Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (PG)

Palace Cinema

Friday to Thursday 7pm

A flash of lightning, a crack of thunder and the door to a suburban house bursts open.

In strides a terrifying, hairy giant of a man who finds a young bespectacled boy hiding in a cupboard and utters the immortal words:

’You’re a wizard, Harry!’

Here is another chance to see the first film of the wildly successful Harry Potter series of books on the big screen.

It is remarkable to see just how young Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are as they introduce themselves to the world as the fabled boy wizard Harry Potter, the precociously intelligent Hermione Grainger and the cheeky Ron Weasley.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone sets the scene for the next seven instalments of the epic saga.

We see the three become firm friends and then, through Harry’s eyes, we are introduced to the magical halls of Hogwarts and its cast of adult characters, such as the afore-mentioned lovable giant Hagrid, played by Robbie Coltrane, Professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, played by Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith and many others.

We also meet the scheming Draco Malfoy, played by Tom Felton, who is soon set up to be Harry’s nemesis for the next few years.

It’s not long, however, before the three friends find themselves mixed up in the peculiar goings-on at Hogwarts and Harry begins to find out about his past, what happened to his family and how he got his famous scar.

The young cast hold their own against their more illustrious co-stars and, in contrast to the darkening and more sinister tone of the later films of the series, the Philosopher’s Stone is an enjoyable family film, full of capers and escapades that bring the joyful world of J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter to life.

This was also one of the last films made by screen legend Richard Harris, as the fatherly head wizard Albus Dumbeldore, a role he reprised once more in the sequel, the Chamber of Secrets.

Superman (PG)

Palace Cinema

Friday to Thursday 7.30pm

Before there were the Avengers, the X-Men or any number of the comic book characters being born and re-born in countless re-makes, there was Superman.

To children growing up through the 1970s and 80s, there was only one Superman, and that was Christopher Reeve, who thrilled audiences by diving into phone boxes and emerging as the flying, invincible, all-American hero who would save young children from peril, pets from trees and who school buses from falling off the edge of bridges.

By today’s standards, the effects maybe shaky and a touch wobbly, although at the time they were considered ground-breaking.

But this original 1978, also starring Margot Kidder as a feisty Lois Lane still holds a lot of its original charm.

Reeve’s Superman arrives as the child Kal-El, sent by Jor-El, played by Marlon Brando and slowly learns of his powers before trying stop the nefarious criminal genius Lex Luther, played by Gene Hackman, as he tries to blow up California.

Harry potter and the philosopher’s stone (PG)

Palace Cinema

Friday to Thursday: 7pm

Superman (pg)

Palace Cinema

Friday to Thursday: 7.30pm