What could be better than watching all the hottest new release films outside in the fresh night air this summer? Seeing them before they’ve even hit cinemas, of course! Moonlight Cinema’s December and January film program has just been announced and it’s jam-packed with over 20 different advance screenings – and that’s just in the first two months!
Australia’s favourite and biggest outdoor cinema, Moonlight Cinema, is ready to roll out the red carpet across pristine green lawns in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth to kick off its 2014/15 season. And what a huge season this one is already shaping up to be!
In a star-studded VIP red carpet event, Moonlight Cinema will be officially launched across the country with an exclusive advance screening of zany comedy Dumb and Dumber To on December 18. It’s been a whole twenty years since Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels brought their lovable imbeciles, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, to the big screen. Be the first to catch the mayhem that these two dimwits manage to cause, along with their unmistakable dog van!
Fans of Bill Murray (let’s face it, that’s pretty much everyone) should jump on the chance to catch him in upcoming indie drama St Vincent more than a week before it hits cinemas. Other titles to catch at Moonlight before the rest of Australia include Disney’s latest cute-fest, Big Hero 6 about a boy and his plus-size, inflatable robot; the superhero film with an art-house edge, Birdman starring Michael Keaton and Emma Stone; WWII drama filmed in Sydney and directed by Angelina Jolie, Unbroken; and the latest Liam Neeson shoot-em-up action movie, Taken 3.
Also joining the stellar program will be Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, The Imitation Game staring Benedict Cumberbatch about the life of WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing. Steve Carell and Channing Taum will also team up to tell the story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz in Foxcatcher, and Jake Gyllenhaal becomes Nightcrawler who enters into the world of L.A. crime journalism.
Bring Australia Day in early with some bloody ripper Aussie cinema. The Water Diviner will be showing at Moonlight Cinema on Australia Day Eve, January 25. It tells the moving tale of an Australian man, played by Russell Crowe, who travels to Turkey after the Battle at Gallipoli to try and locate his three missing sons. The Water Diviner is also showing as an advance screening at Moonlight on December 19
Moonlight Cinema is also introducing their very own LA style food truck onsite nationally – serving up tantalizing street fare. Or you can BYO picnic and booze!
Audiences can expect to tuck into an epic range of burgers including wagyu beef cheeseburgers, pulled pork brisket burgers and Southern-fried chicken burgers, as well as New Yorker chilli cheese dogs, buffalo fried chicken, parmesan truffle fries and fresh churros. Make sure you come early, because you’ll be tempted to try everything on the menu!
Group Director of Culinary, Adam Petta, who currently manages over 120 kitchens with the AHL group including QT Hotels, Event Cinemas, and Rydges, is taking up the challenge. Counting Ananas, Sake, CUT and Swine & Co as former employers, excitement is mounting for what Petta has in store.
“I’m a bit of a film buff myself, so to be able to combine my love of great food with cinema in the great outdoors is a dream gig. I’ve worked hard to put together a tasty menu, with a wide variety of options that go perfectly with the film-watching experience as well as giving that great festival vibe that we all love so much about Moonlight Cinema,” Petta said.
But back to films, other new releases include sci-fi action-packed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the latest in the epic series The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I; Christopher Nolan’s newest blockbuster Interstellar, David Fincher’s edge-of-your-seat mystery Gone Girl and the final installment of the Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, The Battle of the Five Armies.
For those who just love to recite all the best lines of the classics, some cult favourites playing this season include Dirty Dancing, The Shawshank Redemption, Top Gun, Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Rocky Horror Picture Show.
When you’re feeling like you want to take it up a notch and belt out all the classic tunes along with the stars up on the screen, special sing-a-long nights have been programed , including the 50s high school classic, Grease and the recent “Let it Go” favourite, Frozen.
Canine-loving cinephiles will be able to bring their pooch pals to the movies even more with the upcoming program. The ever-popular Doggie Nights have increased in number this year to take place every Thursday night in January and every second Thursday during February and March. That’s a total of 28 doggy friendly events across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
“The upcoming season is by far the biggest yet for Moonlight Cinema, especially when it comes to advance screenings and new release films,” said Ian Sutherland, the Director of Moonlight Cinema. “We’re very proud of this program and excited to be screening so many big summer blockbusters before their general release dates. It certainly adds an extra level of thrill and enjoyment to watching a film outside under the stars, knowing that you’re amongst the first audience in Australia and sometimes, even the first in the world, to be seeing it!”
As always, Moonlight Cinema’s Gold Grass offers the ultimate outdoor cinema experience: the perfect treat for someone special in your life. With reserved bean beds in a premium viewing location and wait service, you won’t even have to get up from your bean bed!
There’s something for absolutely every kind of film fanatic at this season’s Moonlight Cinema. And this is only just the first half of the program! Gates are open an hour and a half before the film starts so grab all your mates and loved ones for many nights of summer fun, food and films under the stars!
WHAT: Moonlight Cinema
WHERE & WHEN: Adelaide: Botanic Park, Dec 4 – Feb 22
TICKETS: Adult: $19+bf / Cine Buzz Member: $15+bf / Concession: $16.50+bf / Sen/Child (3-15years): $14.50+bf / MasterPass Gold Grass: $35+bf
Thursdays: All tickets $12 and Gold Grass $25.
Start locking in some movie dates with your mates by checking out the program online, following Moonlight Cinema’s social media channels and signing up to Moonlight e-news.
Website: http://www.moonlight.com.au/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/moonlightcinema
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonlightcinema
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