Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
16 March 2014
10 March 2014
5 March 2014
1 March 2014
DVD Review - For Those In Peril (2013)
Genre:
Drama
Distributor:
Soda Pictures
Rating: 18
DVD Release Date:
3rd March 2014 (UK)
Director:
Paul Wright
Cast:
George McKay, Nichola Burley, Katie Dickie, Michael Smiley
Buy: For Those In Peril [DVD]
British cinema has long since been known for its realist aesthetic with directors such as Ken Loach (Kes, Raining Stones, and Ladybird, Ladybird) and Mike Leigh (Life Is Sweet, Naked, and Secrets & Lies) working at the forefront of our national cinema within a social realist idiom. In more recent years, with Lynne Ramsay’s Ratcatcher and Andrea Arnold’s more recent Fish Tank springing to mind, the traditional realist mode as changed context and become more poetic in its form. And now we have Paul Wright, whose debut feature For Those in Peril uses local folklore to transcend the boundaries of realist cinema and imbue his story with a sense of magic.
The film concerns itself with the guilt and need for redemption that take their toll on Aaron (George Mackay), the lone survivor of a fishing accident that claimed the lives of several young men including his own brother. With the local townsfolk of the remote Scottish fishing community in which he resides either blaming him or resenting him for being the only one to return, and with his only solace coming from his mother (played by the excellent Kate Dickie) and his dead brother’s girlfriend Jane (Nichola Burley), Aaron retreats into his own world. With the conviction that his brother is still alive and after taking literally the fable his mother used to tell him as a child, he sets out to rescue his brother from the belly of the monster at the bottom of the sea.
My initial reaction when I watched the film was that the use of folklore to lift the film into the realms of magical realism was, as other critics have been eager to point out, a major misjudgement that diverts our attention away from the films compassionate and intense psychological core. But upon reflection the real problem isn’t anything to do with the films magical elements but more to do with the 18 certificate given to the film, because this film does work as a children’s fable, albeit a dark one, that should be made available for a younger audience. For while the film still has its problems, namely the credibility of the townsfolk’s resentment of Aaron, the film is an ambitious debut that deserves to sit alongside Lynne Ramsay’s Ratcatcher, Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank, Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant, and Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen as a children’s film that has fallen foul of the BBFC’s rating system.
Shane James
11 February 2014
30 January 2014
Forbidden Love - The Invisible Woman Feature
The theme of forbidden love has formed the basis of many romantic dramas; fuelling scenes of passion, desire, and devotion. The latest film to add to the line-up is The Invisible Woman, the true story of Charles Dickens and his young mistress, actress Nelly Ternan. Ralph Fiennes directs himself as Dickens, with Felicity Jones as the young beautiful actress. Nelly is forced to remain an ‘invisible’ muse and lover to hide the scandalous relationship from the world. To mark the February 7th release in cinemas, here is a look at eight films about forbidden love.
The Graduate (1967)
Starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, The Graduate tells the story of Benjamin Braddock and his affair the wife of one of his father’s business partners, Mrs. Robinson. Having recently graduated from college, Ben meets Mrs. Robinson upon arriving home and they begin their short-lived affair. However, his past comes back to haunt him as Ben finds himself falling in love with Elaine, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. The Graduate, a hugely influential coming of age comedy, hilariously tells one of the most tense and noteworthy love stories in film.
Water for Elephants (2011)
When his parents die in a car accident before he finishes his veterinary studies, Jacob Jankowski falls into a new life in the circus. It is here that he meets Marlena, the young wife of the ill-tempered and unstable circus owner, August. Jacob soon falls in love with Marlena, and she with Jacob. August’s violent nature threatens their lives and the livelihood of the circus. Based on the novel, Water for Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, depicts the whirlwind love affair of Jacob and Marlena and how two people will beat all obstacles to be together.
Lolita (1997)
In this forbidden love affair based on the famous Nabokov novel, Humbert Humbert falls in love with his land lady’s 14 year old daughter, Dolores “Lolita” Haze. Humbert, a British professor who moved to the US to teach, marries Charlotte Haze, in order to stay close to Lolita. Lolita proving to be much more mature than her age begins a relationship with her step father. The gripping tale of Lolita, starring Melanie Griffith and Jeremy Irons, with Dominique Swain as Dolores, is filled with romance, guilt, jealousy, and perfectly depicts the ultimate price one might pay for forbidden love.
In The Mood for Love (2000)
Newspaper editor, Chow Mo-Wan, moves into a new building with his wife and at the same time, Su Li-Zhen, a beautiful secretary, moves into the building with her husband. Chow and Li-Zhen form a friendship and begin spending time together as their spouses are away. However, they soon find out their significant others are having an affair and vow to not be like their unfaithful spouses, yet find comfort in their growing relationship. Set in Hong Kong in 1962, In the Mood for Love, starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, beautifully illustrates the growing love between two individuals and their resistance to give into passionate feelings.
The Scarlett Letter (1995)
Seeking independence from 17th century England, Hester Prynne arrives to Massachusetts Bay Colony awaiting the arrival of her husband from England. While befriending other outsiders in the colony, Hester falls for young pastor Arthur Dimmesdale. Soon, Hester bears their child, after rumour of her husband’s death reaches her. On the day Hester is made to wear a scarlet A, her husband arrives very much alive and seeks revenge on her love and his own wife. The Scarlet Letter, starring Demi Moore and Gary Oldman, shows that sometimes love will overcome every rule and all humiliation.
Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Retold in a modern day Verona, Romeo and Juliet remains the timeless story of star crossed lovers. The Montague and the Capulet families are fierce, feuding enemies when their children meet and fall in love. The two have hidden their love from their families and soon meet their tragic destiny. Still preserving the original dialogue from the Shakespeare classic, Romeo and Juliet, starring young Leonard DiCaprio and Claire Danes, is one of the greatest forbidden love stories told.
Titanic (1997)
101 year old Rose DeWitt Butaker tells the story of her romantic adventure on the Titanic, and her discovery of true love, to her granddaughter and the crew aboard the Keldysh research ship. While aboard the Titanic, Rose met Jack Dawson, a spirited artist with whom she soon fell in love. When the Titanic went down, Jack lost his life, but Rose used his name to disappear from her mother and fiancé. 84 years later, Rose recalls this story as the crew searches for remnants of the wreck her nearly priceless lost jewellery. A beautifully told story of love lost, Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, is one of the most spectacular stories of forbidden love.
The Invisible Woman (2013)
Set in 19th century England, The Invisible Woman illustrates the illicit love affair between Charles Dickens and young actress, Ellen Ternan. At the height of his success, an older Dickens meets 18 year old Nelly with whom he soon falls in love and begins a secret affair, eventually leaving his wife. To keep her reputation, Nelly must live a life of “invisibility” until Dickens’ death. An epic drama, starring the outstanding Ralph Fiennes and illustrious Felicity Jones, The Invisible Woman passionately depicts what one must pay for love in an entrancing and heart wrenching film.
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN IS RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS ON 7 FEBRUARY
15 January 2014
Horror Channel Reviving Hammer Double-bill nights
Vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show. Yes, its Hammer heaven as the UK’s number one TV destination for all things horror presents a HAMMER DOUBLE-FEATURE SEASON, which broadcasts from Sat Feb 1 – Feb 22 @ 9.00pm.
Here is the line-up:
Sat 1 Feb @ 21:00 – DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)
This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell), and their wives, Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley), inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the “quintessential Hammer horror"
Sat 1 Feb @ 22:45 - SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker, this popular sequel to Taste the Blood of Dracula stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, who spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his brother Simon and girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. They make their way towards the sinister castle and its undead host. Also stars Dennis Waterman.
Sat 8 Feb @ 21.00 – FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967)
Directed by Terence Fisher, this popular feature stars Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, who discovers a way of trapping the soul of a dead person. Frankenstein believes he can transfer the soul into a recently deceased female (Susan Denberg) to restore her to life. This is one of the most critically acclaimed Hammer films and Martin Scorsese cites this as one of his favourite films.
Sat 8 Feb @ 22.50 - FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974)
The aged Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is housed at an insane asylum where he has been made a surgeon, where, under the alias of Dr. Carl Victor, uses his position to continue his experiments in the creation of man. Filmed at Elstree Studios in 1972 but not released until 1974, it was the final chapter in the Hammer Frankenstein saga of films as well as director Terence Fisher's last film.
Sat 15 Feb @21:00 – THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (1967)
Directed by John Gilling, the film stars André Morell and David Buck as explorers who uncover the tomb of an ancient Egyptian mummy. (played by stuntman Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee’s regular stunt double), brought back to life to wreak revenge on his enemies. It was the third of Hammer's four Mummy films, and the last to feature a bandaged mummy. It was the final Hammer production to be made at Bray Studios.
Sat 15 Feb @ 22:45 - BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1971)
This was the swan song for director Seth Holt, who died before filming finished. An expedition, led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir), find the tomb of an evil Egyptian princess. Her preserved, still-bleeding severed hand sports a dazzling ruby ring. Several years later, Fuchs gives the ring to his daughter Margaret (Valerie Leon), who slowly begins to take on the malevolent traits of its original wearer.
Sat 22 Feb @ 21:00 – THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)
The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil in this gripping tale of Satanism, based on the best-selling 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. Written by Richard Matheson and directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi, Leon Greene and Patrick Mower. Christopher Lee has often said that of all his vast back catalogue of films this is his favourite
Sat 22 Feb @ 22:50 - TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)
Directed by Peter Sykes, this was the second of Wheatley's "black magic" novels to be filmed by Hammer, following The Devil Rides Out and stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott. Wheatley disliked the film because it did not follow his novel and found it obscene. Wheatley told Hammer Production that they were not to make another film from his novels ever again
Other highlights during Feb include the UK TV premieres of SAWNEY: FLESH OF MAN (Fri 21 Feb @ 22:55) and SHARKZILLA (Tues 25 Feb @ 16:00). Plus there is the Network premiere of OPEN WATER (Fri 7 Feb @ 22:50)
TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel
11 January 2014
Win Kelly + Victor On DVD
The surprise critical British independent film Kelly + Victor will be released this Monday, 13th January on DVD and Bluray. We have teamed up with Verve Pictures and have 3 copies of the film on DVD up for grabs.
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When Kelly (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) meets Victor (Julian Morris) on the dance floor of a Liverpool nightclub, the attraction is instant. After wandering through the night they find themselves at her flat, making love with a passion and urgency that neither had experienced before. Both Kelly and Victor are struggling to get by as best they can, while the people around them are choosing illegal lifestyles; she is escaping a brutish former lover, while he is being dragged into a world of drugs. It’s when they make love that their darker instincts take over.
Directed by Kieran Evans, Kelly+Victor is a devastating story of obsessive love anchored by two complex but tender performances.To win Kelly + Victor please answer the following question...
Q.What BAFTA was Kelly + Victor nominated for Along with Shell Earlier this week for ?
Deadline is 2nd February 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 The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse, Verve Pictures 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(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
15 December 2013
Win UK Documentary Jaywick Escapes On DVD
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.
UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
Loquax Competitions
Free Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
2 December 2013
Movie Mogul’s supernatural horror thriller The Sleeping Room goes into production
Production Company Movie Mogul (Panic Button, Shortcuts To Hell) announced today that shooting on supernatural thriller THE SLEEPING ROOM begins on Wed Dec 4, for a three-week shoot on location in Brighton.
Starring Leila Mimmock (Becoming Human), Joseph Beattie (Hex) and Julie Graham (Tower Block), this intense tale of Victorian revenge is written by Ross Jameson, Alex Chandon and John Shackleton and directed by Shackleton with Jake West directing the ’Mutoscope’ action sequences. Director of Photography is Simon Poulter, (Panic Button).
Set in present day Brighton, THE SLEEPING ROOM is the story of Blue (Leila Mimmock), a call girl who falls for a new client, Bill (Joseph Beattie) But the real attraction for Blue is Bill’s apartment and a mysterious room that seems to hold the key to the dark secrets of her family’s past – a room that is about to unleash terrible physical and supernatural forces. Nobody will escape unless a score for a heinous crime is settled.
The cast also includes David Sibley, Chris Waller, Christopher Adamson and Mike Altmann. A Movie Mogul production, it is produced by Gareth I Davies and John Shackleton. Production Designer is Lorna Gay Copp, Costume Designer is David Blight, Production Manager is Tansi Inayat. Editor is John Gillanders and Bang Post Production are handling picture and sound.
John Shackleton, said today: “Support for the film has been first rate and we are immensely proud to be surrounded by such a talented cast and crew, particularly given the huge budget restraints, which we are operating under. Brighton is proving to be not only a wonderfully cinematic place in which to shoot, but also a very accommodating town in which to house a production”.
THE SLEEPING ROOM is the first film to be crowd funded for equity over at
https://www.seedrs.com/startups/the-sleeping-room
14 November 2013
Review - In Fear
Genre:
Thriller, Horror, Indie
Distributor:
Studiocanal UK
Rating:
15
Release Date:
15th November 2013 (UK)
Director:
Jeremy Lovering
Cast:
alice englert, Ian de caestecker, Allen leech
The most terrifying thing to man or woman after lonilness is fear itself, it may help us to make rational thoughts to deliver positivity however Fear itself has 2 sides. There is an psychological effect which can fester terror and in Jeremy Lovering's In Fear that fear is delivered in it's simplest most effective form , well almost
In Fear is the feature directorial debut for veteran tv director Jeremy Lovering starring British upstarts Ian De Caestacker (Agents of S.h.i.e.l.d) and Alice Englert (Ginger And Rosa).They play Tom and Lucy a young couple in the early days of their relationship and heading to a music festival somewhere in Ireland.On the way to the festival venue Tom surprises Lucy by booking a night's stay at a near by country house hotel. Reluctantly Lucy agrees to go and enroute to that hotel the pair follow the signs frustration takes over when they seem to be going round in circles terror takes over when darkness falls the penny drops when the couple believe someone is playing tricks on them.
In Fear is a lesson on how to deliver the maximum effect on screen ith the minimalist of resources. We dive head first into our primal fears as if we are experiencing the emotions Tom and Lucy are experiencing. Things do seem to work largely thanks to improv skills of our young leads who are drip fed snippets of what lay ahead for them help making their fear, genuinely convincing.
As the roads tart to encroach our young couple, tensions rise paranoia strikes as things go missing making things intense most of all claustrophobic.As Tom and Lucy are pushed to their limits the fabric of their relationship disintegrate, mysterious Max (Allen Leech) appears this is when In Fear unravels.
The last third of the film becomes cliched, outlandish even very predictable which is a crying shame as De Caestecker and Englert deliver strong raw performance.. In Fear may not deliver anything remotely new in plot what it does do is deliver a film full of atmosphere, tension spoiled by a frustrating ending.
Paul Devine
1 November 2013
Philomena Review
Rathing:
15
Distributor:
Pathe (UK)
Release Date:
1st November 2013 (UK) 27th November 2013(USA)
Director:
Stephen Frears
Cast:
Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Mare Winningham, Michelle Fairley
Simultaneously heartfelt and amusing, you would be hard pressed to find a film more charming than Philomena this year. This is hardly surprising when you have the wit of a screenplay penned by Steve Coogan and the acting might of Dame Judi Dench involved.
Stephen Frears' film tackles the true story of Philomena Lee (Dench) - an Irish woman who teams up with political advisor turned-journalist, Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), to track down her long lost son who was put up for adoption by her convent.
Frears directs Philomena with a warm sense of hopefulness which remains throughout this quietly uplifting film. Coogan and Jeff Pope's screenplay takes us in a number of directions, interacting with a huge spectrum of human emotions - from initial hopefulness to crushing disappointment which builds to a somewhat angry and subsequently uplifting conclusion. Focused performances from Dench and Coogan ensure that every twist and turn of this screenplay finds its way to the audience with Philomena inspiring, amusing, and on more than a few occasions tugging at the heartstrings.
The odd-couple dynamic makes for an amusing and occasionally difficult watch. The sweet (yet surprisingly aware) Philomena's relationship with the cynical Oxford educated Sixsmith is often endearing, and ultimately heart-warming. This is showcased mainly through Sixsmith's slight transformation as a character (who is originally horrified by the prospect of working on a human interested story for the "weak minded and easily manipulated"), yet grows to have a very deep personal involvement in Philomena's case.
Dench is truly sublime as Philomena. Seeing the character's optimism and hope being shaken as she delves into the past has the emotional weight of a ton of bricks. Dench remains charming and downright loveable, whilst showcasing just exactly why she's a national treasure. The actress can convey a tremendous emotion and tragedy in the smallest of glances or gestures, whilst also getting plenty of opportunities to show off an impressive comic streak.
Coogan is given the chance to remind us that he is a solid dramatic actor (just as he did in What Maisie Knew, earlier in the year) delivering a far more understated and emotionally low-key performance to that of Dench.
Philomena is understated yet tremendously powerful, thanks to a touching and effortlessly amusing screenplay from Coogan and Pope. Frears directs with an endearing optimism whilst Dench and Coogan make for a tremendously watchable on-screen double act.
Andrew McArthur
28 October 2013
Carol Morley's The Falling Officially Starts Shooting
Press Release:
Independent Announces Start of Shoot for Carol Morley’s Film The Falling, 28 October 2013
THE FALLING tells the story of Lydia, the troubled girl at the centre of a mysterious fainting epidemic, who is determined to discover the cause of the malady spreading through her British all-girl school in 1969, a year when the whole world seems poised on the brink of change.
Following her films BAFTA-nominated The Alcohol Years, Edge, and the critically acclaimed Dreams of a Life, writer/ director Carol Morley presents her skewed and dreamlike coming of age story The Falling, with director of photography Agnès Godard (Sister, Beau Travail). The Falling is represented internationally by Independent Film Sales who will be introducing the project to buyers at AFM in November.
The Falling is presented by BBC Films and BFI in association with Lipsync Productions, a Cannon and Morley/ Independent production in association with Boudica Red, a Carol Morley film. The film was developed with the BFI Film Fund. Written and directed by Carol Morley, Produced by Cairo Cannon and Luc Roeg, Line Producer Donall Mccusker, Executive Producers Lizzie Francke, Christine Langan, Philip Herd, Andrew Orr, Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, Rebecca long and Ian Davies.
Intense Lydia (Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones) and beautiful, rebellious Abbie (Florence Pugh) are best friends at their all-girls school, ruled over by the enigmatic headmistress Miss Alvaro (Monica Dolan) with her deputy, the overly strict Miss Mantel (Greta Scacchi). It's 1969, and the girls, like the world around them, are in a state of change. Abbie is embracing her sexuality, even sleeping with Lydia's beatnik brother. Lydia, neglected by her agoraphobic mother Eileen (Maxine Peake), has made Abbie her emotional focus. After a shocking tragedy, Lydia, finds herself at the center of an outbreak of a mysterious fainting condition. Before long, the phenomenon spreads throughout the school community and when Lydia’s own symptoms worsen, she rallies against the school’s authorities to find and remove the underlying cause before it’s too late.
The film is set for release 2014.
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