The virtual-lancaster team is very proud to announce the realisation of a long-held dream - the creation of our new, fully interactive community web site, with features that will help make it much easier for you, our readers, to be part of the project.
virtual-lancaster.net has always been our home online of course, but this blog has long been the initial posting place for news items about Lancaster, Morecambe and the surrounding area. We found Blogger was, quite simply, the easiest way for several people to contribute to the site without having to train everyone in HTML etc. that our old site was based on.
Now, all that's changed, thanks to much hard work behind the scenes, and virtual-lancaster.nethttp://www.virtual-lancaster.net is now the place for community news, events, information about Lancaster and Morecambe's many attractions, community group information... and much, much more!
So while this blog will remain in place, head over to virtual-lancaster.net now for all the latest about your area!
And please, do consider joining us in our project - you will be very welcome!
For up to date local cinema links and day-by-day listings of what's showing on local screens every week visit the Virtual-Lancaster Cinema Page. Read on for the weekly round-up, and reviews.
Four new films have been released during this period. There is the comedy drama 20th Century Women (15); suspense mystery with A Cure for Wellness (18); fantasy action in Logan (12A) and the police drama Patriots Day (15).
The region has lost the film Split and it seems that Rings will soon come to an end of its screening. However we do see the return of Assassin's Creed; the drama I, Daniel Blake; the family favourite Moana and zombie horror in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
Drama this period comes with NASA mathematicians Hidden Figures; life on benefits in I, Daniel Blake; the family drama Lion; police action in Patriots Day; space flight with The Space Between Us; and the must see move T2 TrainSpotting.
Action movies on offer are Assassin's Creed; the wartime epic Hacksaw Ridge; gun action in John Wick: Chapter 2; the X-man Logan; and oriental fantasy with The Great Wall
Family animation is provided by Ballerina; Moana; Sing; The Lego Batman Movie and Trolls.
Romance is on offer with the musical La La Land and the erotic sequel Fifty Shades Darker.
Horror is well represented with the stylish drama A Cure for Wellness, the creepy Rings and zombie horror Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
Finally, movies of note this period include a giant rabbit in the classic Donnie Darko and culture with the Royal Ballet The Sleeping Beauty.
Reviews
20th Century Women
Director: Mike Mills
Certificate: 15
Cast includes Annette Bening, Lucas Jade Zuman, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Elle Fanning
Set in Santa Barbara in 1979, Dorothea (Bening) is a divorced mother
bring up her teenage son Jamie (Zuman) whilst running a boarding house.
She feels that her son needs more role models in his life and so
enlists the help of her tenants including handyman William (Crudup),
photographer Abbie (Gerwig) and her sons friend Julie (Fanning) to
assist. A coming of age tale with drama and a good dose of comedy. A
great movie with excellent performances by all. It has received good
reviews.
A Cure for Wellness
Director: Gore Verbinski
Certificate: 18
Cast includes: Dane DeHaan, Harry Groener, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth
Lockhart (DeHaan) is a young executive, sent to a the wellness centre
health spa in Switzerland to collect the Company CEO Pembroke (Groener)
who is being treated there. However Lockhart is injured and finds
himself staying at the Spa also. He meets Hannah (Goth) a young patient
and she reveals that the spa was built on the ruins of a castle with a
troubled history. Lockhart comes to question the cure offered by Dr
Volmer (Isaacs) the spa director and finds evidence of dubious medical
experiments being carried out. The movie is visually spectacular with
false leads, twists and eels that make up for a rather thin plot. An
enjoyable move.
Fifty Shades Darker
Director: James Foley
Certificate: 18
Cast includes: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan
A sequel to the 2015 film 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Anastasia (Johnson)
had broken off her relationship with Christian Grey (Dornan) intending
to pursue a career in a Seattle publishing house. However Christian
entices her back albeit on her terms of a 'vanilla' relationship.
However his desire for ownership rather than a relationship and rather
shady figures from his past threaten to destroy their future. A sex and
kink movie that rather lacks the novelty value of the original. Mildly
entertaining.
John Wick: Chapter 2
Director: Chad Stahelski
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamercio
The sequel to the 2014 movie. John Wick (Reeves) again comes out of
retirement to honour a blood oath and assist a former associate Santino
D'Antonio (Scamarcio) who is plotting to take control of an
international assassins' guild. As a consequence Wick finds himself
with a bounty 'on his head' and he must go on the run pursued by
assassins looking to kill him. The plot requires a large suspension of
disbelief but the movie provides dizzying action, non stop gun related
pandemonium and some flashes of wit and humour. The movie has been well
received. It offers plenty of entertainment, but little novelty.
La La Land
Director: Damien Chazelle
Certificate: 12A
Cast Includes: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling
Mia (Stone) works as a barista during the day but aspires to be an
actress. She is involved in a road rage incident with Sebastian
(Gosling) a jazz pianist. The two subsequently meet again and start to
fall for each other as they try to satisfy their ambitions, she
attending auditions and he playing in dingy bars as he plans to open his
own jazz club. However the daily drudge of trying to live their dreams
starts to take its toll. This movie, set in modern day Los Angeles, is
brilliantly written and very well acted. Excellent musical
entertainment.
Moana
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker
Certificate: PG
Cast includes: Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
A Walt Disney animated fantasy adventure. Moana (Cravalho) is
the teenage daughter of the chief of a Polynesian island. However the
fish and island produce become less abundant and hence Moana undertakes a
nautical quest to find the magical amulet Te Fiti's heart and the
demigod Maui (Johnson). The quest involves monsters and battles This
is a magical film, with music, comedy and a good dose of adventure. It
is extremely well produced and has received excellent reviews from both
critics and audience. A must see movie for all ages.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Director: Paul W S Anderson
Certificate; 15
Cast Includes: Milla Jovovich
The movie is a sequel to the 2012 Resident Evil: Retribution and
forms the sixth and final film in the series. Alice (Jovovich) has
lost her psychic powers and now is assisted by the Red Queen who has
switched sides. She returns to the demolished Raccoon City where, with a
band of survivors, she has one last battle with the Umbrella
Corporation and myriads of mutants and zombies. This reviewer has
greatly enjoyed the Resident Evil Movie series and can recommend the
Final Chapter as offering more of the same special effects and fight
sequences. However the film is not the best of the bunch and the
franchise is now starting to feel a little tired. See it if you are a
Resident Evil fan.
Rings
Director: F Javier Gutierrez
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe Johnny Galecki, Vincent D'Onofrio
Julia (Lutz) becomes worried when her boyfriend Holt (Roe) starts to
explore the sub-cuture around a videotape which causes the death of
anyone who watches it. She watches it herself and discovers that her
version of the tape has additional footage which hints at the fate of
the antagonist Sadako Yamamura. Julie and Holt undertake a quest to
find Sadako's remains in the hope of lifting the curse. This is the
latest chapter in the Ring franchise and is a sequel to 'The Ring'
(2002) and 'The Ring Two' (2005). The movie tries to move the franchise
onto new ground but it has received poor reviews. It is of interest to
ardent Ring fans only.
T2 Trainspotting
Director: Danny Boyle
Certificate: 18
Cast includes: Ewen McGreger, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Anjela Nedyalkova
Mark Renton (McGregor) returns to Edinburgh after twenty years in
Amsterdam and finds his old associates are still much as he left them
only older. Spud Murphy (Bremner) continues to struggle with heroin
addiction. Simon 'Sick Boy' (Lee Miller) nurses old grievances and has
swapped a heroin addiction for cocaine. He plans to turn a run down pub
onto a bordello. Francis Begbie (Carlyle) is serving a prison
sentence, but he escapes. He still harbours a grievance against Renton.
The movie is part black comedy, part thriller and total melancholic
drama that draws on Welsh's 1993 novel and the 2002 sequel Porno. This
is an inventive and vibrant film that captures the spirit of the
original. Excellent viewing.
When Demi Paradise retired from performing Shakespeare after 16 years and 10 phenomenal performances at Lancaster Castle, it looked like the Bard would no longer be leading audiences around the historic courts and keeps of Lancaster’s historic Castle.
Enter Stage Right! Attic Door Productions – organisers of Morecambe’s Bard By The Beach Shakespeare Festival and sister company of the award winning After Dark Entertainments who sell out the Grand Theatre year on year with their Adult Panto and confound audiences countrywide with their own brand of murder mystery and mayhem.
"It seemed the perfect fit" says company director Ben Muir, "We already perform murder mysteries at the Castle and for the last two years we have staged a promenade production in the Shire Hall for families (the sell out shows – Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows).
"When we discovered that Demi Paradise would be retiring we approached the castle and offered our services. Shakespeare at the Castle has become almost as famous as the Duke’s theatre in the park and it’s a tradition that deserves to continue."
So what show have they got in store for us? "It’s the perfect piece for our debut," continues Ben. "The Two Gentlemen of Verona is believed to have been Shakespeare’s first play and so it’s only fitting that it should be our first performance at the castle – it’s also a very funny play with moments of high comedy and farce so it fits perfectly with the style we are known for.
"We’re also going to be keeping our first production very local – the poster has been designed by local artist Sazi Harrop and we’ll be casting from within the Lancaster and Morecambe area. There’s such a wealth of talent in this locale that it seems silly to look any further than our own city to find the cast. We’ll be holding auditions at the beginning of March."
Shakespeare isn’t the only production that Attic Door will be staging at the Castle this year, either.
"We’ve put together a full programme of events including a return with our family promenade show – The Jungle Book; then in October we’ll be presenting The Trial of Van Helsing, a new take on the Dracula Story.
"In December we’ve got a treat in store with an adaption of Dicken’s Christmas Carol and of course it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t have at least one Murder Mystery: that’s in May and it’s Secret Agent themed.
"It’s all very exciting and hopefully this is only the beginning of the exciting theatrical journey we’ve got in store for the castle."
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona runs from 18th – 29th April (no shows on Sunday and Matinees on Saturdays) Ticket prices range from £12.50 - £22.50 and an early bird discount applies if you book before 28th Feb. Call 01524 64998 to book now • If you are interested in taking part in The Two Gentlemen of Verona you should email us at info@atticdoorproductions.co.uk
In partnership with The Dukes, More Music and Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University 15 March brings “Beyond the Water’s Edge”, a poetic telling of stories from around the world; the hugely-popular Scottish National Poet Jackie Kay (18 March); an evening of creative translation with the International Man Booker Prize (22 March) and the amazing Sarah Howe (23 March). Expect more poetic delights in LitFest's full-day poetry event on 25 March which will include Polly Atkin (launching her first collection), Philip Burton, Gill Lambert, Kim Moore, Hannah Lowe and Patience Agbabi.
This year LitFest is also including opportunities for you to come and read at The Gregson Centre. The Litfest Homebake (11 March) offers local writers space to present their contributions from across all genres - poems, prose, storytelling, jokes, memories. Whether you are interested in a ten minute reading slot or you want to experience some of the best new talent, everyone is invited! Bring your words, your ears and your cakes!
April Poets (9 March) present an afternoon writing workshop and another eclectic night of poetry and music: touching on the real, the near, the far and the dead, and offering an open mic slot.
Spotlight (17 March), now in its 21st year of showcasing local arts every month, will be compered by Edinburgh Fringe favourite Kriss Foster, featuring Spotlight's current 'Listening to Youth' project. FYI, the last tryout left for this event will be in Carnforth this Saturday 25 February, unless you can get to the Gregson in the next half hour (Tuesday 6.30pm). www.spotlightlancaster.co.uk.
And finally Litfest welcomes back favourites Jo Baker (24 March) and Jacqueline Harris (26 March). Jo will look at the current popularity of Jane Austen and her influence on new writing, using her own ‘Longbourn’ as an example. Jacqueline will hold us spellbound with a collection of tales with a Nordic flavour, accompanied by the outstanding cellist Maja Bugge and the beautiful artwork of Jackie Morris.
LitFest is looking forward to welcoming you to as many events as possible. And if you enjoy the festival, you are also invited to volunteer to help Litfest to continue in its mission to bring the very best of well-known and emerging talent to Lancaster audiences.
Lancastrians enjoyed a special lunch at the Dukes today as part of a national celebration of the contribution migrants make to the UK. The lunch was part of a national inititiative called 'One Day Without Us', which perhaps indicates how long the UK wouldn't last without their daily contribution at almost every level of UK society.
The event included a special screening of 'If Boats Could Talk', documenting a project by Year 3 children at Dallas Road School as part of last year's 'Light Up Lancaster' festival. With visual artists Anna Read and Shane Johnstone the children created installations for the Aldcliffe triangle and the adjoining canal that referenced the journeys made by migrants to Lancaster over the canal's history. You can watch it at https://youtu.be/LLc5cL04dHI.
Dukes Front-of-House Manager Jane Twyman is obviously keen to see the Dukes engaging with all the members of our community, regardless of the colour of their passports. She read out a statement by Matt Carr, organiser and journalist, explaining that the event was 'galvanised by the alarmingly xenophobic drift of UK politics over the last 12 months.
"We had had enough of seeing migrants and foreigners – or simply people who looked and sounded foreign – being abused and harassed in our streets and denigrated by politicians."
In response it provided "an opportunity for British nationals to stand in solidarity alongside the men, women and children we have known as friends, neighbours, workmates, colleagues and students, and celebrate the fact that they are part of our society."
Jane told VL "It's great to see so many people coming together to recognise and celebrate the contributions made by migrants, despite the current challenges to be faced."
People there included teachers, health professionals, members of the local business community and a scientist who shared her deep concerns about the intractable difficulties of conducting advanced research and development without clear routes for international collaboration. All were invited to join in a mass 'tweet' of similar events up and down the country at 1pm (see image).
Erica Lewis, who is standing as a local Labour candidate for the County Council elections in May told VL:
"Uncertainty is central to Brexit & for EU citizens who have made their homes in Lancaster that uncertainty extends to their very ability to continue the lives they have built here. Today's action expresses solidarity with EU citizens who have made their lives in the U.K., & calls on the Government not to use EU citizens in our country, or U.K. citizens resident in the EU as bargaining chips."
Having spent the morning liaising between a sick neighbour and local NHS staff - every one of whom spoke with a non-native accent, I have to agree. Some of us just wouldn't have got through the day without them.
