Category: entertainment and leisure news

THIS Friday, April 5, Thame Cinema 4 All presents SIGHTSERS. Released in the UK in 2012, the film is 88 minutes long, and a 15 certificate. It is Directed by Ben Wheatley, Starring Steve Oram and Alice Lowe.

This bleak British road trip comedy has earned four or five star reviews from film goers and critics alike. Tina lives a life apparently trapped into permanent singlehood, supporting her needy and dependent harridan of a mother. That is until a new boyfriend arrives on the scene ? Chris ? who whisks her away on a dream romantic holiday ? a caravan tour of the British Isles. Chris is disgruntled and malcontent and, it turns out, inclined to violent retribution for any slight ? dropping litter, being a bit pompous and middle class, that sort of thing.

He is, it would seem, a bit of a psychopath. But Tina finds herself joining in, unleashing her erotic potential at the same time as she develops a taste for murderous carnage, finding she shares Chris? violent disdain for most other people.

This blackest of black comedies is a sort of hybrid of Badlands / Bonnie and Clyde / Natural Born Killers and Nuts in May, with plenty of observational comedy reminiscent of Victoria Wood or Allen Bennett, and affection for the northern landscapes and banal tourist attractions. But be warned ? comparisons with Wood or Bennett or Mike Leigh should not lull you into thinking this is comfortable territory: Wheatley well and truly lets rip and simmering tensions and resentments explode into graphic violence. Transgressive, confronting, confident, chilling ? a real one off.

SOURCE: Contributed by Catriona Gilmour Hamilton

THIS Friday, April 5, Thame Cinema 4 All presents SIGHTSERS. Released in the UK in 2012, the film is 88 minutes long, and a 15 certificate. It is Directed by Ben Wheatley, Starring Steve Oram and Alice Lowe.

This bleak British road trip comedy has earned four or five star reviews from film goers and critics alike. Tina lives a life apparently trapped into permanent singlehood, supporting her needy and dependent harridan of a mother. That is until a new boyfriend arrives on the scene ? Chris ? who whisks her away on a dream romantic holiday ? a caravan tour of the British Isles. Chris is disgruntled and malcontent and, it turns out, inclined to violent retribution for any slight ? dropping litter, being a bit pompous and middle class, that sort of thing.

He is, it would seem, a bit of a psychopath. But Tina finds herself joining in, unleashing her erotic potential at the same time as she develops a taste for murderous carnage, finding she shares Chris? violent disdain for most other people.

This blackest of black comedies is a sort of hybrid of Badlands / Bonnie and Clyde / Natural Born Killers and Nuts in May, with plenty of observational comedy reminiscent of Victoria Wood or Allen Bennett, and affection for the northern landscapes and banal tourist attractions. But be warned ? comparisons with Wood or Bennett or Mike Leigh should not lull you into thinking this is comfortable territory: Wheatley well and truly lets rip and simmering tensions and resentments explode into graphic violence. Transgressive, confronting, confident, chilling ? a real one off.

SOURCE: Contributed by Catriona Gilmour Hamilton

THE First Thursday Music Club in Thame is all about giving musicians the opportunity to play live in front of a large appreciative audience ? whilst giving the audience a free night out and the chance to hear a whole host of different acts playing a very wide range of music. 

An equally important aspect is the informal alliances and jams that are created where musicians sit in on stage to back up other artists ? often when they may have only just met. Sometimes the magic happens!

Tanya Brewster has appeared at FTMC a number of times and sung her brand of soulful ballads and funky ‘toons’. Last month she took to the stage with some ‘friends’ made up of regular FTMC attendee musicians – and produced an absolutely stunning set! As a result, the band has been invited back to take the 10 o? clock feature spot at The Stables behind The James Figg on Thursday, April 4. 

With Tanya on vocals, Kev (Rolex) Lucas on lead guitar, Chris (Cool man) Corfe on bass and Phil (Banger) Heard on percussion, the newly formed ‘The Vibe?’ are really not to be missed.

The First Thursday Music Club is Thame?s biggest monthly music event and is held at The Stables at the James Figg. Anyone can play just by signing up at the venue from 7.45pm. 

Check out the club on Facebook ?The First Thursday Music Club? or at www.firstthursdaymusicclub.com where you can find more info, including contact numbers and addresses for the organisers.

SOURCE: Contributed by Jim Greenhough

WHERE? Thomley Activity Centre, Worminghall, near Thame WHEN? Thursday, March 28. Come and enjoy our relaxing environment and socialise with other adults or why not book a session in our sensory room?

We also offer multiple art and craft activities for all abilities, and encourage groups to chat, have fun, and relax!

“a href=”http://thomleyactivitycentre.org/events/”target=”_blank”>http://thomleyactivitycentre.org/events/

CLASSICAL theatre with a contemporary twist! At The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame; FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD – By THOMAS HARDY, Adapted for the stage by Connie Stephens – Sunday, March 24, 7.45 pm.

More information HERE

THAME has been in the news recently and its thriving High Street (the third most successeful in the country!) is attracting a lot of attention, but there’s a lot more to Thame than just its fabulous shops!

And to prove the point, 21st Century Thame, along with South Oxfordshire District Council, is organising a special day in the town to coincide with English Tourism Day 2013, to show of our history, culture and environment and just how much there is to do if you spend ‘A Day Out In Thame’ on Saturday, March 23.

Special events on the day confirmed so far include town tours with local historians, Dance displays by the Haddenham Hoofers, guided tours of the Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve and lots of special shopping events and offers including from Rumsey’s Chocolaterie, a chance to win a wonderful bouquet at Bizzie Lizzies and a chance to win for some great shopping vouchers as you visit Thame’s Loyalty Card member business and collect stamps on a special programme.

Why not play ‘Spot the Cow’? Thame Cows have become a bit of a celebrity and we invite you to try and find them all. It’s not just a bit of fun; they’ll help you discover all that Thame has on offer … so you can plan your next visit!

Oh, and we’ve got some truly great pubs (including a micro brewery) and some wonderful eateries!

For more information visit: http://www.southernoxfordshire.com/make_a_day_of_it_in_thame.php and http://www.southernoxfordshire.com/make_it_a_day_to_shop_in_thame.php

But keep your eye on the website for even more events as they are confirmed.

A CANAL boat trip, a cottage holiday in the Lake District, pampering and chocolate treats were just a few of the lots up for bidding when TV and Radio personality, Nicolas Parsons took the hammer last night to raise funds for improvements to Thame Players Theatre.

The dinner and auction at The Thatch pub in Thame was a sell out with around 50 local theatre supporters enjoying good food, good company and a seasoned entertainer doing his best to charm, cajole and playfully bully commitments of cash out of them – all for a cause close to his own heart – local theatre.

The total raised from the proceeds of the auction, a raffle and part of the ticket sales (The Thatch generously provided the three course meal at cost to the Players) is expected to have raised around

THAME Cinema 4 All will be showing AMOUR, Directed by Michael Haneke, Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva; Made in France 2012, 125 minutes, 12A certificate.

For those interested in meaningless statistics, this year?s Oscars ceremony included the youngest ever and the oldest ever nominees for Best Actress – Quvenzhan

AS part of English Tourism Week, Visit Oxfordshire has organised the first Oxfordshire Big Day Out. They have hundreds of free tickets to give away to Oxfordshire residents. Use them on the *March 17, to rediscover and enjoy the attractions on your own doorstep.

Simply complete the details on the form on the Visit Oxfordshire website and tick your top three ticket preferences. Entries to the draw close on February 27, and winners will be contacted once tickets are allocated. All winners tickets need to be collected from the Oxford Visitor Information Centre, where proof of address will be required. Tickets will be available to collect from March 1, 2013.

* The Oxfordshire Museum tickets are for the March 16, 2013

SHOWING this Saturday, March 16 – Thame Cinema 4 All – Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame; The Master – USA 2012, 143 minutes, 15 certificate; Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams.

Joaquin Phoenix is Freddie Quell, recently de-mobbed from military service in WWII. He is a man with a past ? short-fused, violent, with a troubling attitude to women and a capacity to brew near hallucinogenic moonshine out of whatever otherwise noxious liquid he has to hand. His efforts at building a life post war start to unravel. By chance, he comes upon a welcoming, kind, and accommodating group of people who immediately befriend him and offer him solace, safety, and the potential to heal himself. This group are affiliated to a set of beliefs known as ?The Cause?, under the dazzlingly charismatic leadership of Philip Seymour Hoffman?s ?Master? Lancaster Dodd.

This is not a film about Scientology, you understand. Given that organisation?s, shall we say, litigious sensitivities, we must just get that cleared up from the off. However Paul Thomas Anderson?s latest is an expansive and masterful consideration of a self-help guru with a lucrative side-line in publishing, a man with a devoted, needy, and passionately defensive following in late 1940?s America. His philosophy involves aliens and past lives extending back ?trillions? of years ? submission to his doctrine allows the individual to connect with their countless former selves, and find the path to individual self-realisation. Fans of Anderson?s work will recognise his sweeping cinematic style, and his closely observed, carefully paced, and lavishly composed examination of his subject.

What differs slightly here is the focus on the psychological tug of war between troubled loose cannon Freddie and Hoffman?s controlling guru, and the former?s ambivalent response to The Master?s attempts to manipulate him. Phoenix has certainly never been better ? damaged, vulnerable, volatile, compelling. Hoffman, as ever, is a joy to watch as a man with an apparent lightness of touch, but a passionate need to control, and a requirement of absolute submission. And Amy Adams exudes saccharine venom as the Master?s latest bride, his most devoted and zealous follower.

The film made it to the top 10 of numerous critical top 10?s of 2012, and is definitely one that demands to be seen on a big screen.