Film Review - Funny Face (1957)

Genre:
Musical, Comedy, Romance
Distributor:
Park Circus
Rating: PG
Re-Release Date:
28th February 2014 (UK)
Director:
Stanley Donen
Cast:
Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson

Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) happily works as an assistant in an obscure New York bookstore. One day a top fashion glossy takes over the shop as the setting for a photo shoot. During the shoot the magazine's editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) and her top photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) discover Jo whom they declare as the next 'big thing'! She is then whisked to Paris by the scheming duo, where she not only causes a sensation on the catwalks of the fashion capital but soon becomes the focus of Avery's attention on both sides of the camera.

For those who think cinema's fascination with fashion is a recent phenomena, with films like The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The September Issue (2009) - think again. Funny Face (1957), the piece of cinematic whimsy directed by Stanley Donen - who made such Hollywood classics as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) - proves that as far back as the 1950s the public was obsessed with the beautiful world inhabited by stick thin models, demanding editors and temperamental photographers. The film shares endless similarities with the real world of fashion, and especially the refined echelons of couture: not surprising considering the character of Maggie Prescott was rumoured to be modelled on Diana Vreeland, the real-life Editrix of fashion bible American Vogue, whilst the inspiration for Astaire's photographer apparently derived from one of the most influential super snappers ever, Richard (Dick) Avedon.

As with the exclusive world of high fashion, Funny Face is one of those rare films which not only transcends fads and passing tastes, but stands out from the rest thanks to its effortless style, wit and sophistication. Hepburn simply fizzes in the role of Jo, the feisty young woman battling with the attentions of Astaire's older, more worldly-wise mentor - a role she would repeat a few years later in My Fair Lady (1964) alongside Rex Harrison.

Like the industry it so wittily sends up, the evergreen Funny Face is beguiling, tasteful and painfully chic. The film's timely rerelease coincides conveniently with the close of the bi-annual fashion circus which has been making its way around the clothing capitals of the world. Few of us will ever get the chance of a ringside seat at these events. However glossy magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar allow people to be a part of these fantasies, vicariously through their pages. Films such as the exquisite Funny Face - where all the ingredients came together in a picture perfect composition - also allow us to share, even if only for a brief time, in this land of adult make-believe.

★★★★★

Cleaver Patterson

BFI Player Snags Nymphomaniac for March 1st Release

DVD Review - Bloody Homecoming

Genre:
Horror, Slasher
Distributor:
Imagine Entertainment
Rating: 15
DVD Release Date:
10th March 2014 (UK)
Director:
Brian C Weed
Cast:
Jim Tavaré, Rae Latt, Lexi Giovagnoli
Buy: Bloody Homecoming [DVD]
Bloody Homecoming, from first time feature director Brian C. Weed, is a strange kind of homage to classic slasher films, from its Halloween-inspired soundtrack to its creepy high school janitor, it wears its inspirations proudly but does little else. The film follows the lives of a group of students, each guilty for their involvement in a student’s death 3 years prior. As homecoming night looms, the anniversary of Billy Corbin’s murder, the students try their best to carry on whilst a masked killer butchers the group.

Though its heart is in the right place, a lot of stuff is crazy wrong with Bloody Homecoming. There’s a seemingly conscious engagement with slasher trope but it doesn’t lead anywhere. Spoof without comedy is pastiche, but pastiche without any comment or thrill is simply bad. As the film acts out a paint by numbers stalk-and-slash you’re left wondering when something cool will happen. Characters are killed in numerous anti-climactic death scenes whilst a lack of main character leaves the film directionless. Rather than pulling something postmodern out the bag and utilising that knowledge of slasher, the film executes an ending which, due to inconsequential characters and the inability to build tension, just kind of happens.  Saying that, Rae Latt does do her best to carry the finale though the shortcomings in editing and script unfortunately halt her most enjoyable scenes.

Bloody Homecoming dances the line between home movie and straight to DVD entertainment, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Its flat performances and hilariously stupid dialogue almost give it a charming edge over other plainly bad films, but the total lack of tension and drama keep it well and truly bogged down. It’s not enough for the film to be awful and unintentionally hilarious. This is a great shame since there’s obviously a passion for horror at work somewhere in there, it just needs to be addressed in a more deserving way.

Hilarious dialogue, wooden acting, and zero tension leaves this ode to classic slasher films looking like a second-rate re-enactment of better films. Avoid this if you can.

★☆☆☆☆

Scott Clark

GFF 2014 Review: The Dance of Reality (La danza de la realidad)

Genre:
World Cinema, Biography, Drama
Distributor:
Pathe International
Rating: 15
Release Date:
23rd February 2014 (UK,Glasgow Film Festival)
Director:
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Stars:
Brontis Jodorowsky, Pamela Florence, Jeremías Herskovits,Alejandro Jodorowky
Reviewing a film like Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Dance of Reality (La Danza de la Realidad) is a tricky thing. Rarely do films achieve such a level of mind-boggling skill, flaunting an incredible fusion of art and entertainment like nothing you’ve ever seen. The legendary director’s first film in 23 years is an account of his childhood in 1930’s Chile, focusing on his troubled relationship with his father. At the Glasgow Film Festival Q & A with Brontis Jodorowsky (Alejandro’s son and lead actor in The Dance of Reality) the film’s reconciliatory purposes were made clear.

Here Jodorowsky considers his entire youth, reimagining various important events and circumstance. The meticulously executed fantastical elements can at times seem intense, distancing the viewer from the actual story of the film. However, Jodorowsky’s unrelenting surrealism ultimately proves so literal it just seems impenetrable and that makes it all the more appreciable. Jodorowsky’s mother’s unfulfilled desire to be an opera singer is here addressed by having her sing all her lines. The half-finished quality to dreams and memories is here represented by all inconsequential characters’ wearing expressionless masks. Unresolved relations with his father are perhaps the most extensively addressed as it is Jaime (Brontis Jodorowsky) who is sent on a journey of self-exploration. This series of bizarre happenstance, set against a backdrop of political disorder and communist uprising, is an honest open letter to Jodorowsky’s estranged father.

The village of Tocopilla is exotic and farcical with a host of colourful characters, each new character appearing to paint another detail onto the intricate portrait of Jodorowsky’s youth. Most obvious in all this is that even in a break of almost a quarter century, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s wit and visual capability have not been dulled. These images and tales- in the end- only add up to one perspective, but with such accomplished cohesiveness The Dance of Reality feels like a hundred gorgeous vignettes of a fascinating world.  It would be a mistake for me to take characters or events and attempt to explore their relevance to the narrative of the film and, more importantly, Jodorowsky’s life. Instead I’ll urge you to see and experience it for yourself.

The journey to Jodorowsky’s past unveils a bizarre and utterly entrancing tale of philosophical coming-of-age. The vibrant atmosphere of “Python”-esque tom-foolery mixed with beautiful visuals and often blunt social critique makes Jodorowsky’s latest a welcome return.

★★★★★

Scott Clark

GFF 2014 Review: The Girl From the Wardrobe (Dziewczyna z szafy)

Genre:
Drama, World Cinema
Rating: 15
Release Date:
22nd February 2014 (Glasgow Film Festival)
Director:
Bodo Kox
Cast:
Wojciech Mecwaldowski, Piotr Glowacki, Magdalena Rózanska

Writer-director Bodo Kox’s debut feature follows the story of three isolated individuals who live on the same floor of a block of flats in a run-down residential area. Jacek (Piotre Glowacki) operates a business from his computer and tries to maintain a normal life whilst taking care of his autistic brother Tomeck (Wojciech Mecwaldowski) who can see air blimps constantly flying overhead. Magda (Magdalena Rozanska) lives across the hall and spends her days sitting in her cupboard smoking joints and watching photo stills on an old projector.

It’s as charming and weird as it sounds; flitting between an expose on lives less ordinary and madcap venture into the world of multi-verse theory, The Girl in the Wardrobe is ultimately a tender film about friendship but should not be underestimated as an incredibly funny black comedy.  Bodo’s keen sense of humour is an integral part of his heartfelt portrait of alienation ensuring that the film remains –no matter how depressing- bizarrely buoyant.

Some of the most impressive parts of the film come from the often surreal merging of hallucination and reality, making what could have been drab and monotonous, ultimately involving and intriguing. The dull residential area in which the film is set seems grey and rotten, but Tomeck’s low flying air blimps and Magda’s jungle retreat are moments of fantastic exotic curio rarely made this matter-of-fact. Just when a conversation starts to get dull, or a sequence begins to slow down, things get weird. Rather than this feeling like some kind of last minute scene-save, it acts as Bodo’s critique on the monotony of life. Again and again society at large, at least the world outside the flat, seems predictable and ultimately vapid.

Here, under the heartstrings and weird imagery is an insidious account of the seclusion of troubled peoples. A trip to an art gallery flaunts contempt for a pretentious kind of piety found nowhere in the deeply honest world of Tomek, Magda, and Jacek. The entire cast prove their worth throughout, each receiving the same overall balance- the film itself executes so well- between humour and pain. Even though there are some dull points, Kox proves he is a capable and interesting filmmaker worth keeping an eye on.

A supremely bittersweet tale of suicide, alienation, and friendship, The Girl in the Wardrobe is a carefully balanced study of life on the outside looking in, a piss-take of the word “normal”, but perhaps most importantly an eye opening look at mental health.

★★★½☆

Scott Clark

GFF 2014 Review -The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears (L'étrange couleur des larmes de ton corps)

Genre:
Thriller, World Cinema, Giallo
Distributor:
Metrodome (UK)
Release:
21st February 2014 (Glasgow Film Festival)
11th April 2014 (UK Cinema)
Rating: 18(UK)
Directors:
Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Stars:
Klaus Tange, Ursula Bedena, Joe Koener

Following on from their stunning debut feature Amer, Helen Cattet and Bruno Forzani deliver another breath-taking giallo-inspired thriller, pushing the envelope even further in terms of narrative coherency and cinematic beauty.

If you’re looking for a straightforward thriller narrative wrapped in giallo style, you won’t find it here. Cattet and Forzani throw narrative coherency to the wind and gleefully launch into an intensive exploration of giallo trope, ensuring that anyone desperate for an obvious answer to the mysteries of this labyrinthine film will be sorely disappointed. Though Strange Colour does throw narrative scraps to the audience, ensuring that some vague concept of what’s going on is there, as a whole it’s more connected by theme. Obsession and passion appear at every twist and turn, whilst death and violence follow hot on their heels. The French auteurs cleverly leave little time for reflection or digestion; the symbols and ultra-violence come thick and fast in a Freudian head-fuck sure to fill numerous forums with panicked jibber-jabber as to what it’s all about.

This is a film populated by the ghosts of the giallo genre: sex mad sirens and murderous she-witches hide in the shadows of the gorgeous flat block, whilst killers in black leather seems to erupt out the walls to orchestrate scenes of visceral brutality with shimmering cut-throat razors. It’s been a while since stabbing looked this brutal. Arguably the skilled duo are covering a lot of the ground they did in Amer and even though it never comes across as tired, it would be interesting to see something totally different next.

Strange Colour actually surpasses all Cattet and Forzani’s previous works in terms of cinematography and sound. The rich day-glow noir that so excellently served their purposes in Amer and their entry to The ABC’s of Death (O is for Orgasm), is here perfected. The sound is rich, intrusive, stunning, and arguably more intimidating than any visual in the feature. The talented duo should beware that their strong sense of style has the capacity to get in the way of other aspects of the film. Long sequences of more vanguard imagery and narrative have the potential to detract rather than add to the film as a whole. In a feature so proud to leave its narrative unannounced for the viewer’s delectation, it is still possible to push the confusion too far.

Vagina-shaped stab wounds, black fedoras, mysterious figures in red veils, its all here in this lovingly told uber-giallo feature. By the end you won’t really know what’s happening, but that doesn’t matter.  Every shot is perfect, every sound so tangible it makes your skin crawl, whilst the confusion and horror at its heart make it one of the most entrancing experiences you’ll have this year.

★★★★☆

Scott Clark

Masters Of Cinema Blu-ray Review - Serpico (1973)

Genre:
Crime, Drama, Biography
Distributor:
Eureka! Entertainment
Rating: 18
BD Release Date:
24th February 2014 (UK)
Director:
Sidney Lumet
Cast:
Al Pacion, Jack Keghoe, John Randolph, Barbara Eda-Young
Buy: SERPICO (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray)

Serpico is one of the crowning achievements in two careers, which had plenty the director Sidney Lumet, and the film’s star Al Pacino. It came off the heels of Sidney Lumet’s little seen but brilliant Sean Connery cop film The Offence and Pacino’s star making role in The Godfather and his equally great performance in Scarecrow.

Al Pacino shines as the title character of Frank Serpico, who starts life out as a uniformed police officer. He gradually discovers a world of police corruption and plans to blow it open. Serpico becomes increasingly idiosyncratic such as read literature not associated with a police officer and basically becomes a hippie. His behaviour makes his partners, superiors to be suspicious of him cause he refuses to take any payoffs. They eventually start to threaten his life.

Sidney Lumet was the undisputedly the king of gritty New York realism and Serpico was the beginning of what would make his name despite working since the 1950s and making many great films by this time. It’s both a pioneering cop film and a brilliant examination of a man who is a flawed moral crusader. Serpico along with The French Connection became the blueprint for the gritty realistic cop film we now know and love today.

The film is also very much a product of the time. It’s a film made at the climax of the Vietnam War, Watergate and the death of the Hippie dream. Lumet was always a political director even though his politics never made his films inaccessible to people of the left or the right is evident in the right leaning Tea Party appropriation of the “I’m not gonna take it anymore” line from his later 70s masterpiece Network despite his liberal politics. It could also just be there were fewer films then and people of all political persuasions would see what was new.

Lumet would return to the topic of police corrupt in the New York police force in later films such as Prince of the City and Q & A but he never bettered Serpico on the subject. Pacino and Lumet really were at the top of the game; both star and actor rarely put a put a foot wrong in the 70s. The most amazing thing about the film is that Pacino and Lumet topped it with their next collaboration Dog Day Afternoon but that’s a different story altogether.

★★★★½

Ian Schultz

DVD Review - The Last Days (Los últimos días)

Masters Of Cinema Blu-ray Review - Roma (1972)

Genre:
Comedy, Drama, World Cinema
Distributor:
Eureka! Entertainment
BD Release Date:
24th February 2014 (UK)
Rating:15
Director:
Federico Fellini
Cast:
Britta Barnes, Peter Gonzales Falcon, Fiona Florence
buy: ROMA (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray)
Roma is one of Fellini’s most ambitious films but also one of his most narratively lacking, which at times can be extremely frustrating. It was released the year before the similar but more narrative led Amarcord, which is considered among his finest and rightfully so. Both films however deal with the rise of fascism in Italy during the 30s and both present a snapshot of the place it’s set.

Roma is a fragmented and at times surrealistic look at the city of Rome. Half of the narrative deals with young Fellini arriving in Rome during the Mussolini years. The other half is set during present day, which concerns Fellini (played by himself) making a film about the city of Rome. This is not untypical of Fellini’s films especially 8 ½, which is one of the great examples of film being an imitation of the director’s life.

The film’s lack of narrative can be confusing at times which can become irritating, but Fellini is one of those director’s whose images are so hypnotic that it somehow works. Fellini is also one of the most compassionate directors and he loves every character in his films greatly, no matter the social circumstances of them. Fellini’s films are often called grotesque but I’ve always found they just reflected his reality. It’s always worth noting Fellini was a cartoonist and that shaped how he saw the world, not unlike his obvious successor Terry Gilliam.

It’s Fellini in his most indulgent but even that is much better than most other people’s films, and it’s a fun satirical romp though Rome. The comparison between the Catholic fashion show and the brothel is one of Fellini’s finest moments in a career of many. The disc boosts a great transfer and an interview with Chris Wagstaff (lecturer in Italian cinema) along with roughly 20 minutes of deleted scenes and Italian and international trailers.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Blu-ray Review - The Killers (1964)

Genre:
Thriller, Crime
Distributor:
Arrow Academy
Rating: 18
BD Release Date:
24th February 2014 (UK)
Director:
Don Siegel
Cast:
Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes
Buy:The Killers [Blu-ray]
Ernest Hemingway’s The Killers has been adapted into 3 films for the silver year, first by Richard Siodmak in 1946, the second by Andrei Tarkovsky as a student film and finally by Don Siegel in 1964. They were all masters of cinema in their own way and all 3 films are very different. The Siodmak version is noted as the only adaptation of his work Hemingway admired before his eventual suicide.

The plot is about as basic as you can get: two hit men - Charlie (Lee Marvin) and Lee (Clu Gulager) - are hired to kill a teacher Johnny North (John Cassavetes). They are shocked when he tries to flee the scene and accepts his fate quite calmly. The two hit men investigate to find out why he accepted his fate and Johnny’s story is told in a series of flashbacks.

The Killers is probably most well known for two reasons. The first is it was set to be the very first TV movie and Arrow has kindly included widescreen and full screen aspect ratios in this release. The Killers, however, was deemed too violent for television so it was originally released theatrically in Europe where it was a bit of hit; Lee Marvin won a joint Bafta for his work on this and the overrated Cat Ballou. It was eventually released in the US but a few years after Europe.

It’s also widely known for being Ronald Reagan’s last ever film before he decided to go into politics which eventually lead to his election as President. Reagan plays a mobster and absolutely hated the fact he agreed to be in the film because he slaps Angie Dickinson’s character. In reality it was basically the only role Reagan could get because everyone realised he was a pretty woeful actor then. During the early to mid 80s, a famous shot of Reagan with a gun was used numerous times for flyers and posters for loads of hardcore punk gigs.

The early 60s to mid 60s in American cinema was a fascinating time for film despite what many critics might say. The remnants of film noir were still in the air and it can be argued that it didn’t fully stop till the death of JFK. It is rumoured that Angie Dickinson heard the news during the shooting of The Killers and she supposedly had a bit of a fling with him as well. Films were starting to become more violent and explicit and The Killers was one of the first before the so-called ground zero moment of Bonnie & Clyde in 1967, along with some films such as Shock Corridor, Seconds and the work of Roger Corman.

Lee Marvin had been in supporting roles for most of his career before The Killers so he was eager for a meatier role and he considered it one of his best. It can be said his great performance in this could be considered a dry run for his cooler than ice character of Walker in the 1967’s masterpiece Point Blank. John Cassavetes, who had already started directing his independent films that he became better known for, gives one of his finest on screen performances as Johnny North.

The Killers has become something of a minor cult classic over the years and rightfully so: it’s a great slice of neo-noir coming at the tail end of film noir. Lee Marvin is as cool as you can get. Don Siegel’s direction is spot on as usual and it’s always a riot to see Ronald Reagan’s performance as mob boss Jack Browning. The disc also includes 3 interviews - one on Lee Marvin’s career, one on Reagan’s acting career and archive one with Mr. Siegel himself.

★★★★★

Ian Schultz

Blu-Ray Review - Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)

Genre:
Fantasy, Horror, Comedy
Distributor:
Arrow Video
Rating: 15
Director:
Brian DePalma
Cast:
Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper
Buy: Phantom of the Paradise Steelbook [Blu-ray]

Phantom of the Paradise came out after Brian De Palma’s Sisters which was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Georges Franju. It also predated the glam rock meets horror film musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show in which comparisons can easily be made. It’s also one of De Palma’s finest films to date; only some of the later films like Carrie, Blow Out (his masterpiece) or his most widely known film Scarface transcend it.

It’s partly inspired by Phantom of the Opera, but what’s probably a more noticeable inspiration is the old tale of Faust. Cinema has been retelling the story of Faust since the early days of film- from Murnau’s film of Faust to Terry Gilliam’s Dr. Parnassus. It’s also a biting satire on the music business with the Devil incarnated as Paul Williams, the record label boss of Swan, who also wrote all the film’s songs.

William Finley - who has been working with De Palma since his student film days - plays the Phantom. The Phantom starts out life as a Randy Newman, an Elton John type character or indeed any early 70s singer/songwriter type named Winslow Leach. Swan likes Randy’s music, and in turn decides to steal it because he needs a catalyst to open his new venue The Paradise. Winslow objects and is thrown into jail but escapes and attempts to destroy the record label's pressing of the cover of his song. Following Winslow's disfiguration from his accident, he becomes the phantom and begins to seek revenge.

It would be unfair not to mention Gerrit Graham’s stellar performance as Beef; the ridiculously camp rock n roll diva who is set to headline The Paradise. One of the film’s greatest gimmicks are the band’s that Swan manages, changing names and styles throughout - from the Juicy Fruits (50s nostalgia band) to The Undead (Alice Cooper esq. rock) – they are all the same band. Jessica Harper, who actually starred in the quasi sequel to Rocky Horror Shock Treatment, plays the young singer the Phantom is trying to pursue.

Jack Fisk, who is one of the most well respected production designers in the business, designed the film. He is married to Sissy Spacek (who is credited as a set dresser on the film) and has worked with Terrence Malick, PT Anderson, David Lynch et el. It’s beautifully designed with bright colourful sets, and it’s also one of the best shot films of De Palma’s career with great use of fish eye lenses, long takes and split screen - all techniques of which De Palma made his name, while it even includes one if not the best on-screen parody of the shower scene in Psycho.

Phantom of the Paradise was very ahead of its time, coming out before Glam Rock became big in the US due to massive success of Kiss, who have been accused of ripping off the Undead’s makeup. Over the years it’s gained a rabid cult following with notable fans including Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo Del Toro. It’s also one of the most scathing attacks on the music business in film history. The reception and the film’s lack of commercial success may be due to the its tone, which is extremely zany in a Sam Raimi-esque way, but the next scene can be a slice of gothic horror.

The disc includes a great documentary on the film, which was previously only available on the French special editions (where the film was a big hit). The biggest new extra is a fantastic 70-minute interview with Guillermo Del Toro interviewing Paul Williams. Typically of Arrow, the transfer and sound is top notch.

★★★★1/2

Ian Schultz

Eureka! Entertainment Welcome Lindsay Anderson’s If.... To Masters Of Cinema Family

Eureka! Entertainment have announced the release of IF...., Lindsay Anderson’s quintessential tale of rebellion and winner of the 1969 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Malcolm McDowell (Clockwork Orange), IF.... was voted the 12th greatest British film ever in BFI’s Top 100 British Films poll. IF....will be released for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, as part of Eureka!’s award-winning The Masters of Cinema Series on 21 April 2014

Legendary director Lindsay Anderson expanded on the social outrage and intense character focus of his debut This Sporting Life with this combustible tale of teenage insurrection. Winner of the 1969 Palme d’Or at Cannes, If…. was a popular triumph and instantly recognised as a classic.

A caustic portrait of a traditional boys’ boarding school, where social hierarchy reigns supreme and power remains in the hands of distanced and ineffectual teachers and callously vicious prefects. But three junior pupils, led by Mick Travis (played by Malcolm McDowell in the role that would catapult him to becoming one of Britain’s most iconic actors), decide on a shocking course of action to redress the balance of privilege once and for all.

Packed to bursting with its director’s customary passion and experimentation, If…. remains one of cinema’s quintessential tales of rebellion, a radical snapshot of late 60s’ change, and one of the towering achievements of British film in any era. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this masterpiece in a new Blu-ray edition.

Check out the original theatrical trailer for If....

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• New 1080p high-definition restoration
• Commentary with David Robinson and Malcolm McDowell
• More on-disc extras to be announced closer to release!
• 36-PAGE Booklet featuring a new and exclusive essay about the film by David Cairns, rare archival imagery, and more!

“Amongst the greatest British films of the post-war years” – Film 4

“Punchy, poetic pic that delves into the epic theme of youthful revolt” – Variety

“A classic, a movie of real authority” - Philip French, The Observer

As per usual we will be reviewing If.... so stay tuned for that review.

GFF2014 - Jesse Eisenberg Goes Doppelgängland Style in Full UK Trailer For The Double

Movies Scored by Famous Musicians (Her Feature)

Often, a movie’s score goes unnoticed by an audience, but it can have major effects on the mood and setting of a film by subtly changing a viewer’s perception. If the score is not chosen wisely, it can hinder a film, or even worse, clash with the fundamental themes underlying it. In order to achieve the correct mood, it has become a recent trend for Hollywood film makers to collaborate with famous musicians. For Her, director Spike Jonze worked closely with Arcade Fire to create a sublime score that sweeps and swoons in alignment with Theodore’s (Joaquin Phoenix) emotions. In honour of Her’s February release, we’re taking a look at some of the best collaborations between famous musicians and film makers in recent memory.

Grizzly Bear/ Blue Valentine (2010)

Usually scores are inspired by the films they are created for, but in the case of Blue Valentine, the opposite is true. Director Derek Cianfrance worked for over 7 years to perfect his Blue Valentine script, but it wasn’t until he found the Grizzly Bear band that he hit his writing stride. As he wrote, he often listened to their music, fusing their melodic rhythm into the pacing of his writing. In 2007, he reached out to the band and asked if they would score his film. They obliged, and together with Cianfrance, were able to create two separate moods—one of romanticism for flashbacks and another highlighting tension for present day scenes—that defined the pacing of the film.

Alex Turner/ Submarine (2010)

The lead singer for the Arctic Monkeys took a brief hiatus in 2010 to work alone for the soundtrack of Submarine. In order to highlight this coming of age story, Turner put down his usual habitual rock style, and created six different acoustic songs. His soundtrack was critically acclaimed, and Turner used the experience to expand the sound of the Arctic Monkeys.

Trent Reznor/ The Social Network (2010)

While it’s hard to imagine The Social Network without its award winning soundtrack, Trent Reznor’s score almost didn’t happen. When David Fincher Initially offered Reznor the gig, he turned it down to take a break from music. Thankfully for the film however, Reznor changed his mind at the last minute, and joined forces with Atticus Ross to create a score that Roger Ebert called an “urgent composition that drove the film's headlong momentum.” After the credits finished, Reznor’s score kept on driving, taking the film to the academy awards where it was nominated for eight Oscars and won three including best original score.

Daft Punk/ Tron: Legacy (2010)

Before winning the Grammy for best album of the Year, the French duo took on the Disney remake of Tron in 2010. Their electric-pop vibe was a natural selection for the digital world, and the soundtrack for the film was a huge success, moving all the way to No. 4 on the Billboard top 200 list.

Karen O/ Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

To bring this beloved work of Maurice Sendak to life, Spike Jonze enlisted the help of Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and at the time, his current girlfriend. She lent her voice for several songs, including the Grammy nominated song All is Love, and helped to write the score, which was nominated for best original score at the Golden Globe awards.

John Greenwood/ There Will Be Blood (2007)

For There Will Be Blood, Radiohead’s guitarist John Greenwood accented Daniel Day Lewis’ performance with orchestral sounds to give the film a sinister, unsettling tone. Although his score was ultimately snubbed by the academy awards because of its use of previously recorded material, it was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media".

Arcade Fire/ Karen O/ Her (2014)

For Her, Spike Jones collaborated with Arcade Fire to produce the score, and once again Karen O to sing an original song. Arcade Fire’s score has been nominated for best score by the academy awards, and Karen O’s “The Moon Song” has been nominated for Best Original Song. The film is also in the running for three more Oscars, including Best Picture.

HER IS RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS ON 14 FEBRUARY 2014

Watch Live Q&A For Those In Peril With EE Rising Star Award Nominee George MacKay

Eureka! Entertainment To Give Blu-Ray Release Of Classic Adventure The War Lord Starring Charlton Heston

Eureka! Entertainment have announced the blu-ray release of THE WAR LORD. One of the finest historical adventure films ever made, The War Lord dramatises with uncommon intelligence and integrity the brutality, difficulties and injustices of the Middle Ages.

Charlton Heston stars as Chrysagon, an honoured knight who takes over a castle tower in the swampland of Normandy to strengthen his duke's authority. But his struggles to maintain power in the face of Pagan villagers, barbarian attackers and his brother's jealous counsel are shaken by his growing weariness with bloodshed in a cruel world.

Never before released in high definition anywhere in the world, this collaboration between director Franklin Schaffner (Patton) and the legendary Charlton Heston, three years before their iconic reunion on Planet of the Apes, is a gripping saga of ferocious battles, heartfelt emotion and powerful storytelling.

'A fascinating, literate and rather disturbing excursion into the past. Four Stars.' - Radio Times

THE WAR LORD will be released on Blu-ray by Eureka! Entertainment on 14 April 2014.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Gorgeous 1080p transfer the film in its original aspect ratio
• Optional English SDH
• Isolated music & effects track
• Original theatrical trailer
• More on disc extras to be announced close to release
• BOOKLET with a new essay, and rare archival imagery

Pre-order / Buy The War Lord on:The War Lord (Blu-ray Edition)

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DVD Review - Blue Jasmine

Genre:
Drama, Comedy
DVD/BD Release Date:
17th February 2014 (UK)
Distributor:
Warner Bros Home Entetainment (UK)
Rating: 15
Director:
Woody Allen
Cast:
Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard , Sally Hawkins, Bobby Cannavale
Buy:DVD or Blu-ray [Amazon]

After middle-age flings with exotic beauties from Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome, Woody Allen has decided, in his sunset years, to return home to a true American broad, and in Cate Blanchett’s Jasmine he has unearthed one of his greatest creations yet. It seems almost formulaic to insist upon calling each Allen release a return to form but if, like many, you weren’t totally convinced by Midnight in Paris and numbed by To Rome with Love then believe me when I say Blue Jasmine is not just Woody’s best for a decade but rivals the classics of his golden age.

Blanchett shines as the eponymous star in this skewed re-working of Streetcar Named Desire infused with a Bernard Madoff modern spin. We meet a broken Jasmine on a flight to San Francisco, escaping her once glorious existence as a New York socialite that instantly soured the moment her husband Hal – a suitably despicable Alec Baldwin - was collared by the FBI for questionable financial dealings. Assets seized, bank accounts frozen and friends long since departed, a maddening Jasmine seeks solace in her sister, Ginger’s, west-coast home. The pair, adopted into the same family at a young age, have gone on to lead hugely differing lifestyles and Jasmine soon finds herself plunged into the kind of blue-collar existence she thought  she had well and truly escaped and had no intention on revisiting. Her upstate New York drawl drips with catty condescension fired at will towards her sister’s home, her children and her choice of partner.

Largely seen as little more than a nuisance during Jasmines ‘blessed’ years, Ginger now becomes the base upon which she must carve out a new life. Although, Jasmine was quite content with her old life – tirelessly informing anyone who cares to listen (often those who don’t) about her legendary Hampton’s dinner parties, holidays around Europe and the glamourous setting in which Hal first swept her off her feet.

These sporadic and scattergun recollections allow us into the New York high life, filled with designer shops, holiday homes and bejewelled gifts from partners. Running alongside Jasmine’s current plight, Allen seamlessly blends these memories, navigating away from a tired fish out of water tale to provide us with glimpses of a life lost, as well Hal’s casual approach to monogamy and the root of the major rift dividing the two sisters.

At the films heart is a crackling script, penned by one of the industry’s finest and held aloft by a colossal central performance by Blanchett, a wound up ball of tension hidden underneath booze and delusions of grandeur. It feels like a homecoming of sorts for Allen without ever feeling showy, whitewashing over a decade of midlife ennui more notable for it’s misses than it’s hits. Back on from then and back on American soil, although not so much his well-trodden Manhattan streets but the relatively foreign San Francisco hills. Here again, Allen distances himself from his European phrase – eschewing the tourist friendly scenery – bar one shot of the Golden Gate bridge nestled in the background, otherwise notable by it’s absence – in favour of bringing these characters and their stories to the forefront of each frame.

A genuine return to from for Allen, but Blue Jasmine is more than merely that. A standout American film of the year so far, expect it to feature heavily come award season.

★★★★★

Matthew Walsh

This is a repost of the cinema review from The Peoples Movies

Win Suspenseful Frost On DVD

To celebrate the release of the highly suspenseful horror that's “Guaranteed to deliver chills” (Dread Central) - ‘Frost’ out on DVD 10th February through Entertainment One - we have a copy to give away to one brave winner!

‘The Thing’ meets ‘The Blair Witch Project’ in this terrifying tale of arctic survival. ‘Frost’ keeps the found footage genre alive with its edge-of-your-seat tension and visually ominous atmosphere. The breathtaking landscape of the desolate icy glaciers superbly adds to the suspense especially when the dark of the night descends making ‘Frost’ one of the most tense expeditions into the snowy unknown we’ve encountered for a very long time.

Filmmaker Gunnar (Björn Thors) arrives at a remote glacier camp on the outskirts of the Arctic Circle to meet up with physiologist Agla (Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir) to make a documentary about the research being conducted there. The next day they discover the camp mysteriously abandoned and their co-workers gone without a trace.

As darkness descends and the camp is shaken with ear-splitting shrieks and violent flashing lights, the couple bravely venture out into the vast nothingness frantically following a trail of blood in the snow in the hope that it’ll lead them to their missing colleagues, unaware of what they’ll find at the other end…

Fancy 'frosting up' your DVD collection by winning a copy of Frost on DVD? Great! To enter please answer this simple question...

Q.What Frost famously interviewed Former President Nixon in 1970s which became a Hollywood movie starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella?

Deadline is 2nd March  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.

1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of  Cinehouse, The Peoples Movies, eOne 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 2nd March  2014 (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.

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

Blu-Ray Review - Frivolous Lola (1998) & Cheeky (2000)

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The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

Genre:
Drama, Musical, Romance
Distributor:
StudioCanal UK
BD Release Date:
10th February 2014 (UK)
Rating:
15
Director:
Jacques Demy
Cast:
Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon
Buy:Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] [1964]
Being the first French New Wave film (and possibly, though I could be mistaken, the first non-English language film) I watched, Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg will forever hold a special place in my heart. Back then, the New Wave was just a name and its significance I knew nothing about. And the film, though I found it to be rather enchanting and thoroughly entertaining, was just another film. But seeing the film again now, and in a wonderfully restored edition, I can finally fully appreciate it as the masterpiece it so clearly is.

What Demy’s film does so well is bridge the gap between those New Wave filmmakers he was more associated with, the Left Bank (Agnès Varda, Alain Resnais, Chris Marker), who became filmmakers in a more traditional way, and those of the Cahiers du Cinéma ilk (François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, et al), who began as film critics. Demy achieves this, much in the same way Godard did in films such as Une femme est une femme, through the way he pays homage to the Hollywood musicals he was inspired by while at the same time deconstructing and parodying them in such a way that he simultaneously reinvents the musical.

And what a magnificent musical it is. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg ups the ante on that tired old Hollywood tradition of characters bursting into song by having all the dialogue sung by its cast in a recitative style normally found in the world of the operetta. This gives the film a level of artifice that is further increased by the addition of the most splendidly coloured buildings imaginable. But far from making the film too artificial and far removed from reality, this artifice emphasises the need of escapism from the ordinariness of everyday life. This is especially true when you get to the nitty-gritty of the films story which is grounded in a recognisable world where war, death, teenage pregnancy, prostitution, and debt are very much a part of reality.

The films story is deceptively simple. In the first part, the departure, we are introduced to Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), who works with her widowed mother in a chic but debt ridden umbrella shop, and Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), a mechanic who lives with his bedridden godmother. They are in love and share a passionate night together before Guy leaves for two-year military service in Algeria. The second part, absence, concentrates on how a now pregnant Geneviève copes with Guy’s departure and the pressure she faces from a mother who wants to marry her off to a rich suitor (played by Marc Michel who also appeared in Demy’s first film Lola, which, along with Umbrellas and the later Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, forms a loose trilogy). The third part, the return, sees Guy return from his military service and focuses on how he copes with the discovery that Geneviève is now married.

Now this scenario may sound familiar enough when you compare Umbrellas structure with the conventional Hollywood romance, musical or otherwise, but it is the ending that makes the film special. Convention would dictate that the ending would see Geneviève and Guy inevitably end up together again, no matter how implausible that may seem. What Demy does instead, whether it is through coincidence and chance, those two staple themes of his oeuvre, or fate and destiny, is make sure that the couple are no longer together. He does not cop out and give the audience that happy ending they are all expecting but instead has the couple meet in a chance encounter at Guy’s gas station five years down the line. We quickly learn that both of them have moved on and that both are happy with their current situation. This gives the film a more moving finale. It is closer to the realities of life than anything that is thrown up in a conventional musical. Ultimately, we are left in agreement with Geneviève’s mother when she says: “Time heals many things.”


★★★★½

Shane James

Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises Gets A UK Cinema Release Date

 After months of speculation on when Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises will finally arrive in the UK.Today via their Twitter account StudioCanal put British anime fans minds at rest , the anime maestro's Swansong will arrive in UK cinemas on 9th May.

Here's the  the tweet which also gives you a chance to win a steelbook edition of one of the many classic Studio Ghibli blurays they have on offer...

Hayao Miyazaki’s new masterpiece THE WIND RISES to hit UK cinemas on May 9! RT to #win one of these in preparation.. pic.twitter.com/AfL8cgIi5K

— STUDIOCANAL UK (@StudioCanalUK) February 7, 2014

It's been a long frustrating year for fans even critics here in UK since it's release in Japan Summer 2013 it's made it's  way slowly around the world's film festival circuit surprisingly not London Film Festival. Now the date has been set for the arrival of the film  we can finally look forward to some vintage Studio Ghibli most of all

The Wind Rises is inspired by Miyazaki's own personal dreams, the film centres around Jiro a young man inspired to become a aeronautical engineer. The Wind Rises is  the epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.The film is set in the first half of the 20th Century and will chronicle major events of his life from falling in love right upto Japan entering World War 2 a pivotal event in Jiro's career.

If you missed the  trailer here's another chance to watch it...

Post by The Wind Rises.

The Wind Rises will more likely be released in UK dubbed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt lending his voice to play adult Jiro along with Emily Blunt, Elijah Wood, Many Patinkin, Stanley Tucci, Martin Short, William H Macy even Werner Herzog all lend their voices to the film. Anime fans mark 9th May in your diaries however if you can't wait that long, This Sunday 9th February you can catch the UK premier at Glasgow Youth Film Festival (click on link to book/more info).
source: Yahoo UK