Wes Anderson Night: The Grand Budapest Hotel and surprise extras!

Wes Anderson is one of the most original film makers working today. None of his films can be categorized into any particular genre and yet a a self-confessed fan of Powell and Pressburger, it's clear that their influence shows in his aesthetics! The Grand Budapest Hotel is a tale within a tale within another tale - using old school production design to grand effect.

Whilst every shot has been meticulously arranged as though a work of Art hanging in a museum, story wise Anderson has let his imagination run wild. Though the tale (with Tom Wilkinson as the author of the story) and the tale within the tale (with Jude Law as the young author & F Murray Abraham as the mysterious owner of The Grand Budapest Hotel) have straightforward narratives, the tale within the tale within the tale, which comprises the bulk of the film and is set in the years preceding the Second World War, is a wild uproarious train ride of story telling.

It also boasts the cast of a life time: Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and countless cameos. It will delight Anderson fans and the production design and music are outstanding and even the end credits are imaginatively done.

Paired with a screening of Powell and Pressburger's, A Matter of Life and Death on November 5th, the films both depict a 1930s landscape and reference to the effects of WW2 on Europe. Though both are touched by an air of tragedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel follows a charming tale of whimsy, comradery and misadventure set largely in Lutz - a fictional amalgamation of Vienna, Prague and Budapest all rolled into one as we are introduced to Zero Moustafa, Gustave H and dear Agatha.

Dress code (should you feel so inclined) - fit for the Grand Budapest! Beloved character or esteemed guest.
You're in with a chance of receiving a prize for elegant conduct and sharp dress, chaps.

Exclusive Extra!

Also one of the surprise extras is an exclusive peek at Turlo Griffin's illustrations and sketches for Wes's set designs inspired by Hastings locations!
Turlo Griffin is a Concept Artist and Matte Painter, who has worked on several Wes Anderson productions including The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and his most recent Asteroid City.

Wes Anderson free 'zine workshop

You might also be interested in our Wes Anderson zine workshop on Saturday 4 November from 2.30pm - it's free but spaces are limited so please book.

PLUS! Wes Anderson's latest film Asteroid City is on later this month, Friday 17 November - book now!

About Cinema Unbound: Powell and Pressburger season

This is the first of our Student Saturdays, devised and curated by people under 25 - to explore the influence of Powell and Pressburger on contemporary filmmakers today.

Local students in the Bexhill Filmspotters group have also been involved in planning, writing and recording a selection of podcasts.

Here's one of the episodes, focused on the influence of Powell and Pressburger on Wes Anderson - check out the rest of the podcasts in the series!

The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger is a major UK-wide celebration of one the greatest and most enduring filmmaking partnerships: Michael Powell (1905-1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988). Bold, subversive and iconoclastic, challenging and changing the visual language of film, their passionate collaborative artistic vision, spanning 24 films together between 1939 and 1972, is a vital part of the fabric of British cinema history.

In our series this Autumn, see original Powell and Pressburger classics, learn about their craft in filmmaking workshops, and enjoy a selection of modern films which bear the hallmark of their impact on filmmaking beyond the pair's generation.

Screening as part of Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell + Pressburger, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.
bfi.org.uk/powell-and-pressburger

The Electric Palace cinema is proud to be part of this UK wide celebration programming a mix of screenings, events and workshops this autumn, bringing their work to new audiences to their work.

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