By Mike Thatcher
I’m delighted to report that over the summer, the everamazing Ivor has installed a new, laser projector at the Players, which not only looks fantastic, but means I can relax about bulbs blowing mid-film! As always, we are screening four films as part of the Hurst Festival, one in the New Inn garden and the others at the Players.
Wednesday 20th September: Dirty Dancing (PG) – This year’s film in the New Inn garden: Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer. An 80s’ classic and well worth a re-visit in the unique setting of the New Inn garden.
Tuesday 26th September: Fargo (18) – Perhaps the Cohen brothers’ finest film, it is a dark, quirky and violent black comedy set in the bleak landscape of Minnesota. Brilliant performances from Francis McDormand and William H Macy, this turned the rules of the true-crime film on its head. It spawned the recent series with Martin Freeman.
Wednesday 27th September: The Day of the Jackal (15) – A chance to see this absolute classic on the big screen as director Fred Zinnemann delivers a masterclass in tension and suspense. An underground group pays for the services of crack assassin Edward Fox ‘The Jackal’ to kill President de Gaulle; what follows is a tense cat-and-mouse thriller chase across France, leading to thrilling climax.
Thursday 28th September: A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life (15) – Includes a Q&A with writer/director Staten Cousins Roe and lead actress Poppy Roe, who are incidentally both Hurst residents. A very British black comedy it features Katie Brayben as a self-help addict who goes on a road trip with a life coach (Roe) who just happens to be a serial killer. Filmed locally, it’s a deadly and comic skewering of the ‘wellness’ culture and has been described as a cross between Sightseers and Thelma and Louise.
All tickets can be bought via the Festival website (www.hurstfestival.org).