Hurst Village Cinema's upcoming listings

Thank you for your support this year, it has been a pleasure to be able to put on films for you and once again, thanks to the Players Theatre for providing such an amazing venue.

We start with Parallel Mothers (15) on Thursday 9th at 8pm. Two women, who are both unexpectedly pregnant, meet in a maternity room. Janis (Cruz) is middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatised. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance, develops and complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way. Vintage Almodavar, with bright colours, sense of theatre and plot twists.

Then on Friday 24th at 8pm we screen Paterson (15). A long overdue appearance at HVC for a Jim Jarmusch film, this gently observed film centres on a bus driver (Adam Driver) who lives in Paterson, New Jersey, home to many famous poets and artists. As he goes about his routine life, he observes life and picks up snippets from his customers, using them as inspiration for his poetry. His wife Laura is very supportive and champions his gift for writing. There is a gentle rhythm to the film, not unlike a poem itself and Driver gives a wonderfully understated and restrained performance.

Our final offering is The Miracle Club (12) at 3pm on Sunday 26th. Set in 1967 the film follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalising dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a sceptical traveller, joining in place of Chrissie’s mother. Warming Sunday afternoon fare, with a stella cast.

Hurst Village Cinema through September 2023

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).