Is it summer in Perth without the joy of Outdoor Cinema? There’s nothing quite like enjoying hilarious, artistic, mindblowing or challenging films under the stars on a balmy Leederville night. This year’s program is again packed to the digital sprockets with amazing performances, great cinematography and unique stories. Check out the range of movies in Luna Outdoor’s opening week.
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
8PM THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER
Marking the first feature written and directed by British-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh since 2017’s Oscar-winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is his latest film, The Banshees Of Inisherin. The film also reunites McDonagh with fellow Irishmen Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson who starred in his critically acclaimed debut, In Bruges. The film also stars Irish talents Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.
Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland during the Irish civil war, The Banshees Of Inisherin follows lifelong friends Padraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Padraic, aided by his sister Siobhan (Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Padraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.
With a powerhouse Irish cast and exceptional writer/director McDonagh, The Banshees Of Inisherin, revels in the tension of the unknown in this captivating story of an elongated friendship break-up.
THE MENU
8PM FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER
The culture of haute cuisine gets thoroughly roasted in director Mark Mylod’s sizzling satire about a destination dining experience seasoned with surprises that get spicier with every plating. Assembling a sumptuous ensemble led by Anya Taylor-Joy (star of The Witch) and Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes, The Menu offers us a seat at the table with some one-percenters about to be served more than they bargained for.
A 12-acre self-contained farm-to-table paradise, Hawthorne Island represents the pinnacle of exclusive eats, serving celebrities and billionaires who think nothing of forking out $1,250 a head. The outliers in this evening’s clientele are Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a devout foodie pilgrim, and his date, Margot (Taylor-Joy), a layperson along for the free meal. Once seated before Hawthorne’s open-concept kitchen, they are welcomed by Chef (Fiennes), who precedes each course with a monologue. He instructs them to taste, rather than eat. And absolutely no photos: the true beauty of food, Chef explains, lies in its ephemerality.
BASSENDREAM
8PM SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER
THE HIT OF THE REVELATION FILM FESTIVAL IS BACK ON OUR SCREENS!
It’s the last day of the summer school holidays in 1990s Perth and over 24 hours, a kaleidoscopic chronicle of an ordinary suburb unfolds.
Rev celebrates local micro-budget filmmaking with this feature shot on a shoe-string budget entirely on 16mm film that’s awash with 90’s nostalgia. Captured on 16mm film with a unique tone and freewheeling rhythm, Bassendream revisits the tender interactions, eccentric escapades and extreme independence we all remember from growing up when the backyards were bigger and home was just a place to sleep.
Against a musical backdrop of Australian classics from the era, this is a raw, refreshing and playful look at the growing pains of youth, back before the internet had all the answers.
A MEANDERING AND MISCHIEVOUS TALE OF YOUTH, FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY.
THE ROOM
8PM SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER
Go back to where it all started, with the 2003 disasterpiece THE ROOM. Cult favourite Greg Sestero will give a very special, extended introduction before the screening of THE ROOM on Sun 9th December @ 8:15pm in the Luna Outdoor, co-hosted by James Palm. (now SOLD OUT). Doors open @ 7pm.
Extra screening added Sun 9th Dec at 8.45pm @ Luna Indoor. Tickets on sale & online now!
See the return of the cult sensation that’s so bad it’s good! Filled with sub-plots that go nowhere, dodgy green-screen skylines, lots of un-sexy sex scenes and acting that wouldn’t pass muster on a soft-focus soapie. This is the movie for YOU!
Written, directed by and starring Tommy Wiseau, THE ROOM is like no other film you’ve seen. Johnny (Tommy Wiseau) seems to have it all; a beautiful fiancée, Lisa, great friends and a job with a promotion in the works. But Lisa, (Juliette Danielle) isn’t who she seems. Manipulative and restless, Lisa sets her sights on Johnny’s best friend Mark (Greg Sestero) and they start a torrid affair and Johnny’s perfect world starts to crumble.
Called “The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies” and one of the worst films ever made, THE ROOM, now in its ninth year, has garnered a massive cult following here at Luna Palace Cinemas, leaving audiences stunned.
BONES AND ALL
8PM MONDAY 12 DECEMBER
Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell star as sweet and tender young cannibal lovers in this finger-lickin-good 80s set road movie from Luca Guadagnino. Bones and All received a 10-minute standing ovation at the world premiere screening at the Venice Film Festival.
Academy Award-nominated director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria) reunites with Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Dune) for ‘sickeningly brilliant’ and deeply romantic drama Bones And All. The film also co-stars Taylor Russell (Waves) alongside Chalamet who delivers a mesmerising performance as the other half of the loved-up carnivorous duo.
A story of first love between Maren (Russell), a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee (Chalamet), an intense and disenfranchised drifter, as they meet and join together for a thousand-mile odyssey which takes them through the back roads, hidden passages and trap doors of Ronald Reagan’s America. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness.
Bones and All marks a triumphant return from Guadagnino that excels as a tender romance despite its often difficult-to-stomach visceral gore and subject matter. Much of the credit for the film’s ability to grip the audience should also be given to the immense talent and frenetic chemistry between Chalamet and Russell who are magnetic as the central cannibalistic couple.
SERIOUSLY RED
8PM TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER
A vivacious redhead sets out to become a professional Dolly Parton impersonator.
Real-estate valuer Raylene “Red” Delaney decides that an office party is the perfect time to bust out her most raucous Dolly Parton impression, singing ‘9 to 5’ in a blond wig and spangled jumpsuit. She loses her job, but she does catch the eye of a celebrity-impersonation agency talent scout. Soon, Red is neglecting her loyal best friend Francis to impress her boss Wilson – a Neil Diamond in the rough – and tour with a disconcertingly method-acting Kenny Rogers. What a way to make a living!
Written by its star Krew Boylan, Seriously Red is the narrative feature debut from director Gracie Otto (Under the Volcano), who channels the exuberant camp of P.J. Hogan (Mental, Muriel’s Wedding) into this affectionate celebration of fandom, identity and performance. Stuffed with familiar singalong classics, the film sets the stage for a delightfully deadpan Bobby Cannavale (Nine Perfect Strangers, Will & Grace) as Wilson, plus watch out for comedians Celeste Barber and Bob Downe, commentator Jean Kittson and a nearly unrecognisable Rose Byrne as an Elvis impersonator.
BLACK COCKATOO CRISIS
8PM WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER
The three species of black cockatoo in Western Australia’s southwest are under threat. Habitat loss through land clearing is a major cause of the threat. There are less than 40,000 Carnaby’s Cockatoos left, just 4,000 Baudins and around 10,000 red-tailed forest black cockatoos
Western Australia’s iconic black cockatoos are in crisis. Their numbers have fallen dramatically over the past few decades and all three species in the southwest of WA could become extinct in just 20 years unless something is done to protect their habitats. With the loss of the banksia woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain to housing, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos have come to depend on the once vast exotic pine plantations on Perth’s northern fringe.
These pine plantations supply up to half of all the food needed to keep the population of Carnaby’s alive but these too are disappearing. Within the next two years, the remaining 6000ha of pines are slated for clearing leaving the cockatoos facing possible starvation. Meanwhile, the Baudin’s Black Cockatoos are literally being shot out of the sky in an unequal battle for food with apple and pear growers in Perth’s hills. And the Red Tail Forest Black Cockatoos are threatened by the loss of nesting hollows and declining habitat.
Black Cockatoo Crisis looks at the plight of our special cockatoos and what we can do to stop these threatened species from disappearing forever. The clock is ticking on our black cockatoos. Will we save them in time?
And if that’s not enough check the new Luna Outdoor program right here! (pdf version here)
