Primate Productions,  unstoppable Whitley Bay Film Festival, is back for its third year, with what looks like, another cracking line up of “classic films in classic locations”… It kicks off on Friday the 17^th with a double bill of Some Like It Hot and Hitchcock’s feathery fright fest, The Birds… complete with “real birds!” in the iconic Spanish City Dome. Saturday looks interesting with a rare big screen, screening of True Romance… a Tarantino script directed by Tony Scott. Other bits that caught my beadies were  the zombie classic, Dawn of the Dead… which they’re somehow managing to screen in the local shopping centre!, and a veritable raft of treats in the desolate setting of St Mary’s Lighthouse, which last year hosted The Fog and this year will screen  Spirited Away, Whisky Galore and a battle of the yellow eyed, teenage vampires, which pits new kid on the block Twilight against 80’s brat packer The Lost Boys.

However… there is also a VERY rare treat indeed buried away in this program, which to be honest is an absolute cracker. They’ve somehow managed to persuade Ian La Frenais to come over from LA for a special screening of his Beatles inspired musical extravaganza, Across the Universe. Ian is doing a Q+A with Chris Phipps and the man who co-penned The Likely Lads, Auf Weidersehen Pet and Porridge is sure to go down a storm in what is effectively a home coming. How’s that for a Friday night out.

More details, as usual on all the other screenings, community screenings, themed music nights, secret cinema and the ever popular Arthouses, can be found at www. whitleybayfilmfestival.co.uk

By Dave on August 17, 2012