The Girl DVD Review

The Girl is one of 2 Alfred Hitchcock biopics coming out in soon succession of each other, the other being the simply titled Hitchcock.Toby Jones stars as Hitch in The Girl, who has portrayed a famous dead
person before. He played Truman Capote in Infamous and like The Girl, which had a competing biopic as well Capote.

The Girl’s story is about Tippi Hedren (played by Sienna Miller). Tippi was a very successful model in the early 50s to 60s, Hitchcock was looking for a new Grace Kelly (who starred in a handful of Hitch’s earlier film, including the masterful Rear Window) and found Tippi. He cast her as the lead in his film The Birds. The Birds is often considered the last great Hitchcock film (even though this reviewer who put a case up for the later Frenzy) and was one of the most successful of his entire career. Tippi is tortured throughout The Birds by Hitchcock which climaxes with him lying they were gonna use artificial birds but in reality he choose to use real birds and made her shoot the bird attacking scene for 3 days.

Tippi becoming an overnight sensation because of The Birds. She was under contact to Hitch, who had already made sexual advances to her during the making of The Birds. Despite this due to the nature of the contract, she makes another film with Hitch called Marnie however isn’t as good as The Birds even though it’s certainly the more interesting film. It’s sorta like Hitchcock’s Masterpiece Vertigo’s little sister. It deals with a young woman who is a chronic liar and thief and has some serious psychological issues, which date back to her childhood. After the troubled filming of Marnie, she wants out of her contract from Hitchcock who continually made advances to her during the filming. However he made sure she couldn’t work again till
Charlie Chaplin’s last film and lost out a role for a François Truffaut film.

The Girl is a very mixed bag. It has 2 very fine performances by Sienna Miller and Toby Jones (which is the superior performance).However the film is very much a tv film and that’s fine but it barely cracks the surface level of their relationship and paints Hitch clearly as the villain (which he certainly was). You don’t get any
sort of emotion from Hitch or why he does such horrible things to Tippi. The film also suffers from a low budget film problem that a lot of film posters in Hitch’s room are mock posters for his great films and not the real ones, which probably do to copyright. The other film which is very annoying is Marnie starred Sean Connery and you never see Tippi or Hitchcock interact with Sean during the making of Marnie, there is stand in but you never see his face, this is very distracting. Overall it’s worth seeing on iplayer or renting for the performances but some things are very annoying. It also ends with the laughable appendix that claims “Marnie is now considered Hitchcock’s last masterpiece”.

Ian Schultz

★★★☆☆

Rating: 15
Release Date:26th December 2012 (UK BBC2 ) 7th January 2013 (UK,DVD)
Directed By: Julian Jarrold
Cast: Sienna Miller, Toby Jones and Penelope Wilton

Third Window Films Announce UK January Release of The Woodsman And The Rain

Love Asian film? Love Zombie Horror? Comedy? Well your going to love Shichi Okita's eccentric The Woodsman And The Rain which is coming to the UK&Ireland thanks to the fantastic Third Window Films this January. The film stars Koji Yakusho (Shall We Dance, 13 Assassins, The Admiral), Shun Oguri (Crows Zero, Azumi, Space Brothers)and Kengo Kora (Norwegian Wood, Fish Story) a story about a lumberjack who lives in the quaint mountain side whose life is turned upside when a low budget film crew arrive to create a zombie movie!

Synopsis:Katsu (Internationally acclaimed actor Koji Yakusho from Shall We Dance and 13 Assassins) plays a 60 year-old lumberjack who lives in a small, tranquil village in the mountains. When a film crew suddenly arrives to shoot a zombie movie, Katsu finds himself unwittingly roped into assisting the production and becomes increasingly frustrated with the pushy crew, especially the young, seemingly spineless director Koichi (Shun Oguri, star of Crows 0, Sukiyaki Western Django and Space Brothers).

However, an improbable friendship soon develops between Katsu and Koichi, as Katsu comes to see joy in the filmmaking process, and gradually helps Koichi to recover his sense of self. Soon, their bond inspires an unusual collaboration between the villagers and the film crew.

Features

• Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Pre-Order: The Woodsman and the Rain [DVD] / [Blu-ray]


Adam Brodie caught the film at Terracotta Film Festival earlier this year , read his review here and The Woodsman And The Rain will be released in UK&Ireland on DVD and Blu-Ray from January 28th 2013.

Win Limited Edition T-Shirt & DVD For The Baytown Outlaws

More potent than a shot of Alabama moonshine, Eva Longoria and Billy Bob Thornton, star in The Baytown Outlaws, a super-charged, foul-mouthed and very bloody, Tarantino-esque action-comedy, directed and co-written by Barry Battles.

The Baytown Outlaws is out to own on DVD and Blu-ray from 26th December!

Courtesy of Universal Pictures (UK), we have extremely limited edition, one of a kind, exclusive T-shirts and a copy of the film to be won!

Meet the Oodies, a trio of redneck hillbilly brothers whose main source of fun – and only source of employment – is illegally enforcing several unwritten laws on behalf of the local corrupt sheriff. When their latest job goes disastrously wrong and ends in a massacre at the wrong address, the brothers are approached by Celeste, a witness to the mayhem, with a proposal. She’s willing to pay them $25,000 for the safe return of her godson, who has been kidnapped by her ex-husband. What she fails to tell them is that the man in question is a ruthless mobster who believes Celeste is dead, having previously arranged for one of his goons to pump her full of lead.

Unsurprisingly, what should be a simple rescue mission soon turns into a southern fried battle royale of epic proportions as the brothers fall foul of a seemingly endless parade of psychopaths and miscreants who want them dead, ranging from a gang of crazy-ass biker chicks and a pack of ruthless road warriors to Federal agents, crooked cops and some very angry Native Americans.

To Win the limited edition T-Shirt and DVD (also a runner up prize of a T-Shirt) please answer the following question:

Q. Which of of The Baytown Outlaws cast Starred in Chopper Chicks In Zombietown?

Deadline 13th January 2013 (2359hrs)   Must be 15 years or older to enter
*Please remember Always Double Entry to those who like/friend Us at Facebook*

Email your answer, name, address and postcode only to - winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com
In event of the above form not working please refer to Terms&Conditions on how to enter

Terms & Conditions:1.This prize is non transferable.No cash alternatives apply.UK & Irish entries only.2.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse and Universal Pictures (uk). have the right to alter, delay or cancel this competition without any notice 3.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse,Universal Pictures (uk) employees 4.This competition is promoted on behalf of Universal Pictures (uk) 5. If this prize becomes unavailable we have the right to offer an alternative prize instead 6.To enter this competition you must send in your answer, name, address only, Deadline 13th January 2013 (2359hrs)7.Will only accept entries sent to the correct email (winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com), any other entry via any other email will be void.8.If the above form fails please send the information required from the form email it to winatcinehouseuk@gmail.com (label geronimo) If any info required from the form is not sent in the email your entry will be void 9.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned.10.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry.11.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 12.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control 13.The competition is opened to Aged 15 and over.14. Majority of the prizes on offer will come from representatives of the distributor, no The People’s Movies &Cinehouse, when we do have the prizes we will inform you.15. Unless Stated Please Do Not Include Telephone Numbers, we don’t need them and if you include your telephone number Cinehouse and The People’s Movies are not responsible for the security of the number 16.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email or announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners.17.This competition is bound by the rules of Scotland,England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland.18.By sending your entry for this competition you are confirming you have read and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.

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Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas! Watch 100 Year Old Santa Claus Films

Well I hope all the boy and girls in film fanland tonight will brush their teeth, hang up their stockings and get some shut eye as our favourite overweight man with a big white beard and a iconic red and white suite will be delivering his presents as we sleep. Ole Santa Clause is the icon for this time of the year outside the religion importance of this time of the year and is subject to many Christmas based films every year. Lets step back in time to over 100 years ago and thanks to BFI (via Filmschoolrejects) we have 5 films all short films which show Old Saint Nick or the spirit of Christmas.

George Albert Smith‘s 1898 short Santa Claus (aka The Visit From Santa Claus), which is one of the first on screen adaptations of Santa showing the big man deliver gifts to a house but compare it to The Night Before Christmas not the Tim Burton  film but Edwin S Porter's version. produced by none other than Thomas Edison which expands on the delivering with going into Santa's workshop as well as a wonderful sleigh ride. A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus based on Virginia O’Hanlon story Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus which expands more on the characters magic and a myth of a boy who lasso's Santa taking him back to Virginia and to homes of poor kids which apparently he doesn't do! In the 1914 docunmentary come fantasy Making Christmas Crackers, we see a set of women create the crackers we like to pull at our dinners with the final part we see Santa appear when some kids pull a giant cracker. Finally we have   Wladyslaw Starewicz's  The Insects’ Christmas a creepy but intriguing Polish short which sees a Santa ornament celebrate Christmas in the company of insects.

We all take Christmas for granted and expect certain things, traditions so it's always fascinating to go back to a period before high tech films, computers, technology in general dominated our lives, when life was more innocent and the true message of Christmas wasn't about commercialization.










The Insects' Christmas from David Cairns on Vimeo.

Can You Survive Sinister? Horror Hit Coming To UK DVD This February

From the producer of “Insidious” and “Paranormal Activity”, the horror box office smash that terrified cinemagoers and critics alike in 2012  When Sinister comes to DVD and Blu-ray. Can you, dare you #SurviveSINISTER in your own home?

Desperately in need of a best seller to revive his struggling career, true crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke), moves his family to the scene of his most recent story; the unsolved, gruesome murder of a loving, happy suburban family.Shunned by the local community and strained by his obligations to his family, the discovery of a batch of home movies in the attic offers Ellison shocking proof to the crime he is investigating. Ellison notices the same unidentified figure appearing in each of the 8mm films, leaving him convinced that all the incidents are linked by a truly bizarre connection. As his investigations uncover the terrifying truth he starts to lose his grip on reality and it soon becomes clear that he is placing his own family in harm’s way.

It’s like “8MM” meets “The Shining” meets “Insidious”. A supremely creepy horror, full of dread, shocking images and almost unbearable tension, this one is pretty much guaranteed to give audiences nightmares. It also features a superb central performance by Ethan Hawke.

So can you survive Sinister? Find out 11th February 2013 when the film arrives in UK&Ireland on DVD, Blu-Ray. Sinister stars stars Ethan Hawke , Vincent D’Onofrio , James Ransome, Juliet Rylance and Fred Dalton Thompson

• Extras: 
• Director's Commentary
• Commentary with Writers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
• True Crime Authors Feature
• Living in a House of Death Feature
•  Fear Experiment
• Trailer

Pre-Order: Sinister On Blu-ray / DVD

Swelter In The Suspense With 247°F Coming To UK January

The temperature is definitely rising as we announce the arrival of the hottest high concept thriller of 2013 that's guaranteed to make you sweat like never before, 247°F  out on DVD and Blu-ray through Anchor Bay UK on 28th January 2013.

The horrors, thrills and perils of “Frozen” are taken to the opposite extreme and the heat is most definitely on as a trio of trim, toned twenty-somethings are trapped in a sauna and, with the temperature rising and no sign of escape, a wild, hot and steamy weekend of “bare babes and brews” soon turns into a primal fight for survival.

Based on true events, this sweltering suspenser follows a trio of trim, toned twenty-somethings that become trapped in a sauna. With the temperature rising and no sign of escape, a wild, hot and steamy weekend of “bare babes and brews” soon turns into a primal fight for survival! Think “Frozen” but with less snow and more glistening breasts and glowing pecs!
Three years after witnessing the tragic death of her boyfriend in a car accident, Jenna is still struggling to come to terms with her loss. Hoping a carefree weekend away will help, Jenna’s best friend since childhood, good-time party girl Renee, invites her to stay at a remote lakeside cabin along with her jock boyfriend, Michael, and his best buddy, Ian. But the promised weekend of partying, boozing and chilling soon turns into a nightmare when three of the group find themselves inexplicably locked in the cabin’s sauna with no apparent way out.

Scream queen Scout Taylor-Compton (here reunited with “Halloween” co-star Tyler Mane) becomes a veritable “steam queen” starring alongside gorgeous rising star Christina Ulloa and hunky co-stars Van Winkle and Michael Copon in this sultry, slick and uber-sexy horror that's guaranteed to fire up fans of survival situation horrors such as “Frozen”, “Open Water” and “Buried”.


Pre-Order:247º (247 Degrees Fahrenheit) [DVD]

Invasion, Infection and Zombies! Trailer to Mulbury Project

With so many video games come films out there you always wonder why no one from within the gaming industry has thought of using their creative talents and make a film themselves. Martin Brennan & Michael B Jackson have written many stories for games as well as comic books now entering in film with Mulbury Project.

Set 2025 in a disease ridden land where a young orphan boy who goes to the aide of a young girl who is been chased by a ruthless corporation. Info on this project is very scarce so we don't even know if this trailer is a proper trailer with actual footage or a concept trailer, whatever it is we do like what we're seeing. If you want see some of the film's conceptual art head over to the film's facebook page.



source:Quietearth

Searching For Sugar Man Blu Ray Review

If someone was to ask you do you know of a musician who is regarded bigger than Elvis better than Bob Dylan you would probably laugh in that persons face and tell them there's no one. In Mallick Bendjelloul's Searching For Sugar Man he introduces to the world that person, his name is Sixto Rodriguez an unknown but gifted latino American singer songwriter whose fame and success is the inspiration behind a nation's rise against their oppressors to become a nation once again.

Searching For Sugar Man tells the story of (Sixto) Rodriguez a Mexican American singer songwriter who was discovered in the late 1960's by two celebrated producers awestruck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics. They went onto to record 2 albums which were to secure Rodriguez's reputation as one of the finest recording artists of his generation, however the albums bombed the singer disappeared into oblivion  amid rumours of gruesome onstage suicide. Whist Rodriguez sunk without trace in his homeland thousands of miles away on the other side of the world unknown to him his music becomes the voice of the resistance in Apartheid South Africa . Thanks to two of those South African Fans embark on a investigation on what really happened to their hero, an investigation lead them to some extra ordinary results.

Searching For Sugar Man is a story that had to be told.In an era when many young musicians  are wrapped in cotton wool to protect them, forced to give up individual  style, creativity , originality for a quick route to the top. In return musical fascist  Simon Cowell rips your soul away for a predictable generic sound, manufactured to find your 15 minutes of fame, would you ever see James Arthur, JLS or no direction have they stepped into a smokey old bar or an aggressive working mans club? They probably look at you with such disdain. Say it to Rodriguez and many of the artists of the same generation these clubs are the heart and soul of music, you learned your trade their, experienced heartache most off be spotted there.

Searching for Sugar Man may not be telling us the whole story nor is it leaving you what your hearing is fabrication. The director Malik Bendjelloul decides to deliver the mystery card most of Rodriguez life with solely concentrating on the impact his album Cold Fact had on South Africa. 2012 has been the year of the documentary which this film earning its cinematic stripes staying away from the typical musical doc constraints for something a little more in depth, impact delivering the mystery by following the investigation of South African journalist Craig Bartholomew  and record shop owner Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, as they try to piece to piece together one of music's great 'unsolved' Rock N Roll Suicides. With the search beginning only 15 years ago in 1997 you would think things would be a little easier however this was pre internet boom era the world wide web was in it's infancy with access to the internet limited to a privilege few making this out come even more fascinating.

My only gripe with Searching For the Sugar Man was the trail of the financial benefits that should have bestowed Rodriguez was cut rather too soon for my liking. However as you watch on the trail we did take hit a brick wall when all paths seem to lead to former Mowtown Executive Clarence  Avant who clearly becomes very aggressive when questioned leading to thoughts Rodriguez  talent was exploited for other persons financial gains. So why doesn't Rodriguez not care? When we finally meet him we see why, he's a modest man, a man of basic needs despite his appearance and sometimes a persona of a old rock star but deep downa man living a solitude life.Politically we hear that Rodriguez is a man of the people, working class street man it's this that suggests where the 'better than Dylan' line may come into force but also as his views politically not of American way you might think this might have cost him. If he did reap those lost financial rewards he would have shared the wealth with his loved ones just like he did with the South African ones.

Searching For the Sugar Man may not totally answer those burning questions fully but still what we get is fulfilling  compelling and captivating. In a age when new musicians surrender musical freedom and integrity to be pushed directly limeight for their 15 minutes of fame unprepared for the pitfall's of the industry Searching For The Sugar Man is a stark reminder of a story that will never happen again in music so its a magical story that must be told for generations to come.

Paul Devine

★★★★★

UK Rating: 15
DVD/BD Release Date: 27th December 2012 (UK)
Directed by: Malik Bendjelloul
Cast: Rodriguez, Clarence Avant
Buy Searching For Sugarman: [Blu-ray] or [DVD]

Jesus Christ! Enlightenment Prevails As Jesus And Buddha Are Flatmates In Saint Young Men

Remember when someone said their's a manga or anime for everyone? What about one about Jesus and Buddha been flatmates in Tokyo? Step forward Takao Noriko's Young Saint Men where the populist Gods are flat buddies on a journey of discovery !

It's surreal, crazy, WTF moment but it's anime so enjoy the teaser trailer!



sorce:Twitch

Eli Roth Earthquake Horror Aftershock Gets First Trailer

It's been a while since we've had anything from Eli Roth and his latest horror project Aftershock has it's first official trailer. The American filmmaker this time is producing but of all starring in the ecological disaster come horror survival flick about a group of American tourist who go on holiday to Chile decide to have an wild night at a local night club. Things go bad to worse whilst in the club an devastating earthquake hits and when the group thinks the escape from the club was the worse of their worries as chaos runs wild  outside. This one should please fans of Roth as you'll as the trailer progresses into a typical Roth Style horror ala Hostel, though some may question if he should just stick what he does better direct. Have a look decide for yourselves.

Aftershock is the American feature debut of Nicolas Lopez and also stars Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, and Selena Gomez.


source: IGN

Stanley Kubrick’s FEAR AND DESIRE will be screened in cinemas across the country from 4th January 2013

Eureka Entertainment have announced that in support of the release on home video of Stanley Kubrick’s FEAR AND DESIRE, the film will be screening across venues in the Picturehouse Chain from 4th January 2013.

Full Details are as follows:

Duke's at Komedia, Brighton - Jan 4-5 2013 (2 days)

Harbour Lights Picturehouse - Jan 6 2013, Jan 10 2013 (2 days)

Stratford Picturehouse, East London - Jan 10 2013 (1 day)

Greenwich Picturehouse - Jan 10 2013 (1 day)

Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton - Jan 14 2013 (1 day)

Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford - Jan 14 2013 (1 day)

Hyde Park Picturehouse, Leeds – Jan 17 2013 (1 day)

Clapham Picturehouse - Jan 20 2013 (1 day)

Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool - Jan 21 2013 (1 day)

Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh - Jan 24 2013 (1 day)

Exeter Picturehouse - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)

City Screen Picturehouse, York - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)

Cinema City, Norwich - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)

The Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen - Jan 30 2013 (1 day)

Hackney Picturehouse - Jan 31 2013 (1 day)

For further details of the screenings http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/

Eureka Entertainment will be releasing FEAR & DESIRE on Blu-ray & DVD on 28 January 2013 in a new restoration for the first time ever in the UK. It is the only Kubrick film besides A Clockwork Orange that was nearly impossible to see in the UK for several decades.

Kubrick's debut feature tells the story of a war waged (in the present? in the future?) between two forces. In the midst of the conflict, a plane carrying four soldiers crashes behind enemy lines. From here out, it is kill or be killed: a female hostage is taken on account of being a potential informer; an enemy general and his aide are discovered during a scouting mission... What lies in store for this ragtag group of killers, between their perilous landing in the forest, and the final raft-float downstream... all this constitutes the tale of Kubrick's precocious entry into feature filmmaking.

Bringing into focus for the first time the same thematic concerns that would obsess the director in such masterworks as Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket, Fear and Desire marks the outset of the dazzling career and near-complete artistic freedom which to this day remains unparalleled in the annals of Hollywood history. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire in its gorgeous new restoration on both Blu-ray and DVD.

Watch The Mesmerizing Trailer For Vanishing Waves

Kristina Buozyte's festival award winning Vanishing Waves has released a new international trailer showing off the films intelligent, artistic approach to science fiction genre. It's good to be different is a moto I like to use a lot and it's a moto that Cinehouse & The People's Movies is based around, Vanishing Waves is certainly different. The film does seem to have a big 1970's feel to it especially Russian film and Solaris been the first name that comes to mind and when it's done well be it arthouse or mainstream, it's always worth a look especially one that's bagged Melies d'Or as the best European genre film of the year at Sitges and best feature, script, director and actress nods at Fantastic Fest.

No word on a possible UK release but the film will be heading to USA sometime in 2013. This is thw Lithuanian trailer the homeland of the director and where the films theatrical run starts.

Have you ever dreamed of being inside the head of another person - a beloved one or your rival ? Have you ever wished to experience the ideal relationship, where two minds come into total fusion? "Vanishing waves" - a sci-fi melodrama. Following solid scientific experiment, based on the neural transfer, a young inhibited man will live an astonishing journey in the comatose woman anonymous mind. This contemporary tale is exploring the nature of desire by exposing links and contradictions between the human body and the mind.

source:Twitch

The Weird and wonderful Holy Motors UK Home Release Coming January

A stellar cast including Leos Carax, Denis Lavant, Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue, beautiful cinematography and extraordinary story combine to make the one and only Holy Motors. Having garnered Five Star reviews in The Guardian, Empire, The Telegraph, The Times, The Irish Times, Eye For Film and the New York Daily News, amongst others, during its hugely successful theatrical release, Holy Motors is the most dazzling, inventive and critically acclaimed film of the year comes to DVD and Blu-ray 28th January 2013.

Synopsis:Over the course of a single day, Monsieur Oscar travels by limousine around Paris to a series of nine “appointments,” transforming into a new character at each stop. Picked up in the morning by Céline, his trusty chauffeur, Oscar begins the day as a captain of industry before becoming a disabled, old gypsy woman begging for spare change on a bridge over the Seine.

Oscar’s seven proceeding incarnations call on what seem to be arbitrary locations throughout the day and night, including a video production facility, the Pere-Lachaide cemetery and a decaying Right Bank department store. With the aid of Céline and his dependable motor, Oscar encounters many bizarre situations and individuals, changing faces and never stopping once, until he fulfils his appointments.

A Palme d’Or nominee and winner of the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes Film Festival 2012, winner of the Gold Hugo for Best International Feature and Silver Hugos for Best Actor (Leo Carax) and Best Cinematography (Caroline Champetier and Yves Cape) at the Chicago International Film Festival and winner of the Best Director, Best Film and Critic’s Award at the Catalonian International Film Festival, Leos Carax’s “Holy Motors” is a heartfelt love letter to Cinema by one of today’s most visionary filmmakers.

Part horror movie, part noir-ish crime thriller; part romantic drama, part musical; part comedy, part sci-fi fantasy: it is a film that is almost as impossible to describe as it is to resist. All in all, it is essential viewing for everyone who enjoys the magic of the movies.



Pre-order: Holy Motors DVD / Blu-ray
Holy Motors will be yours to own on DVD, Blu-Ray from 28th January 2013.

Top Ten Documentaries of 2012

People assume that most films are crafted in a filmmaker’s mind, taking a script, translating it to screen and entertaining audiences the world round in that order; however, the documentary provides an honest insight into a subject that has actually occurred in our world, not the world created by the filmmaker.

Searching for Sugar Man, which hits DVD and Blu-ray on 27 December, shows that documentaries can be just as mysterious as crime thrillers; re-counting the story of a 70s rock icon who has long-since faded into oblivion, the film is just one of a many documentaries this year that have dabbled with the element of mystery and played with the conventional formula - making 2012 a pioneering year for the documentary. Here is a list marking the best of the bunch.

Searching for Sugar Man

A mysterious, informative and riveting documentary about two South Africans who embark on a quest to discover the truth behind their one-time hero, Sixto Rodriguez. Whether a music lover or a documentary fan, Searching for Sugar Man works better if you don’t do a Google search beforehand. You will reap the rewards of this amazing documentary from Malik Bendjelloul.

The Imposter

Like many of this year’s documentaries, The Imposter is best seen not knowing too much about what you are viewing. A Texan boy is found in Spain three years after he went missing, but it soon becomes clear that is all not as straightforward - Bart Layton’s documentary spectacularly confounds all expectation when it is flipped on its head not even 15 minutes in. Your eyes won’t leave the screen for its 100-minute running time.

The Queen of Versailles

The Queen of Versailles has been touted the best doc of the year by many, pitting on-screen the livelihood of a billionaire couple who begin construction on a mansion inspired by a palace in the French region of Versailles. As they fall victim to the economic crisis in the following few years, it is mesmerizing to witness how these people deal with the fallout of their actions.read review

5 Broken Cameras

A Palestinian farmer provides resistance against the Israeli army in a handheld-footage documentary that has no tricks or gimmicks up its sleeve, but provides emotion in its unflinching manner. The village in which the farmer resides in provide a snapshot of areas in Israel that are resisting the violence and war that surrounds them.

Room 237

Rodney Ascher has had praise heaped upon his documentary which analyses theories of Stanley Kubrick’s classic The Shining – as formulated by five obsessives. With the film split down theory-by-theory, the film ranges from the zany to the zanier as you witness professionals spouting dialogue about Kubrick’s impossible framing and his involvement in faking the moon landing. If you’re a fan of the Stephen King adaptation, there is no doubt you will lap this cult up.

Central Park Five

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park – only for a serial rapist confessing to the crime many years later. The film questions the American legal system in an astonishing way, tackling the subject of racial injustice; something that has pulled directors Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon into their own legal battle. Captivating.

The House I Live In

Eugene Jarecki, the brother of Capturing the Friedmans director Andrew, crafted this insightful critique of America’s trouble with drugs as he tracks the individuals working within the judicial system - and the ones behind bars who are dragged unwittingly into the war. Like a cousin of Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, the documentary shows how this system could potentially worsen matters, with the fight to clamp down on drugs spiralling out of control with every new day.

This Is Not a Film

When Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was placed under house arrest for allegedly conspiracising against national security, he took to filming the events he was subjected to using an iPhone and a digital camera; top marks for bravery. With these devices used in a completely non-gimmicky way, This Is Not a Film is an, erm, extraordinary film. Smuggled out of Iran (allegedly in a cake) and backed by top Hollywood directors, this is a must-see.

Chasing Ice

Critical-acclaim has been received for Chasing Ice - mainly due to the fact that it follows National Geographic photographer James Balog’s attempt to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers by deploying time cameras around the Arctic; deserves to be seen for this mean feat alone. Read Review

West of Memphis

Famously produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, director Amy Berg’s documentary about the ‘West Memphis Three’s’ wrongful conviction for killing three boys not only informs the audience of these events, but aims to go beyond the duty of filmmaking to secure their release. Brave filmmaking that proves even more gripping than you first think – this documentary will make you feel lots of emotions.

Searching For Sugar Man is on DVD and Blu-ray 2012. Stay tuned for review, fancy winning the film on DVD? You can enter the competition here

Official Trailer to Zero Dark Thirty

Currently enjoying its fair share of critical praise and controversy here and across the pond, Zero Dark Thirty heads to UK cinemas on the 25th of January, and Universal has just released a new trailer to tide us over in the mean time.

In it we're introduced via brusque and chilly voiceover to Jason Clarke's character, simply named 'Dan', who appears to be addressing a terrorism detainee in a cell. "I am bad news. I am not your friend. I'm not gonna help you. I'm gonna break you. Any questions?" we hear him say, presumably foreshadowing one of the film's more controversial plot elements: systematic and US government approved torture.

Indeed, there has been a bit of a hubbub brewing over the film's handling of this sensitive subject, with some critics arguing that the film inadvertently validates the use of torture through its results-getting depiction, though just as many others have been quick to rise to the film's defence, reinforcing Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal's dense, detailed and thrilling approach to the material.

Heated moral debate around the film always seemed a given, considering the immense severity of the subject matter. Opening with reconstructed emergency calls from 9/11 and charting the ensuing investigative hunt that led to Bin Laden's cathartic demise, Zero Dark Thirty seeks to be a comprehensive document of a tumultuous and generation-defining time in American history, and as such is unavoidably emotionally charged. We'll report back with our full review of the film come January, but until then check out the new trailer below:

The hunt for Osama bin Laden preoccupied the world and two American presidential administrations for more than a decade. But in the end, it took a small, brilliant team of CIA operatives to track him down. Every aspect of their mission was shrouded in secrecy. Though some of the details have since been made public, many of the most significant parts of the intelligence operation-including the central role played by that team-are brought to the screen for the first time in a gripping new film by the Oscar®-winning creative duo of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal.

Their account of bin Laden's pursuit and capture, vivid yet faithful to the facts, takes the viewer inside the hubs of power and to the front lines of this historic mission, culminating in the special operations assault on a mysterious, suburban Pakistani compound.

Watch The Exquisite UK Trailer For Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder

Last Year's Tree Of Life divided opinions at The People's Movies and Cinehouse but one thing we all agreed on was the visual aesthetics of the film were sublime.If you were expecting the reclusive film maker to wait another few years before he makes the follow up you will be amazed to know in exactly 2 months time To The Wonder will be released and this afternoon we have the first official trailer.

The Guardian have the pleasure of introducing the world exclusive of To The Wonder's UK trailer which made it's world première at this year's Venice Film Festival and like the director's previous film received an hostile reception, why we don't know.This is a powerful strong first look at the film with plenty of trademark Terrence Malick styling's on show to admire, sweeping shots with the beautiful cinematography shot by the ultra-talented Emmanuel Lubezki. It's bleak, wonderfully chosen score and the typical Malick voiceover coming from Javier Bardem who plays the priest who questions his faith.

To The Wonder is an romantic drama of Neil an man (Ben Affleck) who moves back to USA from France bringing with him his new love Marina (Olga Kurylenko). Once back home in Oklahoma he renews his ties with old school flame Jane (Rachel McAdams) sparking off a love triangle. The film will like any of previous Malick films will have fans and critics debating the pros as well as cons of To The Wonder but whatever your views on the film maker it will be a rare visual treat that has no CGI or ridiculous stunts just something intelligent to enjoy.

To The Wonder will arrive in UK&Ireland 22nd February 2013 with USA release 12th April 2013.

TO THE WONDER, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is a romantic drama centered on Neil, a man who is torn between two loves: Marina, the European woman who came to United States to be with him, and Jane, the old flame he reconnects with from his hometown. In TO THE WONDER, Malick explores how love and its many phases and seasons passion, sympathy, obligation, sorrow, indecision can transform, destroy, and reinvent lives.

source:Thepeoplesmovies

Watch The Official UK Trailer For Zaytoun Starring Stephen Dorff

This boxing day one of the surprise hits of this year's London Film Festival Zaytoun will be released in UK&Ireland cinematically and the film's official UK trailer has arrived online.

Starring Stephen Dorff who plays a Israeli fighter pilot Yoni who finds himself a captive to a young Palestinian refugee boy in war torn Lebanon. Yoni forms a tentative bond with the boy Fahed (Abdallah El Akal) as the pair attempt to make their way home.

With the film set in Beirut 1982 there is an extra surge of tension with it been set 30 years ago despite the fact things in the Middle East sadly haven't changed much though you could say with the recent struggles things are a lot worse. The question is,the subject of a balance between entertainment and possibly your knowledge of the war or even what view you have on what's going on in that part of the world. I haven't seen the film so a lot of  what i'm reading up on the film is from previous articles, reviews and things like compassion between 2 people from areas that have grown up hating each other can bond together in order to survive. There is a big Waltz With Bashir feel to this film and it's a film which should spark some rather intriguing debate on how you see the whole Israeli / Middle East fiasco. It will  also be interesting to see as the film's director Eran Riklis an ex-Israeli military how balance or even imbalanced Zaytoun might be.On an acting front this film sounds like another piece of evidence proving Stephen Dorff does possess some good acting chops but why doesn't he make more of these movies and get the credit he deserves?

Zaytoun will be released by Artificial Eye films on 26 December and also stars Alice Taglioni, Ashraf Barhom.

Kaneto Shindō’s ONIBABA To Get Masters Of Cinema Treatment This February

Eureka Entertainment have announced that they will be upgrading one of the most popular titles in the Masters of Cinema Series, ONIBABA to a new 1080p HD Blu-ray on 25 February 2013.  One of the most popular Japanese horror films of all-time, ONIBABA was directed by Kaneto Shindō, the prolific director of 48 films (The Naked Island, Kuroneko) who passed away in 2012 at the age of 100, and who was still working up until his death.

“Onibaba graphically illustrates that brutalism, art and allegory can co-exist to spellbindingly powerful effect.” – Film 4

Kaneto Shindō, one of Japan’s most prolific directors, received his biggest international success with the release of Onibaba [The Demoness] in 1964. Its depiction of violence and graphic sexuality was unprecedented at the time of release. Shindō managed — through his own production company Kindai Eiga Kyōkai — to bypass the strict, self-regulated Japanese film industry and pave the way for such films as Yasuzo Masumura’s Mojuu (1969) and Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses (1976).

Onibaba [or Onibabaa, in its alternate spelling] is set during a brutal period in history, a Japan ravaged by civil war between rivaling shogunates. Weary from combat, samurai are drawn towards the seven-foot high susuki grass fields to hide and rest themselves, whereupon they are ambushed and murdered by a ruthless mother (Nobuko Otowa) and daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) team. The women throw the samurai bodies into a pit, and barter their armour and weapons for food. When Hachi (Kei Satō), a neighbour returning from the wars, brings bad news, he threatens the women’s partnership.

Erotically charged and steeped in the symbolism and superstition of its Buddhist and Shintō roots, Kaneto Shindō’s Onibaba is in part a modern parable on consumerism, a study of the destructiveness of sexual desire and — filmed within a claustrophobic sea of grass — one of the most striking and unique films of Japan's last half-century, winning Kiyomi Kuroda the Blue Ribbon Award for Cinematography in 1965. The memorably frenetic drumming soundtrack was scored by long-time Shindō collaborator Hikaru Hayashi. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Onibaba for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.

SPECIAL NEW BLU-RAY EDITION:

• Gorgeous new 1080p HD transfer
• Full-length director’s audio commentary by director Kaneto Shindō and the stars of the film, Kei Satō, and Jitsuko Yoshimura

• Video introduction by Alex Cox
• 8mm footage (40-minutes) shot on location by lead actor Kei Satō
• Optional English subtitles
• Original theatrical trailer
• Production stills and promotional art gallery
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET with a new essay by Doug Cummings, an English translation of the original short Buddhist fable that inspired the film and a statement from writer/director Kaneto Shindō about why he made Onibaba

Pre-Order Onibaa:ONIBABA (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray) [1964]

V/H/S Go Old School With Special Video Rental Store Screening

The anticipation around the upcoming 18th January cinema release of the horror anthology V/H/S is at fever pitch with Dread Central describing it as “A phenomenal piece of work. 5 out of 5.” and Fangoria urging “Horror fans need to see this movie at their earliest possible opportunity, because it’s a contender for best of the year.”

In the movie a small group of misfit friends and petty crooks are hired by a mysterious man to break into a derelict suburban house with the sole purpose of finding and stealing a rare VHS videotape. As they search through the tapes, playing them in turn, they are treated to a succession of graphic and apparently genuine video recordings, each one more shocking and bizarre than the last.

Momentum Pictures are proud to present a one-off early screening of V/H/S where for one night only you can go back in time to the glory days of VHS! Come join us on Wednesday 16th January at 6.30 at the one night only that ‘Cellar Rentals’ will exist at the Blackhall Studios in London for a pre-drink followed by an exclusive screening of the film at 7pm complete with popcorn. Should you survive this portion you'll then be able to join us in our loving tribute to the days of VHS as we're building an old-skool rental store for one night only. Look through the covers, enjoy complimentary drinks and other fun items in this rare chance to go back to the heady days of choosing tapes. The best bit of all - you'll get to leave with a rental big box VHS tape of V/H/S! Only 300 exist and they're numbered and this will be the ONLY SURE WAY to get hold of one of these rare collectors items.

Don't miss out - this will never happen again…To book tickets visit: www.agmp.co.uk

V/H/S is released in UK cinemas on 18th January 2013 and on DVD and Blu-ray on 28th January 2013 by Momentum Pictures.

WE ARE MONSTERS Gets New Artwork, Help The Movie Via Kickstarter

Cardiff/Bristol based production company Movie Mogul Ltd (PANIC BUTTON), are gearing up for their next production - sci-fi action horror WE ARE MONSTERS. They have brought on board accomplished key crew such as Casting Director Jeremy Zimmermann (MOON, HELLBOY), Monster effects specialist Neill Gorton (THE WOLFMAN, FROM HELL); Stunt Co-ordinator Andy Bennett (THE WOMAN IN BLACK) and Storyboard artist Ben Oliver (JUDGE DREDD, X-MEN). Casting is currently underway.  

Keen to involve the public, WE ARE MONSTERS producer, director and co-writer, John Shackleton, has turned to crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, which recently opened its virtual doors to UK projects. Movie Mogul’s fund-raising campaign runs for 60 days from December 14^th and they are aiming to raise £100,000 in an all or nothing campaign.

Shackleton commented: “We’re offering members of the public who might not normally have access to a film production, a window through which to get involved in the production of a fully professional feature film. There are a lot of fun incentives on offer, not least the opportunity to take part in the climactic uprising scenes at the end of the film, when the population begins to rise up against their alien oppressors.”

Synopsis: Lorna Thompson, a lonely suburban schoolgirl, joins a mutant gang of teenagers on a quest to discover their true identities. They uncover a global conspiracy, which they must find the strength to fight before civilization is destroyed.

Support We Are Monsters at Kickstarter here /  www.wearemonstersmovie.com

Interview: American Mary Directors The Soska Sisters

Jen and Sylvia Soska are the ‘terrible twins’ who are taking the film world by storm. Their second feature, AMERICAN MARY, is enjoying huge critical success ahead of its UK release in January 2013.

For their Director’s Night on Horror Channel, they have chosen ‘Hellraisers’,’Martyrs’ and ‘Pontypool’ and here they talk about their choices, why the UK is so special to them, the therapeutic nature of American Mary and why they can’t wait to get started on ‘Bob’.

Q: Last year Horror Channel broadcast the world premiere of ‘Dead Hooker In A Trunk’. What did that mean to you?

SS: When we were in the UK for FrightFest this year, we met so many people that were introduced to our work through the Horror Channel screenings - that gives an independent an audience they could never reach otherwise on a global scale.

JS: The UK is very special to us. It's the first place the film showed at a festival and the first place it was released. It was only was fitting to have our television premiere where we've had such a stellar response. It was at the same time very surreal. We watched along via twitter with the fans and I think we crashed our twitter account half way through and had to carry on via Facebook, ha ha! And to have an intro from our horror girl crush, Emily Booth, was a dream come true.

Q: How did that film change your lives?

SS: That film and more specifically the support we received from the horror community has changed our lives. We have this amazing opportunity to create unique films and we have brilliant people standing by the work to make it possible. We're promoting our second film, American Mary, now; what's different is we're getting the chance to travel and meet the people who have made this possible and watch the film with them. I feel like we're the luckiest horror nerds on the planet.

JS: Dead Hooker In A Trunk was a massive success due to the outstanding support of the horror community. First and foremost, we're horror fans ourselves and there's nothing like the feeling of having our fellow horror lovers embrace what we're doing. It's never been more easy to make a film in the way that we have so much technology and that makes it on the flip side a great struggle to stand apart from all the others, particularly for first time filmmakers. DHIAT has made us known filmmakers and that is a huge honour. We are so grateful to the people who have believed in us from the very beginning. They're the reason we're able to keep making films.

Q: Your new movie American Mary, which opens in the UK in January, has made a huge impact across the globe and has critics clambering over themselves to heap praise upon it. Where did the idea come from?

SS: Thank you; it's a very personal story. We were fascinated about the body modification culture when stumbling upon it years ago and massively researching the subject matter. We were struggling after making DHIAT, this is before its release, poor as hell, starving, meeting monsters in the industry, and having all sorts of personal troubles. The script was very therapeutic - we put everything we were going through and ourselves into that story using mainstream medicine Vs body modification as analogies for mainstream film industry Vs the horror scene. We wanted to shift people's opinions on appearances on the surface as well as one person's struggles for success.

JS: We've always been outcasts and found friendship and acceptance with our fellow underdogs. That inability to accept people who are different comes largely from ignorance. The body modification community is largely misunderstood and seems to be the subject of modern day witch hunts. It makes no sense to me that cosmetic surgery is fully accepted whereas body modification is ridiculed. We wanted to educate people on body mod. It makes a perfect vessel for telling our story as well.

Q.How different was it making American Mary compared to DHIAT?

SS: On DHIAT, we were every department. It was sink or swim and everyone having multiple jobs. On AM, we had experts in every department that killed themselves to make every aspect of the film excel. We had the experience from DHIAT to understand each department role and be involved, but a great full team and some money makes a world of difference, especially with an ambitious film like AM.

JS: Every project is a different experience. You learn from each, but they're all unique. The things that happened on DHIAT didn't happen on AM. DHIAT taught us how to roll with the punches which is an invaluable skill for a filmmaker at any level. Every film does come with its individual challenges. They're never the things you prepare for. You just need to be able to trouble shoot and keep going no matter what is standing in your way.

Q: Do you think you’ve grown in confidence as writers and directors?

SS: Yes. This job toughens you up significantly. I wanted to please everyone earlier on and you just can't do that. You have to stick to your guns, get your shots, and make your day. You have to be worthy of the leadership and visionary position that you have. I love collaborating with other team members to create a beautiful project, but I don't put up with shit from people who derail the process. Life's too short to deal with assholes.

JS: Absolutely. You become more sure of yourself and confident with your vision. I'm proud of DHIAT, but that film was very reflective of where we were when we made it. AM is where we've evolved to and our next film will be reflective of where we evolve to next. As a Canadian and as a woman, society trains you to tread so lightly and avoid confrontation and that's a load of bullsh*t you need to train yourself out of. You need to stick to your guns and trust your instincts. I'm very comfortable with that now. We don't compromise with our artistic vision. When you try to please everyone you end up pleasing no one, especially yourself.

Q: Does it make you nervous for your next movie?

SS: I'm dying to get back to work. I love travelling and promoting a film, but I only truly feel like myself when I'm working on creating a film - I long to get back to that. And the next one is completely different; I can't wait to get it out to people.

JS: Quite the opposite. I can't wait to be shooting and prepping and cutting the new one. It's been a life changing experience to be able to travel with American Mary and have the opportunity to connect with the fans, but I feel the most like who I am when I'm working on a film. It's invigorating and exciting and there's no feeling in the world like it. I can't wait to create a new, original nightmare for the horror community.

Q: American Mary will be released in the UK in January. For the DVD; can you give us any hint of what extras we can expect?

SS: I like bringing people into the world of how the film is created. We've got some great behind the scenes goodies, a making of mini-documentary, and some other good stuff. Plus, it's our first film out on Blu-ray - we shot on the Red and it makes a big picture difference.

JS: Yup, everything Sylvie said. The behind the scenes is my favourite feature. You get to see us and the full cast and crew in the thrall of it all.

Q: You’ve chosen Pontypool, Martyrs and Hellraiser for your Director’s Night, can you explain why you picked these three movies?

SS: They are some of my favourite horror films. I don't like predictable, paint by numbers horror - these films are genuinely unique and memorable, Martyrs might actually scar your mind. I like that kind of feeling, films that make you feel something.

JS: Pontypool is one of the most original takes on a classic horror genre and it's one of those hidden little horror gems. We wanted to get it out there and share it. It's a film that too few people know about. Hellraiser is just an outstanding work of art. We saw it when we were 12 and needless to say it was quite impactful. We adore body horror and Clive Barker. It's one of those films that’s just as damn good every time you see it.

Q: So what’s next for you two?

SS: Bob is next. There's a monster in all of us, sometimes it gets out. Be prepared for something wild that you haven't seen before.

JS: I'm very excited to get going on Bob. It's a very original take on a genre that's been plagued with a lot of crap as of late. We have the remedy for that.

Jen and Sylvia Soska, thank you very much.

SS: Thank you so very much!!

From Jan 11 2013, The Soska Sisters will be in the UK for a nationwide theatrical tour for AMERICAN MARY, courtesy of FrightFest and Universal.