Get out of the house on the third Wednesday evening of each month and enjoy films on the big screen with us!

The Drill Hall Film Society screens classic films at an affordable price in comfortable tiered seating in our air-conditioned theatre. Grab a delicious snack and beverage from the bar, and be part of our lively film discussions after each show.

Become a Film Society subscriber for just $75 and gain entry to 11 films/year (or $60 if you’re a Drill Hall Theatre Company associate member). Casual guest rates cost $10/film.

Renewals due in July.

Contact Peter on [email protected] for more information or to become a member.

The Drill Hall Film Society is a member of the Australian Film Societies Federation which provides support and information. To find out more visit AFSF.

Wednesday July 15^th @ 7pm

The first film of the Drill Hall Film Society’s new film season is a cult classic.  Bud Cort is a dead-pan disillusioned 20-year-old obsessed with suicide with a lovable Ruth Gordon as a fun-loving 80-year-old eccentric. They meet at a funeral, and develop a taboo romantic relationship, in which they explore the tired theme of the meaning of life with a fresh perspective.

Bud Cort, who passed away in February of this year, built a reputation for eccentric characters and worked for Robert Altman in M*A*S*H and Brewster McCloud and Wes Anderson in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou. Ruth Gordon is best remembered as the terrifying neighbour in Rosemary’s Baby. She began her film career in silent films in 1915 and had an extensive stage career. She married writer Garson Kanin and collaborated with him on the screenplays for Adam’s Rib and Pat and Mike, both of which starred Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. She died in 1985.

Both Ruth and Bud were nominated for Golden Globe awards for Harold and Maude. Director Hal Ashby won an Oscar as editor of The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. His directing credits include Shampoo, The Last Detail, and Being There.

 The Critics

“Hal Ashby’s comedy is too dark and twisted for some, and occasionally oversteps its bounds, but there’s no denying the film’s warm humour and big heart.”

“It balances a morbid premise … with charm, sharp social critique, and a now-iconic Cat Stevens soundtrack.”

Renowned critic Roger Ebert famously gave the film just 1.5 stars out of 4.

Rotten Tomatoes gives it 99.5 out of 100.

Today it is widely praised for its anti-war and anti-repression themes. Its cult status views it not as a romance, but as a catalyst that pushes a misunderstood young that helps thaw Harold’s icy exterior, proving that self-exploration and personal self-fulfilment can conquer the darkest of circumstance. Hal Ashby’s Being There and Harold and Maude have been inducted into the American National Film Registry.