MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE
Fri 7 Oct
The master of the all-seeing documentary returns. This time Louis Theroux turns his attention to the powerful and fabulously rich ‘religion’ of Scientology. He looks at the powerful allure of this global movement in his natural style, which often coaxes people into revealing more than they should. Many works on this subject have addressed people’s attempts to leave. It’s interesting that anyone would consider embracing an organisation with so many unusual practices. Theroux examines how somebody would get involved with a movement that is so heavily demonised. How can extensive mental conditioning persuade some to sign their life away for a billion years?
STANLEY A MAN OF VARIETY
Fri 7 Oct
Award-winning actor Timothy Spall continues to show his considerable talent, by playing a range of very different and compelling characters. In this hilarious, and sometimes moving, dark comedy we follow Stanley – a man imprisoned for a crime he believes he didn’t commit. After many years in solitary confinement, he begins to talk to his comedy heroes from the past. Spall plays all the characters in Stanley’s hallucinations; from the flamboyant Noël Coward to the grotesque Max Wall, and ‘ukulele king’ George Formby to Igor in a Transylvanian castle. Each visitor tries to help Stanley remember exactly what he’s done, as he faces up to an unusual upbringing and his parent’s bizarre religious beliefs.
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK
Fri 21 Oct
Tom Cruise, the world’s foremost expert at running, jumping, shooting and shouting, is back! It’s a full four years since the first action-packed film, and Reacher is returning to the headquarters of his old military unit. But he discovers that he is now accused of a 16-year-old murder. Obviously this is only the tip of a bigger iceberg, and he realises that it is only a part of something bigger than he thought before. Pushing the action ever-onwards is Academy Award-winning film producer, Edward Zwick ([Shakespeare in Love]). So expect this to be as dramatic and action-packed as humanly possible. Jack is back, and he’s taking no prisoners.
DOCTOR STRANGE
Tues 25 Oct
The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to lumber on, sweeping all lesser super-hero franchises out of the way. For this release they’ve taken on a decidedly more supernatural bent, as Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the role of Master Of The Mystic Arts. Sitting perfectly alongside the events in [The Avengers] and all the Netflix series, this remains a bold move for Paramount. While all the familiar superhero memes might be on hand, this will be darker (and certainly stranger) than just some good-looking men in tights hitting each other. Can the off-beat brilliance of this character’s golden age be recreated? There’s no telling. But the MCU has got it right so many times…
