Showing posts with label uk indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uk indie. Show all posts
2 December 2013
Rudge Park's Finest Heading Down Under For The Inbetweeners Movie 2, Shooting Starts This Week
The follow-up to the UK’s most successful comedy film of all time reunites the hapless Jay, Neil, Simon & Will in Australia. The Inbetweeners Movie 2 will start shooting in Australia on 7th December before moving to the UK in January.
The Inbetweeners creators, Iain Morris & Damon Beesley, will be directing the comedy, having once again written the script. Spencer Millman ("The Mighty Boosh","Man Down") is producing the film.
Iain & Damon commented: “We can't say too much as we don't want to spoil the jokes for you, but what we can exclusively reveal is there will be kangaroos. And Australians. And possibly koalas.” Oh and obviously Jay, Will, Neil and Simon providing they’re let into the country. Thanks so much for all your support, we’re hoping to deliver a film that you’ll enjoy even more than the last one"
Distributor EFD has also confirmed that 2014’s most anticipated comedy will hit cinemas across the UK and Ireland next August.
The film will be produced by Bwark Productions, a Zodiak Media company, who will co-finance with Channel 4/Film4. Entertainment Film Distributors will distribute the film in the UK.
Having started life on E4, the multi award-winning series went on to enjoy massive success with its debut film, The Inbetweeners Movie, which was fully financed by Channel 4/Film4.
souce: The peoples Movies
4 July 2013
EIFF 2013 - A Long Way From Home Review
Release Date: 30th June 2013(EIFF)
Stars: James Fox, Brenda Fricker ,Natalie Dormer, Paul Nicholls
Director: Virginia Gilbert
Virginia Gilbert directs A Long Way from Home, a graceful dramatic feature based on her own short story of the same. Gilbert provides us with a rich palette of fascinating characters and breathtaking locations in this often touching and hugely charming tale of desire in old age.
Long married couple Joseph (James Fox) and Brenda (Brenda Fricker) have retired to the French town of Nimes and live quiet, routine lives. However, Joseph is becoming restless in the banality of this routine - something that is challenged by the arrival of vibrant young couple, Suzanne (Natalie Dormer) and Mark (Paul Nicholls).
Gilbert's feature is a graceful look at desire in old age - seen through Joseph's gradual infatuation by the young Suzanne. However, this is a desire for an emotional connection and sense of enchantment - which Joseph appears to recall (and miss) from his earlier years with Brenda. Nimes makes a staggeringly beautiful backdrop for Gilbert's feature, seamlessly paralleling Joseph's whimsical and enchanted view of Suzanne. The cities ancient temples, vineyards and sun-drenched streets add an elegant sense of the picturesque to A Long Way From Home.
The feature provides us with a palette of well-crafted central characters, magnificently played by the film's key players. James Fox provides a thoroughly impressive leading turn as Joseph, a performance which contains glimpses of sadness behind his refined 'classically British' demeanour. The actor showcases Joseph's transformation as a result of the arrival of Suzanne, showcasing a performance full of warmth - yet shadows of something slightly sinister as Joseph's looks can occasional verge on leers. These ultimately never feel too threatening thanks to the unspoken chemistry between Fox and Fricker - a dynamic which captures a long-married couple who deeply love each other.
Fricker is equally excellent presenting us with a woman who appears slightly scatter-brained yet remains fully in control in a crisis - showcased in a somewhat bizarre sequence where Brenda breaks a dying cat's neck. Brenda's gradual suspicions over Joseph's fidelity adds further dramatic interest into A Long Way From Home. Natalie Dormer is vibrant and engaging as Suzanne, who alongside Paul Nicholls' Mark captures the themes of young love and the initial warmth of a relationship.
A Long Way From Home is a graceful and touching look at relationships in both their early stages and in later-life. Stunning settings and sublime performances ensure that Gilbert's feature is a charming and engaging watch.
★★★★☆
Andrew McArthur
26 June 2013
EIFF 2013 - We Are The Freaks Review
Release Date: 22nd June 2013 (EIFF)
Director: Justin Edgar
Stars: Jamie Blackley, Sean Teale, Michael Smiley, Danielle Bux
Justin Edgar's We Are the Freaks sets out to challenge the conventions of the traditional teen-comedy, and it mostly does so with a cheeky sense of humour and fond nostalgia for the nineties.
We Are the Freaks follows working class Jack (Jamie Blackley) who dreams of going to university yet struggles to get funding. Jack's best-friend Chunks (Sean Teale) who dubs himself a "textbook underachiever" suggests a night-out that begins with gate crashing a party.
The setting of the early 1990s provides an exciting twist on the traditional teen comedy, allowing Edgar to pack his film with a soundtrack including the likes of New Order and The Happy Mondays which certainly adds a distinct and likeable character to the film. This era also means that Edgar can pack his screenplay with gags relevant to the nineties (as well as the usual teen comedy gross-out humour) resulting in a bizarre, yet rather amusing subplot involving Jack's friend Parson's unhealthy sexual attraction to Margaret Thatcher.
Edgar's distinct directorial style makes a refreshing change from what you would find in many other teen comedies. Direct dialogue to the camera is one such method, whilst Edgar's eye for impressive visuals can also be seen - especially in the film's earlier scenes showing Jack's mind at work in a drab office.
Despite being mostly amusing in its first two acts, We Are the Freaks soon takes a darker turn in its conclusion that feels somewhat out of place with the film's prior quirky and light-hearted tone. In building up to this moment it also appears that many of the gags have lost their steam - mainly as the characters hit respective low points.
For the most part the characters are all likeable and amusingly crafted. Jamie Blackley is an up-and-coming talent to watch - delivering a mature performance that is equally perfect when tackling either comedy or more emotional-heavy dramatic scenes. Sean Teale also displays a stellar comic ability, especially in hilarious sequences dealing with Adam Gillen's character Splodger (the brother of his crush, whose personality verges on psychotic).
We Are the Freaks is an amusing and charmingly nostalgic look at the nineties, even if it does seem to run out of steam towards the end.
★★★☆☆
Andrew McArthur
19 June 2013
Spike Island Review
This one could not have come along at a better time. The Stone Roses' return to the music scene last year, followed up by gigs in London a little over a week ago, and Shane Meadows' eulogizing love letter-cum-documentary, has seen interest in the band at its highest in decades.
★★★☆☆
Chris Banks
Rating: 15
Release Date: 21st June 2013 (UK)
Director: Mat Whitecross
Cast: Elliott Tittensor, Nico Mirallegro, Jordan Murphy, Emilia Clarke
Not since they signed off with a Reading festival set so dire that it has since assumed the status of arguably the worst live performance of any Manchester band, have The Roses been so bloody prevalent. There's a palpable wave of goodwill for Spike Island to surf, which can only help its chance of finding an audience beyond devotes of the baggy quartet.
Mat Whitecross' tale of youthful abandon centres around The Roses' 1990 gig at Spike Island (near Widnes), a show which may even have attained an even greater mythical standing than the aforementioned palava, and a young band's desperate attempts to ensure they are involved in the fun and games.
Young Tits (Elliott Tittensor) and his bands mates, the venerable Shadowcastre, are having a right time of it kicking about their Manchester estate. School's a drag and life at home ain't much better for the gang, a preposterously named bunch of mononymous toe-rags, sporting monikers that wouldn't sound out of place amongst the well-thumbed pages of The Beano; Dodge is on rhythm guitar and Zippy the drums, leaving Penfold to assume the role of poor-man's Bez.
The boys idolise the The Stone Roses and will stop at nothing to crash their upcoming gig and make forge a reputation for themselves.
It's a coming-of-age, right-of-passage tale which certainly packs enough youthful energy to keep the show rolling along, even if it times it feels as if the script may have been cribbed from a copy of the Mancunian Book of Cliches.
The dialogue frequently descends into extended bursts of Manc patois but it's a good-as-gold tale of working class, northern ecentricity and music. Which in itself is no bad thing, but all this swaggering and floppy hair might not translate south of Crewe.
At times the the drudgery and domestic strife feels laboured and unwelcome, but at it's heart it's a film about the music; a story with a rock and roll sentiment, which should render it palatable for anyone with anything approaching an interest in great British music.
★★★☆☆
Chris Banks
Rating: 15
Release Date: 21st June 2013 (UK)
Director: Mat Whitecross
Cast: Elliott Tittensor, Nico Mirallegro, Jordan Murphy, Emilia Clarke
14 June 2013
Monster Pictures To Release The Long Awaited Little Deaths
Monster Pictures have announced the release of shocking and gruesome horror anthology Little Deaths, out on DVD and download from 12th August 2013.
Three boundary-pushing tales of sex and death from acclaimed British horror directors Sean Hogan (‘The Devil’s Business’), Andrew Parkinson (‘I, Zombie’), and Simon Rumley (‘ABCs of Death’, ‘Red White and Blue’, ‘The Living and the Dead’)
In House And Home, Sean Hogan’s opening segment, a ‘good Samaritan’ couple invite a pretty young homeless girl into their house for a meal and a bath. But when they reveal their perverted motive behind the charitable act, they soon discover that they are not the only ones with a dark hidden agenda for the night’s events.
Andrew Parkinson’s sci-fi horror segment Mutant Tool takes experimental drugs treatment to a whole new level. When a former prostitute visits a shady doctor and is given some tablets, she suffers headaches and nightmares. She soon learns that the unorthodox ‘treatment’ is preparing her for a sinister new role in a nightmare-ish medical experiment.
Simon Rumley’s Bitch completes the unholy trilogy. When a young woman’s kinky sex games and abusive character push her submissive boyfriend too far, she finds herself the victim of her worst fears – her phobia of dogs – and the sick revenge that her boyfriend has planned for her.
Pre-Order/Buy: Little Deaths ( House and Home / Mutant Tool / Bitch ) On DVD
10 April 2013
Soda Pictures/Jinga Films to Re-release Julian Richards Summer Scars
Soda Pictures has announced the UK DVD re-release of Julian Richards' BAFTA winning hostage horror SUMMER SCARS with a street day of May 6th 2013.
SUMMER SCARS tells the story of a gang of delinquents who ditch school to hang out in the woods where some hot rodding on a stolen moped changes the fate of their day. They crash into Peter, an ex-army loner, who is delighted to have some company. First he gains their trust by joining in their games, but then his behaviour begins to change. Peter uses what he has learned about the kids against them, bullying the aplha boys, belittling the weaker ones and saving his worst for the only girl of the group. As events spiral out of control the youths resort to extreme measures in order to survive the ordeal.
SUMMER SCARS re-unites Richards with lead actor Kevin Howarth, the dynamic director/actor team behind cult sensation THE LAST HORROR MOVIE. Richards has since directed the forthcoming Hollywood thriller SHIVER starring Danielle Harris, John Jarratt and Casper Van Dien, whilst Howarth has starred alongside Wesley Snipes in GALLOWWALKER and Sean Pertwee in THE SEASONING HOUSE.
Pre-Order/ Buy:Summer Scars On DVD
21 March 2013
NBCQ To Take Flying Blind Starring Helen McCroy on UK Tour April/May
THE PASSIONATE LOVE STORY OF A WOMAN AND A YOUNGER MUSLIM MAN, IN A WORLD WHERE SECURITY IS PARAMOUNT AND NOTHING IS QUITE WHAT IT SEEMS
Frankie is part of the war-machine, a successful aerospace engineer designing drones for the military. Then she meets Kahil, a French-Algerian student. They embark on a passionate affair and for the first time in her life Frankie utterly, thrillingly, loses control. One morning at work, she’s detained by the security services and told that Kahil may not be quite what he seems. She finds that she has crossed a line into a nightmare world of suspicion and accusation. Realising how little she knows of this man, Frankie determines to find out the truth, only to discover to her cost that betrayal always comes from those closest to us.
Flying Blind is the first feature film by young Polish director Katarzyna Klimkiewicz, whose short film, Hanoi-Warsaw, won the 2010 European Film Award for Best Short. A multinational cast includes Helen McCrory (Hugo, Skyfall, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince), French-Algerian Najib Oudghiri (Rendition, The Wedding Song), Kenneth Cranham (Hot Fuzz, Valkyrie) and Tristan Gemmell (Casualty). The screenplay credit is shared by Naomi Wallace (Lawn Dogs, The War Boys), Bruce McLeod (The War Boys), and Bristol-based writer Caroline Harrington. Behind the camera is Polish Director of Photography Andrzej Wojciechowski, Klimkiewicz’s long time collaborator, and DoP on Hanoi-Warsaw.
FLYING BLIND will tour through key cities in the UK throughout April including London, Bristol, Cardiff, York, Cambridge, Oxford, Nottingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Brighton. Each event will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and/or cast TBC.
Regional tour dates:
Thursday 11th April – Barbican, London (Additional screenings 12th – 18th April)
Saturday 13th April - Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Sunday 14th April – Watershed, Bristol (Additional screenings 12th – 18th April)
Tuesday 16th April - Greenwich Picturehouse
Wednesday 17th April - York Picturehouse
Saturday 20th April - Cambridge Picturehouse
Monday 22nd April - Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton
Tuesday 23rd April - Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford
Wednesday 24th April, Hackney Picturehouse, London
Thursday 25th April – Nottingham Broadway (Additional screenings 26th April – 2nd May)
Friday 26th April – Sheffield Showroom
Saturday 27th April – Edinburgh Filmhouse
Sunday 28th April – Glasgow Film Theatre
Tuesday 30th April – Manchester Cornerhouse
Thursday 2nd May – Brighton Komedia
For a full list of tour dates and tickets go to http://www.flyingblindfilm.com/
Frankie is part of the war-machine, a successful aerospace engineer designing drones for the military. Then she meets Kahil, a French-Algerian student. They embark on a passionate affair and for the first time in her life Frankie utterly, thrillingly, loses control. One morning at work, she’s detained by the security services and told that Kahil may not be quite what he seems. She finds that she has crossed a line into a nightmare world of suspicion and accusation. Realising how little she knows of this man, Frankie determines to find out the truth, only to discover to her cost that betrayal always comes from those closest to us.
Flying Blind is the first feature film by young Polish director Katarzyna Klimkiewicz, whose short film, Hanoi-Warsaw, won the 2010 European Film Award for Best Short. A multinational cast includes Helen McCrory (Hugo, Skyfall, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince), French-Algerian Najib Oudghiri (Rendition, The Wedding Song), Kenneth Cranham (Hot Fuzz, Valkyrie) and Tristan Gemmell (Casualty). The screenplay credit is shared by Naomi Wallace (Lawn Dogs, The War Boys), Bruce McLeod (The War Boys), and Bristol-based writer Caroline Harrington. Behind the camera is Polish Director of Photography Andrzej Wojciechowski, Klimkiewicz’s long time collaborator, and DoP on Hanoi-Warsaw.
FLYING BLIND will tour through key cities in the UK throughout April including London, Bristol, Cardiff, York, Cambridge, Oxford, Nottingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Brighton. Each event will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and/or cast TBC.
Regional tour dates:
Thursday 11th April – Barbican, London (Additional screenings 12th – 18th April)
Saturday 13th April - Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Sunday 14th April – Watershed, Bristol (Additional screenings 12th – 18th April)
Tuesday 16th April - Greenwich Picturehouse
Wednesday 17th April - York Picturehouse
Saturday 20th April - Cambridge Picturehouse
Monday 22nd April - Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton
Tuesday 23rd April - Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford
Wednesday 24th April, Hackney Picturehouse, London
Thursday 25th April – Nottingham Broadway (Additional screenings 26th April – 2nd May)
Friday 26th April – Sheffield Showroom
Saturday 27th April – Edinburgh Filmhouse
Sunday 28th April – Glasgow Film Theatre
Tuesday 30th April – Manchester Cornerhouse
Thursday 2nd May – Brighton Komedia
For a full list of tour dates and tickets go to http://www.flyingblindfilm.com/
19 March 2013
Sightseers Blu-Ray Review
Sightseers is the third film from Ben Wheatley, one of the top British directors working today. It is a dark, twisted comedy about a couple on a caravan holiday who go on a killing spree. Think Badlands but in the Peak District and with far more laughs.
The film is a fantastic advert for Britain, in more ways than one. It shows how we still have the capacity to make great movies and it also shows just how stunning some areas of our country are. Alice Lowe and Steve Oram star as the murderous couple and are simply brilliant. They also wrote the script which, while being bleak, is stunningly funny. I have been a fan of Alice Lowe since seeing her in and I hope that the success of this film will lead to us seeing her more on the big screen and indeed television. Her performance here is quite remarkable as she treads the fine line of looking lost and innocent but being deadly and dangerous at the same time. Oram, as her boyfriend, plays confused and lost to perfection, but when he turns on the menace he is genuinely frightening. Both the leads remind us just how good British comic talent can be, and I do hope that they will continue to write and star in films.
The actors had at one point tried to make the story as a television show and looking at it you could see it working in that format, but with the masterful direction of Wheatley this feels truly cinematic. It's simply gorgeous. There is almost a feeling of Sergio Leone, with intense close-ups mixed with huge landscape shots. As the couple descend more and more into violence and isolation, the locations become more breathtaking. Wheatley directs the comic moments in a wonderfully deadpan way, lingering on the characters and their sad lives; but he is equally adept at directing the violence. It is brutal and shocking but, cleverly, does not show too much.
The editing in Sightseers is very memorable and inventive. Wheatley's use of cutting and his juxtaposing violence with the mundane or odd moments is incredibly successful. His style of editing reminded me of Nicolas Roeg's work, and it is so nice to see someone trying to do something different and unusual and, more impressively, making it work.
Reluctantly, I have to say the film isn't entirely successful, however. While the first two thirds are hilarious and constantly take new turns and developments, the last third is a little more predictable and not quite as funny. Its true though that the story gets darker, therefore the fall in laughs is understandable. It reminded me somewhat of God Bless America, a film about a man and a girl going on a killing rampage in the US. It was directed by Bobcat Goldthwait (in my mind one of the top comedic directors working today) and was quite similar in basic story and structure but while it takes Sightseers a good hour before becoming slightly obvious, God Bless America manages it after about ten minutes. There have been many films about couples going on murder sprees and so to keep us from guessing where it is going to go it really needs to do something remarkably different and in the case of Sightseers this is where it falters.
This is my only problem with the film. Everything else about it is a true delight and I thoroughly recommend seeing it, and on blu ray if possible. It looks great and it is fantastic to see a low budget British film putting its money in all the right places. The blu ray also contains an amusing and informative Making Of, a blooper reel and audio commentaries.
Sightseers is without a doubt one of my favourite films of 2012. Its funny, frightening, and very, very British.
Harry Davenport
★★★★☆
Rating: 15
Release Date: 25th March 2013 (UK)
Directed By: Ben Wheatley
Cast: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies, Jonathan Aris
Buy Sightseers: DVD / Blu-ray
Win Sightseers On DVD: Enter Here (ends 7th April 2013)
Labels:
alice lowe,
ben wheatley,
comedy,
eileen davies,
feature,
jonathan aris,
movie review,
sightseers,
steve oram,
uk indie
12 March 2013
Vinyl Review
Washed-up punk-rocker Johnny Jones (Phil Daniels) begs a record company head-honcho to re-sign his band Weapons of Happiness after decades on the scrap-heap, only to be refused on the grounds that listening to anyone over the age of 30 sing is like “watching your parents having sex”. Faced with rejection, and staring at an anonymous middle-age spent in various caravan parks, Johnny hatches a plan to re-launch his music career. Assemble a group of TV-friendly kids as a front for his band; the kids can mime and wave, while Johnny and his pals roll back the years and kick out the jams backstage.
Johnny and his bandmates’ auditions for likely teenyboppers unearth the talents of troubled youngster Drainpipe (Jamie Blackley), a kid with a reckless streak, a passion at odds with the plastic, wipe-clean façade of the pop group he should be a poster boy for, and showmanship similar to that of Johnny himself. The band is launched, and their first single becomes an unlikely success.
Sara Sugarman’s warm-hearted tale of men behaving badly, and musically maladroit youths is based on the real-life story of Welsh band The Alarm who pulled of a similar hoax of their own in 2004. Vinyl extolls the virtues of six strings, pub gigs and cramped tour buses, over the auto-tuned, pre-packaged pop of X-Factor and the like. But while it invokes the spirit of the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Great Rock n’ Roll Swindle, Vinyl lacks the element of unpredictability so integral to the punk music it worships. It feels safer, less anarchic even than School Of Rock, a film with which it shares a certain DNA.
That’s not to say it lacks heart or humour. Daniels makes a decent fist of injecting sympathy into the selfish, pig-headed, oldest swinger in town, Johnny Jones. As the bad-boy of the Welsh seaside, Blackley radiates the impulsiveness and sex-appeal so obvious in the best and most dangerous of rock stars. Weapons of Happiness guitarist turned nursing home impresario, Perry Benson reminds us just what a fine comic actor he is also.
It probably won’t have you dusting off the leathers, but it will make you chuckle as it gives Simon Cowell a gentle kick up the backside.
Chris Banks (@Chris_in_2D)
★★★☆☆
Rating: 15Release Date:1st March 2013 (UK)
Directed by: Sara Sugarman
Cast: Keith Allen, Phil Daniels , Jamie Blackley
5 March 2013
From Stage To Screen And Back Again (Broken Feature)
This Friday will see the release of Rufus Norris Award winning British Independent drama Broken will hit the UK Cinemas.the UK indie which boasts a strong cast of Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy as well a fantastic debut performance from Eloise Laurence in a film thats looks like it’ll deliver on the dramatics with hints of something very dark lurking under the serene face British suburbia.To celebrate the release of Broken we have a feature called From Stage To Screen (And Back Again) which sees some great directors who have started their careers on the stage went to direct and went back to the stage once again.
Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris, whose film debut Broken hits cinemas on the 8th March, trained as an actor before turning his attentions to directing. Winning the Evening Standard award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2001 led to future success in productions such as Festen and Death and the King’s Horseman, which played in the Olivier theatre. The soundtrack of Broken is composed by Electric Wave Bureau, which features Blur front-man Damon Albarn, who collaborated with Norris on his production of Doctor Dee in 2011.Orson Welles
Before the illustrious film career began, Orson Welles directed a number of high-profile productions; these included an innovative take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1936) - which became known as Voodoo Macbeth due to setting the play in Haiti (the Three Sisters became the Three Voodoo Witch Doctors.) He went on to co-found the Mercury Theatre, regularly casting actor Joseph Cotton in productions – Welles went on to cast Cotton in his film debut, Citizen Kane (1941,) deemed to be the greatest film ever made.Laurence Olivier
Arguably one of the most famous actors of all time, Laurence Olivier was the first artistic director of the National Theatre (the main stage is now named in his honour,) and went on to the Old Vic in 1963 where he oversaw a production of Hamlet. He directed nine productions in total, appearing in most of them, and making names out of John Gielgud, Maggie Smith, Derek Jacobi and Anthony Hopkins to name a few. Previous to this, Olivierhad carved himself out as the leading purveyor of Shakespeare in film. Star and director of Hamlet (1944), Othello (1948) and Richard III (1955,) Olivier was a screen legend. In September 2007, the National Theatre marked the centenary of his birth.Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse was a director of musical theatre, who moved to New York with the aspirations of becoming the next Fred Astaire. Choreographing several productions, including How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961,) Fosse began directing theatre with notable productions including Sweet Charity (1966) – a film version of which he directed three years later - and Chicago (1975.) Fosse won an Oscar for directing Cabaret in 1972, famously beating Francis Ford Coppola’s work on The Godfather in the process.Julie Taymor
American film and theatre director Julie Taymor is most renowned for becoming the first woman to win a Best Director Tony award for her production of stage musical The Lion King (1997.) She had formally proved her talent by directing Shakespeare plays, including The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew in 1984. She has also received acclaim for her directing career, her debut of which was Titus in 1999 (she produced a stage version in 1994,) and includes Frida (2002,) Across the Universe (2007,) a love story set to the music of The Beatles, and a screen-version of The Tempest in 2010. Her last stage production was a broadway musical version of Spider-Man in 2007, which broke records – but caused controversy when she departed the production over creative differences.Mike Leigh
British filmmaker Mike Leigh studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art kick-starting his career in the mid-60s. He worked as assistant director at the Royal Shakespeare Company alongside director’s Peter Hall and Trevor Nunn. After directing some small-scale improvised plays, heturned his attention to playwriting for television – his most famous of which, Abigail’s Party, has been devised on-stage several times. He soon moved to theatrical ‘kitchen-sink’ filmmaking, with High Hopes (1988) and Life Is Sweet (1990.) He has directed three plays since his film career began, and regularly receives praise for every new film – the last of which was 2010’s Another Year.Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes began theatre directing during his years at Cambridge - and by 24 had directed a version of Chekhov’s The Cherry Tree starring Judi Dench. 1990 saw Mendes appointed artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse (situated in Covent Garden,) which is now deemed a notable theatre venue. Countless talent has appeared in acclaimed productions ever since. In 1994, he staged a production of Oliver! and made his film directorial debut with 1999’s Oscar-winning American Beauty. Road to Perdition (2002) followed, and most recently, Mendes was the man responsible for directing what has become one of the most popular Bond films ever, Skyfall (2012.) In 2003, he established film, television and theatre production company Neal Street Productions, most recently responsible for the funding of BBC1’s Call the Midwife.Danny Boyle
Joe Wright
Joe Wright began his career working at his parents’ puppet theatre, and attended the Anna Scher Theatre School. He made the move to directing television and film after receiving a scholarship to make an award-winning short film for the BBC, sparking off a film career that has included Atonement (2007,) Hanna (2010) and most recently Anna Karenina (2012.) This year has seen him make his West End stage directorial debut, comedy Trelawny of the Wells at the Donmar Warehouse; it opened to positive reviews.Broken will be released in UK Cinemas from Friday (8th March)
Labels:
broken,
cillian murphy,
eloise laurence,
rufus norris,
tim roth,
uk indie
3 December 2012
Send In The Vikings In UK trailer For Hammer Of Gods
If your looking for a fight these bruisers the vikings will give you one and probably take your life too! Seasoned tv director(Doctor Who) Farren Blackburn's Hammer Of The Gods may do the trick. Plenty of sword fighting, blood, hairy blond people spitting out blood and plenty testosterone. It looks your typical 2am Syfy film but it has a few familiar faces such as Charlie Bewley (Twilight) leads the cast as the young Steinar, alongside James Cosmo, Clive Standen, Elliot Cowan, Glynis Barber, Michael Jibson, and Ivan Kaye.
Expect this one to appear in UK&Ireland around Spring 2013 for now check out the UK trailer below
Source:IGN
Expect this one to appear in UK&Ireland around Spring 2013 for now check out the UK trailer below
Set in Viking Britain in 871 AD, Hammer of the Gods is a visceral, intense tale set in a world whose only language is violence. A young Viking warrior, Steinar (Charlie Bewley), is sent by his father the king on a quest to find his estranged brother, who was banished from the kingdom many years before. Steinar's epic journey across terrifyingly hostile territory gradually sees him emerge as the man his father wants him to be - the ruthless and unforgiving successor to his throne.
Source:IGN
29 November 2012
Sightseers Review
Ever get the impression that you were watching a different film from everyone else? I'm not sure what I was missing with Sightseers (2012), the new film from director Ben Wheatley and written by and starring Steve Oram and Elizabeth Sladen lookalike Alice Lowe, all three of whom were involved with the recent cult hit Kill List (2011), but half way in I was praying for the end to come mostly as a result of boredom and disgust. Marketed as a comedy, the film attempts to leaven this with a liberal dose of horror, failing dismally to achieve either satisfactorily.
In order to escape from her overpowering mother, Tina (Lowe) agrees to go on a caravan trip with her new boyfriend Chris (Oram). However what starts off as a sightseeing trip of North Yorkshire soon becomes the road trip from hell after Chris's true psychotic tendencies come to the fore, following a misunderstanding at a local tourist attraction, with murderous results for all involved.
Like the caravan holiday that forms the basis around which its story is built Sightseers swiftly looses its appeal. Its real problem, as with much of what currently passes itself off as humorous particularly in Britain, is that it tries too hard. As with most 'laddish' fun, the laughs here are more as a result of embarrassment than anything genuinely amusing.
Neither does it work particularly well from a horror point-of-view either. Comedians often see the field of horror as an ideal entry into the world of films. However they frequently make the mistake which many people do, of not taking the genre seriously. By it's very nature horror often lays itself wide open for parody, providing prime material for people to send up. However study them closely and you will discover that those horror films which are successful approach it with a degree of reverence, even when it's being poked fun at.
Those who understand the secret of real horror grasp the concept that less is more. The audience's imagination is always much stronger than anything filmmakers can depict on the screen, with most good horror films cutting away before you see anything at all - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) had a degree of black humour, but the secret of its longevity was that everyone believed they saw more than they actually did. The current crop of films from mainland Europe such as the upcoming Spanish chiller Sleep Tight (2011) succeed by taking this subtle approach, whilst the American hit Scream (1996), which marketed itself as neither a comedy or a horror film (though it was quite clearly both) worked by doing the whole thing quasi seriously. Much modern British horror on the other hand, like Sightseers and the recent crass monstrosity Inbred (2011), doesn't know when to stop, showing vivid violence and gore in nauseating close-up.
In its defence the film looks beautiful - the English backdrop against which the shenanigans play out is breathtaking. Unfortunately this does little to compensate for an otherwise lurid and inept attempt at offbeat wit. I know my opinion is likely to meet with universal disagreement, in which case please do fill me in on what I was missing.
Cleaver Patterson
In order to escape from her overpowering mother, Tina (Lowe) agrees to go on a caravan trip with her new boyfriend Chris (Oram). However what starts off as a sightseeing trip of North Yorkshire soon becomes the road trip from hell after Chris's true psychotic tendencies come to the fore, following a misunderstanding at a local tourist attraction, with murderous results for all involved.
Like the caravan holiday that forms the basis around which its story is built Sightseers swiftly looses its appeal. Its real problem, as with much of what currently passes itself off as humorous particularly in Britain, is that it tries too hard. As with most 'laddish' fun, the laughs here are more as a result of embarrassment than anything genuinely amusing.
Neither does it work particularly well from a horror point-of-view either. Comedians often see the field of horror as an ideal entry into the world of films. However they frequently make the mistake which many people do, of not taking the genre seriously. By it's very nature horror often lays itself wide open for parody, providing prime material for people to send up. However study them closely and you will discover that those horror films which are successful approach it with a degree of reverence, even when it's being poked fun at.
Those who understand the secret of real horror grasp the concept that less is more. The audience's imagination is always much stronger than anything filmmakers can depict on the screen, with most good horror films cutting away before you see anything at all - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) had a degree of black humour, but the secret of its longevity was that everyone believed they saw more than they actually did. The current crop of films from mainland Europe such as the upcoming Spanish chiller Sleep Tight (2011) succeed by taking this subtle approach, whilst the American hit Scream (1996), which marketed itself as neither a comedy or a horror film (though it was quite clearly both) worked by doing the whole thing quasi seriously. Much modern British horror on the other hand, like Sightseers and the recent crass monstrosity Inbred (2011), doesn't know when to stop, showing vivid violence and gore in nauseating close-up.
In its defence the film looks beautiful - the English backdrop against which the shenanigans play out is breathtaking. Unfortunately this does little to compensate for an otherwise lurid and inept attempt at offbeat wit. I know my opinion is likely to meet with universal disagreement, in which case please do fill me in on what I was missing.
Cleaver Patterson
★★☆☆☆
Rating: 15
Release Date: 30th November 2012 (UK)
Directed By: Ben Wheatley
Cast: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies
Labels:
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26 November 2012
Watch The Trailer For Brutal Brit Flick The Fall Of The Essex Boys
I haven't seen the Essex Boys but have heard quite a few positive things about the film, however Paul Tanter has his work cut out to convince cinephiles his version of events is worth your hard earned cash. His previous films especially Rise And Fall of A White Collar Hooligan was nothing but atrocious which is a shame as we really want to give British film making especially independent made films our support. On evidence of this trailer the violence levels looked to have risen compared to previous films, its brutal in nature, very gritty drug fuelled looking film and the directors experience in British gangland style films he should at least deliver something gripping (we hope)
The Fall Of The Essex Boys has a familiar cast with Nick Nevern, Simon Phillips, Robert Cavanah all Tanter regulars and their joined by Kate Magowan, Kierston Wareing, Peter Woodward, Craig Rolfe and Roman Kemp. The Fall Of The Essex Boys will be released in UK 8th February 2013.
Synopsis:The 1995 Rettendon Triple Murder. Not since Jack The Ripper has a killer’s identity so captivated the nation. The gruesome death of three drug dealers has spawned a miniature industry – books, TV programmes, merchandise, conventions and – of course – feature films. The appetite for gory detail and suppressed gangland secrets remains unabated, and is constantly titillated further with new tales of football hooliganism, international drug smuggling and police conspiracies of silence.
An 18 year old girl going into a coma after taking an ecstasy pill from a bad batch is the catalyst that sets in motion a series of events that leads to the demise of one of the most infamous criminal organisations in British History. Detective Inspector Stone steps in to try and put pressure on an untouchable unit of criminals - Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe. The Essex Boys. In order to bring the criminals down, he must act out of the law to get things done.
As the Essex Boys grow stronger and more fearless, their addiction to drugs and power slowly starts to spiral out of control and they soon start to develop enemies everywhere.As Stone starts to see the cracks forming in their organisation and with pressure from his peers he soon realises that bringing them down will be inevitable but the real test will come when he must find a way of getting his man on the inside out safely.
22 November 2012
Dingly Dells, National Trust & Pasta Sauce. Watch New Sightseers Clips
Caravaning will never be the same when Ben Wheatley's dark comedy horror Sightseers is released in UK&Ireland next Friday 30th November. If you ever had the idea holidays in our fine lands was dull, boring thanks to our anti heros Chris and Tina (Chris Oram & Alice Lowe) you may now think twice in jumping a plane over to Benidorm or Torremolinos. Tonight our friends over at Studiocanal have sent us over a brand new clip entitled 'Dingly Dell' which sees our protagonists roam the countryside for an ideal pitch for the caravan, Alice writes a postcard for her mother telling her about Chris and the availability of her pasta sauce packets in Yorkshire! But as Chris finds an ideal spot to park he might have someone else determined to get that elusive caravan spot! Just below the new we have another new clip called 'National Trust' plus a quick tv spot that slipped under the radar last week.
Here at The People's Movies & Cinehouse The Kill List unfortunately didn't go down too well, more frustration than total resentment for the film.A couple weeks ago we had 2 reviewers (1 for each site, reviews online next week) and though both reviewers had different opinions on the film but the outcome is Sightseers looks the better film. What we do love is Chris' (Oram) 'their not human, their Daily Mail readers' which went down well, I'm really looking forward to seeing Sightseers as the cinema I volunteer at there is a few 'non-humans' there!
Sightseers will be released in UK&Ireland 30th November, 2013 USA.
Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way – on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina’s led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see – the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life.But it doesn’t take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina’s meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris’s dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge…
tv spot
Labels:
alice lowe,
ben wheatley,
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horror,
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19 November 2012
Watch The UK Trailer For BIFA Nominated Broken Starring Tim Roth
When you receive 9 nominations from the British Independent Film Awards for your debut feature, Rufus Norris' Broken is certainly a film we should take notice off especially at the early festival preview to go by. Tonight we have a new trailer for the UK indie which boasts a strong cast of Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy a film looks like it'll deliver on the dramatics with hints of something very dark lurking under the serene face British suburbia.
Broken set in North London when young man Robert 'Broken' Buckley is at the wrong end of a brutal beating from neighbour Mr Oswald whose daughter makes a false accusation. As Robert struggles with what's just happened to him next door neighbour Archie (Roth), a Lawyer whose 11year old daughter Skunk may have witnessed Robert her neighbour get the beating.
Broken looks an intense little character drama instead of the usual generic gritty London style drama we do seem to see unfortunately more off. Eloise Laurence who plays Skunk, as well as the film's narrator delivers a really good debut performance and in the trailer it does suggest her own home things might not be as hunky dory as they seem. Not saying this trailer is fantastic nor poor but what it is, it's effective hinting on some dark truths maybe lurking under the carpet but never revealing to much to spoil things.
Broken is set for a Spring 2013 UK Release and also stars Rory Kinnear, Robert Emms.
Labels:
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9 November 2012
Daily Mail Readers Aren't Human! New Sightseers Trailer
Thank the heavens for Ben Wheatley, finally someone who knows Daily Mail readers aren't human! Ah don't hire the firing squad just yet and check out the new 60 second UK trailer for Ben Wheatley's Sightseers which after a great first trailer exploits the film's dark humour, the quirky feel and why Sightseers might be the surprise hit film of the year!
To be honest Ben Wheatley's last film The Kill List divided opinions at The People's Movies and Cinehouse HQ when it came out last year, we all came to an agreement it was confusing as well as overrated. So when Sightseers promotion started we selfishly greeted the new film with a lot of scepticism even with the fantastic reviews from Cannes but like all good things it grows on you.
If your like me a generation who grew up with some childhood summer holidays in caravans or caravan Parks around the UK some of the things will strike a chord, though some of the UK humour might be lost in translation if your not familiar. We're alot more optimistic Sightseers will be far superior film than The Kill List, with 7 nominations for British Independent Film Awards before it's even been released speaks volumes for the film.
We're watching this film next week so stay tuned for our review, Sightseers will be released in UK&Ireland 30th November, there's no confirmed American release but expect sometime 2013.
To be honest Ben Wheatley's last film The Kill List divided opinions at The People's Movies and Cinehouse HQ when it came out last year, we all came to an agreement it was confusing as well as overrated. So when Sightseers promotion started we selfishly greeted the new film with a lot of scepticism even with the fantastic reviews from Cannes but like all good things it grows on you.
Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way - on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina's led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see - the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life.But it doesn't take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina's meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris's dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge...
If your like me a generation who grew up with some childhood summer holidays in caravans or caravan Parks around the UK some of the things will strike a chord, though some of the UK humour might be lost in translation if your not familiar. We're alot more optimistic Sightseers will be far superior film than The Kill List, with 7 nominations for British Independent Film Awards before it's even been released speaks volumes for the film.
We're watching this film next week so stay tuned for our review, Sightseers will be released in UK&Ireland 30th November, there's no confirmed American release but expect sometime 2013.
Labels:
alice lowe,
ben wheatley,
comedy,
edgar wright,
horror,
sightseers,
steve oram,
trailer,
trailers,
uk indie
1 November 2012
Watch The Brutal Trailer For UK Indie Horror The Seasoning House
Picking up some great positive word of mouth feedback former SFX turned Director Paul Hyett's The Seasoning House has been touring the film festival circuit.The film was one of the highlight's of this years Film4 Frightfest and now Kaleidoscope Entertainment has picked up the UK rights for the film and they have sent us an harrowing UK trailer.
The much anticipated directorial debut from Paul Hyett, one of modern films’ most respected special make-up effects designers, whose credits include Gladiator, The Hours, The Descent, Eden Lake, The Woman in Black and many more, The Seasoning House is a taught and claustrophobic exploration of psychological terror that mixes the nerve shredding genius of Hitchcock with Polanski’s visual intensity.
The Seasoning House is a grim and soulless place where young girls are bought and sold for men’s pleasure. Here we meet Angel (Rosie Day), a young, orphaned girl enslaved by Viktor (Kevin Howarth). Unbeknownst to her master, she moves between the walls and crawlspaces of the house – silently observing, learning and planning for her escape.
When her closest confident is savagely killed, Angel can no longer contain her rage and sets out through both ingenuity and brutality to seek justice.
Our Friends at Blogomatic3000 watched the film at Frighfest for us, read their review here .
The Seasoning House doesn't have an offcial release date set yet but do expect the film to arrive early 2013. The film stars Rosie Day, Sean Pertwee, Kevin Howarth, Anna Walton, Jemma Powell,Alec Utgoff.
A big thanks to Sterling Pictures for sending us this trailer!
25 October 2012
9 October 2012
Luis Prieto's PUSHER Review
Luis Prieto's British made update of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 film, Pusher, received its world premiere at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival . The Spanish director has presented us with a gripping, adrenaline fuelled ride, which is by far one of the most exciting British crime thrillers in recent years.
Frank (Richard Coyle) may just be London's most unlucky drug dealer. After a deal goes horrendously wrong, he finds himself owing a ruthless Serbian crime boss over £55,000. In a desperate search for money, Frank soon finds his life spiralling out of control and relationships with those around him beginning to crumble.
It is hard to deviate from certain traditional elements in this genre, for example, risky deals and unrelenting Mr. Big figures are always going to feature. However, these elements feel utterly fresh and skilfully handled in Pusher, thanks to Prieto's energy as a storyteller. The Spanish director's film feels like a fusion of the classic British crime thriller (Coyle's performance drawing some parallels to that of Stacey Keach in 1977 feature, The Squeeze), with an added vibrant, modern twist.
The tension rarely drops in Pusher, creating a truly gripping ride. This is furthered by Simon Dennis' striking cinematography - creating a visually impressive piece taking on pulsing neon infused clubs to dank warehouses, with equal impact. Pusher also captures the ruthless and gritty criminal underworld of London through Frank's encounters with Serbian crime Boss, Milo (Zlatko Buric, star of Refn's original Pusher Trilogy) - most notably in one suspenseful scene involving bolt cutters and a finger. The high octane thrills are paired with a energetic electronic dance score from Orbital, fitting the tone of Pusher perfectly.
Even Pusher's day by day narrative structure acts as reflection of Frank's impending deadline, ebbing closer. This means it is hard not to feel part of the dealers' journey as he uses every resource he has to get money - whether it be calling in on old loans from vulnerable customers or simply by taking it from the sleaziest clients. Even Pushers' emotive conclusion is cut off in the height of anguish and tension, leaving the viewer to question the outcome.
Richard Coyle's solid lead performance thrusts us into the desperation and angst that faces the character, however, we as the audience are always on his side. Agyness Dean's supporting turn as Frank's girlfriend, Flo, proves equally flawless. Flo simply wants a better life for herself and Frank - she works as a dancer and escort, careers that are beneath her, and as viewer you want to see her and Frank happy. Zlatko Buric's intense performance as Milo also proves to be a chief scene stealer throughout Pusher.
Luis Prieto's Pusher proves to be an exhilarating, thrill ride that holds the viewer in a vice-like grip from start to finish. The vibrant cinematography combined with an outstanding lead performance from Richard Coyle and a razor sharp score from Orbital, help make Pusher one of the strongest British crime thrillers in recent years.
UK Release Date: 12th October 2012
Director: Luis Prieto
Stars: Richard Coyle, Agyness Deyn , Zlatko Buric, Paul Kaye
Frank (Richard Coyle) may just be London's most unlucky drug dealer. After a deal goes horrendously wrong, he finds himself owing a ruthless Serbian crime boss over £55,000. In a desperate search for money, Frank soon finds his life spiralling out of control and relationships with those around him beginning to crumble.
It is hard to deviate from certain traditional elements in this genre, for example, risky deals and unrelenting Mr. Big figures are always going to feature. However, these elements feel utterly fresh and skilfully handled in Pusher, thanks to Prieto's energy as a storyteller. The Spanish director's film feels like a fusion of the classic British crime thriller (Coyle's performance drawing some parallels to that of Stacey Keach in 1977 feature, The Squeeze), with an added vibrant, modern twist.
The tension rarely drops in Pusher, creating a truly gripping ride. This is furthered by Simon Dennis' striking cinematography - creating a visually impressive piece taking on pulsing neon infused clubs to dank warehouses, with equal impact. Pusher also captures the ruthless and gritty criminal underworld of London through Frank's encounters with Serbian crime Boss, Milo (Zlatko Buric, star of Refn's original Pusher Trilogy) - most notably in one suspenseful scene involving bolt cutters and a finger. The high octane thrills are paired with a energetic electronic dance score from Orbital, fitting the tone of Pusher perfectly.
Even Pusher's day by day narrative structure acts as reflection of Frank's impending deadline, ebbing closer. This means it is hard not to feel part of the dealers' journey as he uses every resource he has to get money - whether it be calling in on old loans from vulnerable customers or simply by taking it from the sleaziest clients. Even Pushers' emotive conclusion is cut off in the height of anguish and tension, leaving the viewer to question the outcome.
Richard Coyle's solid lead performance thrusts us into the desperation and angst that faces the character, however, we as the audience are always on his side. Agyness Dean's supporting turn as Frank's girlfriend, Flo, proves equally flawless. Flo simply wants a better life for herself and Frank - she works as a dancer and escort, careers that are beneath her, and as viewer you want to see her and Frank happy. Zlatko Buric's intense performance as Milo also proves to be a chief scene stealer throughout Pusher.
Luis Prieto's Pusher proves to be an exhilarating, thrill ride that holds the viewer in a vice-like grip from start to finish. The vibrant cinematography combined with an outstanding lead performance from Richard Coyle and a razor sharp score from Orbital, help make Pusher one of the strongest British crime thrillers in recent years.
Andrew McArthur
★★★★☆
Rating: 18UK Release Date: 12th October 2012
Director: Luis Prieto
Stars: Richard Coyle, Agyness Deyn , Zlatko Buric, Paul Kaye
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