Cinema Roundup: February 6

Movie of the Week - Duck Soup

Movie of the Week – Duck Soup

The Marx Brothers’ classic Duck Soup returns to the big screen in remastered form at the Irish Film Institute all week. Groucho is Rufus T Firefly, leader of the bankrupt state of Freedonia, while Chico and Harpo are secret agents working for rival state Sylvania. The one-liners flow freely along with a bunch of classic sight gags, including the now legendary mirror sequence.

The Interview

The Interview

The controversial The Interview finally opens in Irish cinemas now that its subject Kim Jong Un has turned his attention to more pressing matters. It’s a nasty, mean spirited piece of work but its biggest crime is in being completely devoid of laughs. If you’re after political satire, see Duck Soup instead.

Patrick's Day

Patrick’s Day

A few years ago Irish writer-director Terry McMahon caused a storm with his debut Charlie Casanova, famously going to war with Irish Times critic Donald Clarke over his negative review. His sophomore feature, Patrick’s Day, opens this week and it’s a huge improvement on Casanova, though that’s faint praise. This one’s a merely average tale of the relationship between a young schizophrenic and a suicidal flight attendant.

Jupiter Ascending is the latest slice of ambitious sci-fi from the Wachowskis. My NewsFour colleague Rúairí Conneely took the hit for me on this screening and assures me it’s one to avoid.

On Tuesday I checked out the opening of a new twice weekly cinema club at MartCade in Rathmines, where they showed the classic Big Trouble in Little China. It’s a very nice setup with a sizable screen and quality sound system. Cult movies will be shown on Tuesday nights, with music themed films on Sunday afternoons. This Sunday it’s music documentary Searching For Sugarman, with Ghostbusters on Tuesday. Visit facebook.com/martcinema for more details.

By Eric Hillis