the short: A Sammy in Siberia starring Harold Lloyd, 7 min.)
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Sat, Aug-21th, 9pm, Cameron Bandshell
Cat Ballou (G)
1965, 97 min, Dir: Elliot Silverstein
Lee Marvin is the drunken gunfighter Kid Shelleen who literally can't hit the broad side of a barn BUT Lee Marvin is also the evil sharpshooter Tim Strawn. Jane Fonda is the timid schoolteacher Catherine Ballou BUT she's also the sexy outlaw Cat Ballou. Is it a slapstick western or a genre farce or is a bit of both?
On its surface, Cat Ballou is the familiar story of a rancher and his daughter trying to keep an evil company from pushing them out of town. When fighting fair doesn't work, things get dirty and Cat takes to hiring a gunfighter and working on the wrong side of the law to put things right. At its heart, it's a flick with the right mix of tight action and hilarious fall-down comedy that really makes it stand out. A big hit in its day Cat Ballou earned Lee Marvin an academy award for his leading dual-role.
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Fri, Aug-27th, 9pm, Cameron Bandshell
The Thin Man (G)
1934, min, Dir: W.S. Van Dyke
Have you ever noticed that there's a lot of "Nick and Nora" duos floating around the Hollywood repertoire? I mean, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist anyone? Well, wonder why no further. From the pages of pulp master Dashiell Hammett himself, comes Detective Nick Charles, "The Thin Man", and his smart-as-a-whip heiress wife Nora. Fighting crime, drinking martinis and looking divine, they are a nuptial team like no other.
However, Nick just wants to hang up his hat and call it a day but after being chased around by reporters and shot at by gangsters, Nick's got one last job. He's just got to find Clyde who's been missing for months. Murder, intrigue and betrayal are everywhere and how exactly are Nick and Nora going to unmask the real killer in the end? Why with a perfectly sublime dinner party, of course! What other way is there to fight the evil in men's hearts?
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Sat, Aug-28th, 9pm, Cameron Bandshell
The Last Starfighter(PG)
1984, 101 min, Dir: Nick Castle
Remember when the video arcade was king? Back before home game consoles were what they are today, people actually had to go out to play the latest and greatest games. At a quarter a pop, it seemed like a steal back then. Alex Rogan is one those video game crazy kids, living in a trailer park, pumping coins and thinking that that was all he'd ever get a chance to do. One lonely night though, he actually beats the game and discovers that this game was merely a test. The real alien armada is in space just waiting to face him and his new found alien co-pilot friend.
Somewhat overlooked at the time it came out as a simple cash-in on the current video game craze then, The Last Starfighter actually had a nice mix of comedy and action that has really resonated with the young game fans who did see it. So much so that 25 years later, fans are already waiting with bated breath for its sequel next year.
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In the Park (Beacon Hill Park) August 6th, 7th, 14th, 21st, 27th and 28th.
In the Square (Spirit / Centennial Sq) August 13th & 20th.
Keen to see a film for free? Don’t fancy being cooped up inside a hot stuffy theatre for long hours during summer? Then join the Victoria Film Festival and come celebrate our 10th year with our new TRIPLE THE SIZE inflatable screen and go beyond summer blockbusters and enjoy a movie under the stars with another great Free-B line-up.
Screenings are absolutely free – Just bring your own snacks, flashlights and blankets.
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