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Published August 21st 2016
Quirky Kids Dare a Dragon on a Plane?
Nerve (image by Lionsgate)
Finally, the warm rays of spring sunshine defrost the last icicles of winter. Romantic afternoon picnics in parks, childhood adventures in backyards and sneaky escapes to beaches with friends await. While these activities seem enticing, why endure the first-world problems of pricey parking, belly-ballooning snacks and irritating insects when imaginary worlds await at your local cinema?
In September, tense dramas, colourful fantasy worlds and a cyber-thriller are drawing us to the silver screen. Read on to discover the best movies premiering in Australia in September 2016.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (image by 20th Century Fox)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children – September 29 Classification rating pending
Tim Burton's (Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice) latest creation adds to the long list of fantastical worlds for children of all ages. The film is based on the debut novel by Ransom Riggs, topping best-seller lists for most of 2012. In the novel, Jacob Portman follows photographic clues to reach a remote Welsh orphanage. After an adventurous journey to reach the home, he encounters children with bizarre powers as the stern headmistress, Miss Peregrine, guides him to discover his own magical gift. An eclectic cast joins Tim, including Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven, Dark Shadows), Kim Dickens (Gone Girl), Chris O'Dowd (Calvary, The Program), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Star Wars) and Judi Dench (Goldeneye, Mrs Brown, Chocolat).
Pete's Dragon – September 15 Rated PG (Mild violence)
Disney, the juggernaut creator of childhood fantasies, redefines the range of domestic pets to include fire-breathers. If you're planning to live in the forest, it's useful to have a protective companion. Pete has lived in the woods of our Pacific Northwest for 6 years. Finally discovered by an inquisitive park ranger, the locals join the search to uncover the truth about his identity and the mystery of the dragon. While they intentions are pure, a cruel hunter has evil intent as he tries to claim the ultimate catch – a dragon. The tale returns to the big screen after a musical edition in 1977. The latest version stars Oscar winner Robert Redford (The Sting, All the President's Men, Out of Africa), Bryce Dallas Howard (Parenthood, Jurassic World), Oakes Fegley (Boardwalk Empire), Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Interstellar) and Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings).
Winter's Bone, The Queen, Black Swan and Jane Eyre are some of the few movies featuring strong, compelling female protagonists. In Equity, a female investment banker enters the tests the glass ceilings of Wall St to make her mark, discovering the dynamics of duplicity in a world where 'greed is good'. Equity is a refreshing twist on the male-dominated arenas of film and finance. Equity is directed, written, produced, and financed by women, tackling the corruption of Wall St with a strong cast of female actors, including Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad, Deadwood, Sully) and Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black, How To Get Away With Murder). As Hollywood's female contingent continues producing films with these themes, we'll hopefully add many more strong female protagonists to our favourite character lists.
Sully (image by Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sully – September 8 Rated M (Mature themes and coarse language)
In 2009, the viral video of the 'Miracle on the Hudson' spread across the world. After a mechanical failure aboard a US Airways flight, Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger and his crew landed the Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson River in a CGI-defying feat to save the 155 people on board. In the ensuing investigative maelstrom, the engineering and human factors of the incident were scrutinised in a process to rival the most dramatic episodes of the documentaries Seconds from Disaster and Air Crash Investigation.
Clint Eastwood (American Sniper, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven, Gran Torino) directs the Hollywood edition of the event and the subsequent response by experts and media commentators, peering into the personal impact to 'Sully', portrayed by Tom Hanks (Castaway, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump). Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking, The Dark Knight, The Black Dahlia) and Laura Linley (Mystic River, The Truman Show, Love Actually) join him in a film to rival Denzel Washington's damaged 'hero' pilot in Flight.
Nerve – September 1 Rated M (Mature themes)
Pokémon, the 'real world' gaming sensation, has led distracted drivers and pedestrians into a spate of inane accidents. Nerve ups the stakes in a virtual 'dare/double-dare' online game where thrilling challenges escalate into a very sinister reality. The film's thrills, currently in the realms of sci-fi, are a chilling prophecy of the next viral online gaming experience exploiting our craving for adrenalin-evoking adventures. Nerve stars Emma Roberts (We're the Millers, Empire State, Scream 4), Dave Franco (Now You See Me, 21 Jump St) and Juliette Lewis (Cape Fear), directed by Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4).
Would it be helpful to readers to have the Classification stated for each of these films?
Australia managed to escape from Commonwealth level of film censorship in the 1970s (it still exists in reserve in the states and has been used in SA a few years ago). In return, promotions of films should surely take care to utilise the information given in the present system of Classification?