By STEVEN HOWELL
MONTREAL — There's movie magic to be had in Montreal.
First up, the Montreal Science Centre IMAX Theatre takes you to the ends of Earth — and beyond — with its current double bill.
Making a return engagement is the out-of-this-world timeless adventure "Space Station 3D." The film, indeed mostly shot in outer space, follows the crews of Discovery, Soyuz and Atlantis as they set up house at the International Space Station some 250 miles above the Earth's orbit. Narrated by Tom Cruise, the feature film follows the astronauts and cosmonauts on their departures from Cape Canaveral in Florida and Star City, the Russian equivalent, as well as their long four-month journey in space.
The film offers an intriguing glimpse of astronaut training and goes behind the scenes at NASA. To practice weightlessness and space walks, the astronauts actually dive underwater in a huge tank that comes complete with a life-size space station. There's a lot of lighthearted fun packed into the film as well as astronauts floating through the air with the greatest of ease thanks to zero gravity. But everyday tasks provide the most fun of all as astronauts cut their hair, sleep "standing up" in a closet and have a zero-gravity food fight with oranges and M&Ms.;
Above all, the view of the cosmos, particularly planet Earth, is absolutely breathtaking.
Next, from the reaches of space to the depths of the ocean is "Under the Sea 3-D," a film that explores the pristine biodiversity of the waters off the Australian coast known as the Coral Triangle. The large-screen IMAX format lends itself quite nicely to some spectacular underwater photography. And as an added bonus, actor Jim Carrey narrates.
Both films play throughout the fall. Screenings are daily, but times vary. The Montreal Science Centre is at King Edward Pier in the Old Port. The double bill costs $23 for adults, $21 for teens and seniors, and $17 for children 4 to 12. Single film IMAX admission costs $12 for adults, $11 for teens and seniors, and $9 for children 4 to 12. Science Centre exhibitions and IMAX combos are also available. For more information and a complete schedule call (514) 496-4629 or visit www.montrealsciencecentre.com.
'LAUGHOLOGY'
The Famous Players Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal downtown multiplex offers a typical array of Hollywood blockbusters and often one converted to fit the IMAX format. The current IMAX screening is "Disney's A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey, presented in digital 3-D. At 977 Ste. Catherine St. W. Call (514) 866-0111 or visit www.paramountmontreal.com.
In the nearby Plateau neighborhood, Cinema du Parc offers a wide array of art house, cult and foreign films. Currently playing is "Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam," a documentary by Omar Majeed. The film, which follows the Muslim punk rock scene (who knew?), is based totally on fiction from the novel "The Taqwacores" written by a white convert named Michael Muhammad Knight. It screens this Friday through Sunday.
The "Strange Films for Curious People" series offers an eclectic lineup of Saturday afternoon screenings. Sunday is "Stereo" and "Crimes of the Future," both by Canadian director David Cronenberg; Nov. 21 and 28 is the 1932 classic, "The Most Dangerous Game," which has a big game hunter on the prowl for new prey — fellow human beings; and, Dec. 5 and 12, Orson Welles's "The Magnificent Ambersons."
The new Lars von Trier feature "Antichrist," starring only two actors, Willem Dafoe and Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, debuts Friday. Then for one night only, Tuesday, Nov. 17, is the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, a North American marketplace event for short films. Hundreds of shorts will be screened and some $125,000 in prizes will be awarded. Next is Peruvian Film Week, which highlights recent and classic films from the South American country. It runs Nov. 20 to 26. Many films are subtitled into English.
The documentary "Herb & Dorothy," which begins Nov. 27, follows the Vogels, postal clerk Herbert and his wife, Dorothy, a librarian, two ordinary folks who happened to have amassed one of the most important private collections of contemporary art in the world numbering some 2,000 works. In 1992, the couple donated the entire collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Finally, on a funny note (we hope) is "Laughology," a documentary that aims to prove whether laughter really is the best medicine. From Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.
Cinema du Parc is at 3575 Park Ave. Screenings cost $10 for adults. Youth, senior, Tuesday admission and matinee screenings cost $7.50. Call (514) 281-1900 or visit www.cinemaduparc.com.
E-mail Steven Howell at: writeonbetty@sympatico.ca
