Oscar-themed film season unveiled at Stephen Joseph
The cinema at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre opens again this month with a fortnight of Oscarnominated films.
Movies will be screened again from Tuesday May 25, starting with the comedy classicIt’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, nominated for six Oscars on its release in 1963, followed by this year’s winners Mank and Nomadland and nominees Wolfwalkers and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Film programmer Steve Carley says of the first film: “When it was re-issued in the 1970s, the publicity said: ‘If ever this mad, mad, mad, mad world needed It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, it’s now!’
“That seemed particularly appropriate at the moment – I’m hoping this joyous comedy will be the perfect ‘welcome back’ film.”
Films at the SJT in May and early June are:
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: an unconnected group of motorists stop to help a driver who’s crashed, only to find he’s a released convict who knows the whereabouts of a stolen $350,000, sparking a madcap car chase to recover the cash.
The all-star cast includes Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas and Buster Keaton.
It was nominated for six Oscars, but won only for Best Sound Editing.
Tuesday May 25 at 2pm and 7pm
Mank: directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman in the title role Mank is a black-and-white biopic about screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz and the development of his most famous script – Citizen Kane.
With 10 nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Oldman, Mank was the most nominated film at this year’s Oscars.
Wednesday May 26 at 7pm; Thursday May 27 at 2pm and 7pm; Friday May 28 at 2pm
Nomadland: won Best Picture, Best Director for Chloe Zhao and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. Nomadland
sees McDormand as Fern who, after losing both her job and her husband embarks on a new life as a as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Friday May 28 at 7pm; Saturday May 29 at 2pm and 7pm; Tuesday June 1 at 7pm; Wednesday June 2 at 7pm
Wolfwalkers: nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, this is the third and final film in director Tomm Moore’s fantasy adventure Irish folklore trilogy, following The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. It features the voices of Honor Kneafsey and Sean Bean.
Tuesday June 1 at 2pm; Wednesday June 2 at 2pm; Thursday June 3 at 2pm and 7pm.
The Trial of the Chicago 7: Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen star as political activists Tom Hayden and Abbie Hoffman in this dramatisation of the
real-life trial in 1968 of a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors. It had six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and Best Supporting Actor for Baron Cohen.
Friday June 4 at 2pm and 7pm; Saturday June 5 at 2pm and 7pm.
Cinema tickets at the Stephen Joseph for films are £7 (concessions £6; Circle members/NHS/under-30s £5); for event cinema including ‘captured live’, £12; for live streamings, £17.
Where possible, the theatre is recommending, customers book online at www. sjt.uk.com
The box office phone line is currently open Mondays to Saturdays, noon till 2pm. The box office will re-open for in-person bookings on Monday May 17 from noon to 5pm on non-show days; noon to 7.30pm on days with an evening show; 11am to 7.30pm on matinee days.