Film News South Africa

Throwback Cinema and more on the big screen this July

Get ready for great entertainment in July with a selection of films, live theatre on the big screen, and Throwback Cinema classic screenings.
Image supplied
Image supplied

Throwback Cinema

Following the success of the Throwback Cinema titles screened during May and June, Ster-Kinekor brings back much-loved movie titles from the past for rescreening is enticing movie lovers back into the cinema.

The first Throwback Cinema movie title is Braveheart on 5 July for one week. This epic 1995 historical drama film is directed and produced by Mel Gibson, who also stars as its central character, Sir William Wallace.

Wallace, a Scottish rebel, along with his clan, sets out to battle King Edward I of England to free his homeland from the King’s tyranny, and to revenge the death of his bride, who was killed a day after their marriage.

This Academy Award-winning saga of fierce combat, tender love and the will to risk it all for freedom, has been digitally remastered. In an emotionally charged performance from Gibson, who uses the steel of his sword and the fire of his intellect to rally his countrymen, Braveheart received five Oscars for Best Picture of 1995, Best Director (Gibson), Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Best Sound Effects Editing.

The film also stars Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, James Robinson and Angus Macfadyen.

Other Throwback films are Steel Magnolias (12 July) where a tightly knit band of women confront grief, loss, life's unforeseen tragedies, and heartache with what they do best: gossiping and sharing; the mummified body of Imhotep is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror in The Mummy Returns (19 July); the iconic and much-loved romantic comedy, Pretty Women (29 July) that follows a successful but ruthless businessman (Richard Gere) who hires a beautiful prostitute (Julia Roberts) and have find a way to bridge their two very different worlds when love blossoms.

Throwback Cinema titles will be screened at the following Ster-Kinekor sites: Fourways, Sandton and Rosebank Nouveau in Johannesburg; Irene and The Grove in Tshwane; Ilanga, Mbombela; Gateway in Umhlanga; Somerset Mall, Somerset West; and Tygervalley and V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The films will also be screened at The Grove in Windhoek, Namibia.

12 July

The romantic comedy-drama Fly Me To The Moon is set during the 1960s Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. A relationship develops between the NASA director in charge of the Apollo 11 launch and the marketing specialist who’s brought in to fix NASA’s public image by staging a “backup” fake Moon landing.

Directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Rose Gilroy, the film stars Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Ray Romano, and Woody Harrelson.

In the 1990s, new FBI agent Lee Harker was assigned to an unsolved case involving the Satanic serial killer known as Longlegs. As the investigation becomes more complicated with occult evidence uncovered, Harker realises a personal link to the killer and must act quickly to prevent another family murder.

Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, it stars Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, and Kiernan Shipka.

Blue Lock The Movie: Episode Nagi is part of the expanding Blue Lock franchise, initially revealed alongside the announcement of a second season for the Blue Lock anime series. It follows the dynamic relationship between Seishiro Nagi and Reo Mikage.

Seishiro Nagi, a lazy high school sophomore whose catchphrase is “annoying,” is discovered to have a talent for soccer by his classmate Reo Mikage, who dreams of winning the World Cup, and is invited to start playing soccer. After demonstrating his overwhelming soccer talent, Seishiro receives an invitation to the Blue Lock Project. There, he meets strikers from all over the country, including Kiyoyoichi, Hachiraku Mawaru, and Itoshi Rin.

19 July

A group of storm chasers are tasked to control the biggest and most dangerous storm that could destroy their homelands in the disaster adventure Twisters. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung with a screenplay by Mark L. Smith from a story by Joseph Kosinski. It is a standalone sequel to the 1996 film Twister and stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos.

The local film The Bad Bishop follows the life of a young man who, with the gift of talking, is brought into the church to draw in crowds and boost the congregation. One day he decides to start his own church with a group of misfits with the sole purpose of getting rich fast through fake miracles. However, things start taking an unbelievable turn when their wealth starts to attract enemies far and wide. Read more

26 July

Deadpool & Wolverine is a sequel to Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018). The Time Variance Authority (TVA) pulls Deadpool from his quiet life and sets him on a mission with Wolverine that will change the history of the MCU.

Six years after the events of Deadpool 2 (2018), Wade Wilson lives a quiet life, having left his time as the mercenary Deadpool behind him, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA) — a bureaucratic organisation that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline — pulls him into a new mission.

With his home universe facing an existential threat, Wilson reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine on a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay he wrote with Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells, it stars Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, alongside Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen.

In The Fabulous Four, three friends travel to Key West, Florida, to be bridesmaids at a surprise wedding of their friend from college. This comedy is directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and written by Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly. It stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Bruce Greenwood, Timothy V. Murphy, and Michael Bolton.

27 July

From 27 July, cinema audiences and theatre lovers alike will be treated to innovative productions filmed live from some of Britain’s most exciting stages, screened in the cinema.

Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) plays a woman driven to the unthinkable in Simon Stone’s radical award-winning production Yerma. Set in contemporary London, this radical production of Lorca’s classic tragedy builds with elemental force to a staggering, shocking, climax. On 27, 28, 31 July and 1 August. Read more about the National Theatre Live screenings.

Read more about the latest and upcoming films.

About Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Dercksen has been a contributor for Lifestyle since 2012. As the driving force behind the successful independent training initiative The Writing Studio and a published film and theatre journalist of 40 years, teaching workshops in creative writing, playwriting and screenwriting throughout South Africa and internationally the past 22 years. Visit www.writingstudio.co.za
Let's do Biz