Although Leeds Young Film Festival 2020 has been postponed due to Coronavirus, we want to make sure that you still have the opportunity to watch and discover new films, along with some family favourites.
To help you navigate the world of online streaming we will be suggesting ten films each Friday that you can watch as a family, along with where to find them. Some of the films require either a Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ account but we know most households have at least one of these (and all are offering a free trial before you have to subscribe). We will also ensure that we include some free-to-watch films as well which only requires you to have a TV Licence.
Here are the selections for w/c Friday 19 June.
Night Mail (BFI Player / Talking Pictures, Fri 19 Jun, 4:35pm)
Dirs. Harry Watt & Basil Wright, 1936, UK, 24 mins, Cert U
Receiving post through the mail is a rare occurence these days thanks to the rise of email, text messaging and the like and we take it for granted that if we do post something it will arrive at its destination within a day or two without any thought of the process behind it.
This fascinating 24-minute film made in 1936 by the General Post Office documents the nightly postal train operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) from London to Glasgow and the staff who operate it.
The film ends with a poem (described as a verse commentary) written by famous poet W. H. Auden to a score by composer Benjamin Britten.
Read more on IMDB here.
The Muppet Movie (Disney+)
Dir. James Frawley, 1979, UK / USA, 95 mins, Cert U
Co-produced by the USA and UK (where there was a huge following for The Muppet Show TV series) this was the first movie outing for Kermit and friends.
Kermit the Frog is approached by a Hollywood agent to leave his life in the swamp and audition for the chance to make it big in Hollywood. Along the way, Kermit makes lots of new friends including Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and the Great Gonzo but is pursued by the ruthless Doc Hopper who wants him as a spokesperson for his frog legs restaurant.
The final reprise song includes over 250 Muppets, all singing and moving, animated by over 150 pupeteers who were hidden in a 6m x 15m pit below the stage.
Read more on IMDB here.
Time Bandits (Film4, Sat 20 Jun, 11:00am)
Dir. Terry Gilliam, 1981, UK, 110 mins, Cert PG
An anarchic fantasy adventure from famed director and member of Monty Python, Terry Gilliam, with a huge cast of A list stars.
Young history buff Kevin can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his wardrobe one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being, they've stolen a map charting all of the holes in the fabric of time and are using it to steal treasures from different historical eras. Taking Kevin with them, they drop in on Napoleon, Robin Hood and King Agamemnon before the Supreme Being catches up with them.
In 2018 it was announced that Apple TV were developing a TV series of the story with Gilliam on board in a non-writing production role and Taika Waititi as the director of the pilot.
Read more on IMDB here.
Krull (Horror Channel, Sun 20 Jun, 6:35pm)
Dir. Peter Yates, 1983, UK, 121 mins, Cert PG
Prince Colwyn and his group of outlaws journey across the planet Krull to save future queen Princess Lyssa from the Beast and his constantly teleporting citadel of alien invaders, the Black Fortress.
An ambitious sci-fi/fantasy that was a box office failure at the time but has since gone on to be a cult success, described by critics as Star Wars meets King Arthur.
Read more on IMDB here.
Only Yesterday (Netflix)
Dir. Isao Takahata, 1991, Japan, 118 mins, Cert PG
A young office worker travels from Tokyo to the countryside to visit her sister's family. Along the way she reminisces about the joys of her childhood, and wonders if her stress-filled adult life is what her young self would have wanted.
A beautifully shot and touching drama it ranks among one of Studio Ghibli's best films.
Read more on IMDB here.
Bend it Like Beckham (E4, Sat 20 Jun, 6:40pm)
Dir. Gurinder Chadha, 2002, UK, 112 mins, Cert 12
Bend it Like Beckham is an inspiring, compassionate comedy with a sly undercurrent of social commentary about the bending of rules, social and cultural expectations and lives.
Jess is the 18-year-old daughter of British Indian Sikhs living in London in the early 00s. She is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. Secretly she joins a local women's team, which makes its way to the top of the league and then has to decide between obeying her parents and bowing to tradition or following her dreams.
The film's title refers to the football player David Beckham, and his skill at scoring from free kicks by curling the ball past a wall of defenders. In 2010 it became the first Western film to air on North Korean television.
Read more on IMDB here.
The Lorax (Amazon Prime)
Dirs. Chris Renaud & Kyle Balda, 2012, USA / France, 86 mins, Cert U
From the creators of Despicable Me comes The Lorax, based on the Dr. Seuss story of the same name about a creature who fights against the environmental destruction of the forest.
In the walled city of Thneed-Ville where everything is artificial, a 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams - a real tree. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
The film ends with the Dr. Seuss quote "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not."
Read more on IMDB here.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Amazon Prime)
Dir. Taika Waititi, 2016, New Zealand, 101 mins, Cert 12
Ricky, a problem child from the city, is fostered by two reclusive country folk. When Ricky runs away he sparks a national manhunt for him and his stepfather after they get stranded in the New Zealand wilderness.
Taika Waititi is currently enjoying a huge popularity as a director. Having written, directed and starred in the vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, he went on to make Thor: Ragnarok and is currently developing the next Star Wars film, a new TV series based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and (if rumours are true) a new TV series based on Time Bandits (see above).
Read more on IMDB here.
The Addams Family (Netflix)
Dirs. Greg Tiernan & Conrad Vernon, 2019, Canada / USA, 82 mins, Cert PG
Following the live action film adaptations of the 1990s, this updated animation returns to the style of the original Charles Addams comic strip with its morbidly dark sense of humour.
The eccentrically macabre Addams family move to a bland suburb where Wednesday Addams' friendship with the daughter of a local reality show host creates conflict between the families.
Actors Chloe Grace Moretz and Finn Wolfhard who play Wednesday and Pugsley Addams are no strangers to dark and scary films having appeared in such horror movies as Let Me In, Dark Shadows and Suspiria (Moretz) and IT and TV's Stranger Things (Wolfhard).
Read more on IMDB here.
Dumbo (Disney+)
Dir. Tim Burton, 2019, USA / UK / Australia / Canada, 112 mins, Cert PG
Another week, another Tim Burton film on the list of recommendations. This time, it's Disney's live action remake of Dumbo about a baby elephant who can fly.
A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.
The extras appearing in the circus scenes were not actors, but actual circus acts. Over 600 circus performers from around the world were hired for crowd scenes.
Read more on IMDB here.
Repeats
Some of the films that we've recommended on terrestrial TV over the last few weeks are repeated again this weekend. Here's another chance to catch them if you missed them first time round.
