MIGW Outdoor Cinema: This ain't no game
This Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW), our outdoor cinema program is leaning into full 90s nostalgia as we screen three cult movie adaptations of notable comic book and video game classics over three nights.
Animatronic heroes-in-a-half-shell out to save their rat-father, live-action plumbers Mario and Luigi hurtling through parallel dimensions, and peak 90s Jean Claude van Damme martial arts camp (co-starring Kylie Minogue) – before AI and CGI, 90s live action remakes gave us puppets, dim-lighting and cheesy one-liners. Good times!
The deckchairs will be out, or feel free to BYO camping chair to enjoy free outdoor cinema on the Big Screen this MIGW.
Monday 5 October, 8pm | 1hr 33mins | 1990 | USA
The original live-action feature film adaptation of the popular comic and animated TV series stars four masked anthropomorphic turtle superheroes, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo, as they join forces with journalist April O’Neil and vigilante Casey Jones to save their wise rat guide, Splinter, from their nemesis Shredder and his Foot Clan. The turtles’ suits feature animatronics designed by the legendary Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, in one of Henson’s last film projects before his death.
Tuesday 6 October, 8pm | 1hr 42mins | 1994 | USA
Based on the 1991 videogame Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, this action-packed cult cheese-fest features Jean Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue and Raul Julia in his final film role. The martial arts film follows the efforts of Colonel Guile (Van Damme) as he enlists street fighters Ryu Hoshi and Ken Masters to thwart General M. Bison’s (Julia) plans to conquer the world with an army of genetic super-soldiers.
Wednesday 7 October, 8pm | 1hr 42mins | 1994 | USA
Super Mario Bros. is a science-fantasy adventure comedy, and was the first American feature-length live-action film based on a video game.
The film follows Italian-American plumber brothers from Brooklyn, Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo), in their quest to rescue NYU archaeology student Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from a dystopian parallel universe ruled by the ruthless President “King” Koopa (Dennis Hopper).