The Reel McCoy Film Group
Screening world cinema and forgotten gems since 1990
Screening world cinema and forgotten gems since 1990
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The Reel McCoy Film Group is a not-for-profit film society that since 1990 has been catering for people interested in cinema, particularly those who would like to see timeless classics and overlooked gems at low cost. Membership is $50 per annum, $35 for 6 months, or $20 for 3 months. Membership runs from the date of joining.
With grateful support from
 Canberra Museum and Gallery Members of CMAG are welcome to join the Reel McCoy at a substantial discount: membership for a year for only $20. Screenings are held in the Theatre of Canberra Museum and Art Gallery and are usually on the second and last Sundays of each month, at 1:00 pm. Next screening:Sunday, 16 October 2016 at 1:00 pm
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (Part 1)
A young gang of close friends from the Lower East Side of Manhattan begin their careers in crime. Related over two films, director Sergio Leone’s original version relied on an unconventional series of flashbacks which irritated the studio hacks when it was first produced. This extended director’s cut has been carefully restored to fulfil Leone’s original intentions and includes scenes that were cut from the original. Robert de Niro plays the central character of Noodles; the music is by the great Ennio Morricone. An enticing, bitter-sweet, and brilliantly realised meditation on life and the passage of time.
For more information, e-mail us or come along to a screening
Programme for July through November 2016:
Sunday 10 July
THE LAST WAVE Australia · 1977 · 106 min. Director Peter Weir Cast Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow A murder mystery about a white solicitor (Chamberlain), whose seemingly normal life is disrupted after he takes on a murder case and discovers that he shares a strange, mystical connection with a small group of local Aborigines who are accused of the crime. A "freak rainstorm" over Sydney causes chaos. Only the local Aboriginal people seem to recognise the cosmological significance of this weird weather, and the coming threat it poses. After Picnic at Hanging Rock, Peter Weir again explores the boundary between reality and the supernatural. DVD courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Sunday 24 July
PEEPING TOM UK · 1960 · 101 min. Director Michael Powell Cast Carl Boehm, Anna Massey, Moira Shearer A powerful portrayal of a serial killer who murders women while using a portable movie camera to record the act. The creepy, voyeuristic theme meant that the film was not well received at the time, but it later became a cult classic. Some people, including director Martin Scorsese, now consider it to be a masterpiece. The film explores the psychology of a killer but also poses questions about our fascination with evil and our voyeurism, as well as the complicity of the film industry. Although on the surface it is easy to dismiss, the film is much more complex than it may appear and challenges many preconceptions.
Sunday 14 August
ALL ABOUT EVE USA · 1950 · 138 min. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, with Marilyn Monroe in a small part Aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Davis) takes a troubled young woman, Eve (Baxter), under her wing. Eve proceeds to become indispensable in Margo’s professional and private life. But is Eve genuine, and where does she come from? What is her background? The film, told in flashback, presents a number of surprises as it answers these questions. It is a witty and acerbic look at Broadway life and the colourful, eccentric, and very fragile people who populate the American theatre. Davis’ role as Channing has generally been considered to be her greatest career performance; and she is matched all the way by George Sanders as the reptilian critic, Addison DeWitt. DVD courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Sunday 28 August
THE WILD BUNCH USA · 1969 · 143 min. Director Sam Peckinpah Cast William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmund O’Brien Following a foiled bank robbery, six aging outlaws led by Pike Bishop (Holden) cross into Mexico. On their trail is a mob of murderous bounty hunters led by a former gang member (Ryan). Needing one last job before they can retire, the outlaws agree to rob an American train carrying rifles and ammunition and sell the cargo to a ruthless bandit leader. The choreographed violence at the beginning and end of the film led to considerable controversy. With this movie, the always controversial Peckinpah rewrote the conventions of the western, provided stunning visuals, and produced a metaphor about American involvement in Vietnam.
Sunday 11 September
Vintage comedy shorts: various titles USA · 70 min. Director Various Cast Bob Hope; Bing Crosby; W. C. Fields; Abbott and Costello; Laurel and Hardy Richard Keys will present a programme of shorts by some of the greatest film comedians. Besides Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and W. C. Fields, there are two little-known gems from another famous partnership – but before they knew each other! Bob Hope’s very first outing was made for a poverty row studio called Educational Films, and he later tried to disown it; Bing Crosby’s delightful two-reelers for comedy king Mack Sennett show him on the threshold of his stellar career, and yes, he sings. All are 16 mm prints from Ray Edmondson's private collection. Prints courtesy of Ray Edmondson
Followed by our
Sunday 18 September
LA DOLCE VITA Italy · 1960 · 174 min. Director Federico Fellini Cast Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée The film presents a series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering paparazzo living in Rome. It is full of striking images but explores the emptiness of a life based on appearances. La Dolce Vita won the Palme d'Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar® for Best Costumes, and remains one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time. The Catholic Church was not so impressed: the film was criticised by the Vatican, and was banned in Spain until the death of Franco in 1975.
Sunday 16 October
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (Part 1) USA · 1984 · 125 min. Director Sergio Leone Cast Robert de Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams A young gang of close friends from the Lower East Side of Manhattan begin their careers in crime. Related over two films, director Sergio Leone’s original version relied on an unconventional series of flashbacks which irritated the studio hacks when it was first produced. This extended director’s cut has been carefully restored to fulfil Leone’s original intentions and includes scenes that were cut from the original. Robert de Niro plays the central character of Noodles; the music is by the great Ennio Morricone. An enticing, bitter-sweet, and brilliantly realised meditation on life and the passage of time.
Sunday 23 October
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (Part 2) USA · 1984 · 125 min. Director Sergio Leone Cast Robert de Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams The second part of Sergio Leone’s most celebrated achievement relates the gang’s various achievements during the Prohibition era, together with their personal and romantic escapades. Madcap episodes alternate with cruelty, greed, and violence. Eventually loyalty gives way to betrayal and the reasons for Noodles’ exile are explained. The toll that time exacts on everyone is acknowledged. The saga concludes with a revelation of understated justice and a haunting, enigmatic suggestion of both enchantment and enlightenment. Once Upon a Time in America premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival on 23 May and received a 15-minute standing ovation.
Sunday 13 November
CARBIDE AND SORREL Germany · 1963 · 85 min. Director Frank Beyer Cast Erwin Geschonneck, Marita Böhme, Manja Behrens World War 2 is just over and Dresden is in ruins. Kalle, in charge of what used to be a cigarette factory, needs seven barrels of carbide to get the place running again, and must traverse 160 bombed-to-bits and heavily-patrolled kilometres in order to get it. The director, most famous for earning East Germany its only Oscar® nomination with Jakob the Liar, works a similar transformation of unlikely material here. DVD courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia +
THE CAPTAIN FROM KÖPENICK
Wilhelm Voigt was a real-life folk hero from pre-WW 1 Germany, and the subject of a popular play, later made into this film which was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar®. After being released from prison, Voigt needs a passport in order to find work, but needs to find work in order to get a passport. The solution hits him when he sees an old army captain’s uniform in a second-hand shop. DVD courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Sunday 27 November
OUT OF THE PAST USA · 1947 · 97 min. Director Jacques Tourneur Cast Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Jane Greer 2016 has been a good year for centenarians. We celebrated Olivia de Havilland’s 100th birthday a few months ago, and now it is Kirk Douglas’ turn: he breaks into three digits on 9 December. In this, his second big-screen role, he plays second fiddle to Robert Mitchum playing the standard noir private eye, but Douglas certainly holds his own as the gangster-gambler Whit Stillman, delivering delicious lines of dialogue such as "My feelings? About ten years ago, I hid them somewhere and haven't been able to find them." The masterful cinematography from Nicholas Musuraca is a highlight. Join us after the film for our end of year celebration with wine and nibbles |