A Russian ballet dancer, a dirty sci-fi and a gritty British drama, the April 2019 edition of the Amsterdam Film Show is here.

Watch (or listen to) the full show below, just watch the review, read the blog notes or find links in our Pinterest board below. The AFS is also broadcast on TV and on our local radio station.

Youtube version:

Podcast:

Listen to “April 2019 | The White Crow review, a dirty sci-fi & more” on Spreaker.

Blog:

FILM FESTIVALS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS

10-20 April
Imagine Film Festival @ EYE filmmuseum

Celebrating “fantastic film”, but they mean som much more than the action fantasy films of Marvel and the like: think under the radar sci-fi and horror, with plenty of space for slasher films, zombie films and more.

Our pick:

Prospect (2018) | “Mixture of space western and coming-of-age shines brightly with its cool design and a strong teen female lead. Cee and her dad Damon live together on a space ship, on their way to harvest gem resources on a green planet. When their ship crashes and it turns out others are scavenging the same grounds, Cee needs to take matters into her own hands.” IFF
It’s got a fabulous vintage look, embracing Denis Villeneuve’s kind of “dirty sci-fi”. Plus the bonus of including actor Andre Royo (best known for his role as Bubbles in The Wire). 89% RT

But the festival is also a chance to see Alien 4K restoration (more “dirty sci-fi”) on the big screen (13 & 16 April), and Blue Velvet + extra BTS film (12 & 18 April)

+ STILL MAKING WAVES IN AMSTERDAM CINEMAS …

Us | HORROR | Dir-Scr: Jordan Peele (Get Out) | with Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss | A family’s trip to their beach house “turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begin to terrorize them.”

@DavidSwatling gives a quick review (see the full AFS video), and if you want to discuss, join our Amsterdam Film Club meet up later this month.

REVIEW

The White Crow | FROM 11 APRIL | Director: Ralph Fiennes | Writers: David Hare (screenplay), Julie Kavanagh (Inspired by her book: “Rudolf Nureyev: The Life”) | Stars: Oleg Ivenko, Ralph Fiennes, Louis Hofmann

So what did @DavidSwatling think about the film? Watch our video above, to find out. 

Trailer:

NEW CINEMA RELEASES

“Here’s our highlights from the film releases in Amsterdam this month.”

FROM 4 APRIL
Shazam! | YA SUPERHERO COMEDY | Director: David F. Sandberg | Writers: Henry Gayden + | Stars: Zachary Levi | “In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise fourteen-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam.” IMDB

Fighting with My Family | COMEDY-DRAMA BIOPIC | Director & Screenwriter: Stephen Merchant | Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn | “A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.” IMDB

Gloria Bell | DRAMA | Director: Sebastián Lelio | Writers: Alice Johnson Boher (adapted screenplay), Sebastián Lelio + | Stars: Julianne Moore, Alanna Ubach, Jeanne Tripplehorn | “A free-spirited woman in her 50s seeks out love at L.A. dance clubs.” IMDB

Pet Sematary (2019) | HORROR | Directors: Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer | Matt Greenberg (screen story by) | Stars: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow | Based on the Stephen King horror-thriller

FROM 24 APRIL
Avengers: Endgame | ACTION FANTASY | Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Writers: Christopher Markus + | Stars: all the usual characters

FROM 25 APRIL
Dirty God | DRAMA | Director: Sacha Polak (NL) | Writers: Susie Farrell, Sacha Polak | Stars: Vicky Knight, Eliza Brady-Girard, Rebecca Stone
“Jade is a young mother in the prime of her life when an acid attack leaves her severely burned. While her face has been reconstructed, her beauty is lost beneath the scars.” IMDB | SCREENING @ FILMHALLEN