Woman In The Dressing Gown DVD Review

★★☆☆☆

Remastered and re-released to DVD with cast interviews and theretical trailer Woman in a Dressing Gown tells the story of Amy (Yvonne Mitchell) a housewife who seems to no do anything right-she burns the breakfast, fails to tidy the house and doesn’t seem to get dressed and instead stays in her dressing gown for the majority of the film.

I know what you’re thinking. Now wonder Amy’s husband Jim (Anthony Quayle) is thinking about leaving her for young, tidy secretary Georgie (Sylvia Simms). When Amy finds out about his affair she tries her best to tidy up and be a better housewife to the point where she goes and gets her hair done only for the rain to ruin it.

A typical story of the time period, I was excited to see this movie being a fan of such movies once I'd seen Brief Encounter. The problem was however that I found myself comparing Woman in a Dressing Gown with Brief Encounter. Whether that was because it was set in the same time period with the use of the story or language I do not know.

What I do know however, is that both Yvonne Mitchell and Anthony Quayle give believable and in a way relatable performances as Amy and Jim in which both men and women can relate to.

Emily Pontin

Rating: PG
UK Release Date: 13th August 2012
Cast: Yvonne Mitchell, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Simms
Directed By: J Lee Thompson

Elfie Hopkins DVD Review

★★☆☆☆

Here’s a question. What’s the difference between the new Brit horror Elfie Hopkins (2012) and watching paint dry? Answer not much, as they both cease to hold your interest after about five minutes (less in fact where Elfie Hopkins is concerned). This film by director Ryan Andrews and starring father / daughter double-act Ray and Jamie Winstone, though with an atmospheric opening, soon looses any promise it had once the action sets (or in this case doesn’t set) in.

Elfie Hopkins (Jamie Winstone) and her best mate Dylan (Aneurin Barnard) live in a tranquil home counties village where nothing much happens - period. Until that is the mysterious and exotic Gammon family move in next door. Suddenly things become very exciting indeed - well ok, the use of the word exciting is admittedly debatable when talking about this film, but hey I’m trying my best here! Anyway, after members of the local community start to go missing Elfie and Dylan decide to investigate the new arrivals and the ‘exotic holiday‘ business they run with some very disturbing results.

Right, lets cut to the chase. Kimberley Nixon, who plays Pippa the local nympho, is about the most exciting thing this otherwise fright free exercise in tedium has to offer. This girl has just one thing on her mind - bedding the hunky Mr Gammon (Rupert Evans) at the first opportunity - toodle pip, rutting in the shires would have nothing on this filly. Going by what she shows here Nixon would be perfectly cast for any upcoming Jilly Cooper adaptations. Evans’ said Gammon is the only other saving grace amongst a cast of actors who are on the whole as lifeless as their characters are by the end of the film.

Admittedly the film looks stunning, particularly its surreal costumes which are a cross between twinset and pearls, home counties couture and bizarre medieval hunting clothes, shot through with a dash of sloppy bohemia. Filmed with a clouded effect, the whole proceedings are leant a surreal, dreamlike quality, the muted palette of which highlights the graphic gore when it does eventually arrive. These said viscerals, which consist mainly of rich and bloody reds and one effective jolt (or should that be bolt) to the system are unfortunately too little too late to save what could have been an effective and tight little shocker under the right guidance.

We are offering you the chance to win a copy of Elfie Hopkins on dvd, so don’t let my views put you off trying your luck - it’ll be a great film to have on in the background when you’re finishing painting the spare room.

Cleaver Patterson

Rating:15
DVD/BD Release Date: 13 August 2012
Directed By: Ryan Andrews
Cast: Jaime Winstone, Aneurin Barnard, Rupert Evans, Ray Winstone

Monster Brawl DVD Review

★★☆☆☆

The first thing to say about Monster Brawl, is that it definitely won’t be for everyone. This B-movie extravaganza mixes wrestling and monsters to create a sub-genre hybrid that plays out like a cult passion project. Abominations like Wolfman and "Swamp Gut" meet in the ring to battle it out and prove once and for all who the meanest monster is. The concept is the perfect fan boy fantasy, a dream now made reality in the increasing validity of the fan's wants: films like Aliens vs Predator and Freddy vs. Jason have all proved that there's an audience waiting to see films that pitch classic characters, who have no good reason to be in the same place at the same time, together at last.

But is the film actually any good? Well if you can look past the cheesy acting of the amateur wrestlers playing the monsters, and have no problem with a fairly wobbly script, then it’s actually a kind of fun. Besides, in a film where Witch Bitch and Cyclops fight in a wrestling ring, the term “wobbly” loses much of its meaning. Much credibility is actually set in place through the cast; Jimmy Hart appears as himself, Kevin Nash steps in as a disgruntled colonel out to win the Monster Brawl, Lance Henriksen lends his growling tones as the narrator (credited as God), but its Dave Foley and Art Hindle who make some of the best scenes in the piece as the commentators.

The film isn’t supposed to be taken too seriously, that much is clear, its schlocky fun for like-minded fans who want to watch something silly, but even then the film is pretty thin. Intentional bombastic tongue-in-cheek can’t save an undeveloped concept. The fight scenes lack real punch and eventually start to bore, the formulaic approach to the subject is where the film trips up, introducing characters, giving them a five to ten minute background, and then pitting them against each other is nice at first but eventually tedious. It’s a shame when the best parts of a fight film are the character intros.

Surprisingly, the film isn’t too badly shot and the whole thing looks pretty good. Costume and production design definitely have a hammer/50’s feel, the sets are solid, and gore and creature effects are as good as any you’ll see in a studio production.

So, for all its B-movie charm Monster Brawl is still underdeveloped and too minimalist at too many points to stand its ground as a feature film. But there’s some fun to be had here for hard-core cult monster fans.

Special features are short but sweet: a twenty minute Behind the Scenes look at the incredibly passionate and humble forces who put the piece together, a collection of outtakes featuring Jimmy Hart, and the trailer for the film. In particular, the Behind the Scenes gives a little more appreciation for the film.

Scott Clark

Rating:15
UK Release Date: 20th August 2012
Directed by: Jesse T. Cook
Cast: Robert Maillet, Jimmy Hart, Jason David Brown, Kelly Couture
Pre-Order/Buy:Monster Brawl On DVD

Film4 FrightFest honours Greg Nicotero

FrightFest, in partnership with Variety Magazine, are set to present the inaugural Variety Award at FrightFest to renowned special effects and make-up artist Greg Nicotero.

Nicotero will be presented with the award on Saturday August 25, following an on-stage interview at this year’s FrightFest The 13^th.

"FrightFest is very proud to be associated with Variety Magazine,” said FrightFest co-director Ian Rattray. “We feel Greg Nicotero is a perfect choice to receive this historic award - the first to be given out at a FrightFest event.”

An acknowledged master of his field Nicotero is an idol of horror fans with a 30-year career that has seen him work on virtually every major horror franchise.

"Film4 FrightFest is delighted to welcome back Greg Nicotero,” added co-director Alan Jones. “Every time we see him his career seems to have taken another quantum leap and we are thrilled Variety has recognised his contribution to the genre in both fan and business terms. We love his company as much as his professionalism and are looking forward to hosting him on this auspicious occasion.”

One of the founders of KNB Effects Group in 1988, with Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman, Nicotero has worked with the great modern filmmakers on both the big and small screen.

His enduring relationships with directors including Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Wes Craven, Frank Darabont, George A. Romero and Sam Raimi demonstrates the value top filmmakers place on his skill.

From “The Pacific,” “Deadwood,” and “The Walking Dead” on television to features including “Kill Bill,” “Misery,” “The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Sin City” and “The Green Mile” Nicotero and his studio have consistently supplied some of the most spectacular and imaginative effects and prosthetics seen on screen over the past three decades. 

Film4 FrightFest The 13^th is on from Thurs 23 August to Monday 27 at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square. It will present 48 films in three screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while the Discovery and the newly-created Re-Discovery strand will play in Empires 4 & 5.  There are eleven countries represented, with a record-beating fifteen world premieres and twenty-three UK or European premieres.

Tickets for Individual films are on sale from 28^th July.

Bookings: 08 714 714 714 or www.empirecinemas.co.uk

HEISTS: THE MOVIE GENRE

A crew of people, a prominent target and a strategic plan- all aspects needed to qualify as a heist. Putting these aspects on screen has created some of the most memorable films in the heist genre. Headhunters is released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 13th, and as we look forward to watching its new take in the heist formula - and its different, dark and often comical nature- we’ve been inspired to look at other unforgettable movie robberies.

Quick Change (1990)
Bill Murray shows how dangerous a clown can be in one of the top heist movies ever. He stars as Grimm, a grumpy New Yorker who plots a heist on a bank with the help of two accomplices. Although the heist goes smoothly, stealing the money is only part of the job. When the three robbers attempt to make their escape from New York City, things start to spiral in a very bad direction for them.
Point Break (1991)
One of the most important things in making a heist successful is having a captivating leader. Patrick Swayze stars as Bodhi, who seems just an ordinary surfer, when really he’s the leader of the Ex-Presidents gang-- a crew of felons who rob banks wearing Nixon, Reagan and Carter masks.  Keanu Reeves stars as a rookie FBI Agent who goes undercover to catch the robbers, but as he gets drawn in by Bodhi’s charismatic personality, he has to make the decision of a life time.

Heat (1995)
With one of the greatest shootout scenes in film, Heat sets the bar for robbery, shootout and escape scenes in the heist genre. Robert De Niro stars as a successful thief, who is considering leaving the business for good after one last heist, while Al Pacino stars as a compulsive cop who desperately wants to lock De Niro up before he does. De Niro and Pacino both know a heist is being conspired, as each man keeps a close watch on the other.
Entrapment (1999)
Sean Connery stars as an international art thief, while Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as an insurance investigator sent to question him about stealing a Rembrandt painting from an office. She persuades him with a plan to steal a Chinese mask from a heavily secured palace. After they successfully steal the mask, Connery accuses her of plotting to turn him in-- until she informs him of yet another heist for the duo to plot.
Heist (2001)
Gene Hackman stars as Joe Moore, a renowned jewel thief whose life and career become endangered when he's caught on security cameras. He finds out that his fence, Bergman, breaks his word on the money he's owed and his wife may be cheating on him with the fence's nephew. As Moore and his crew are left broke, betrayed and blackmailed, they are forced to do Bergman's last big heist for the payday of a lifetime.
 Oceans 11 (2001)
Using some of the best looking stars, a bit of humour and a well-thought out plan, perfectly exemplifies the modern heist genre.   George Clooney stars as Danny Ocean; an ex-con who gets out of jail and instantly puts together an ultimate crew of ten men. As each of the members specializes in something different, they strategically plan a heist on a casino that's run by an oblivious CEO dating Ocean’s ex-wife.
The Italian Job (2003)
In Venice, Italy, Mark Wahlberg stars as a team leader of expert thieves as they pull off a daring heist and steal 35 million dollars worth of gold from underneath the noses of the Italian Police and the Mafia. One of the thieves betrays his team and takes the gold for himself. A year later, in Los Angeles, the crew create a smart and scheming heist to get back the gold and get their revenge on the traitor.
Inside Man (2006)
Dressed in painter outfits, Dalton Russell’s crew enters a bank and within seconds, they put the bank under a strategically planned heist as they disable the surveillance cameras and take everyone hostage. The NYPD detectives arrive on the scene to contact Russell and ensure the safety of the hostages.  However, things don’t go as planned as Russell’s perfect bank robbery leaves the hostages and authorities dumbfounded.
The Bank Job (2008)
Inspired by the infamous 1971 London bank robbery, the plot twists keep an intriguing edge throughout the film.  As a struggling car dealer with a wife and kids to take care of, Terry Leather is constantly worrying about money. When Martine, a model from his old neighbourhood, tells him of a flawless heist plan, he takes the risky chance of a life time and robs the bank. What Terry doesn’t realise is that Martine has an ulterior motive-- one that is much bigger than anything he or his crew could imagine.
The Town (2010)
This film brings some of most thrilling robbery scenes in film history. While sometimes dressing up in the infamous nun costumes- Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner star as two childhood friends who pull off armed heists for a dangerous mobster. When Affleck’s character starts to build a relationship with one of his robbery victims, things begin to get complicated for the crew as they set out to execute the ultimate robbery.
Inception (2010)
Built like a classic heist film- the crew, the plot and the execution- but having it all happen inside the subconscious mind adds an entirely different twist to the genre. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, an expert in raiding the minds of his targets while they sleep to steal their secrets. When he is assigned to plant a thought instead of steal one, the difficult heist skyrockets to a whole new level. Headhunters (2011)
Roger Brown seemingly has it all; until the discovery that his life is based on a lie. He is a well-known headhunter with a pretty wife, gigantic mansion and everything else he could ever want.  However, his biggest secret revolves around maintaining this lavish lifestyle-- as an art thief. And when his finances hit rock bottom, he attempts to pull off his biggest art heist yet; which transpires chilling secrets, backstabbing and murder.
Find out how Roger gets on in Headhunters, on Blu-ray and DVD August 13th.

Livid DVD Review

★★★ 1/2☆

Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo have already made a sound debut in the form of 2007’s Inside, so their second feature, Livid, is due to cause some excitement amongst horror fans. The pair’s second film is an atmospheric and visually inventive take on the ‘old haunted house story’ and among other things probably one of the few films this year that will really prove how terrifying obscenely old people can be.

The story follows Lucie (Chloe Coullaud) on her first day as an in-home caregiver Lucie’s new job takes an interesting turn with the revelation that oen of her patients, the comatose Mrs. Jessel, has a treasure of unknown value stashed somewhere in her desolate house. Lucie, Her boyfriend William (Felix Moati), and William’s brother Ben (Jeremy Kapone), decide to break into the house on Halloween night to find the treasure and turn their fortunes around. The house has different ideas and not long after entering the trio are trapped and in the throes of a supernatural nightmare.

Maury and Bustillo understand the importance of believable characters and spend a good time at the start of the piece introducing us to their lead character Lucie , and her world.  Understanding her hopes and dreams, and those of the two boys, is vital for the scare factor of the film since even though we know they are trespassing and robbing we also know that the money is a way out of their dreary world. The film is centred on the end of life, the purgatory of not just the coma state, or old-age, but of squashed dreams so the money is an opportunity to avoid ending up like one of Lucie’s patients. The film’s first half flaunts a good pace and enough menace to keep the viewer intrigued, the scares are kept in check and the three main characters all work off each other well. Long shots of Mrs. Jessel’s  vegetative form hooked up to life support unnerve the viewer and create a surprising amount of tension which is never relinquished with a cheap jump or “eyes-flicker-open” moment.  The discovery of just what the treasure is,cements the fairy tale quality and leads to a bizarre supernatural mind-screw of a second act.

Unfortunately the film loses grip on itself by the end. The escalation of scares degrades to a messy muddle pushing the film into a gory conclusion it never seemed destined for. Some of the blatant images and sequences stand out as uncomfortable in a film that, for the most part, identifies the grotesque and eerie with care. The sequence where Ben suddenly ends up in a filthy room with no doors is genius but what follows in the room seems ham-fisted and unconnected. The construction of the relationships and tension is skilful, but the set-up is squandered through hasty conclusions to characters and a half-assed attempt at more concepts. Eventually the film comes across as something between Guillermo Del Toro’s dark fairy tale world, and The Skeleton Key (2005)it pushes for a strong gothic element that comes flawlessly until the film aims big. If it had followed certain routes from earlier on it could have cemented itself as a particular type of horror, but it seems wary of being lost in a sub-genre. Still, it’s a charming and striking horror with more than its fair share of unsettling ideas.

Scott Clark

Rating:18
DVD/BD Release Date: 13th August 2012 (UK)
Directed By: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury
Cast:Chloé Coulloud, Félix Moati , Jérémy Kapone

TIFF 2012: Disturbing Trailer & viral For Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral

Like father Like son The official trailer for Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral has arrived online providing the body horror that made Daddy famous and what David Cronenberg fans have been crying out for, for a very longtime!

Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men:First Class, Contraband) plays Syd March a worker at a local specialized clinic which people people pay to be harvested by diseases which their idols/celebrity hero's once had to feel closer to them. In a era which celebrity obsession is at an all time high this film is very relevant as some fans do take that obsession to another level some you would call disturbing  as it controls their lives. Throw in the fact Syd also deals on the black market using himself as a 'mule' finding himself stuck in a web of deceit which puts his own life in danger. This looks disturbing, creepy very dark narrative but uniquely engaging something you would truly expect from the Cronenberg household. How would you describe this? Could you call it body horror? Thriller? Horror? Mystery? Probably a combo of all them with a big dash of Arthouse gyle  making this a interesting  film to check out, though I wouldn't watch this munching on your cheese nachos, hotdog or for that matter anything as this will freak some people out!

No UK, Irish or American release date just yet, Antiviral will make its North American premier at next month's Toronto Film Festival, so expect this before the end of 2012 or first half of 2013. Antiviral also stars Sarah Gordon, Malcom McDowell and Douglas Smith.

Watch the film's first clip and short viral clip too!

Dragon Wasps Fly Into New 'Discovery' Clip

From Eight Legged Freaks to mutated giant killer wasps from the writers of Sand Sharks we have Dragon Wasps who will be invading our Home Entertainment this September. The film will be coming from the kings of  trashy B-Horror fun Chelsea Films who have sent us this clip from the the film called 'Discovery' which shows off our first glimpse at our winged killers which looks like it wont be good news for the man who discovers them! There's no flyspray that'll kill these freaks!

Written by fast-becoming genre connoisseur Mark Atkins (Sand Sharks), the film stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1; Smallville; Supernatural), Dominika Juillet (Dark Angel), Benjamin Easterday (Stargate SG1; Fast & Furious 5) and Nikolette Noel who’s stars  in “The Expendables 2”.

Dragon Wasps will be released in UK&Ireland  by Chelsea Films September 24th.

When a clue arises as to the whereabouts of her scientist father, three months after he inexplicably disappeared on an expedition deep in the heart of the Belize rainforest, entomologist Gina Humphries and her impassioned assistant Rhonda set out on a makeshift rescue mission. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them the land they’re desperate to cross is Government protected and without the correct documentation they subsequently find themselves stopped dead in their tracks and whisked away to the hands of officer John Hammond. Due to the ongoing feud between the US Army and the rainforest’s guerrilla military, lead by the notorious Jaguar, Hammond agrees to escort Gina and Rhonda to her desired destination as one last escapade with his team before his retirement. When their convoy is ambushed by Jaguar and his men, things quickly turn sour and they find themselves amidst a bloody shootout. Yet it soon becomes apparent that it’s not their known enemies that present the biggest threat in the jungle…

Studio Canal Announces This Year's Titles For It's 'Studio Canal Collection'

StudioCanal have announced the films that will make up this year's 'StudioCanal Collection' the series that aims to revisit some of the most iconic films from Studiocanal's  back catalogue of over 5,000 titles.

For those of you who don't know, the StudioCanal Collection is a series of acclaimed and influential films on Blu-ray with unique special features and accompanying booklets, available in HD so as to present the best possible picture and sound quality. This year's classic films will be Orson Welles The Trial,Luis Buneul's  That Obscure Object of Desire and Marcel Carne's  Le Quai Des Brumes (Port Of Shadows).

THE TRIAL

Based on the influential Franz Kafka novel, THE TRIAL is a paranoid masterpiece directed by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil). Josef K (Anthony Perkins – Psycho) is arrested, but has no idea what crime he is accused of. In order to find out what offence he is meant to have committed, and to protest his innocence, Josef K must go through the machinations of the judicial system, but he soon finds himself trapped in a dehumanised nightmare.
  
Extras: 
Welles, Kafka and The Trial documentary
Welles, Architect of Light documentary
Tempo Profile: Orson Welles
Interview with Steven Berkoff (actor, playwright) - adaptations of Kakfa's The Trial andMetamorphosis
Deleted Scene
Trailer
Booklet on the movie written by Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic and author of Discovering Orson Welles (2007), the editor of This Is Orson Welles  (1998) and consultant on the 1998 re-edit ofTouch Of Evil. 

THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE

Adapted from Pierre Louÿs' 1898 novel 'La Femme et le Pantin', THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE marked Buñuel's final film. Recounted in flashback to a group of railway travellers, the story wryly details the romantic perils of Mathieu (Buñuel favourite Fernando Rey), a wealthy middle-aged French sophisticate who falls desperately in love with his 19-year-old former chambermaid Conchita (Carole Bouquet). Thus begins a surreal game of sexual cat-and-mouse, with Mathieu obsessively attempting to win the girl's affections as she manipulates his carnal desires, each vying to gain absolute control of the other.

Extras: 
Arbitrary Desire (Interview with Jean-Claude Carrière)
Interview with Carlos Saura
Double Dames (Interview with Carole Bouquet and Angela Molina)
A portrait if Luis Buñuel (Interview with Pierre Lary and Edmond Richard)

QUAI DES BRUMES

Le QUAI DES BRUMES is Marcel Carné's controversial adaptation of the Pierre Mac Orlan novel of the same name, today regarded as one of the greatest French classical movies. Jean (Jean Gabin), a deserter, arrives in Le Havre and looks for a shelter before leaving the French territory. Housed in a shed on the harbour, at the end of the docks, he meets an eccentric painter (Michel Simon) and a mysterious and beautiful girls called Nelly (Michele Morgan)… From then on he will be trapped in a tragic destiny, in spite of his passion for Nelly and his will to live…

Extras: 
On The Port Of Shadows
Introduction to Quai Des Brumes by Ginette Vincendeau, Professor and Film Critic
Restoring Quai Des Brumes
Booklet on the movie written by Ginette Vincendeau, Professor and Film Critic.

Feature - Money’s Too Tight To Mention

Jo Nesbo’s Jackpot tells the story of a bunch of criminals who go four ways on a winning lottery ticket, leaving them to share 1,739,361 kroner that they struggle to divide into four equal pay-outs. When we say 'struggle', it’s not just that they can’t do the maths, but rather that Jackpot unravels into a crime caper that divides more body parts than it does winnings.

What happens is  Oscar Svendsen wakes up, terrified and bloodied; a shotgun in his hands, in what was once a respectable strip joint near Svinesund, Sweden. He is surrounded by eight bodies, and police detective Solør has a gun aimed at his chest. Solør is convinced of his guilt, but Oscar persistently denies any wrongdoing.

Reluctantly Oscar starts relating the incredible story of four men who won top prize in a soccer pool and suddenly found themselves 1,739,361 kroner richer. But it turned out to be difficult to divide the money by four.

Jackpot is an exciting, playful and bloody comedy from the producer of Cold Prey. It is based on a story by Norway's leading crime writer, Jo Nesbø. We meet a group of scruffy young men, all of them with a criminal background. Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), Thor (Mads Ousdal), Billy (Arthur Berning) and Tresko (Andreas Cappelen). They work at a factory in the middle of nowhere that makes plastic Christmas trees. And they bet on soccer…

To celebrate the film’s release in cinemas across the UK on friday. August 10th, we’re looking back at five other movies where the principal protagonists come into a princely sum of money overnight...

It Could Happen To You
There’s a theory on the internet that Nicholas Cage has never starred in a bad movie, and It Could Happen To You is no exception to that rule. Also featuring Rosie Perez and Bridget Fonda on top form, the movie tells the story of a cop who gives his lottery ticket to a waitress as her tip, promising half if it turns out to be a winning ticket (which, of course, it does). In a stranger than fiction twist, the plot is actually based on real-life events, making for a heart-warming tale of money’s trappings, its pitfalls, and how it really can’t buy you love.
Lucky Numbers
Lucky Numbers is another true story inspired lottery flick, but this one’s certainly not of the heart-warming variety. John Travolta plays the role of a weatherman with money troubles who attempts to rig the lottery with his wife (played by Lisa Kudrow), who’s the beautiful assistant on the state lottery draw. Both possess somewhat psychopathic personality traits – a complete lack of empathy or guilt alongside their superficial charm – and this kind of character-play is where much of the film’s comedy emerges from. Lucky Numbers is also noteworthy for featuring Michael Moore in one of his rare acting appearances on film.
Waking Ned
When Ned Devine dies of shock after winning the lottery, his fellow inhabitants of a tiny Irish village do their best to fool a lottery representative that Ned is still alive and well, and therefore the lottery money can be paid in full. The Tullymore villagers manage to convince themselves that this plan of action is for the greater good – as Tullymore is in dire need of a bob or two anyway – and what ensues from here on out is a warm and life-affirming comedy. Writer and Director, Kirk Jones received a BAFTA nomination for his work on the film, and widespread favourable reviews to boot.
Shallow Grave
Before the London Olympic Games opening ceremony, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, and Trainspotting came the first theatrical movie that Danny Boyle directed back in 1994, Shallow Grave. Also starring Ewan McGregor, who would accompany Boyle on his first three directorial ventures, the movie spins a yarn about a group of housemates who take on a new tenant that promptly dies of a drug overdose. When a huge stash of money is discovered in the departed’s suitcase, and the housemates decide whether to inform the authorities or conceal the death (and keep the money), the film’s ominous title comes into play.
Mr Deeds
He’s been an unlikely golfing talent, a water boy turned linebacker, the son of Beelzebub, an Israeli counter-terrorist agent turned hairdresser, and a reluctant father figure. In most of his movies, however, Adam Sandler seems to maintain a lot of himself in a character, and that’s never been truer than of Mr Deeds. When Longfellow Deeds (Sandler) comes into a fortune, he buys Corvettes for the inhabitants of his small-town American home; when Sandler finished production of Grown-Ups in 2010, he bought $250,000 Maserattis for the rest of the cast. And that’s really the point of Mr Deeds: regardless of the fortune you find yourself to be the unlikely heir of overnight, the money by itself doesn’t mean a thing.
Jackpot is in cinemas, Friday August 10th.