Cineplex Theatre’s annual Great Digital Film Festival returns for another year Canada-wide and they will be presenting fond films from the yesteryears in a way they were meant to be seen: on the big screen! This event starts Feb 5th and it will run for an entire week. The prices cannot be any better. They are close to the original ticket prices when these movies first screened and for SCENE members, this is the best time to rack up the points for the regular films. This points program changed where it is now scalable depending on the type of film watched. That is, if the movie is 3D, you have to see the equivalent of 10 3D movies to get one free. The more movies seen during this film festival, the more points are being offered.
And while this year’s selection was not intentional, one movie stands out in light of the news from early January. The multi-talented David Bowie passed away, just days after his new album released. His contributions to cinema should also not be forgotten and at least the programmers have serendipitously included Labyrinth in this year’s list. Although this type of event takes months to plan, this year could have stood out if The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hunger, The Last Temptation of Christ and Zoolander (where he cameoed) was also included.
The movies we at Otakunoculture are excited for are as follows. For a complete list, please visit Cineplex’s website.
The ancient mystique and lore of Ancient China is at the heart of this cult favourite. Here, an all-American truck driver Jack Burton must help his friend, Wang Chi, rescue his green-eyed girlfriend from bandits in San Francisco’s Chinatown. In order to save her, the two men must go into the mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown, where they battle kung-fu masters and face a 2000-year-old ancient sorcerer named Lo Pan who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits.
Saturday, February 6 – 3:00PM
Wednesday, February 10 – 7:50PM
The last of the Gelfings, Jen and Kira join forces and embark on a dangerous journey to “heal” a precious Dark Crystal and restore order to their planet.
For such a beautiful story by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, this movie has achieved cult status that’s beloved to this day. Although nobody cared for a cinematic sequel, more stories could be found in the printed front. Both Legends of the Dark Crystal (Vol 1: The Garthim Wars
Sunday, February 7 – 12:50PM
Tuesday, February 9 – 2:55PM
From Dusk Till Dawn
The notorious Gecko Brothers, two of America’s most dangerous criminals, are on the run from the Texas police and the FBI after a crime spree through the Southwest. Across the border in Mexico, the mysterious Carlos offers sanctuary to criminals on the lam, but first they must slip past the border patrol. Enter the Fuller family: Jacob, a minister who has lost his faith and his children, the vulnerable teenage Kate and her younger brother Scott, on a road trip in their new R.V.
The Gecko Brothers kidnap the Fullers and high-tail it to freedom with the promise to let the family go once they hook up with their criminal connection in Mexico. The rendezvous point is the Titty Twister, the wildest bar this side of the Rio Grande. The night is full of seductive promise as the group settles back to wait for Carlos and his boys to arrive at sunrise. But unbeknownst to the brothers or their hostages, the management and staff of this particular establishment have a taste for blood — in the vampire sense.
Monday, February 8 – 1:00PM
Thursday, February 11 – 9:55PM
Fired from their university research jobs, Drs. Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler promptly set up shop as parapsychologists specializing in psychic phenomena and soon they’re ridding Manhattan of bizarre apparitions. But the talents of these spirit exterminators — Ghostbusters — are severely tested when beautiful Dana Barrett and her nerdy neighbour become possessed by demons living in their building. Instead of watching the remake that’s coming later this year, this movie is the one to be seen instead!
Saturday, February 6 – 12:45PM
Tuesday, February 9 – 9:40PM
Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible — inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. It is an enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.
Friday, February 5 – 7:00PM
Wednesday, February 10 – 2:30PM
Labyrinth
Teenage Sarah is left to babysit her baby brother Toby and he will not stop crying. So Sarah tries to put the baby to sleep by reading him a story. When she accidentally conjures up the Goblin King from the fantasy, he steals the baby and takes him to his castle, which is in the middle of a labyrinth. Now Sarah must solve the labyrinth by midnight, or Toby will be turned into a goblin.
Sunday, February 7 – 2:50PM
Tuesday, February 9 – 12:40PM
Mad Max: Fury Road
Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.
Although this film is fresh from last year, it’s deserving to be screened back to back with the original that set the course straight for all films to come.
Saturday, February 6 – 9:30PM
Tuesday, February 9 – 5:00PM
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
A cynical ex-cop with no ties to anyone agrees to help a desperate community move a tanker full of gas through a bleak post-apocalyptic wasteland and past the homicidal gang who will do anything to get the fuel for themselves. This penultimate tale from the classic set of films set the bar, and who doesn’t love a good old fashioned car wars?
Saturday, February 6 – 7:30PM
Monday, February 8 – 5:45PM
Serenity
Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family —squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers — a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister — he gets much more than he bargained for.
The pair are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself.
And for fans of Nathan Fillion, he will be appearing at Emerald City Comicon, held in Seattle, Washington this year! Sunday passes into this show are still available at time of writing.
Friday, February 5 – 4:30PM
Sunday, February 7 – 5:00PM

Out of the two Star Trek movies (reboot and classic), this movie is the one to see. Sorry, J.J. but, you messed up on that one. In this one, the story follows up properly from the original series episode, “Space Seed.” Here, Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise get ambushed by Khan. His thirst for revenge speaks for all the decades of suffering he held when paradise got destroyed.
Appropriately enough, the crew works to prevent Khan and his minions from stealing and activating the Genesis Device, which is capable of eradicating entire planets.
Friday, February 5 – 12:00PM
Sunday, February 7 – 7:30PM
Wednesday, February 10 – 5:30PM