Do You Have Secrets? Watch the New Trailer for Neil Jordan's Byzantium

From Interviewing vampires to dancing with wolves, Byzantium is Neil Jordan's long awaited return to the horror genre which has given the Irish director his better critical moments and tonight we get another look at the film in a new UK trailer.

Byzantium is an new look on the vampire genre from a female perspective , its a look into an ancient world that follows no popular crazes or even traditional/familiar  constraints you expect from the genre. Starring Gemma Arterton, Saorise Ronan as Clara and Elanor mother/ daughter on the run from the male only Brotherhood which sees the pair constantly on the run. They find refuge in a small coastal run down hotel (Byzantium), things start to look up for Clara&Elanor however as Elanor decides to reveal her secret to a local ill stricken boy (Caleb Landry Jones ) their 200 year secret comes under threat which sees the past catch up on them.

I was fortunate to see the UK premiere which took place at Film 4 Glasgow Frightfest back in February, I did enjoy it, an ambitious, visually wonderful looking film, it wasn't just quite there in terms to regard it as a classic like Jordan's previous stint in the genre.The trailer does reveal some new footage not seen in the last trailer, showcasing the films atmospheric and melancholic tone. In this video you even get a homage to another 'vampire' legend from Vlad Impaler times Countess Bathory when Gemma Arterton baths in blood.

Byzantium opens in UK&Ireland on 31 st May (28th June USA) co-starring Sam Riley,Jonny Lee Miller,Tom Hollander and Barry Cassin.

Synopsis

Two mysterious women seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Clara meets lonely Noel, who provides shelter in his deserted guesthouse, Byzantium. Schoolgirl Eleanor befriends Frank and tells him their lethal secret. They were born 200 years ago and survive on human blood. As knowledge of their secret spreads, their past catches up on them with deathly consequence.

[Update 19th April 2013 - Studiocanal have sent us a brand new UK Quad poster check it out below]

source: Yahoo! (via The Peoples Movies)

GFF 2013 - Watch The UK Trailer For Neil Jordan's Byzantium

Neil Jordan returns to the vampire genre for his next film but instead of interviews with vampires its vampires on the run with Byzantium and we have the new UK Trailer.

Byzantium stars Gemma Arterton, Saorise Ronan play Eleanor and Clara Webb 2 mysterious women who seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Struggling to make ends meet thanks to a lonely man called Noel the find refuge in the deserted Byzantium guesthouse. As they start to befriend the local its not long until their deadly secret is out, there vampires and the past they have been running from suddenly catches up with them with deathly consequence.

The vampire genre is in dire need of  TLC especially after a certain tween franchise made the sub genre very unpopular, Byzantium may just be that film to help the creatures of the night become a little more popular  once again. Oscar winning Neil Jordan knows how how deliver something a little bit different  and Byzantium does look a unique take on the vampire myth.With its grandoise visuals, opulent in nature, most of all chilling, atmospheric and melancholic something that you find throughout Jordan's work

Byzantium made it's world premier at Toronto Film Festival in 2012 leaving with some great positive reviews and later this month on 22nd February the film will make it's UK Premier at Glasgow Film Festival in the Film4 Frightfest strand with Jordan, Arterton and Ronan all confirmed to attend.

Studiocanal are releasing Byzantium in UK&Ireland with the film due to be released on 3rd May 2013, IFC will deal with the American release but no date has been confirmed yet. The film also stars Jonny Lee Miller, Caleb Landry Jones, and Sam Riley.

On The Road Review

★★1/2☆☆

Sam Riley channels Jack Kerouac in Walter Salles's adaptation of the author's cult book, On The Road, loosely based upon Kerouac's own jaunt across 40's USA.

Often considered a prime example of that most tantalising of literature, the "unfilmable" novel; Salles has succeeded in bringing Kerouac's vision of travelling excess to the screen in a manner which is both laudable for it's visual impact, and excruciating for it's navel-gazing pomposity.

Living in New York in the 1940's and, having just lost his father , Sal (Sam Riley) finds himself in limbo as he struggles to put pen to paper and begin in earnest his life as a writer; spending his time with wittering junkie-poet pal Carlo (Tom Sturbridge), and waiting for inspiration to strike.

This changes with the arrival of the enigmatic Dean Moriarty, a restless, carefree sort, with a girl in every port, an in unquenchable lust for adventure; who immediately charms Sal, and instills in him that same yearning for life on the open road.

Salles's adaptation of the source material is nothing if not visually stunning. Sal's tramp cross-country gives Eric Gautier the perfect chance to plaster the screen in the best that the vast, beautiful country has to offer.

Garrett Hedlund's performance as the responsibility-dodging, serial shagger, Moriarty, is spectacular; brimming with confidence and more than a hint of passive-aggressive arrogance. A realisation of a character who is both endearing for his naive, lust-for-life energy; and terrifying for his total inability, or unwillingness, to cease his wanton trail of emotional destruction.

Riley's Sal has much less to do, too often he's relegated to the role of standby fag-smoker, or backing singer on some tedious bout of improv-jazz. But Riley's performance is laudable too; dripping with tar and croaking along with a twenty-a-day drawl that sounds caked in coffee and ash.

All that visual beauty, and those performances cant', however, save the film from it's crushing sense of pointlessness. On The Road meanders across the screen while it's characters swagger across the country in a state of perpetual aimlessness. Too often the piece descends into orgies of self-reverential beat-influenced poetry, or laughing, preening sessions of tiresome jazz.

For all its visual clout, and individual brilliance; On The Road will make you wish you had the same laissez-faire , drug-induced outlook as it's characters. That way you could just drift away too.

Chris Banks (@Chris_in_2D)

Rating:15
UK Release Date: 12th October 2012 Directed By:Walter Salles
Cast:Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams