Blu-Ray Review - Il Bidone (1955)

Genre:
Comedy, World Cinema, Drama
Distributor:
Eureka! Entertainment
Rating:
12
BD Release Date:
30th December 2013(UK)
Director:
Federico Fellini
Cast:
Broderick Crawford, Richard Basehart, Giulietta Masina
Buy: Il Bidone [Masters of Cinema] Dual Format [Blu-ray & DVD]

Il Bidone is one of Fellini’s early films and came out after the worldwide success of La Strada. It was a big flop in the film’s native Italy and abroad. It was made when Fellini for all purposes was still working in the school of Italian neo-realism. Fellini from the 60s onwards would be known for surrealist satires, which I prefer.

Il Bidone is about a group of small time swindlers (the title translated is The Swindlers) called Augusto (Broderick Crawford), Picasso (Richard Basehart), and Roberto (Franco Fabrizi) who prey on poor farmers and slum dwellers. The role of Augusto was originally intended for Humphey Bogart, which would have been interesting. Fellini always a mischievous director in the opening scene dresses up his swindlers as Catholic priest. They trick some poor farmers out of their money by in exchange for some bogus buried treasure.

The film has a great set piece in which the conmen pretend to be city officials. They go to a slum and pretend to be city officials and scam everyone by saying they will give them a council house if they put down a deposit. It’s perfect shows the lengths that the 3 conmen will go to get a quick buck.

The film isn’t Fellini at his finest see his masterful 8 ½ but it’s a interesting slice of neo-realism which a slight film noir edge. It was criticised by some for just being a crime film but it’s a scathing attack on the greed. It’s worth checking out and as usual Masters of Cinema has done a very nice package.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

DVD Review - Upstream Colour

Genre:
Sci-fi, Drama, Arthouse
Distributor:
Metrodome Distribution
Rating:
15
BD/DVD Release Date:
30th December 2013 (UK)
Director:
Shane Carruth
Cast:
Amy Seimetz, Frank Mosley, Shane Carruth
Buy Upstream Colour:
[DVD] or [Blu-ray] [Amazon]

Upstream Color is without a doubt the strangest film of 2013 and there have been some strange films this year. It’s the 2nd film by Shane Carruth who made a splash in the indie world 9 years ago with the incredibly overrated Primer which was made for $7,000 but it was unnecessarily complex for it’s own good. Carruth worked on a highly ambitious science fiction epic for the years in-between films but it eventually gave up due to lack of funding.

The film starts with a woman being tasered and kidnapped by a man called “The Thief” in the credits. She is under his mind control and forfeits her money to him and she is only allowed to small portions of water. The Thief performs surgery on her which involves putting a live roundworm in her which has blue tinged orchid leaves dust in it which infects her system.

She awakes and the roundworm is attracted by infrasound waves and she goes to a pig farmer/field recorder’s farm in trance. The farmer performs a transfer of the worm into one of his pig’s. She awakes and has no memory of what happened in her SUV. The woman finally realizes that all her money has been stolen and her employer fires her.

The film picks up a year later and she meets a man on a train (played by the director) and they bond and fall in love. They may have more in common than they initially thought. It then becomes increasingly stranger and stranger.

Carruth literally served as director, writer, producer, actor, cinematographer, editor, composer, casting director, production designer and sound designer… take that Orson Welles! His cinematography is reminiscent of the recent Terrence Malick films at times. The sound design is outstanding which he won a special jury award at Sundance for his sound design. Carruth is being a very talented director and he has the makings of a real auteur but give it a couple more films before calling him one.

It’s a very admirable film even though it’s extremely pretentious at times and utterly baffling. Despite some of the film’s problems it’s a breath of fresh air in a time of endless sequels and comic book films than somebody makes a film this out there. I don’t full understand what the film is about and it’s quite possibly Carruth himself doesn’t. It’s a pretty unforgettable film with plenty of ideas and an endlessly fascinating story that surprisingly wraps itself up in the end. There are still many unanswered questions and people will debate them for years to come.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Watch New Promo Trailer For School Anime Seitokai Yakuindomo Season 2

One anime which is so popular even this side of the world is school anime or slice of life and Seitokai Yakuindomo will go down well, this afternoon we get a look a the TV shows new season 2 promo trailer.

Based on Tozen Ujiie's manga Seitokai Yakuindomo centres around Ōsai Academy, a former all girls private high school which has recently been integrated with the local boys school. The student council body is split between 524 girls and 28 boys,Takatoshi Tsuda is pushed into becoming the vice president of the student council, a council made up of only girls.



Seitokai Yakuindomo will premier on Tokyo MX TV on 4th January.

source: Animenewsnetwork

Watch First Trailer For Live Action Patlabor TV Series And Film

1990's was a great time to be an anime fan in UK, with no internet, you could buy anime any shop that sold video even better mainstream TV (BBC, Channel 4) screened anime more regularly.Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor was one of the anime's we cherished during the decade and now we have a teaser trailer for Patlabor Next Generation TV Series.

It may only be 32 seconds long but when we have a mecha film the first thing we want to see is the MECHA! and we do! The glimpse we get is of the 8 metre tall robotic mecha AV-98 Ingram with the main cast of the series around the foot of the metallic giant. The series is not going to be a remake of the anime movies or series, set in Tokyo 2013 with the third generation of Patlabor due to the recession The Tokyo Metropolitan Police has been disbanded.

The series  will be shown in 7 parts with the first episode coming April 2014 with a feature film arriving in Summer 2015.



source: Animenewsnetwork

Lars Von Trier Wishes You A Merry Christmas With New Clip For Nymphomaniac

We do hope your enjoyed festive pig out turkey dinner with all the trimmings with enough to feed a 100. Now that your chill-relaxing wearing that knitted jumper your aunt Mary has knitted for you, Lars Von Trier has a last minute gift for cinephiles with a new clip from Nymphomaniac.

Well are you ready to listen? As Charlotte Gainsbourg is about to tell you a few stories and us blokes are all well equipped with a 'truth detector' but what is she talking about? Well gents sit down, unbuckle storytime is is about to begin!.

What this clip is all about your guess will be as good as our's, it's entitled 'The Gun' the film's final chapter (8) and today The Danes along with the Norwegians will get the first look at Von Trier's sexual adventure. Here's a brief synopsis on the final chapter...

Sometimes things hide, because we're familiar with them. But if you change your point of view, they can suddenly take on a whole new meaning.Joe enters a shady business, and she quickly finds out that her life has taught her some valuable skills.

As in Nymphomaniac been released in UK&Ireland officially the film is been released in 2 parts officially on 7th March with part 2 a week later. However we're hearing conflicting stories that the release date is now 21st February,whatever date we'll keep you posted.



source: Nymphomaniac website

Daddy's Coming Home Could Be Trouble For The Family In Trailer For Swedish Thriller Tommy

The buzz the  past couple of years for Scandinavian crime noir/ movies has been exceptional, though the buzz may have quieten down a little there's still a sense of excitement when the next possible movie is released. The good folks at Twitch have gotten their hands on a trailer for possible candidate for next big Scandinavian film called Tommy and below is the film's next trailer.

The film comes from Swedish born director Tarik Saleh whose last film was the sci-fi dystopian animation Metropia however Tommy is completely different direction. Moa Gammell stars as Estelle a wife of a gangster whose on the run thanks to a job went wrong and just before Christmas their daughter get's a message, Daddy aka Tommy is coming home.



Swedish cinephiles can expect Tommy in cinemas March 2014.

Win Beautifully Moving Anime Wolf Children on DVD

Part slice-of-life drama about the joys and tribulations of single mother Hana raising her half-wolf kids, part rite-of-passage movie about finding your place in the world, Wolf Children is a funny, moving and accessible film directed by a true anime great.

After receiving an abundance of praise from its theatrical release, we are pleased to say that we have a DVD copy to give away to celebrate Wolf Children coming to DVD and Collector's Edition on 23rd December.

19-year-old Hana is studying at university when she falls in love with a mysterious classmate with a highly unusual secret - he is the last descendant of Japan's now-extinct grey wolves, and possesses the ability to transform into a wolf. Not daunted by this, Hana and her wolf man lover start a family, with energetic daughter Yuki ('Snow') soon followed by her more timid little brother Ame ('Rain').

But when tragedy strikes and her wolf man suddenly dies, Hana is left to cope with the two young children on her own - and both Yuki and Ame have inherited their dad's power to shift between human and wolf form. Moving to the countryside and the seclusion of an abandoned old house in the mountains, Hana hopes to raise her family away from prying eyes …but life's not that simple.

To Win Wolf Children on DVD please answer the following question:

Q.In March this year what prestigious Japanese award did Wolf Children scoop?

Deadline is 12th January 2014 (23:59pm),If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post on twitter and facebook). Must be 12 or older to enter.

Terms&Conditions:

1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse, Manga Entertainment  employees who have the right to alter, change or offer alternative prize without any notice.2.All The Peoples Movies entries must be done via contact form. deadline Sunday 12th January 2014 (23:59pm) 12 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only.

UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
Loquax Competitions
Free Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Win Vikingdom on DVD Starring Dominic Purcell, Craig Fairbass

Unleashed upon the UK on 26th December in a DVD and Blu-Ray™. Vikingdom is an adrenaline fuelled, high octane adventure which is sure to blast you out of your Christmas day food coma.

From a time when the Gods walked among men and Kings became the stuff of legends, comes a feast of visual effects, myths and true historical events; released on DVD and Blu-Ray™ on 26th December 2013, from Universal Pictures (UK) and Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production entity of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

To celebrate the release of “Vikingdom” we have a copy on DVD to give away!

Based on Viking mythology, Eirick (Dominic Purcell) battles from hell and beyond to retrieve the mystical artifact, Odin’s Horn, before Thor and his army can unleash its powers to conquer the world.

From the mists of time comes the clanging of steel against steel, a collision of myth and history…. “Vikingdom.” Based on Viking legends and the epic poems they left as record, “Vikingdom” is a fantasy/action-adventure about a forgotten king, Eirick, who was tasked with the impossible odds to defeat Thor, the God of Thunder.

Thor is on a mission to gather the key ancient relics – “Mjolnir,” his hammer from Valhalla, “Necklace of Mary Magdalene” from Mitgard, and the “Horn” from Helheim. This needs to be accomplished before the blood eclipse, which happens once every 800 years, failing which, the pagan Viking Gods will never be able to rule and conquer mankind ever again.

Only one man can stop him… Eirick, the undead.

To in with a chance to win Vikingdom on DVD please answer the following question:

Q.What Was the name of the Viking film that was screened at this years London Frightfest?

1. Hammer Of The Vikings
2. Thor: The Dark World
3. Hammer Of The Gods

Deadline is 12th January 2014 (23:59pm),If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post on twitter and facebook). Must be 18 or older to enter.

Terms&Conditions:

1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse, Universal Pictures UK employees who have the right to alter, change or offer alternative prize without any notice.2.All The Peoples Movies entries must be done via contact form. deadline Sunday 12th January 2014 (23:59pm) 18 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only.

UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
Loquax Competitions
Free Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Enjoy A New Clip And Featurette For The Coen Brother's Inside Llewyn Davis

As 2014 creeps even closer our thoughts go towards what great films we can look forward too and next month one of the highly anticipated films will be released, The Coen Brothers Inside Llewyn Davis. This afternoon we have another exciting look at the film from a new clip sent to us from our good friends at Studiocanal and another look at the UK trailer.

Based on the actual memoirs of folk legend Dave Von Ronk, Inside Llewyn Davis follows the life of folk singer Llewyn Davies (Oscar Isaac) attempting to navigate around the Greenwich folk scene .Set during the harsh winter of 1961 New York penniless , only a orange tabby cat for company,  an ex-girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) pregnant, Llewyn attempts to get his first foot in business to audition for music mogul Bud Grossman.

We may not revved up the engine on the awards season yet the buzz from the film, we would be silly to say this film wont do well in the awards, with  fantastic U.S reviews things look good for the film. Most of all it's the long welcome return of  Joel & Ethan Coen  behind the camera after been in the wilderness past few years.

Inside Llewyn Davies now has a UK&Irish release date of 24th January 2014  and co-stars Justin Timberlake, John Goodman,Garret Hedlund, Adam Driver and F. Murray Abraham.

Film Clip

UK Trailer

[Update - 22 December 2013] Totalfilm have posted a exclusive featurette which looks at the music of Inside Llewyn Davies with the 'folk music' created specifically for the film.

Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers chats about working with The Coen Brothers and a insight into the original song 'Auld Triangle' and the input a certain cast member had on the song too.


[update 2nd January 2014 - Studio Canal have now sent us our own version of the featurette]

Interstellar 'Boobies' In The English Dubbed Anime Trailer For Space Dandy

He loves his bouncing breasts but we love the surreal weirdness of the interstellar hijinks and the wackiness of Anime's craziest alien space hunter Space Dandy is coming back to Toonami, check out New Trailer.

Sadly at the moment toonami aka Adult Swim is in U.S but there is hope a channel may pick up the rights for directed by the Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe. Whilst this may not be the most politically correct animation in the world  it highlights the industry male dominated is or they don't give a hoot-er what you think. It's action packed, it's funny but in today's climate this is heavy on ad placement (space hooters) but on gender issues this will annoy , judge for yourselves.

Space Dandy will be aired in USA on Adult Swim's Toonami 4th January.

Synopsis

Space Dandy is a dandy in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come – first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!

Source: Bleeding Cool

Programme Announced For 2014 Glasgow Short Film Festival

Glasgow Short Film Festival today announced the selection for its 2014 competitions, which include some notable world premieres and exciting new works by leading Scottish and international artists.

Organisers highlighted the strength of Scottish filmmaking talent, which has made it necessary to expand the Scottish competition this year. GSFF Director Matt Lloyd said: “At a time when Scottish film producers are forecasting an extremely bleak future for indigenous production, we can at least demonstrate that there is no shortage of emerging talent. We couldn’t contain our selection within the usual four programmes - this year a mighty thirty films screen across five programmes of new Scottish work.”

Notable inclusions in the Scottish competition include the world premiere of No Hope For Men Below, the first film from musician and film-maker Adam Stafford since his 2009 short The Shutdown, which won six Jury Prizes in international festival competitions including San Francisco International Film Festival and Palm Springs International Shorts Fest; Gavin C Robinson's BAFTA Scotland-winning animation Hart's Desire; and The Port, Rory Alexander Stewart's depiction of infamous Leith pub The Port O’Leith. The international selection includes the UK premiere of When We Lived in Miami by US indie actor/director Amy Seimetz (best known for her leading role in Shane Carruth’s Upstream Colour), new works by award winning internationally renowned artists Mika Taanila, Mike Hoolboom and John Smith, and L’Assenza, by UK film critic Jonathan Romney.

Glasgow Short Film Festival runs from 13 – 16 February 2013. The full 2014 festival programme, including a number of large-scale events focusing on the relationship between film and music, and an examination of the state of Scottish filmmaking, will be announced in early January.

SCOTTISH SHORT FILM AWARD
Sponsored by Mother India’s Café

Ahora, no
Scottish premiere / Elia Ballesteros & Kate Campbell / UK & Spain / 2013 / 17 min

Bear With Me
World premiere / Colin Healy / UK / 2013 / 12 min

The Bird Man of Red Road
Chris Leslie / UK / 2013 / 8 min

Colours
Scottish premiere / Graham Fitzpatrick / UK / 2013 / 15 min

Fishcakes & Cocaine
Scottish premiere / Alex Nevill / UK / 2013 / 26 min

Getting On
Ewan Stewart / UK / 2012 / 9 min

The Groundsman
Scottish premiere / Jonny Blair / UK / 2013 / 16 min

Hannah
Scottish premiere / Michael Crumley / UK / 2013 / 17 min

Harry & Avis
World premiere / Nathan Hollis / UK / 2013 / 10 min

Hart's Desire
Gavin C Robinson / UK / 2013 / 6 min

I Love You So Hard
Ross Butter / UK / 2013 / 4 min

Lagan
Peter Shaw / UK / 2013 / 4 min

Let's Go Swimming
Douglas King / UK / 2012 / 19 min

Liar
Martin Smith / UK / 2013 / 12 min

Loma
Scottish premiere / Katri A Vanhatalo / Finland & UK / 2013 / 10 min

The Man Who Was Full Of Birds
Scottish premiere / Gianpiero Vannucci / UK / 2013 / 18 min

The Misbehaviour of Polly Paper-Cut
Bryan M. Ferguson / UK & USA / 2013 / 6 min

Mission
Scottish Premiere / Mark Buchanan / UK / 2013 / 22 min

Nae Paresan
Felipe Bustos Sierra / UK / 2013 / 13 min

No Hope For Men Below
World premiere / Adam Stafford / UK / 2013 / 11 min

Orbit Ever After
Scottish premiere / Jamie Stone / UK / 2013 / 20 min

The Port
Rory Alexander Stewart / UK / 2013 / 17 min

Radio Silence
Duncan Cowles / UK / 2013 / 21 min

Red Dust
Ilona Kacieja / UK / 2013 / 16 min

The Registrars
Jane McAllister / UK / 2013 / 29 min

Romance & Adventure
Douglas King / UK / 2013 / 23 min

Seams and Embers
Claire Lamond / UK / 2012 / 6 min

Spectators
Ross Hogg / UK / 2013 / 4 min

Stay The Same
Sam Firth / UK / 2013 / 14 min

Stovies
Scottish premiere / Rose Hendry / UK / 2013 / 7 min

The Things That Are Important To Us
World premiere / Richard Poet & Frances Poet / UK / 2013 / 11 min


GLASGOW SHORT FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Afghan '72
European premiere / Pierre Forcioli-Conti / USA / 2013 / 4 min

Anomalies
Scottish premiere / Ben Cady / UK / 2012 / 12 min

Buffalo Death Mask
Scottish premiere / Mike Hoolboom / Canada / 2013 / 23 min

The Butter Lamp of Yak (La lampe au beurre de yak)
Scottish premiere / Hu Wei / France / 2013 / 15 min

The Case
Scottish premiere / Cecilia / Stenbom / UK / 2013 / 9 min

Colours
Scottish premiere / Graham / Fitzpatrick / UK / 2013 / 15 min

Dad's Stick
Scottish premiere / John / Smith / UK / 2012 / 5 min

The Danger of Complete Extinction
UK premiere / Konstantin Kolesov / Russia / 2012 / 26 min

Ebb and Flow (A Onda Traz, O Vento Leva)
Gabriel Mascaro / Brazil / 2012 / 28 min

Emergency Calls (Hätäkutsu)
UK premiere / Hannes Vartiainen & Pekka Veikkolainen / Finland / 2013 / 15 min

Erotos
UK Premiere / Grégory Montaldo / France / 2013 / 7 min

Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven
Åsa Blanck & Johan Palmgren / Sweden / 2012 / 14 min

Gutenberg
Scottish premiere / Amalie Vilmar / UK / 2013 / 2 min

How To Abandon Ship
International premiere / Robin McKay / USA / 2013 / 10 min

The Immaculates (Gli Immacolati)
UK Premiere / Ronny Trocker / France / 2013 / 13 min

Karmok
European premiere / Rannvá Káradóttir & Marianna Mørkøre / Faroe Islands / 2012 / 5 min

L'Assenza
Scottish premiere / Jonathan Romney / UK / 2013 / 21 min

Malaise
Scottish Premiere / Christian Schmeer / Germany / 2013 / 6 min

The Missing Scarf
Scottish premiere / Eoin Duffy / Ireland / 2013 / 6 min

No Hope For Men Below
World premiere / Adam Stafford / UK / 2013 / 11 min

Off-White Tulips
UK premiere / Aykan Safoglu / Turkey & Germany / 2013 / 24 min

On the Threshold (Sto katofli)
UK premiere / Anastasia Kratidi / Greece / 2013 / 19 min

Pandas (Pandy)
Scottish Premiere / Matus Vizar / Slovakia & Czech Republic / 2013 / 12 min

Plug & Play
Scottish Premiere / Michael Frei / Switzerland / 2013 / 6 min

The Questioning
UK premiere / Zhu Rikun / China / 2013 / 22 min

Riverbero
International premiere / Frederico Biasin / Italy / 2013 / 14 min

Six Day Run (Kuuden päivän juoksu)
UK premiere / Mika Taanila / Finland / 2013 / 14 min

SLR
Scottish premiere / Stephen Fingleton / UK / 2013 / 23 min

Stay The Same
Sam Firth / UK / 2013 / 14 min

Summer Fall
UK premiere / Maryna Roshchyna / Ukraine / 2013 / 24 min

That Music (esa musica)
International premiere / Dario / Vejarano / Colombia / 2013 / 27 min

A Third Version of the Imaginary
UK premiere / Benjamin Tiven / Kenya & USA / 2012 / 12 min
Trusts and Estates
Scottish Premiere / Jeanette Bonds / USA / 2013 / 5 min

When We Lived in Miami
UK premiere / Amy Seimetz / USA / 2012 / 13 min

Interview With Rabies/Big Bad Wolves Co-Director NAVOT PAPUSHADO

This month Horror Channel is showing the UK TV premiere of RABIES, the first slasher to come out of Israel, One of its directors, Navot Papushado,  took time out to chat about this movie and its equally horrifying shocker Big Bad Wolves due to be released in the UK in January 2014.


RABIES is broadcast on Saturday Dec 28 at 10.50pm.

Q: Have you always been a big horror fan?

NP: Oh yes! We grew up in the 80s and watched everything that came out of the US. We grew up on Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and Wes Craven and John Carpenter, everything that came out of the US. Later on we discovered European and Korean cinema and obviously the Coen Brothers and Tarantino.

Q:: Did your classification system ever censor these films?

NP: No, actually the opposite. The Israeli censorship board don’t take any notice of horror films, for example Piranha 3D came out in Israel at the same time that Rabies did and we got rated 18 and above, whilst Piranha 3D for 14 and above. Kick Ass got 12 and above! I think it has to do with Israeli audiences not being that keen on horror films, even the big US horror films like Saw, Hostel and Paranormal Activity don’t do very well.

Q: Where did the idea for Rabies come from?

NP: We decided we wanted to get rid of the serial killer character and decided that we wanted to have all of the other characters kill each other, so there had to be more than the motive of running away from a serial killer so we had to write more complex characters therefore everyone would need a background story. Everyone would have a motivation to kill. The first story we wrote was the one about the Cop who always leaves messages for his wife who never answers and then he leaves this horrible one and then she answers (laughs) so we realised we had to write all the others to match that dramatic element and character development and that’s how Rabies was born.

Q: Did the script change much from the first draft to the shooting script?

NP: No, we pitched it to a couple of producers, we showed them the draft and they were like, “OK, let’s wait for Government funds” but we didn’t want to do that. Then we met a guy who said, “How much do you want?” and we said an amount and he said, “OK I’ll give you half!” Then he asked, “How many days do you need?” and so we told him at least 20 and he said, “I’ll give you 15!” We got the green light from that script and just went out and shot it.

Q: Was it a tough shoot?

NP: Yes and no. We didn’t realise it at the time that it was tough as it was our first feature even though we had done a few shorts before. But it was a shoestring budget and everyone on set was less experienced than us so we had to hide this from the actors!

Q: Did you have any actors in mind when writing the script?

NP: Yeah, a couple of them. Actually when we pitched we told the producer that we wanted all these actors and they pointed out that we didn’t have that kind of money and we told him not to worry and that we’d take care of that!

Q: Rabies has a very strong story, do you think that helped reach out to audiences?

NP: Thank you very much. One thing is we cast all A-list actors from Israel so it was like seeing Kate Blanchet or Tom Cruise in a horror movie so Rabies was kind of an event. It was more than a horror movie, everyone wanted to see their favourite actor get murdered, or something like that (laughs)

Q: Do you think one of its greatest assets is that most of the effects are practical and old school?

NP: Yeah, even on Big Bad Wolves there is only one shot that lasts only three or four seconds that we had to use visual effects. We believe in getting everyone done on the set.

Q: What did the critics think of Rabies when it was released in Israel?

NP: I think they were split. The older critics didn’t quite get it. They also don’t like violent films so they don’t like Tarantino films or Korean films for example. The younger critics, and when I say younger I mean under 45, they all loved it and gave it 5 stars, they loved it. It was a critical success and a box office success. There was an older critic whom we admire, considered to be the most acclaimed critic in Israel who writes for a newspaper whose logo is, “A Newspaper for Thinking People”, and he loved it! It gained a cult status through VOD and DVD sales.

Q: If you had made Rabies before Big Bad Wolves would you have approached it differently.

NP: That’s a really tough question. Rabies is Rabies because of the time it was shot, because of the budget when it was shot and the ideas that we had at the time and our approach. Rabies was shot hand held in the woods because that is the genre. You have to shoot films and edit films to fit the genre so I’m really pleased with everything we did with Rabies.

Q: Would you make Rabies 2?

NP: Oh, maybe when I’m old and Rabies has gained such a cult status and they give me $10 million dollars and a budget for $100 million dollars (laughs).

Q: Are you pleased Rabies is being shown on the Horror Channel?

NP: Yeah, defiantly. We are huge fans of the UK. The UK has been so kind to us over he last couple of years starting from FrightFest from two years ago when they showed Rabies. You really can’t compete with the British audience. They are fanatics, they love horror films. The screening of Big Bad Wolves earlier this year in front of 1,300 people was incredible. We are extremely happy with what’s going on in the UK with our films. You guys seem to get us!

Q:: So what are you working on at the moment?

NP: We are promoting Big Bad Wolves which is coming out in the UK in January and working on a couple of projects here in Israel that we are starting to push and also receiving a few scripts from the US. We are writing a spaghetti western that’s set in the early 40s and a few science fiction scripts.

Q: Navot Papushado, thank you very much.

Rabies trailer

BFI To Release 1924's The Epic Of Everest

Genre:
History, Documentary
Distributor:
BFI
Release Date:
27th January 2014 (UK)
Buy:The Epic of Everest (DVD + Blu-ray) [Amazon]
Following the world premiere of The Epic of Everest at the 2013 BFI London Film Festival and its critically acclaimed cinema release, Captain John Noel’s stunning official record of the 1924 Everest expedition,

When George Mallory and Sandy Irvine attempted to reach the summit of Everest in 1924 they came closer than any previous attempt. Captain John Noel filmed in the harshest of conditions to capture the drama of this fateful expedition. Now restored by the BFI National Archive, The Epic of Everest with a new score by Simon Fisher Turner, will be released in a Dual Format Edition (DVD and Blu-ray discs) on 27 January 2014.

Inspired by Herbert Ponting (The Great White Silence), Captain Noel recorded images of breathtaking beauty and considerable historic significance using specially adapted equipment. The film is also amongst the earliest filmed records of life in Tibet. But it is the brooding presence of the mountain itself that is the heart of Noel’s film, and his photography captures the magical play of light and shadow on an alien landscape which enhances the vulnerability, isolation and courage of the mountaineers.

The restoration – undertaken in collaboration with Sandra Noel, the director’s daughter – has transformed the quality of the surviving elements of the film and reintroduced the original coloured tints and tones.

The BFI commissioned a new score by Simon Fisher Turner which was released on LP/CD by Mute in October and has been voted No.1 soundtrack of the year by Mojo magazine.

Also included on the release are three documentary featurettes about the film, the restoration and the score, and an optional alternative musical accompaniment; the original 1924 score as recreated by Julie Brown, a specialist on film music and early twentieth-century concert music.


Special features

• Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
• Introducing The Epic of Everest (2013): Sandra Noel and Bryony Dixon (BFI National Archive) discuss the background and filming process
• Scoring The Epic of Everest (2013): Composer Simon Fisher Turner discusses the production of the new score
• Restoring The Epic of Everest (2013): Bryony Dixon, Ben Thompson (BFI National Archive) and Lisa Copson (Deluxe Digital) discuss the restoration process
• Alternative score – the original 1924 score recreated by Julie Brown. Performed by Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andrew Gourlay
• Additional musical pieces that accompanied the film on its first screening at the Scala, London in 1924
• Original 1924 film programme (downloadable PDF, DVD only)
• 30 page illustrated booklet with essays/contributions from explorer and writer Wade Davis, Simon Fisher Turner, Sandra Noel, Julie Brown and the BFI National Archive’s Kieron Webb, plus notes on the musical extras and full credits.

The Epic of Everest Dual Format Edition will be launched by the BFI and Caught by the River at Rough Trade East, Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL on Friday 17 January at 6.30pm. A FREE screening of the film will be followed by a Q&A with Sandra Noel and Simon Fisher Turner, hosted by Luke Turner of TheQuietus.com.
Open to all, no booking necessary – full details here: http://www.roughtrade.com/events/2014/1/305

TV News: Horror Channel goes down under for season of outback slashers

Horror Channel presents an OZploitation season on Fridays @ 22:55 from Jan 4 2014, featuring a dark collection of the best of Australian contemporary horror, Grisly with a capital ‘G’.Plus, there are network premieres for Victor Salva’s box office smash JEEPERS CREEPERS, HALLOWEEN 2 and Steven Spielberg’s TV cult classic SOMETHING EVIL

Fri 3 Jan @ 22:55 – STORM WARNING (2007)

On a weekend boating trip a couple become lost in a heavy storm and end up in a desolate swamp. They come across a decrepit house and discover a large crop of marijuana, suggesting the owners might not welcome their accidental arrival.

Fri 10 Jan @ 22:55 – SAVAGES CROSSING (2011)

When a flood rages around them, a group of strangers are forced to take shelter in an outback roadhouse. But the danger lurking within is far greater than the threat from outside. As the water level rises, so does the tension, as the line between the hunter and the hunted starts to blur.

Fri 17 Jan @ 22:55 – ROAD TRAIN (2010)

Four young people are on a camping trip in the outback. Nina and Craig are enjoying a close relationship, but there's tension between Marcus, and Liz Out of the blue, the quartet find themselves menaced by a road train that runs them off the road.

Fri 24 Jan @ 22:55 – CRAWL (2011)

Claustrophobic heat and brooding tension seep from the screen in this chiller set in an unknown rural town. Seedy bar owner Slim Walding hires a mysterious Croatian hit man to murder a local garage owner. but the plan backfire when an innocent waitress becomes involved.(Read our review)

Fri 31 Jan @ 22:55 – WOLF CREEK (2005)

The Ozploitation season finishes with director Greg McLean’s much acclaimed debut feature – a pulsating, stomach-churning tale based on the true story of the ‘Back Packer Killer’ who held the outback in a grip of early 90s terror. Stars John Jarratt, Cassandra Macgraph and Kestie Morassi. Watch out for the sequel in 2014

Wed 22 Jan @ 16:00 –SOMETHING EVIL (1972)

Considered a cult TV classic, Spielberg showed early signs of his cinematic genius in this possession story of a married couple with two young children whose farmhouse turns out to be inhabited by demons. The oldest child becomes possessed and begins to torment his family and their friends. When the mother begins to sense that something may be wrong with her son, her husband and friends think she is going insane.

Sat 11 Jan @ 22:50 – JEEPERS CREEPERS (2001)

Writer/director Victor Salva came up trumps with this smash-hit teen-slasher flick, produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. Trish and Darry are road tripping home from college across the U.S. After being menaced by a trucker, they see a man dumping a human body into a drainage pipe. Investigating, they become the intended prey of an indestructible, supernatural creature hell-bent on eating them.

Sat 25 Jan @ 22: 45 – HALLOWEEN 2 (1981)

Certainly gorier than the original, Halloween II is the second instalment in the Halloween series and is a sequel to Carpenter's Halloween, picking up where it had left off, set on the same night of Oct 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to follow Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to a nearby hospital while Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is still in pursuit of his patient.


TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

Blu-Ray Review: Cinema Paradiso 25th Anniversary Edition (1988)

Genre:
World Cinema, Drama
Distributor:
Arrow Films
Rating:
15
BD Release Date:
16th December 2013 (UK)
Director:
Giuseppe Tornatore
Cast:
Enzo Cannavale, jacques perrin,Philippe Noiret, Salvatore Cascio,
Buy:Cinema Paradiso 25th Anniversary Remastered Edition [Blu-ray]
When you look back to history of cinema there is very few films that bridge the gap between mainstream film, arthouse and world cinema loved worldwide.The Artist is probably the last film to bridge that gap, in 1998 a little unknown Italian film, Guiseppe Trnatore's Cinema Paradiso closed that gap delivering  that charm and 25 years on that film is returning. Now fully restored Paradiso is unleashing it's nostalgic charm on a new generation of film fans not forgetting those who embraced it 25 years previously.

Set (& filmed) in the director's hometown in the Sicilian hills, Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) a successful film director who returns home due to a friend but most of all mentor's funeral. That man was Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) who was the town's projectionist at the 'Cinema Paradiso' which was the centre if Salvatore's imagination when he was a child. It's not just Salvatore's memories as the child he reminiscences on everything that shaped his life including his first love Elena (Agneso Nano) helping him reconnect to the people he left 30 years earlier.

When you look at cinemas nowdays it's hard to believe decades before the theatres played an integral part of peoples lives and like in Paradiso its was the townsfolk main source of entertainment.It brought the community together during a turbulent period of time (war), no arguing on what to watch, just pure escapism which is still relative these days. However it seems nowdays it's all about how expensive ticket, popcirn prices are, empty screens, a love affair many cinephiles will tell the relationship is stale.

Like I mention time and time again these reviews for old films are like that age old malt whiskey your Dad have gathering dust in your drinks cabinet. You may not appreciate the taste when you buy the bottle but give it time to mature the quality will come and 25 years on Cinema Paradiso is that fine malt that people are now cherishing. Winning the Best foreign feature in 1989 along with a host of other awards it was a sign this was a special film ironically it's to understand why the film was a box office flop when it was released.

Paradiso's power is it's ability to capture the power of film whilst celebrating the coming of age of Salvatore with great nostalgia. This is a fantasy film not in Slavatore's life but fantasy which captures the magic of film, mesmerizes you, gripping you into a magical adventure of escapism and why millions have a great affection for the silver screen.The first part of Paradiso  is all about Salvatore's childhood years on how he discovers the magic that unravels in front of him on the big screen. It's also the introduction of Alfredo, who becomes the father figure that's been missing from Salvatore's life (his on father a soldier in the war).

Whilst capturing te friendship between Alfredo and Salvatore Paradiso gives us an insight into community togetherness during troubled times. We even get some funny moments and the influence the church had on peoples lives when they attempted to stop a film and what they got instead was a montage of kisses on the big screen. If only they where alive today they would probably suffer multiple heart attacks. From the innocence of childhood to the reality of becoming an adult nostalgia becomes reflection, Tornatore establishes himself a master storyteller something many of today's filmmakers seem to have forgotten about.

Cinema Paradiso  maybe considered by some to over melodramatic but with good reasons, a simple sentimental whimsical journey of life, examining friendship and the romance of film. Life is hard , however the feelgood nature of the film reminds us the importance of community spirit and its escapism from lives troubles. With a fantastic score from Ennio morricone, glorious cinematography Cinema Paradiso is that love letter to film that you'll treasure in your heart until the end of days.

★★★★☆

Paul Devine

Blu-Ray Review - Big Trouble In Little China (1986)

Genre:
Fantasy, adventure, comedy
Distributor:
Arrow Video
Rating:
12
BD Release Date:
16th December 2013
Director:
John Carpenter
Cast:
Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James hong
Buy Big Trouble In Little China: Steelbook Blu-ray or Blu-ray [Amazon]
Big Trouble in Little China was made John Carpenter when some Hollywood success had came his way with Christine and Starman. Carpenter had redeemed himself in the eyes of Hollywood after the financial disaster of the now acknowledged modern classic The Thing. Carpenter was allowed to make the mad cap Big Trouble and in many ways he paid for it. It was dumbed by the studio in question 20th Century Fox and was a flop but as usual with Carpenter has became something of a cult classic in the following years.

Big Trouble stars Carpenter’s alter ego Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a sort of an absurdist John Wayne type character. He meets old friend Wang and wins a card match against him. Wang doesn’t have the money and needs to pick him his fiancée from the airport but she is kidnapped for her green eyes and is selected to be a Chinese sorcerer David Lo Pan who is over thousand years old. They must rescue her before it’s too late.

It’s one of Carpenter’s most bizarre films, which is partly due to W. D. Richter’s re-write who was the director of the equally madcap The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. It was originally a western set in 1880s but Richter totally rewrote it only using the original idea of the sorcerer. It’s just truly ridiculous from the beginning to the end and that’s a lot of the appeal. It’s not trying to be serious and knows it’s stupid and ridiculous but that’s what appealed to Russell and Carpenter in the first place.

It’s a really fun film but John Carpenter would follow it with his anarchist masterpiece They Live! which becomes more and more relevant as the years pass. Kurt Russell gives a very fine almost screwball comedy esq. performance in the vein of Cary Grant in Howard Hawks’ films. The real star however is Dennis Dun as Wang who carries the film.

As usual with Arrow Video it boosts a fantastic transfer along with new interviews with Carpenter, Russell along with the cinematographer, producer Larry Franco and even a stuntman. It also includes the commentary, vintage featurette, deleted scenes and music video that were on the previous release.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Robert Redford Career Highlights (All Is Lost Feature)

Robert Redford is one of the few actors in Hollywood that has had contestant involved in Hollywood for the duration of his career. Embarking on his 77th birthday Redford has spent 53 of those years in the spotlight for his participation in front or behind the camera. Starting as a Hollywood heartthrob in the 60s, becoming a top-box office actor in the mid 70s, director in the 80s, producer in the 1990 and philanthropist in the turn of the century, it’s safe to say Redford has made the most of his career. Robert has been recognized for his talent by receiving two Oscars; one in 1981 for Best Director and another for the Lifetime Achievement in 2002. In addition, he was awarded French Knighthood in the Legion d’Honneur in 2010. Although he has always been involved in Hollywood, Redford experienced, as any actor does, ups and down. However, riding the wave of success, this winter, Robert Redford is being thrust into the award season storm curtest of his new film, All Is Lost. In anticipation of the upcoming film, we are taking a look back at Robert Redford’s successful career. However, while participating in over 68 productions as an actor, 10 as a director and 35 as a producer, it’s impossible to cover all the bases, so we are specifically taking a look at his career highlights.

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Roberts Redford stars in his third Hollywood film, Inside Daisy Clover as he portrays the role of the homosexual Wade Lewis. Redford’s handlers cautioned him against taking the role in the film, but despite their warnings, Redford accepted and the film served his first important role of his career. Redford’s performance earned him excellent reviews and won him a Golden Globe award as a “Star of the Future.” After this role, Redford’s career was secure; he was seen as a talented actor offered a multitude of different roles after the movie was finished.

Downhill Racer (1969)

Given the opportunity to carry his own, Robert Redford starred in the motion picture Downhill Race. Playing a small-town Colorado arrogant athlete given the chance of glory on the U.S Olympic Ski team, he gives a convincing, self-destructive performance. In a review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert stated Downhill Racer is “the best movie ever made about sports—without really being about sports at all.” The received critical acclaim as Redford proved himself and the extent of his talent.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Reaching success, Redford was worried he had been type-casted in Hollywood as a blond male stereotype. In retaliation, he turned down numerous offers as he waited for the right role to present himself. In 1969, he found the role he was looking for in George Roy Hill’s western classic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The film follows Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the “Sundance Kid” (Redford), as they migrate to Bolivia on the run from the law in search of more criminal opportunities. The film marked the first collaboration between Newman and Redford, and moulded their famous friendship. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, received monumental critical acclaim. The film earned 7 Oscar nominations, winning 4. As well as three Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Original Score. Redford received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. In 2003, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The film reinforced Redford’s acting talents and made him a major bankable star, cementing his screen image as an intelligent, reliable, sometimes sardonic good guy.

The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate is an American political satire film starring Robert Redford, written by Jeremy Larner, a speech writer for Senator Eugene J. McCarthy during the 1968 Democratic Presidential nomination. Redford portrays a young liberal lawyer who tries to hold onto his ideals as he campaign to defeat a conservative senator. As the campaign continues, the candidate loses his way, and Redford’s skilful performance suggests just how aware he is of his failure. The film received critical acclaim as it was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced.

The Way We Were (1973)

Regarded as his most successful romantic drama, Robert Redford stars in The Way We Were with co-star Barbra Streisand. The film depicts two desperate people who embark on a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart. As a box office success, the film was nominated for a multitude of awards and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. With the release of the film, Redford became a worldwide heartthrob.

The Sting (1973)

George Roy Hill, director of “Butch Cassidy”, brought Newman and Redford together again for this tricky story about a few con men who team up and target a mob boss in 1930 Chicago. The film was received 10 Oscar nominations, winning seven, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Film Editing. The Sting became one of the top 20 highest grossing movies of all time and provided Robert Radford with his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

All the President’s Men (1976)

This Academy Award-winning political thriller, All the Presidents, tells the non-fiction story about the two journalists (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post. The dedication these journalists put into the story lead to a nationally shocking discovery. The film received numerous good mentions including 4 Academy Awards – and further secured legendary status for the two lead actors: Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.

Ordinary People (1980)

The 1970s marked Redford as Hollywood’s top box-office name, he continued to act in many mainstream films. However, in the 1980s Redford obtained a newfound focus on directing. The first film he directed, Ordinary People, depicted the dramatic story of the disintegration of an upper-middle class family in Illinois, following the death of one of their sons in a boating accident. Ordinary People showed audience and critics that Redford was as good of a director as actor. The film reached critical and commercial success, winning four Oscars including the Academy Award for Best Picture and a monumental win for Redford as he won Best Director.

Out of Africa (1985)

In one of his most recognized roles of his career, Robert Redford co-stars with Meryl Streep in the Award winning film, Out of Africa. The story follows a Danish baroness/platioation owner in 20th century colonial Kenya, and her passionate love affair with a free-spirited game hunter. The film reached momumental success, winning seven Oscars out of 11 nominations.

Quiz Show (1994)

Regarded as Redford’s finest movie as director, Quiz Show is an American historical drama film based on the Richard N. Goodwin memoir Remembering America. The film follows the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s, the rise and fall of popular contestant Charles Van Doren, played by Ralph Fiennes, and the Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) subsequent search for the truth. The film was nominated for four Oscars including Best Director and Best picture. The film, to this day, holds a 96% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

All Is Lost (2013)

In the 2000’s Redford participated in acting, directing, and producing, but was more interested in his role as a philanthropist. Robert accepted the role in the upcoming film, All Is Lost, bringing him back into the spotlight. Redford depicts an unnamed man in a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, waking up to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner’s intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest. Introducing himself to an audience of a different generation, Redford has had high reviews and has had critics awaiting the release of the new film.

All Is Lost arrives in UK&Irish cinemas 26th December.

Blu-Ray Review - The Long Goodbye (1973)

Genre:
Crime, Thriller, Drama
Distributor:
Arrow Video
Rating:
18
BD Release Date:
16th December 2013 (UK)
Director:
Robert Altman
Cast:
Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden
Buy The Long Goodbye: Blu-ray [Amazon]

One of the films Robert Altman followed up his revisionist western McCabe &Mrs. Miller with was perhaps his most savage genre revision of a career of many with The Long Goodbye. It was his return to Hollywood after he made his more European flavoured psychological thriller Images in Ireland.

One night Terry Lennox askes for a lift down to Tijuana on the US/Mexico border when he visits Marlowe. He obliges and drives him but the next morning he is met by cops when he wakes him informing him Terry Lennox has committed suicide and murdered his wife. It starts a chain of events involving Marlowe tracking done a writer after being hired by his wife and being involved with some local L.A gangsters. As usual when it comes to these tales there is more than meets the eye.

The film is extremely loosely based on Raymond Chandler’s novel of the same title. The source novel featured his most famous creation the Private investigator Philip Marlowe most famously played by Humphrey Bogart in Howard Hawks’ adaptation of The Big Sleep. The screenwriter Leigh Brackett was responsible for both adaptations but they couldn’t be more different and Robert Altman had a lot of input in the final script. Altman’s radical approach to the storytelling was crystalized in the fact he never actually read the entire book and actually was more inspired by Raymond Chandler Speaking, which was a collection of letters and essays.

Elliot Gould plays Philip Marlowe and the case could be made he gives the gives the finest portrayal of Marlowe even though in many ways different from the source character. His portrayal was a clear inspiration for The Dude in The Big Lebowski which itself is a radical homage to Chandler. Marlowe during the famous cat-feeding scene he comes off a bit stoned to say the least that draws parallels to The Dude. He pulls the mumbling wise cracking of Marlowe to a t without it ever seeming false. Gould’s portrayed left such an imprint on Chandler’s estate he was later hired many times to read Chandler’s work on tape.

The Long Goodbye is one of Altman’s more contained films than the more ensemble satirical dramas he is more known for like Nashville, Short Cuts and M*A*S*H. The 70s was clearly the decade the majority of his great work came out even though he had some phenomenal work in the early 90s.

It’s a radical reworking of a much-celebrated author; the British critics were particularly harsh on the film because it wasn’t the Bogart take on Marlowe. It’s one of the few films he made with a clearly defined lead character and it helps the film in many ways and the fact it’s Elliot Gould in his personal favourite performance doesn’t harm the proceedings.

The film was a financial flop on its initial release but has since became a critical and fan favourite. It’s one of the last great neo-noirs of the 1970s along with Chinatown and Night Moves. It was last decade till recently that because of the current Political climates these stories seemed timely and not out of date. Arrow Video has released one of their finest Blu-Rays with a wealth of material including an hour-long doc on Robert Altman, an hour-long conversation with Elliot Gould, old features from the region 1 dvd along with new interviews with specialists on Altman, Chandler and Hard-Boiled Fiction.

It’s ok with me.

★★★★★

Ian Schultz

Win UK Documentary Jaywick Escapes On DVD

Jaywick Escapes is a candid portrait of life in the enigmatic seaside town of Jaywick - the unknown, decaying ‘edgeland’ of Essex - just a 90-minute drive from London’s Olympic Park yet as far from its ambition and dreams as it could possibly be. Jaywick Escapes is an Somewhere Film production out on DVD 16th December and we have copies to give away.

Officially now England’s most deprived place, Jaywick is the last refuge for many for whom life hasn’t quite worked out - a bargain sea view where you can vanish, at least for a while. Jaywick Escapes sensitively follows a handful of newcomers to the town, revealing their humanity and rejecting more familiar stereotypical portrayals of Britain’s underclass.

Pope & Guthrie started working in Jaywick in 2009, as part of a creative consultancy to identify ways to improve the public spaces in and around this unique town. Drawing on their wide experience of producing collaborative projects within challenging contexts, they engaged local people, gaining the confidence of both the young and old. The result of these relationships is the Jaywick Escapes film, shot across a period of 18 months in 2010/11.

We have 3 copies of Jaywick Escapes on DVD to giveaway and to enter please answer the following question:

Q.What English county connects Jaywick with Joey from TOWIE?

Deadline is 5th January 2013 (23:59pm),If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post on twitter and facebook). Must be 15or older to enter.

Terms&Conditions:
1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse, Somehwere Film  employees who have the right to alter, change or offer alternative prize without any notice.2.All The Peoples Movies entries must be done via contact form. deadline Sunday 5th January 2013 (23:59pm) 15 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only.
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Feature - A New Wave in New Queer Cinema

Spurred on by the AIDS crisis, the social exclusion of homosexual men during the 1980s induced fear and anger from both sides of the gender boundaries. Wanting to break away from various pithy representations at the start of a new decade, UK and US based gay filmmakers such as Gregg Araki (The Living End), Todd Haynes (Poison) and the late Derek Jarman (Blue) sought to create films which were expressionistic and upfront in their frustration towards heteronormative boundaries and relationships. They represented a new way of belonging within a gay community, a stronger acceptance of a grounded identity where there was pride in being different. Knowing these films were completely unlike anything else, film critic B Ruby Rich classed this wave of filmmaking as ‘New Queer Cinema’ in a 1992 issue of Sight & Sound. Yet, as the 90s continued and breakthroughs with AIDS treatments progressed, homosexual identities became more politically recognised and accepted. As a result, the central gay character grew to be more present within mainstream (Philadelphia) and populist Indie (Beautiful Thing) film throughout the decade. Following the standard template of having an identity problem with being gay or living with AIDS, these forms of conflict seemed the only way of making a story interesting or crucial in forcing a statement.

However, by the end of the 90s, the activist force of ‘New Queer Cinema’ seemed to fizzle out as gay equality within Western society became stronger and more widely accepted than ever before. As a result, the representation of the triumphantly well adjusted homosexual man took over most narratives. In Hollywood, popular centralised gay storylines (Brokeback Mountain, Milk) still centred on weepy ideals, set within a certain time period, where central characters were martyrs to highlight just how significantly times had changed. As for the some of the original ‘New Queer Cinema’ filmmakers, after having said everything they needed to, they moved on to different styles and forms of storytelling, either within mainstream or independent productions. Since the popularity behind the politics resulted in a move into the ordinary, many of the early gay activists and filmmakers – who thrived in their difference from the hetero norms – would argue that the war for recognition, acceptance and equality is over. However, the lack of fluidity within the structure of gay narratives still created dissatisfaction with a few younger directors. Rather than portray the direct anxiety that can be faced with homosexuality or have gay characters completely represent the community, directors Andrew Haigh, Travis Mathews and Ira Sachs have created stories where this identity is a mere factor towards a more universal story. In their films, characters are already well adjusted with their identity. They lead a standard suburban life where the issues of death or coming out are not important. Most importantly, they do not fall into a perception of a gay community. Although these characters may struggle with issues of their identity, they are subtlety handled by these filmmakers, making their connection with other characters or their community resonate. It is a sudden and unique shift within ‘Queer Cinema’, but also a welcome one.

Haigh’s Weekend, released in 2011, proved to be a surprise hit for the filmmaker. The small production, detailing a brief - yet passionate - weekend between two very different personalities, earned consistent critical praise and box-office success (earning the second highest screen average on its opening week in the UK, behind Speilberg’s TinTin). Similarly, Matthew’s acclaimed 2013 film, I Want Your Love, charts the various sexual encounters of a local mid-twenties San Francisco hipster within his social circle of friends. Finally, Sach’s Keep the Lights On, follows a relationship set over a decade, from its amusingly awkward beginnings through to its tribulations with addiction. Although these stories may be different, the characters within them reveal various personalities and situations which are relatable to both homosexual and heterosexual audiences. With dialogue and performances that feel improvised and stylised hand-held cinematography, the naturalistic qualities of these works present how social boundaries within more everyday settings have been abolished. Rather than smack various issues over the viewer, these films treat their audiences with respect in regards to their intelligence and own experiences. Speaking exclusively to Mathews, he says ‘I don’t want to take someone’s hand and say ‘‘we are about to go somewhere gay and this is what you need to understand.’’ It is what it is.’

The existence of this new wave of film came from frustration. Before these filmmakers, there was merely a desire of wish fulfilment in seeing fully adjusted, happy, gay men within the media. For Haigh, films and television displayed a sense of contemporary gay life which he himself knew nothing about. However, Sachs was confused at why the subject of troublesome long-term relationships was never an issue, after experiencing one himself. Such was the popularity and importance of ‘positive’ representations within the media that Mathews believes that he and his peers are making progress in depicting the lives of gay men; ‘Not all of us are living perfectly well adjusted lives and I personally don’t want to shy away from something that could be seen as a bad portrayal. We can be just as flawed and interesting as the next guy and we [Mathews, Haigh and Sachs] want to show that.’

In showing the honesty and flaws within their characters’ lifestyle, each filmmaker relies on addressing the thorny issue of sex. Previously, the depiction of gay sex usually proved unjustified or a crass ‘will-they-won’t-they’ plot device. It provided cheap thrills or was thrown in for the sake or liberation of being able to show it. Yet, for these filmmakers, sex is integral in showing the normality within the everyday of a developing relationship. Unfortunately, this is an area which immediately classifies a direct demographic within these universal storylines. Unlike the works of Lars Von Trier and Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), who approach the topic of sex within heterosexual relationships to drive their stories, the subject of gay sex can still divide an audience. As the character of Glen says in Weekend – when speaking about his personal art project – ‘straights won’t care because it’s not about their world.’ However, as many highbrow critics have noted, this is where the appeal of these three films lie. The topic of sex displays a generational experience within many contemporary works of rooting your identity and displaying who you are. With the ideas depicted within these films evidently crossing over the lines that have divided sexuality, the characters become more resonant purely because the story takes place within the relationship of two men. Yet, one might wonder that whilst the barriers of cultural sexual rigidity still remain slightly profound and – especially in this case – can divide an audience, would these characters ever be fully appreciated?

The reason Mathews wrote I Want Your Love was through bafflement over the void left within cinema where sex between two characters revealed an extension to their personality. However, what puts Mathews above the rest in his depiction of intercourse is that he had his actors perform live sex in front of the camera; ‘When two people try to or have sex, there is a lot of information exchanged and I didn’t want to shy away from it when telling my story. I could not present the intimacy with my characters without showing sex. I just feel like we’re in a place in time where the stories we’re telling about ourselves can be a bit more complicated and modern.’ Haigh, however, was more reserved. Developing his two characters before showing any intimacy, he takes an empathetic eye, allowing his scenes to feel more meaningful and personal for his two leads. In his own words, he says, ‘it was very important for me not to just shoehorn the sex into my film. I wanted to present the effect of the first encounter and have the audience understand the characters before revealing more. By the end of the film, you want them to enjoy the sex they have in their final moments together.’ As with Keep the Lights On, critics in the UK and US have applauded the portrayal of sex being naturally integrated and included in people’s everyday contemporary lives, rather than separated from it.

Within the context of these individual works, the depiction of intimacy provides a level of character development which is rare to find in a lot of cinema but progressive in how narrative forms are changing.
There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from watching these films. Not only are you witnessing a change in the norms of representing homosexuality, but they are making progression with the identity by setting it within contemporary urban landscapes. In moving gay identities to the background and having other facets contribute more towards these flawed characters, it injects a much needed sense of realism in depicting the lives of these people. Rather than hammer you over the head with the issues raised in these films - ideas such as muted homophobia in Weekend, faithfulness within relationships in Keep the Lights On, or the importance of a small community within a culture in I Want Your Love – they linger through their lack of force. In going underneath the larger issues and executing them with empathy and intelligence, it allows the universal appeal to open up which is liberating. It is invigorating seeing filmmakers embrace how much of a mess life can be sometimes.

David Darley