FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH

THE GREAT GATSBY(1974)

GREAT GATSBY 100TH ANNIVERSARY

*Sadly we must also note this screening has now become an unintentional tribute to the late Robert Redford.*​

​

White Wall Cinema returns for the first event of it's new season (and our 10th year) with a screening marking 100 years of F. Scott Fitzgerald's much celebrated iconic novel The Great Gatsby. We will also be throwing a small garden party before with a free glass of fizz (because what would Gatsby's 100th birthday be without it?)

​

Infamously tricky to bring to the screen, the 1974 adaptation is perhaps the most faithful to Fitzgerald’s novel, while wisely becoming its own distinct cinematic vision. Scripted by Francis Ford Coppola (of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and more), reworking an earlier draft by Truman Capote, and directed by Jack Clayton (Room at the Top, The Innocents), this version plays Gatsby as a kind of ghost story.

 

A world away from Baz Luhrmann’s brash and violently lurid 2013 take, this 1974 film is all billowing curtains, haunted silences, and humid, regret-laden tension, draped in authentically lavish sets, rich period detail, and gorgeous opulent Oscar winning costumes — with a dazzling cast to match.​

​​

When Midwesterner Nick Carraway (Sam Waterston — The Killing Fields, Law & Order, Grace and Frankie) moves to Long Island, he reconnects with his wealthy cousin Daisy (a brittle, capricious Mia Farrow — Rosemary’s Baby, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Watcher) and her domineering husband Tom (Bruce Dern — Coming Home, Silent Running, Nebraska, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). Settling in across the bay in ‘West Egg’, Nick finds himself drawn to the lavish parties, and altogether mysterious world of his enigmatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby (an elusive Robert Redford - Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Way We Were, All The President's Men). As he’s drawn further into Gatsby’s orbit, it becomes clear that behind the glamour lies a story of obsession, longing, and tragedy.​

​

Still a byword for the glittering allure of the Jazz Age, a century after its publication, this version of The Great Gatsby properly explores the dark compulsive contradictions of American wealth, fantasy, and delusion. So join us — for a glass of fizz and a hauntingly beautiful film — to mark 100 years of Fitzgerald’s enduring masterpiece. After all, no one throws a party like Gatsby... do they, old sport?

8PM WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH

BEST IN SHOW

 25TH ANNIVERSARY

​

In the wake of This Is Spinal Tap, co-writer and Tap lead guitarist Christopher Guest (aka Nigel Tufnel) went on to create a string of similarly brilliant ‘mockumentaries’ over the next four decades. Reuniting a recurring troupe of improvisational comedy legends—virtually a who’s who of the genre—Guest crafted modern classics like Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. Now, with Guest returning to Spinal Tap for a long-awaited sequel, we think it’s the perfect time to celebrate what may be the finest of all his works (Tap included!)—with this special 25th anniversary screening of the almighty Best in Show.

​

Rather than chronicling the misadventures of a washed-up rock band, Best in Show shifts focus to the world of competitive dog lovers as they descend on the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show (a hilariously deadpan spoof of America’s answer to Crufts). An eccentric cast of characters converges on the canine competition, and what unfolds is a loving, sharply observed, and wildly funny portrait of a uniquely obsessive subculture. From neurotic yuppies with a dog in therapy to a folksy Southern man with ventriloquist dreams, no satirical stone is left unturned in this laugh-a-minute comedy gem.

​

This pitch-perfect parody is driven by a magnificent ensemble cast, including: Jennifer Coolidge (Legally Blonde, The White Lotus), John Michael Higgins (A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration), Michael Hitchcock (A Mighty Wind, Glee) Eugene Levy (American Pie, Schitt's Creek), Jane Lynch (Glee, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Michael McKean (Spinal Tap, Better Call Saul), Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice, Schitt's Creek), Parker Posey (Dazed & Confused, The White Lotus) & Guest himself (Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride). And of course, the late, great Fred Willard, whose improvisational turn as the dog show’s clueless commentator has since become the stuff of comedy legend.

​

Arguably the funniest mockumentary ever made, Best in Show directly influenced an entire generation of TV comedy—from The Office and Parks & Recreation to Modern Family. We're thrilled to bring it back to the big screen in all its glory for this unmissable 25th anniversary celebration.