Brit Marling Jams With Anarchy In UK Trailer For Sundance Hit The East

THE EAST starring Brit Marling (Another Earth, Arbitrage), Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Ellen Page (Juno) and Patricia Clarkson (Station Agent) will be released in cinemas across the UK & Ireland on June 28th 2013. To Mark the release Fox Searchlight have sent us the official UK trailer and poster which you can check out below.

An official selection at this year’s Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals, THE EAST sees Director Zal Batmanglij collaborate once more with actress and co-writer Brit Marling following their critically acclaimed debut Sound Of My Voice.

Marling plays a a private intelligence operative whose task is to infiltrate a eco-anarchist terrorist group known as 'The East' who are causing havoc to an big powerful corporate. Once she gets inside the group she starts to fall for the  groups leader (Page) forcing her to rethink her priorities.

I was really eager to see Sound Of My Voice sadly it didn't get the cinematic run it deserved in the UK but what I know of both films they are similar in nature. Both run the theme of cult though The East is heading more into political thriller a lot more conventional than the directors previous film. The trailer is short but sweet which delivers a sense of mystery, wrapped around an intriguing premise what is also intriguing is the role of Ellen Page as a terrorist leader a role we never expect her to play so will be interest to see how she fares.



The East also stars Michael Costigan and Jocelyn Hayes-Simpson with Ridley Scott producing. The film will arrive in UK Cinemas from 28th June.

Synopsis

THE EAST, a suspenseful and provocative espionage thriller, stars Marling as former FBI agent Sarah Moss. Moss is starting a new career at Hiller Brood, an elite private intelligence firm that ruthlessly protects the interests of its A-list corporate clientele. Handpicked for a plum assignment by the company’s head honcho, Sharon (Patricia Clarkson), Sarah goes deep undercover to infiltrate The East, an elusive anarchist collective seeking revenge against major corporations guilty of covering up criminal activity. Determined, highly-trained and resourceful, Sarah soon ingratiates herself with the group, overcoming their initial suspicions and joining them on their next action or “jam.” But living closely with the intensely committed members of The East, Sarah finds herself torn between her two worlds as she starts to connect with anarchist Benji (Alexander Skarsgård) and the rest of the collective, and awakens to the moral contradictions of her personal life.

Eureka Entertainment acquire Sundance-winner Computer Chess

The groundbreaking, Alfred P. Sloan Prize-winning, and fiercely independent “artificially intelligent” comedy from Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation, Beeswax),Computer Chess which continues to collect raves on the festival circuit, is slated for a national UK theatrical release from Eureka! Entertainment and a home-video release as part of Eureka!’s The Masters of Cinema Series.

Eureka! Entertainment are thrilled to announce that they have acquired all UK/Eire rights to Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess, which had its debut in January at the Sundance Film Festival. Computer Chess is the fourth feature film from the brilliant and maverick American filmmaker Andrew Bujalski, whose previous works include Funny Ha Ha (the early ‘00s film that arguably kicked-off the so-called “mumblecore” movement of American independent cinema), Mutual Appreciation (an acclaimed comic portrait of love and longing in the milieu of the Brooklyn indie music scene), and Beeswax (which among its principals starred Alex Karpovsky, the indie filmmaker and actor who has gone on to great renown for his role in Lena Dunham’s cultural-phenomenon and hit TV series Girls).

Prior to final completion of Computer Chess, Bujalski was awarded a Tribeca Film Institute Sloan grant in 2012. Directly following Bujalski’s newest and long-anticipated film’s Sundance premiere, Computer Chess was given the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Award, which honours a film based around the theme of science and/or technology. The film went on to have its International Premiere at the latest Berlin Film Festival, and will be presented as part of the distinguished BAMcinémafest this June in Brooklyn for its New York premiere, before moving on to a major UK festival debut in anticipation of a UK theatrical run coordinated by Eureka! Entertainment in late autumn, and an early-2014 Blu-ray and DVD release as part of the highly esteemed and awarded-winning Masters of Cinema Series.

A boldly intelligent ensemble comedy with a feel and atmosphere that surpass easy comparison, Computer Chess takes place in the early-1980s over the course of a weekend conference where a group of obsessive software programmers have convened to pit their latest refinements in machine-chess and the still-developing field of artificial intelligence (AI) against an assembly of human chess masters. Computer Chess is a portrait not only of the crazy and surreal relationships that come to pass between the abundance of characters who participate in the weekend event (and among whose ranks include Wiley Wiggins, the revered indie-game developer and star of Richard Linklater’s classic Dazed and Confused), but of the very era of early computing itself – and of the first, rudimentary video games – and (if that weren’t enough) of the hopes and insecurities that persisted through the film’s “retro” digital age into the present-day — that semi-virtual, hyper-social, maybe-kind-of-dehumanised landscape that, let’s face it, is our very own 2013. If that still weren’t enough: it’s also one of the wittiest, most shift-and-cringe-in-your-seat, and entirely LOL-hilarious movies of recent times.

“The UK has been great to me and my films in the past,” states Computer Chess director Andrew Bujalski, “and I couldn’t be more delighted to be bringing Computer Chess there with the (intimidatingly named!) Masters of Cinema Series. I hope that means that THEY’VE mastered cinema — I’m still, uh, working on that... And my education certainly wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t try to make at least one bizarre, left-field, mindbender movie — Computer Chess is that. I’m eager to get it to British audiences.”

Ron Benson, Managing Director of Eureka! Entertainment, comments: “Computer Chess is an audacious, poignant, and entertaining movie. It’s a rare film indeed that has the capability of appealing not only to general audiences, but to hardcore film buffs, to video-game enthusiasts, to chess mavens, to science lovers, to folk who are mesmerised by ‘retro’ design in all its forms — and to anyone who’s interested in how we collectively made our way from that earliest 1980s ‘digital era’ all the way up to the period of the iPhone and of the iPad. Audiences who took interest in the smash-hit retro-gaming documentary The King of Kong — not to mention anyone who has a warm place in their heart for Robert Altman’s classic ensemble film Nashville — will fall head-over-heels with Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess.”

Craig Keller, producer of The Masters of Cinema Series, remarks: “It’s an immense pleasure to be able to include Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess in The Masters of Cinema Series. With the astonishing series of films that Bujalski has directed over the last several years, this director has made his mark as one of the most consistently thrilling, most intelligent filmmakers in American cinema — okay, let’s just say world cinema taken as a whole, never mind as an ‘indie filmmaker’ or otherwise. Seeing Bujalski’s debut feature Funny Ha Ha was literally a life-changing experience for me, and he has not only consistently ‘delivered’ with each subsequent film but, from Mutual Appreciation to Beeswax, has exceeded, and checkmated, expectations. His work should be, and indeed of late has been, an inspiration to an entire generation of young filmmakers; it’s a body of work that sets the bar very high indeed for anyone, in any country, to aspire toward. Computer Chess, with its radical retro video aesthetic and wry rumination on digitality and where-we-are-today, marks another breakthrough. It’s an awesome film that’s sure to attain cult status and expose his vision to an even wider audience. It’s even farther-reaching, more ambitious, than everything he’s done before. And so I would have to say, simply and without hyperbole, that this is one of the most exciting releases we’ve had the honour of releasing.”

The Masters of Cinema Series producer Craig Keller and Eureka! Entertainment’s Managing Director Ron Benson negotiated the deal for the film with Andrew Herwitz, head of The Film Sales Company on behalf of the producers.

Computer Chess stars Patrick Riester, Myles Paige, James Curry, Robin Schwartz, Gerald Peary, and Wiley Wiggins. The film was produced by Houston King and Alex Lipschultz, and was directed by Andrew Bujalski.

check out the trailer...

Watch First Trailer To Richard Linklater's Before Midnight

Greece is the word, no not another Grease film but the location of a big reunion as Richard Linklater reunites with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy for Before Midnight now watch the trailer!

After the success of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset Jesse and Celine return which sees the now married couple head to Greece on holiday 20 years after the first time they met on a train inbound to Vienna. The pair now with children, in their middle age attempting to handle the challenges life throws in front of them whilst struggling to keep the romantic spark between them alive.

I've never seen the first 2 films however you could say jokingly this is could be 'This Is 40' but don't take that as a guide in what this film is all about as this is arthouse not comedy.Before Midnight has plenty of charm, a film that will please fans of Woody Allen, plenty of dialogue, humour, romance.If your worried  about the quality of the film, you just have to look back to this years Sundance Film Festival put your mind at rest as the reviews where nothing but superb, so check out the trailer now!

Synopsis
In Before Midnight, we meet Celine and Jesse 9 years on. Almost 2 decades have passed since that first meeting on a train bound for Vienna, and we now find them in their early 40′s in Greece. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story.

Before Midnight is out in UK&Ireland 20th June (USA 24th May)

Source: Yahoo

UK Trailer, TV Spots And Featurette For Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers

If there's one perfect way to lose your squeaky Clean Disney image star in Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers will do the trick. Skimpy, sexualised, drug fuelled, all out batshit crazy, Don't knock the hustle and watch Spring Breakers UK Trailer.

Spring Breakers  stars Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine 4 college girl friends  who'll do anything to extended their Spring Break. After been arrested the girls get their wish when they encounter  Alien (James Franco)a local drug dealer who bails them out of trouble. The new trailer does provide some new snippets as do the 2 TV Spots and featurettes giving us a  a good sense of the debauchery that curtails in the film along with an interesting look at the making of it too.

Spring Breakers is a coming of age story for its one time Disney stars Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens even Ashley Benson from her Nickelodeon days. These girls are certainly grown up now they want to party if you love those programmes that follow holiday reps in clubbing hotspots around Mediterranean tenfold that throw in some guns , James Franco been gangsta you'll have an idea what you can expect when this one arrives. Spring Breakers is certainly going to keep cinephiles talking, some walking out of screens, others loving the controversial film when  last week the film made it's UK premier at Glasgow Film Festival. If you where eagled eyed following my Tweets when I shared my after thoughts and all I say is I described the film as 'Like been locked in a room forced to watch Jack & Jill on a 24 hour loop....painful'. In the film's defence the demographic of the film the visual feel the score will go down a treat.

You can read my  Spring Breakers review closer to the film's UK release on 5th April, USA 22nd March (limited release) 29 March (full release).

Brit, Candy, Cotty, and Faith have been best friends since grade school. They live together in a boring college dorm and are hungry for adventure. All they have to do is save enough money for spring break to get their shot at having some real fun. A serendipitous encounter with rapper “Alien” promises to provide the girls with all the thrill and excitement they could hope for. With the encouragement of their new friend, it soon becomes unclear how far the girls are willing to go to experience a spring break they will never forget.

source:MSNUK

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Beasts Of Southern Wild Blu-Ray Review

It's awards season and with all the big-name prestige pics like Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty and Movie 43 elbowing each other for the spotlight, it's easy to miss this one, despite it being up for Best Picture. Beasts of the Southern Wild (not to be confused with Breasts of the Southern Wild, a DVD that probably already exists) has been nominated for 4 Oscars, including Lead Actress for 9 year old Quvenzhané Wallis, who has become the youngest actress to ever be up for the award. Unfortunately, I don't think BotSW will win much, but then again, it ain't all about awards is it?

Beasts of the Southern Wild is the story of 5 year old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), an imaginative child who acts as our narrator as she relays her life in The Bathtub, a Louisiana bayou community cut off from the mainland by a levee. We see her deal with her temperamental father, Wink (Dwight Henry) and threats that may change life in The Bathtub forever.

On the surface, BotSW is exactly the sort of film you'd expect an Oscar outsider to be. We have an innocent child narrator, a portrayal of a way of life free of modern toss like Facebook notifications, council tax and iPad minis and a fantastical edge to it all,giving everything a dream-like quality. With all those elements in play, you would be forgiven for rolling your eyes and rewatching the first Transformers film. BotSW is better than the sum of its parts though. Firstly, we have an amazing and naturalistic central performance from Quvenzhané Wallis, who carries the film on her small shoulders. I think she may be the best child actor I've ever seen. Hushpuppy is a firecracker, going from daydreaming her way around the farm to scowling like a caged beast. Her relationship with Wink is fantastically done and genuinely touching. Wink is quick to anger and aloof at times, but undeniably cares about Hushpuppy. Dwight Henry keeps the character always teetering on the brink of struggling father and unfeeling arsehole, but never tips over. There's a fantastic scene where Wink runs out into torrential rain, blasting his shotgun and yelling in an effort to pick a fight with the storm to allay Hushpuppy's fears. Wink's a complex man who will have you questioning just how to react to him throughout the course of the film.

The lyrical quality of the language used is the first thing that struck me about the film. As soon as the film opens, we see Hushpuppy listening to various animals' heartbeats, with her voiceover saying: “All the time, everywhere, everything's hearts are beating and squirting, and talking to each other the ways I can't understand. Most of the time they probably be saying: “I'm hungry”, or “I gotta poop”. But sometimes they be talkin' in codes.” There's something about it that makes the dialogue a joy to listen to and gives it the ability to blindside you with some truly affecting bits, especially when Hushpuppy is trying to deal with and explain some big concepts. There's a real sense of impending doom that hangs over Hushpuppy's head and therefore the film.

I suppose if I had to criticise the film, I'd say it's pretty heavy-handed with both the drama and its overall messages at times. There are some moments that are really effective and are guaranteed to make you think. However, there are others that over-egg the drama so much that it broke my immersion. These aren't glaring flaws though. Just little anomalous bits that didn't fit in with the rest of the film. It's worth saying that the cinematography of this film is beautiful. Marvel at some of the images here. Just wow.

I really enjoyed Beasts of the Southern Wild. It's a well told story relayed to us by the most kick-ass kid ever. I'd love for her to win the Oscar. It may even restore my faith in the overblown Academy. Anyway- highly recommended.

Ben Browne

★★★★☆

Rating: 12
DVD/BD Release Date:11th February 2013 (UK)
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly
Buy  Beasts Of The Southern Wild: Blu-ray / DVD

Take This Waltz DVD Review

I wasn't sure what to expect from Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz. I only knew her as the lead in Zack Snyder's surprisingly not crap 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. I haven't seen her previous film: Away From Her, but by all accounts it's a powerful and moving piece. I'm always up for a bit of cine-brain food so I sat down and carefully placed the disc in the player. 20 minutes in and I brought up the timer to see how long I had left to go. Not a good sign.

Michelle Williams plays Margot, an aspiring writer who is married to Lou (Seth Rogen), a chef compiling a chicken cookbook. Whilst on an excursion, Margot meets Daniel (Luke Kirby). Sparks fly and there's an instant mutual attraction. After finding out Daniel lives very close by, Margot's temptation to stray from her safe, dependable marriage becomes stronger and stronger and the film deals with her being caught between the two men. Whilst it stars some really great actors, I really got a disingenuous feeling from it all. Michelle Williams' Margot is meant to be quirkier than a hat on a lamb, but ends up coming across as a cynical approximation of a quirky lass. It's not her fault as I'm sure this is how she was directed. She's been fantastic in other films. It's just all so insultingly twee and precious. There's a scene early on where she and Daniel are both in the back of a cab, blowing some kind of hanging tassel back and forth. I'm sure this is meant to be charming, but I kept thinking “You're both fucking adults! What the hell!?” I know adults act like childish dicks all the time (I'd like to think I specialise in it), but it just seemed so laboured and staged.

It's hard to express the sort of reaction I had to this film. For nearly all of the runtime, it's an indier-than-thou bullshit romance. It's the sort of film destined to have monochromatic .gifs of key scenes made of it and plastered all over Tumblr. The dialogue is that special breed of pretentious and whimsical, containing “deep” metaphors. In their first proper meeting, Margot confides in Daniel that she's been fraudulently using airport wheelchair facilities to make sure she doesn't miss her connecting flights. She confesses she's afraid of being afraid of missing connections. Overlooking the appalling misuse of disabled facilities, it doesn't take a genius to work out that this works as a handy plot metaphor too. It's really not as clever as it thinks it is. As soon as the lines were said, I had flagged them up as narrative signposts, rather than just two people talking. The whole film's like this and I had a tough time sticking with it.

I think the characters are my main problem. We're not meant to unequivocally love Margot, but I don't think you're meant to dislike her as much as I did. She's an air-headed, silly little girl who I just didn't have any time for. Cardboard lothario Daniel, played by Kirby and looking like The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln run through the “hipster dreamboat” filter a few times, is a struggling bohemian artist type who makes ends meet working as a rickshaw driver around Toronto. If you just let out anything resembling a snort of derision at that character description, this film won't be for you. Seth Rogen's Lou is just a nice, average guy and is therefore (intentionally) pretty boring. The only one with some “oomph” about them is Sarah Silverman's recovering alcoholic Geraldine, who gets a fantastic scene towards the end and gets to say a few things to Margot that I found to be very cathartic.

Look, it isn't all bad. It's undeniably a well-made film. Some of the shots and locations are truly beautiful. The film also has quite a candid approach to things which gives an air of reality to proceedings. It's a compelling illusion until somebody opens their gob and more whimsical crap dollops out. The actors are occasionally allowed to act like real people and Seth Rogen gets some really nice moments. I know I'm not the target demographic for this. There is an audience out there who will love it for what it is- I just don't want to know them. Had the film stayed on the course it was on for 90% of the total time, it would have been one of the most irritating films I'd ever seen. As it stands, the ending makes up for a bit, but not nearly enough. The very last bit spoils it though. Just even suggesting that Margot can retreat back into her little fantasy land and not learn anything from everything that's happened was truly maddening.

Take This Waltz is a pretentious, “grass is greener” story that wants to play with romantic conventions, but ends up as an annoying air-headed fantasy with delusions of depth. I've only just unclenched my fists to type this review. It pissed me off. Stick that on the DVD cover.

Ben Browne

★★☆☆☆

Rating: 15
UK Release Date: 7^th January 2013
Cast: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogan, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman
Directed by: Sarah Polley

Sundance 2013: Watch Trailer For Jack Kerouac's Big Sur

 After several years of no Jack Kerouac movie adaptations Walter Salles delivered the author's most famous On The Road . Later this month at Sundance Film Festival America's premier independent film festival 2 more Kerouac films will make their debuts Daniel Radcliffe's Kill Your Darlings and Big Sur and you can check out the trailer.

Directed by Michael Polish, Big Sur is based on Kerouac's 1962 auto biographical when he moved from New York to California dealing with his struggle with popularity thanks to On The Road driving him to alcoholism and to have a a relationship with his best friends  mistress. Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas play the mistress and Kerouac's mistress/best friend with Jean Marc Barr playing Kerouac.

Big Sur visually looks fantastic Barr looks like he'll deliver ardent performance as Kerouac. Sundance Film Festival starts 17th until 27th January, the film also stars Henry Thomas, Radha Mitchell and Stan Katic.

source:collider

Cosmopolis DVD Review

There’s some kind of law about using the word existential when reviewing a David Cronenberg movie, you sort of have to really. So let’s get that out the way early on. What we’re dealing with here are some very grand themes including sex, death, capitalism, emotional dysfunction and detachment.

Based on the 2003 Don DeLillo novel, Cosmopolis sees Eric Packer moving through streets of an unstable Manhattan, shielded inside his cork lined limo for a haircut he’s convinced he needs. All the while his downfall is being engineered behind the scenes by the very capitalist system he helped to create? Or is it?

The film itself has a futuristic retro feel to it; the towering glass and chrome of Manhattan take on a menacing look as Packer slides through the streets in the silent cocoon of his soundproofed limo.

Better known for his visceral horror, Cronenberg here manages to invoke a kind of creeping dread that permeates the film. The only difference this time is that the danger is intangible, created by the likes of Packer those like him who have been responsible for the financial crash of the capitalist system. They are the de facto rulers of the world, as they control the data on which capitalism rests. Conversely, the world outside of his window erupts into violent riots by the disenfranchised masses her helped create. It’s a startling juxtaposition.

Pattinson’s performance is superb. His bleak detachment from reality is icy cold yet he manages to get the nuances just right. He could so easily have overdone this character and descended into a caricature of manic ticks and gestures. There’s also a long list of cameos from some of the greats as they enter and exit Packer’s life, leaving behind them some exposition as they go.

In summary, Cosmopolis is an extremely cerebral film; heavy on the dialogue with a gnawing sense of dread you can’t quite put your finger on. It often treads a fine line between film as social commentary and entertainment but for the most part doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This is Cronenberg back to his best.

Vikki Mysercough

★★★★☆

Rating:15
DVD/BD Release Date: 12 November 2012 (UK)
Directed By:David Cronenberg
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Durand
Buy Cosmopolis:Blu-ray/DVD

Killer Joe DVD Review

It opened the 65th Edinburgh International Film Festival ,iconic director William Friedkin's lastest feature, Killer Joe giving another meaning to the Colenel's Finger Licking Good! Friedkin has arguably never made a bad film (let's just pretend Cruising never happened) and the seventy-six year old proves that he is still at the top of his game with his latest opus.

This pulpy Texan-noir follows the financially struggle, Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) who plots to have his mother murdered, in a harebrained scheme to collect $50,000 insurance money. After confessing the plan to his father (Thomas Haden Church), sister (Juno Temple) and step-mother (Gina Gershon), the family seek out the services of lawman-meets-hired killer, Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey).

Friedkin manages to capture the nerve shredding intensity (similar to that of his previous film, Bug) through his bold, atmospheric direction. From the onset, Friedkin hits us with the ominous sound of Joe's carefully timed lighter clicks, followed by shots of a rain-drenched, derelict trailer park and prescient lighting strikes. This gives us an early impression of the tense and brutal tale that is about to unfold. Friedkin does not hold back when it comes to depicting raw portrayals of violence and dark characters - possibly a device that may leave some viewers feeling somewhat alienated.

Fortunately, between these moments of intensity, Tracy Letts' screenplay presents us with several wonderful moments of darkly comic humour. These perfectly executed moments of deadpan humour and awkward fun provides light relief from the Killer Joe's dark subject matter, proving to be an unforgettable combination. Letts' screenplay may begin with a simple premise, but Killer Joe soon proves to be a highly original and often unexpected and frenzied ride. This is perfectly summed up in the films' outrageous, near-genius conclusion which proves to be both shocking and riotously humorous.

It is particularly nice to see that Matthew McConaughey has escaped from the world of romantic comedies and is once again proving what a wonderful actor he is. His underplayed portrayal of the sardonically smooth, Joe Cooper, is a career best and one of the sheer delights of Friedkin's film. Gina Gershon proves to be on fine form as Chris' trashy, no-nonsense step-mother bringing a convincing slice of Southern gumption to the role. Thomas Haden Church's deadpan comic skills also prove to be a highlight with the star excelling as the bumbling, beer-guzzling patriarch. Younger actors Juno Temple and Emile Hirsch are equally well cast with the pair both able to shine alongside the likes of McConaughey and Gershon.

Killer Joe is a magnificent example of modern-noir, with Friedkin proving to still be one of the most exciting figures in modern cinema. The director's latest feature proves to be one of the most energetic, brutal, tense and darkly comic pictures of the year, featuring an unforgettable career best performance from Matthew McConaughey.

Andrew McArthur

★★★★☆

Rating: 18 (UK)
UK DVD/BD Release Date: 5th November 2012 (UK)
Director: William Friedkin
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Thomas Haden Church , Juno Temple

To watch more, visit rightster.com

Excision Review

90210's AnnaLynne McCord leads the cast of Excision, a dark, visually rich tale, filled with stirring horror and tinges of black comedy. The unique style and self-awareness that fills Richard Bates Jr.'s film helps assert it as one of the finest features of 2012.

Pauline (AnnaLynne McCord) is a teenage outcast, infatuated with the idea of performing surgery. Her sinister behaviour alienates her from her image-conscious parents, Phyllis (Traci Lords) and Bob (Roger Bart) as well as her bitchy classmates and judgemental teachers. Only Pauline's young sister (Ariel Winter) who suffers from cystic fibrosis understands her, resulting in the young outcast attempting to perform life-saving surgery on her sibling.

Bates Jr. does not hold back in any way, fully transporting us into the mind of a twisted teenage outcast. Excision captures the gore-filled fantasies that clog Pauline's psyche with a trippy visual originality. This is paralleled by the cynical glistening sheen of middle class suburbia, a world that tries its best to subdue Pauline's warped fantasies. This idea of crude madness in suburbia gives vibes of the iconic work of John Waters (think modern day Polyester or Serial Mom), who has clearly been an influence on the young filmmaker. The teenage outcast theme in Excision also feels slightly reminiscent of the likes of Carrie, whilst the elements of body horror have David Cronenberg written all over them. It is essentially the best elements of many classic horrors and cult films finely crafted into one feature.

Part of the pleasure of Excision comes from the perfect elements of self-aware, dark comedy layered throughout the feature. From Pauline's no holds barred attitude with her parents and classmates to the frequent cynical looks at suburban life, Excision hits a perfect balance between horror and comedy.

Excision's cast is also likely to delight fans of camp and cult cinema. AnnaLynne McCord (90210) is completely unrecognisable in this dark role, managing to make us sympathetic to a highly unlikeable character. Pauline may be completely demented and her actions repulsive, but McCord's performance still connects with viewers - primarily when seeing Pauline bonding with younger sister, Grace. Roger Bart (The Stepford Wives) excels as Pauline's tired Father, whilst Ariel Winter's (Modern Family) pitch-perfect turn is likely to tug at your heartstrings.

The performance of the year, however, goes to the magnificent Traci Lords as Phyllis, Pauline's mother. Phyllis appears as a harsh, controlling figure to begin with - we see her judging her family every morning at the breakfast table, yet we still connect through Lords' stellar performance. We gradually see that Phyllis is a flawed character who simply wants the best for her children, however this is hindered by Pauline's actions slowly breaking her family apart. Lords is a revelation.

Excision also features an amusing appearance from John Waters' as a minister who counsels Pauline. Seeing the Pope of Trash as a devout representative of God is just another element of Bates Jr.'s clever, self-aware screenplay. Malcolm McDowell adds further star quality as a frustrated teacher, whilst Ray Wise and Marlee Matlin bring some further fun to the cast .

Excision is a must see for fans of cult cinema - it is the finest horror of the year.

Andrew McArthur 

★★★★★

Stars: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords and Roger Bart  
Director: Richard Bates Jr.
Certificate: 18 (UK)
Ltd. Theatrical Release: 2nd November 2012
DVD/BR Release: 12th November 2012
Pre-Order/Buy Excision:DVD / BLU-RAY

Beast Of Southern Wild Review

Having spent the majority of 2012 hovering up accolades at numerous worldwide festivals, Beasts of the Southern Wild arrives in blighty to compete for yet another award at the London Film Festival (the Sutherland award for first feature) before its general release on Friday. Seen as one of the trending ‘green issue’ films when it premiered at Sundance in January, Benh Zeitlin’s is a startlingly assured debut and one that will mark him out for bigger projects and budgets.

His take on the environmental issue is not littered with numbers or facts choosing instead to go for the emotional jugular, hitting his mark with a near folkloric tale of 6 year-old Hushpuppy and her sick yet strong father Wink…yes the names are a bit much. The two live in ‘the bathtub’; a flood risk plain of the southern delta of America and home to a drinking rabble of idealists, drop-outs and elderly couples all instilled with a joire de vive that allows them to celebrate rather than fear their unusual homeland.

Zeitlin plunges us into the mud, dirt and maggots of the bathtub and all its creatures – human, farmyard and sea, unafraid of getting our fingers dirty. This living, breathing squalor lies alone, cut off from the mainland by a great barrier allowing Zeitlin to create an almost mythical community detached from the worries of ours and fill it instead with a world of magical realism and no little style.

Hushpuppy’s near Buddhist take on the Universe being a finely balanced place dependent on ‘everything fitting together jus right’ creates a heartbeat for the film – one made overt with the throbbing pulses of the many creatures held to Hushpuppy’s ear. It’s when a storm threatens to ruin her homeland for good that the earths impact starts to turn her zen like view into a tale of survival. The weather turns, water rises and Hushpuppy is quickly forced to make the most of the skills her ailing father has taught her. Brought with it are the beasts of the title; pre-historic giant boars set free from their ice-capped tombs and free to plunder all before them.

The inevitable backlash may already be underway – the vague, poetic one-line musing narration, elements of poverty porn and the music video qualities of the pre-credit sequence all feeling the ire of some but there is far too much wonder in the whole to focus on the minute. The sense of community in the bathtub may not ring particularly true but it’s one conjured up with real affection. Beautifully lit and photographed, this rough and ready backdrop becomes a character of its own as, aided by his own score, Zeitlin successfully creates a tone unseen in American cinema away from a Terrence Malick film.

Much of the plaudits are coming the way of 8 year old star Quavenzhane Wallis, with talk already turning to a possible Oscar nod – an understandable if slightly knee-jerk reaction to the capabilities of a minor holding her own in such an inventive film. Surely, however, much of the praise must be attributed to Zeitlin himself. He has crafted a visionary, rich and warm feature that belies his relative novice and, in the shadow of Katrina’s clouds, forced an issue as important as environmental concerns almost subliminally into screens around the globe.

Matthew Walsh

★★★★½

Rating: 12A
Release Date: 19th October 2012 (UK&Ireland)
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly

Finger Licking Killer Joe Coming To DVD& BluRay November!

When Killer Joe arrived in UK&Irish cinemas it left some cinephiles feeling finger licking good for some of the colonel's favourite recipe and in November you will be able to bring home a box that's a DVD or Bluray box of the film.In Killer Joe Matthew McConaughey delivers what many are calling a career-best performance in this violent and darkly comic neo-noir thriller that marks a blistering return to form for “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection” director William Friedkin.

When small-time drug dealer Chris Smith finds himself seriously in debt to his supplier, he hatches a plan to have his estranged mother killed in order to claim the $50,000 life insurance due to be paid to his younger sister, Dottie. To do the job, he hires Killer Joe Cooper, a creepy, corrupt and crazy Dallas cop who Chris is informed moonlights as a professional hit man. Unable to pay Joe’s fee upfront, Chris agrees to provide a “retainer” in the form of Dottie, with whom Joe has immediately become besotted. However, following the murder of his mother, Chris’ plan begins to unravel in a series of unexpected twists involving the interference of his father’s new wife, Sharla, and the development of an unlikely bond between Joe and Dottie.

As pure, unadulterated entertainment Friedkin’s second collaboration with writer Tracy Letts (following 2006’s “Bug”) has it all – steamy sexuality, shocking violence, a compelling storyline, lashings of black humour and, most of all, a killer cast of actors all at the top of their game. McConaughey effectively shakes off his rom-com shackles once and for all, while Juno Temple delivers a scene-stealing performance in a movie likely to leave viewers both exhilarated and shaken at the same time.

Killer Joe is due out in UK&Ireland on November 5th, starring Emile Hirsh, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church and Gina Gershon.
Pre-Order/Buy Killer Joe On: DVD / Blu-ray