This month on Rialto Presenters, Ant Timpson introduces a collection of Incredibly Strange films to liven up your Wednesday nights. This week, he showcases horror flick Cub (Wednesday 6^th March), the debut feature by Flemish filmmaker Jonas Govaerts about a group of boy scouts on a camp-out who are tormented by a feral kid who booby traps the woods. Let’s just say, it’s not for the fainthearted. Over the coming weeks you can also catch the genre-bending romantic horror Spring, as well as the awesome New Zealand spatter flick Deathgasm. If horror films aren’t your thing, no worries, there’s still plenty to check out on Rialto Channel this week. Here are my picks. 

This month on Rialto Presenters, Ant Timpson introduces a collection of Incredibly Strange films to liven up your Wednesday nights. This week, he showcases horror flick Cub (Wednesday 6^th March), the debut feature by Flemish filmmaker Jonas Govaerts about a group of boy scouts on a camp-out who are tormented by a feral kid who booby traps the woods. Let’s just say, it’s not for the fainthearted. Over the coming weeks you can also catch the genre-bending romantic horror Spring, as well as the awesome New Zealand spatter flick Deathgasm. If horror films aren’t your thing, no worries, there’s still plenty to check out on Rialto Channel this week. Here are my picks. 

Listen Up Philip… Saturday 19th March, 8.30pm

This pretentious and literary film about how pretentious the literary world is, features some pretty obnoxious, egotistical and cruel people. Honestly, you’ll feel good about yourself after watching Listen Up Philip. The film stars Jason Schwartzman as writer Philip Lewis Friedman who is just about to release his second novel and has decided, much to the horror of his publisher, not to do any press for his latest book – just let the work speak for itself. This is a perfect role for the deadpan actor, whose character is describe throughout the film (and rightly so) as “a baby and an asshole”, “a cruel, miserable person”, and “selfish and unsentimental”. This last insult is actually a compliment from fellow author Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce) who invites Friedman to come and write at his country retreat. Friedman leaves his long-suffering girlfriend (Elizabeth Moss) in the city and heads to the country where Freidman and Zimmerman encourage each other to be as insufferable as they can be. 

Listen Up Philip is the third feature film from director Eric Bogosian, who channels Woody Allen, Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach in this clever, but borderline infuriating comedy. Typewriters and vinyl give this film a hipster tone that’s complimented by retro looking cinematography filmed on 16 mm cameras. 

If you like your comedy dry, bitter and cruel, then you’ll find plenty of scorching one-liners in here to keep you amused. For the rest of us, the sooner you realise these characters are intentionally unsympathetic, the easer it is to enjoy their company.  

Homme Less…Thursday 17^th March, 8.30pm 

This revealing documentary that challenges the perception of homelessness is the first feature length documentary by Thomas Wirthensohn who directed, photographed, sound recorded and co-edited the film. 

The film tells the story of former model turned fashion photographer and actor Mark Reay whose determination to follow his dream, means he sleeps under a tarp on the roof of a friends apartment building. No one in the building, especially his friend, knows he’s up there as Mark leaves early most mornings and arrives home late at night. He uses the YMCA to store his stuff, and local public toilets to get himself ready for whatever the day brings. Often, it involves photographing behind the scenes at Fashion Week for magazines such as Dazed and Confused, snapping stylish women on the street, or attending glamourous parties and events. 

Reay deceives people daily with his performance of a successful guy living the life in New York, but in fact, Reay’s desire to crack the big time either as an actor or photographer means he can’t afford an apartment. The film explores the underbelly of the American Dream gone wrong, and introduces us to middle class homelessnees. 

Wirthensohn spent two years following Mark capturing 300 hours worth of footage on his Canon 5D Mark II, and another couple of years to edit it together. What makes the film so interesting is that Reay seeks no sympathy or pity for his situation. This isn’t just a documentary about homelessness, it’s a film about the lengths someone will go to fulfill their dreams. Whether it’s worth it or not, is up to Reay.  

Romeo and Juliet  …Sunday 20th March, 8.30pm 

If you’re a Shakespeare fan but you’re unable to make it to the replica Globe Theatre that’s taken up residency in an Auckland car park, then check out Rialto British on Sunday evening. Over the next two Sundays, Rialto Channel screens the UK Globe Theatre’s critically acclaimed productions of Romeo and Juliet staring Sam Valentine and Cassie Layton as the tragic lovers, and an all male production of a Twelfth Night staring Oscar winner Mark Rylance as Olivia and Stephen Fry as Malvolio. Directed by Tom Carroll, Twelfth Night (Sunday 27^th March, 8.30p,m) was produced for the 2011/2012 Globe season, and is an Original Practices Production meaning the play retains the clothing, music, dance and settings that were possible in the Globe of around 1601. Twelfth Night was so successful it travelled to New York where Stephen Fry had his Broadway debut. The series continues into April where you will be able to enjoy the Globe Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V.