In the second half of April, my recommendations for films at the ByTowne and the Mayfair skew to films from the vault, including an Easter weekend treat for kids. I also recommend three recently released films, including my favourite of 2024.
As regular readers of this column know (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9), I’m smitten with Flow, the exquisitely beautiful and ground-breaking animated film about five animals’ survival after a cataclysmic world flood. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and competed for Best International Film. It’s showing for the 15th (or 16th?) week at the Mayfair.
Canada has several world-famous directors, one of whom is David Cronenberg. His latest film–The Shrouds–is an eerie horror/sci-fi thriller set in the future. Vincent Cassel plays a techno-entrepreneur named Karsh, who developed software that will allow the bereaved to witness their loved ones’ gradual decay in the grave. Sounds gruesome enough, but then some graves using his “shroud” technology are vandalized. For Cronenberg fans, this is a must-see at the ByTowne.
If you’d prefer somewhat lighter fare, The Penguin Lessons (1) (2) is still on at the Mayfair. Just after the military junta took over the government of Argentina and began their “Dirty War,” arresting or kidnapping, torturing and killing thousands of perceived “leftists,” a cynical English schoolteacher (Steve Coogan) at a posh boys school in Buenos Aires accidentally adopts a penguin. The teacher is content with “keeping his head down,” but the bird’s presence converts him to braver solidarity. This would be another “curmudgeon saved by a cute animal” tale if it weren’t for Coogan’s comic talent.
Now, what gems from the vault do we have?
April 16 is Reel Canada’s National Canadian Film Day, so there are FREE films at both cinemas! At the Mayfair, you can see La moitié gauche du frigo (The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge), a mockumentary that launched director Phillippe Falardeau’s career (e.g., Monsieur Lazhar). At the ByTowne, you can see My American Cousin, a sweet semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in the 1950s Okanogan Valley about 12-year-old Sandy, who longs for adventure. When her glamorous American cousin Butch arrives, driving a snazzy red convertible, her crush on him is instantaneous. Its sly commentary of the cultural differences between Canadians and Americans is an especially timely theme these days.
Continuing with the teenage theme, there are a couple of classics at the ByTowne. The ByTowne’s monthly Slumber Party (wear your PJs!) is screening John Hughes’ masterpiece The Breakfast Club. Five very different kids (Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy) connect when thrown into a Saturday school detention lockup. As part of the ByTowne’s Detour series, there’s Richard Linklater’s 1993 stoner comedy Dazed and Confused. It’s 1976, the last day of high school in Austin, Texas, and teens are ready for a long, perhaps life-changing, summer.
The ByTowne’s Golden Age offering of A Night at the Opera is a must-see. The legendary Marx Brothers run amuck in the world of opera when Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx), aided by Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasso (Harpo Marx), become matchmakers for two young opera singers. It’s a superb compilation of outrageously funny one-liners and wacky stunts (including the famous stateroom scene!) A Night at the Opera was Groucho’s favourite of the 13 Marx Brothers films, and this comedy gem is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Laugh along with the audience at the ByTowne.
A Woman is a Woman (Une Femme est une Femme) is a surprising comedy and tribute to the American musical by Jean-Luc Godard—surprising because comedy and musicals aren’t what Godard is known for. The story is charming: Angela (Anna Karina) is a stripper in the afternoons in a sleazy club. She desperately wants to have a child, but her live-in boyfriend Émile (Jean-Claude Brialy) isn’t ready to be a father, so Angela flirts with his best friend Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo). If she makes Émile jealous, maybe one of them will agree to father a child with her. You can see a new 4K restoration of this whimsical 1961 homage to Ernst Lubitsch’s Design for Living at the ByTowne.
It’s the 50th anniversary of one of my favourite Australian films, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and a 4K restoration is playing at the ByTowne. Peter Weir’s first full-length film is set on Valentine’s Day, 1900. Three schoolgirls and a teacher from a strict upper-class boarding school disappear while on the school’s picnic at a volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. No trace of them is ever found. This ravishingly beautiful film, with its hypnotic use of music, will stay with you for a long time.
Because of the recent death of Gene Hackman, we’re fortunate that many of his films are being programmed. There are two in the ByTowne’s Detour series. The one that made him an A-list Hollywood star–The French Connection–is a Metacritic must-see with a score of 94. Its terrifying car chase scene will have you holding your breath. Hackman’s Popeye Doyle is the archetypal burned-out American cop. The other film starring Hackman–The Poseidon Adventure–established the template for 1970s disaster movies. When a tsunami wave causes a big cruise ship to capsize… well, wait ’til you see the special effects!
The Mayfair’s tribute to the great David Lynch continues with The Elephant Man. As I wrote last time, it’s based on the true story of John Merrill, a severely disfigured Victorian. The acting, particularly by John Hurt as Merrill and Anthony Hopkins as a sympathetic doctor, as well as Lynch’s direction and Freddie Francis’ cinematography, are excellent.
Princess Mononoke, a major work from another master director, Hayao Miyazaki, is still playing at the Mayfair. In my last article, I described it as a battle between rampaging forest gods and less-than-admirable humans, with no happy ending. I think this ambiguity is part of its enduring popularity. It’s often cited as Miyazaki’s first overtly ecological film.
Lady Snowblood is also from Japan, but it is radically different from Princess Mononoke. Director Toshiya Fujita’s bloody action thriller is about an exquisitely beautiful young woman who was raised from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the brutal criminals who destroyed her family. Set in late 19th-century Japan, it’s endlessly inventive in how she tracks down and dispatches the criminals. Her weapon is a sword concealed in a large parasol. This female assassin inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga. At the ByTowne as part of their Detour series.
April 20 is Easter, and the ByTowne’s annual Easter sing-along, Jesus Christ Superstar, is back. Norman Jewison’s bold cinematic interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Broadway hit rock opera has an impressive cast, great songs and choreography.
Another tradition, this one at the Mayfair: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back on April 25. And wow! It’s the film’s 50th anniversary! Come celebrate with the Absent Friends Shadow Cast!
I promised an Easter weekend treat for the kids. It’s The Great Muppet Caper, a beloved film directed by Jim Henson, and it’s on twice at the ByTowne in their Klassic Kidz series. Intrepid investigative reporters Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo set out to crack the case of a diamond necklace stolen from Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg). When Kermit spots Miss Piggy, Lady Holiday’s receptionist, it’s love at first sight. He must contend with Holiday’s scheming brother (Charles Grodin), who is framing Miss P for a jewel heist. There’s music, there’s silliness, and there are even cameos by folks like Peter Falk and John Cleese. Come enjoy the Muppets. Oh, and bring a kid.
Enjoy yourselves at our fantastic independent cinemas!
Dates, times, and tickets for the ByTowne are at www.bytowne.ca. You can also buy tickets at the box office. The ByTowne publishes its calendar several weeks in advance. Dates, times, and tickets for the Mayfair are at www.mayfairtheatre.ca. The Mayfair finalizes their upcoming films’ schedule weekly, which they post online and advertise via email. Both provide information about the following weeks’ films. You can buy tickets via their weekly email and at the box office.