Comic-book characters will leap from the page to the movie-screen in a fun and freaky film festival running at the Gallery of Modern Art from Friday 6 January to Sunday 4 March.
'Drawn to Screen' will present around 60 animated and live-action films based on comics and graphic novels. The program includes often hard-to-see films from around the world, and has something for every age and taste.
On offer will be everything from Hollywood blockbusters such as
Superman (1978) and
The Dark Knight (2008) to cult classics like
Fritz the Cat (1972) and the very hip space-sex romp,
Barbarella (1968), starring Jane Fonda in all her youthful foxiness (worth seeing for the opening scene alone).
The gallery will also be screening some early rarities, like a 1936 Popeye cartoon, a 1938 film version of the Blondie newspaper strip, and even the 1927 Australian movie,
The Kid Stakes, a silent film based on the Fatty Finn comic strip (and featuring a rip-roaring billy-goat race finale filmed in Rockhampton).
If you want to get to know more about the often very weird people who created these comic-book worlds, you can also take a look at a series of documentaries on artists like Robert Crumb (best known for
Fritz the Cat) and Alan Moore (creator of
Watchmen, among other things).
Taking the festival from two to three dimensions will be the Gotham Lounge, which will run in the GoMA bar from 5.30pm every Friday and Saturday night during the festival. It will offer food, drink and music to get you in the mood for some cinematic delights.
Perhaps most exciting, the gallery will also host its first-ever cosplay party from noon on Australia Day (Thursday 26 January). You're invited to transform yourself into your favourite manga, comic or film character, and spend the afternoon mingling with other brought-to-life comic-book creations.
Tickets range from $6 to $9 for individual screenings (discount multi-passes available), with films screening Friday and Saturday nights and during the day on weekends. Tickets can be pre-purchased from
QTIX.
This is another in a fantastic series of film programs that have screened at GoMA's cinematheque over the last 12 months. It's a rare opportunity to see an impressive collection of comic-inspired movies.
