THERE’S something about the arrival of spring that makes us want to shake off the old and embrace the new, but Ster-Kinekor is giving movie lovers a very good reason to look back as September gets underway.
This spring, the popular Throwback Cinema series invites audiences to revisit two very different cinematic favourites from seasons past, bringing them back to the big screen for a new generation, giving fans who remember them the chance to experience them all over again.
September’s line-up opens with director Martin Scorsese’s iconic Taxi Driver, screening for two weeks until 17 September, before making way for the much-loved family favourite Matilda, which releases for two weeks from 18 September, and in time for the short third term school holiday break.
“Whether it’s a film that shaped your love of cinema, one you haven’t seen for years, or a classic you’ve only ever heard about, Throwback Cinema offers the opportunity to rediscover these movies where they belong: on the big screen,” says Lynne Wylie, chief marketing officer of Ster-Kinekor.
Marking 50 years since its original 1976 release, Taxi Driver remains one of the defining films of American cinema, and one of the landmark collaborations between director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro.
De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, a lonely and troubled Vietnam veteran who works the night shift as a taxi driver on the streets of New York. Haunted by insomnia and increasingly alienated from the city around him, Travis becomes obsessed with the idea of cleansing what he sees as the corruption and decay of the streets. His increasingly disturbing worldview draws him towards an attempted political assassination and, ultimately, towards the rescue of Iris, a 12-year-old girl played by a young Jodie Foster. The film also stars Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks and Peter Boyle.
Directed by Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For audiences who know the famous lines, the iconic moody score and the unforgettable image of De Niro behind the wheel, this is a chance to see the film that helped define a cinematic era on the big screen once again.
From dark psychological drama to childhood magic, the September Throwback Cinema line-up takes a delightful turn with Matilda, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026.
Based on the much-loved book by Roald Dahl, Matilda was first released in 1996 and was directed by Danny DeVito, who also stars as Matilda’s neglectful father, Harry Wormwood.
The film stars Mara Wilson (pictured) as the exceptionally bright and independent Matilda, alongside Rhea Perlman as her mother, South African-born actress Embeth Davidtz as her kind-hearted teacher Miss Honey, and Pam Ferris as the terrifyingly strict school principal Miss Trunchbull.
Matilda is a gifted young girl who finds comfort and escape in books while dealing with a family who fails to appreciate her extraordinary intelligence. When she discovers that she has telekinetic powers, she begins to realise that she may have the ability to stand up for herself – and for the friends around her – against the formidable Miss Trunchbull.
Full of Dahl’s trademark blend of eccentric characters, wicked humour, imagination and heart, Matilda has become a much-loved family classic that continues to resonate with audiences who grew up with it – while introducing new generations to its magical world.
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