Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
In 1984, two things happened which would change cultural history: the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan, and a few months later Nike released the first edition of the Air Jordan, the basketball star's coveted designer sneakers. This documentary explores the history surrounding this landmark deal from the downbeat Reagan-led policies of the 1980s through to Black Americans finding hope in a new idol.
One Man and His Shoes is an engaging, accessible and fast-paced documentary which tackles consumer capitalism and celebrity culture, including the darker side of the issue.
One Man and His Shoes is out now in a cinema near you.
Also new in cinemas this week
Summer of 85; Totally Under Control; The Secret Garden; A Call to Spy; Two by Two: Overboard; Max Winslow and the House of Secrets
A running theme of 'secrecy' is peppered throughout this week's UK cinema releases, beginning with a secret romance in the French coming-of-age thriller Summer of 85, which follows a naive teenager who falls in love with another boy during a whirlwind summer in 1985. Next up, Totally Under Control, a documentary that was filmed in entirely in secret which examines the United States' response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through the testimonies of medical professionals, scientists and government officials who break their silence on the matter.
Max Winslow and the House of Secrets is a teen-oriented puzzler about a technologically gifted but shy girl named Max who is invited to compete in a series of games organised by an eccentric millionaire in the hopes that she can earn some money to keep her family afloat. One of two period pieces this week is the wartime drama A Call to Spy, which tells the real-life story of a classified project that Winston Churchill developed, training women to become spies so they could infiltrate Nazi Germany and take it down from the inside. Made by a majority female film crew, this tale of three differing spies with the same heroic agenda is too fascinating to not be told.
Two films for younger audiences round off the releases this week, beginning with The Secret Garden, a new adaptation of the renowned children's novel that transports the audience to 1947 post-war Britain and introduces us to Mary, a young orphaned girl who is sent to live on her rich uncle's huge estate where she discovers a magical garden that harbours mysterious powers. Finally, the animated sequel Two by Two: Overboard! is a comedic, family friendly story that imagines what occurs when two fictional furry animals, Finny and Leah, accidently fall off the boat and are stranded at sea, leaving to fend for themselves on a remote island.
New to DVD this week
Onward
Set in a suburban fantasy world where magic still exists but no-one really uses it anymore because of the various technological inventions which have made life more convenient, Ian and Barley Lightfoot are two teenage elf brothers.
On Ian's 16th birthday, the two boys receive a gift from their father who died of an illness shortly before Ian's birth of a magical staff, a rare phoenix gem, and a letter instructing them how to cast a ‘visitation spell' which will allow their father to be resurrected for a single day. However, when they attempt to cast the difficult spell, it goes wrong, and only the lower half of their father's body appears. Ian and Barley, along with the legs of their father, must go on a quest to find another phoenix gem in order to complete the spell before it's too late so that they can say their final goodbyes. Onward is a heartfelt animated adventure about grief, moving on, and brotherly love.
Also new to DVD this week
Official Secrets; Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Starring Keira Knightley, Official Secrets tells the incredible true story of Katherine Gun, a British whistleblower who uncovered an illegal spying operation prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and had to fight for her own life and freedom after exposing the truth. On the other side of the spectrum, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an all-out monster mashup based on the Japanese icon, featuring incredible special effects as a group of giant, God-like being are awakened and a group of humans must figure out how to sedate and control them before they destroy the planet.
