The Astor Turns 80, Releases Epic Program

There aren’t many octogenarian cinemas about. The Astor Theatre hits that landmark on Sunday April 3, and it’ll be typically eclectic: an afternoon marathon of Bugs Bunny cartoons on 35mm, curated by Astor general manager Zak Hepburn; an evening screening of Astor favourite, 2001: A Space Odyssey ; and a mysterious “surprise” film at 4pm.

For the rest of the calendar, which covers until early July, expect Titanic on full, epic 70mm, The Goonies , Eraserhead , Romper Stomper and Lolita , all on 35mm. There’ll also be a mini season dedicated to the French director of moody gangster films, Jean-Pierre Melville. There’s also double bills of recent awards-season big hitters, such as The Big Short with Anomolisa and Spotlight paired with Trumbo. There will be an ANZAC Day screening of Peter Weir’s Gallipoli , and a whole host of the weird and obscure.

It’s been a tumultuous 80 years for the Astor. It’s had more than a few near-death experiences, starting in the ’60s when it narrowly avoided demolition by becoming a Greek cinema and sometimes bingo hall. Long after it became a Melbourne institution it sailed close to closure again due to much-publicised “irreconcilable differences” between its owner and proprietor. But Palace Cinemas stepped in at the last moment and vowed not only to keep the Astor open, but to keep it a single-screen cinema and to maintain its perfectly curated double bills and classic cult films projected in their original formats.

Long live the Astor.

The new Astor program is available here.