Danny from The Shining is all grown up in Doctor Sleep, what makes a good documentary and another musician biopic already? The November edition of the Amsterdam Film Show is here …

Listen back

Full radio version with music tracks via the Mixcloud player above. Talk-only proper podcast version below. Links in our Pinterest board and show notes below.:

Subscribe to the talk-only podcast on Apple Podcasts or follow on Spotify, plus all the other major podcast platforms.

Show notes

STILL IN CINEMAS …  

Terminator: Dark Fate | Kiko has seen it and says ‘Don’t go!”.

REVIEW

Doctor Sleep | 15 | 2h 31min | HORROR FANTASY | Director: Mike Flanagan | Writers: Stephen King (based on the novel by), Mike Flanagan (screenplay) | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran | “Years following the events of “The Shining,” a now-adult Dan Torrance meets a young girl with similar powers as he tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.” IMDB | IN AMSTERDAM CINEMAS FROM 7 NOV, screening @ Pathe chain and Filmhallen 

 

@CathyCentral says “Doctor Sleep will never be a classic like ‘The Shining’ is, but it’s not trying to be. Get ready for a whole load more characters now the drama has left the Overlook Hotel. Too many perhaps, but blame Stephen King for that.” (Listen back above to hear more.)

NEW CINEMA RELEASES 

FROM 7 NOV 

Last Christmas | 12A | 1h 42min | Director: Paul Feig | Writers: Emma Thompson (story by), Greg Wise (story by) | Stars: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson | “Kate is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Her last date with disaster? That of having accepted to work as Santa’s elf for a department store. However, she meets Tom there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.| IMDB

FROM 13 NOV

Brittany Runs a Marathon | Dir-Scr: Paul Downs Colaizzo | Stars: Jillian Bell, Jennifer Dundas, Patch Darragh15 | 1h 44min | Comedy, Drama | “A young woman decides to make positive changes in her life by training for the New York City Marathon.” IMDB

FROM 14 NOV  | 27 Nov on Netflix

The Irishman | Director: Martin Scorsese | Writers: Charles Brandt (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay) | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Al Pacino | 15 | 3h 29min | “A mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.” IMDB | LIMITED CINEMA RELEASE  … in Amsterdam @ De Uitkijk, Amsterdam

Le Mans ’66 / aka Ford v Ferrari (original title) | Director: James Mangold | Writers: Jez Butterworth + | Stars: Christian Bale, Matt Damon | 2h 32min | “American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. “ IMDB

Judy | Director: Rupert Goold | Writers: Tom Edge, based on the stageplay “End of the Rainbow” | Stars: Renée Zellweger, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell | “Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.” IMDB

Kiko and Cathy also asked – are we falling into another repeated cycle of biopics? Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Edith Piaf, even Selena. (Bohemian Rhapsody sucked btw.) What are our favourite biopics? Kiko goes for Straight Outta Compton and Into The Wild. 

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS

IDFA | 20 Nov – 1 Dec | ALL OVER TOWN

 

AFS IDFA pick #1

The Apollo | Director: Roger Ross Williams | “The history of New York City’s Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.” IMDB

@CathyCentral says “Yes it’s yet another music doc, but this is a great director and not just a lazy choice. Some social value. This guys puts it nicely: “A meditation of African-American identity as manifested in a 1,600-seat theater on 125th Street in Harlem, and a sometimes lyrical, often angry portrait of what happened inside those walls and what it meant.” Steve Pond, TheWrap

AFS IDFA pick #2

Margaret Atwood: A word after a word after a word is power | A portrait of the life of the Canadian writer, who lived in Berlin in the 80s and wrote The Handmaid’s Tale surrounded by the walls of West Berlin. 

Kiko and Cathy also discussed their favourite documentaries and why. Kiko’s favourite documentaries included Invisible Children. And Cathy raved about …

Blackfish | a dig down into the keeping of killer whales (orcas) in captivity, specifically the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity.

It’s a great example of a good documentary, with the following elements: 

• moving
• totally eye-opening
• great access to key players 
• great use or archive footage
• felt like a satisfying journey/ narrative, with a strong purpose. 

Links