The Future Of Film is Smart, Its Personal Most Of it's LED

[image source  Sony]

You may have noticed many people constantly saying 'the world is getting  smaller' and  let's be honest that is a true statement. 10, 20 years ago the talk of travelling from UK to the other side of the world was talk of the wealthy but now that is reality. As the world becomes smaller, more cosmopolitan technology is evolving, as are the demand of the film fan, and Sony are in the forefront of  how we get the the ultimate movie experience.

Let's go back 20 plus years to the 1990's- the demise of the local small cinema and the rise of the multiplex cinemas, to many it was the death of film but now 20 years on you could say this is a godsend. As many people don't have access or refuse to pay the expensive cinema ticket prices, The Laptops, the Tablets and Television we sit in front of everyday are the key to how we get out film experience. When you look back 30 years when James Cameron released Terminator you wonder did he know something we didn't know? Technology is getting smaller and smarter, as Sony's Smart TV proves, they are a film fans best friend.

Since the Internet was created it is common knowledge that watching or even downloading a film legally, the buffering and the time a film takes to download, you could do a shopping come back 2 hours later and we wouldn't be much further. Internet has evolved Broadband makes sure things can run smoothly, with technology such as mobiles, tablets, laptops and even TV's  you can enjoy that film or television programme in the comfort of your own surroundings. Now that we can enjoy and get access to  our favourite films or TV Shows on our Smart TVs we want to enjoy those films in the highest quality  and definition, the best way to do that is on an LED TV. 

Now Cinehouse been a blog dedicated to the best in independent, World Cinema and Arthouse movies, fans of these genres may have to travel for hours to get to the nearest cinema. The leading figures amongst the genres such as Curzon, Picturehouse (even some independent cinemas) now know using internet onto smart Tvs is the future.

There’s nothing that smart about trying to watch a film on your smartphone—you know what you really want is a proper big-screen experience, like what you can get with Sony’s new range of TVs and Smart TVs. These tvs can provide the same visual and sound experience as if you where sitting in your local cinema, even the popcorn you have will be cheaper too! The design of these TVs are elegant but what they will do is provide a clearer, crisper and smoother. If your are interacting with the on demand  services for films, you pay the premium you expect these premium quality TVs will provide.

These TVs also give you access to the film and TV fanatic’s friend, Sony’s TV SideView app. Another feature that can link up your gorgeous new TV interactively with an app-equipped phone or tablet. TV SideView lets you pull up all the key details while you watch: cast, episode info and more. You could say they are the equivalent of the extras you get from the Blu-ray's or DVDs. We will ask you, do you really need to buy Blu-rays whilst the slick, smart Led TV can provide the same?

Put this alongside the rest of the innovations Sony has rolled out his time, including 4K Ultra HD and super-sharp 3D, and you’ve got a lot of great reasons to check out Sony’s new TVs and Smart TVs.The future of film is smart, personal, the future is LED TV.       

Sponsored Post

Ikarie XB-1 DVD Review

Release Date:
23rd September 2013 (UK)
Rating:
15
Distributor:
Second Run
Director:
Jindrich Polák
Cast:
Zdenek Stepánek, Frantisek Smolík, Dana Medrická
Buy:
Ikarie XB-1 [DVD]
Ikarie XB-1 is a fascinating piece of pre-2001: a Space Odyssey science fiction filmmaking. It was made 5 years before in 1963 and it’s from Czechoslovakia, which is not known for it’s science fiction with the possible exception of the writer Karel Ćapek. Ikarie XB-1 has never been released on these shores until now with Second Run’s (a label who specialises in Czech cinema) release. The film however has it admirers including esteemed directors like Joe Dante and Alex Cox. It has also been suggested its one of many space films Stanley Kubrick watched before he embarked on the task of making 2001.

The film’s source comes from one of the most world-renowned science fiction writers Stanislaw Lem, he also wrote the book Solaris is based on. Stanislaw like most great sci-fi writers dealt with philosophical themes and his work also at times were very satiric. He is also considered one of the most difficult writers to translate because of his elaborate word formulations. The book Ikarie XB-1 is based on The Mangellanic Cloud that has not yet been translated into English.

Ikarie XB-1 is not that dissimilarly to the better-known Solaris as both films are set almost entirety on a space ship. It is equally a journey though space to discover new worlds (in Ikarie XB-1 they are trying to find alien life on star near Alpha Centauri) and a mental one. Solaris is definitely a more artistically successful film but that’s part of the mastery of its director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Ikarie XB-1 has fantastic production design that at times is almost hallucinatory with its shapes and patterns of the interior of the ship. The cinematography throughout is really stunning with lots of strange disorienting angles that get the viewer into the mind-set of the crew. The outer space sequences are surprisingly effect and don’t seem too cheesy.

It’s overall a really surprising piece of early intelligent science fiction in cinema (they’re was already lots in the fiction world) that will really surprise a lot of people. The film was cut down by the US distributor and retitled Voyage to the end of the universe. The twist ending was cut and was replaced with a much happier ending but of course Second Run has released the original cut. The DVD is under £10 and it’s certainly worth you investment.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Plein Soleil (1960) Blu Ray Review

BD/DVD Release Date:
9th September 2013 (UK)
Rating:
PG
Distributor:
Studiocanal UK
Director:
René Clément
Cast:
Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, Marie Laforêt
Buy Plein Soleil:
Plein Soleil Special Edition Blu-ray [Amazon]
As I was introduced to French cinema through my interest in the Nouvelle Vague films of Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, and Éric Rohmer, and consequently their critical writing for the influential film journal Cahiers du Cinéma (in particular Truffaut’s Une Certaine Tendance du Cinéma Français), it may come as no surprise that René Clément has never ranked high on my list of filmmakers to further explore. Couple this with already seeing Patricia Highsmith’s best-selling novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, adapted to film by Anthony Minghella and the prospect of sitting through Plein Soleil becomes less intriguing.

First of all – for those of you who have neither read Highsmith’s novel nor watched Minghella’s adaptation – a brief outline of the story is in order. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a thriller that, in all its versions including Clément’s Plein Soleil, follows Tom Ripley, an intelligent career criminal, as he cons his way into the life of a rich playboy, Philippe, by feigning his acquaintance to the man’s father. Ripley is hired by the father to travel to Italy, find Philippe, and bring him back to San Francisco. Now, without wanting to give away any of the film’s plot, Plein Soleil begins with Ripley (Alain Delon) already in Italy and already ingratiated with Philippe (Maurice Ronet) and his circle of friends.

For many, including myself, Clément’s version is the most rewarding. Not only is it the most tense and entertaining of the two adaptations, it also boasts some glorious cinematography by Henri Decaë, the noted cinematographer of such films as Lift to the Scaffold, Bob le Flambeur, Le Beau Serge, and The 400 Blows by directors Louis Malle, Jean-Pierre Melville, Claude Chabrol, and François Truffaut. The film is also noteworthy for its fatalistic point of view. But it is also these two points that mark the film out as an imitation.

As the featurette René Clément at the heart of the New Wave, included with Studiocanal’s restored release, attests, Clément felt unfairly treated by the Nouvelle Vague directors and thought himself a more avant-garde artist than the “Tradition of Quality” directors he had been lumped with. Perhaps this is why he made Plein Soleil with Decaë and also why the film as a fatalistic aesthetic reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Melville, a director admired by the Nouvelle Vague. Nonetheless, Plein Soleil is an entertaining and gorgeously photographed film well worthy of anyone’s time.

★★★☆☆

Shane James

What Doesn't Kill You DVD Review

DVD/BD Release Date:
2nd September 2013 (UK)
Rating:
15
Director:
Brian Goodman
Cast:
Mark ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet, Donnie Wahlberg
Buy What Doesn't Kill You:
[Blu-ray] or [DVD]

The DVD cover for Brian Goodman’s Boston-based crime drama flaunts a dull collection of action stances: Ethan Hawke reloading a gun, a car on fire, and a swat team closing in on some kind of truck mid-explosion. All of this accumulates to present, what will surely be, a gripping slice of action thriller, a rollercoaster of cloak and dagger with cops and robbers. However, whoever put the packaging together deserves some severe words. It’s misleading marketing no matter what. At no point in the film does a car explode or swat team mobilise. This film is not an action thriller.

What Doesn’t Kill You is –however- an enjoyable, well-constructed, crime drama with a keen focus on story and character. If it is approached in that way then any viewer is likely to have a positive reaction. Goodman’s own experiences, as well as those of co-writer and star Donnie Wahlberg, provide the inspiration for a heartfelt and sombre exploration of the lives of two bottom-rung criminals desperate to climb the ladder.

Mark Ruffalo gives a fantastic performance here as a man stuck in a vicious loop: his neglect towards his family is enforced by his constant need to venture out and earn money to pay bills. As the pressure reaches an all-time high, Brian stumbles into drug addiction and gets closer and closer to hitting rock bottom. All the while Ethan Hawke seems to live it up as Jack-the lad type Paulie; womaniser and hot-head. Though Hawke is great and has an obvious chemistry with Ruffalo, his character can’t help feeling skimpy in comparison to Brian who’s near-ridiculous dependency on drugs and slowly slipping control make for striking viewing.

Beyond character study, it’s difficult to stay entirely engrossed at many points in the film, so you can’t help but wish there had been just a little more of the action promised by the posters. This is a film focused on showing the behind the scenes of crime and very rarely the actual act. It’s a film about the people involved in crime and its impact on their lives, rather than a glorified mess of bullets and chaos.

What Doesn’t Kill You plays out like Goodfellas crossed with Boondock Saints minus the action and humour.  Goodman does a great job of incepting a mood for Boston that carries on throughout, ensuring this is a crime film very much tied to its locale. Overall its shot in a formulaic manner, but there’s a few good moments that show an ability with image construction that should have been put to more use: one particular scene showing a night-time assassination is gruelling in its realistic apathy, but gorgeous in all its snow blown shadowy splendour. Still a lack of startling shots isn’t exactly a huge issue, Goodman is to be commended on an entirely grounded, unpretentious portrayal of crime.

Not a show stopping piece of film, but definitely a good one marred only by the false expectations riled up thanks to bad marketing. What Doesn't Kill You is a character film, driven by great writing and great performances; it’s realistic and feels like a confession of sorts, a man’s life story in all its sordid, unfortunate, but eventually hopeful sentiment.

★★★½☆

Scott Clark

FF2013 Review - No One Lives

Rating:
18
Release Date:
24th August 2013 (FF) 23rd September 2013 (UK DVD)
Director:
Ryuhei Kitamura
Cast:
Luke Evans, Gary Grubbs, Adelaide Clemens
Buy:
No One Lives [DVD]
Ryuhei Kitamura’s second American film (his first was the Vinnie Jones starrer The Midnight Meat Train), No One Lives harks back to his early work – the Super 8 short Down to Hell and his most famous flick Versus – putting strangers together in a pitched battle against a common enemy.

The film starts out very much along the typical backwoods/hillbilly slant, as a gang of robbers screw up their latest mansion heist and, to make up for their loses, kidnap a couple in a car instead. It looks as though we’re seemingly headed down the torture route, with our villains set to get the information they need from the couple by any means necessary. However Kitamura flips the script and what the robbers, and the audience, don’t realise is that driver is not exactly the shy retiring type – he’s actually a complete psychopath having, months earlier, killed fourteen students and kidnapped another, his victim locked up in the trunk of the very car the robbers have stolen! What comes next is a taut, gore-laden game of cat-and-mouse as psycho takes on psycho(s)…

No One Lives definitely marks a return to form for Ryuhei Kitamura. Right from the get-go there’s a strange air about the film, an edge if you will, that is at the same time both unsettling and intriguing. It’s this atmosphere which hooks the audience in – that is until a stunning scene in which Evans’ psycho climbs out from inside the body of one of the gang. From then on you know this is not going to be anything but a complete bloodbath and the film jumps from intriguing to balls-to-the-wall exciting!

If Kitamura is a director on form, then Evans is most certainly an actor on form. Having only seen Evans in good-guy roles in films such as The Three Musketeers, Immortals and Clash of the Titans, it was a revelation to see him channel his dark side as the quiet and unassuming serial killer. Evans is in fact key to the films success, foregoing your typical “crazed psycho” OTT performance for a restrained characterisation that reminded me a lot of the quiet mania Anthony Perkins brought to his role as Norman Bates in Hitchcock’s Psycho. Besides Evans, it’s America Olivio – probably best remembered by horror fans as the dick snapping killer of Neighbor – who shines, bringing a strength to her character that’s more typically found in the heroic final girl of horror, not a “villain” (though given Evans’ character no one in the film can really be called hero or villain – Kitamura self-assuredly paints this film with many shades of grey).

Blurring the line between action film and horror, No One Lives is very much of the B-movie mold, blending elements of exploitation movie and action film to perfection (and I do mean perfection). It is also that very rare breed of horror film, in so much as it successfully captures all that is great about the genre in a fast-moving, well-paced films that reminds me of the great works of Eric Red – in particular his classic The Hitcher, with Evans’ unnamed psycho very much in the mold of Rutger Hauer’s; and his dark, twisted relationship with his victim Emma (Clemens) recalling that between Hauer and C. Thomas Howell. And I don’t think there’s any greater praise I can give Kitamura’s film than that.

★★★★★

Review by Phil Wheat of Nerdly.co.uk

FF2013 Review - 100 Bloody Acres

Rating:
15
Release Date:
23rd August 2013 (FF)
Director:
Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Cast:
Damon Herriman, Angus Sampson, Anna McGahan

Australia and New Zealand have a fine tradition of mixing comedy and horror to superb effect. Be it the early work of Peter Jackson such as Bad Taste and Brain Dead, or more recent efforts such as Primal and The Loved Ones, horror from down under always seems to walk a very fine line be laughs and scares, and 100 Bloody Acres is no different.

The Morgan Brothers’ “Blood and Bone” fertiliser has been a huge boon to their business but there’s a catch to its production – they’ve been using dead car crash victims in the mix! However it’s been months since their last find and an important new customer is waiting on a delivery. When Reg Morgan, the junior partner in the business, comes across three young people stranded on a remote country road, he sees a radical solution to their supply problems, and a way of finally gaining the respect of his bossy big brother, Lindsay. But things don’t quite go to plan when Reg starts forming an attachment with one of their captives, Sophie. Reg must now make a decision: go through with the plan and finally win Lindsay’s approval, or save the kids and destroy everything the brothers have worked for.

The debut feature from the Cairnes brothers, 100 Bloody Acres is a strange film. Filled with oddball characters and off-kilter comedy, the film manages to evoke similarities to the backwoods hillbilly horror seen in the 70s and early 80s US cinema, most noticeably The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (with which it shares the idea of humans as “meat). But at the same time the film also shares the streak of black humour found in the work of the Cohen brothers – especially the likes of Blood Simple and Fargo. So why is the film so damn dull?

It’s not hard to put a finger on why 100 Bloody Acres doesn’t work. The cast are uniformally excellent – the two “villains” of the piece are particular standouts. Damon Herriman, as the younger of the two Morgan Brothers, gives a manic performance, walking a fine line between complete lunatic and complete idiot. Meanwhile Angus Sampson, as older brother Lindsay Morgan, is one of the scariest “straight” men in horror, showing zero emotion, in the total psychopath sense! The pair bounce well off each other and the script gives them plenty of witty one-liners – in fact the script is filled with some truly black humor, be it the banter between the brothers or the outburst between their captives. However there are huge gaps of where nothing much happens – chases scenes, walks around the farm, phone calls etc. This slows the pace of the movie right down. And that’s where the problem lies…

With some tighter editing and an increased pace 100 Bloody Acres could have been yet another neo-classic from down under; as it stands now it more of an also-ran. If you want to see black humor at work in a great Aussie horror, check out The Loved Ones instead.

★★☆☆☆

This film was reviewed by Phil Wheat of Nerdly.co.uk

FF2013 - The Dead 2: India Review

Rating:
15
Release Date:
22nd August 2013 (FF)
Director:
Howard J. Ford, Jonathan Ford
Cast:
Joseph Millson, Meenu Mishra, Anand Krishna Goyal

Frightfest 2013 opened on Thursday evening with Howard and John Ford’s The Dead 2: India, a sequel to their previous Africa-set zombie flick. To be honest, it wasn’t the most auspicious start to the weekend. A zombie epidemic reaches the Asian subcontinent and American engineer Nicholas (Joseph Millson) attempts to cross the country to reunite with his Indian girlfriend Ishani (Meenu Mishra), aided only by plucky orphan boy Javed (Anand Gopal). I didn’t catch The Dead, so the novelty of watching a Zombie film set anywhere other than Middle America (or Crouch End) was not lost on me.

The various locations around rural India are occasionally used rather well. Nicolas’s introductory scene is a slow pull out from extreme close up to a panoramic shot of him dangling from a wind turbine, which works really well and there several nicely implemented vistas. Much of the film takes place during the daytime, which is a pleasing exception from the accepted norm. The incidental music was also atmospheric. Unfortunately, that’s about all there is to say of note about The Dead 2. The film is the same zombie feature you’ve seen dozens of times before with nothing new brought to the table other than location. The acting is somewhat subpar and the script is nothing special. A call-back to an Indian legend at the film’s conclusion attempts to wrap things up pithily but feels half-hearted. Still, as the opening film, it seemed to ride something of a wave of goodwill but I imagine if it was shown in the middle of the day on a smaller screen, it would have made little impression on anyone.

This is a review by Jack Kirby of Nerdly.co.uk

Love Is All You Need Blu-Ray Review

Rating:
15
DVD/BD Release Date:
2nd September 2013 (UK)
Director:
Susanne Bier
Cast:
Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm, Molly Blixt Egelind
Buy Love Is All You Need:
Blu-ray / DVD
Win Love Is All You Need on DVD:
Enter Here (opens link to The People's Movies)

Love is All You Need (originally titled The Bald Hairdresser) is a heart-warming romantic tale by Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier. The excellent Trine Dyrholm plays Ida, a recovering cancer patient, whom arrives home one day to discover her husband in the midst of a sexual encounter with another – much younger – woman. When travelling from Demark to Italy for her daughter Astrid’s wedding alone, Ida finds herself unexpectedly crossing paths with Philip (played by Pierce Brosnan), the father of Astrid’s fiancé. In Italy, both Ida and Philip learn to overcome their problems and are given the chance for a new beginning.

Love is All You Need is a charming film that would win over even the most cynical of viewers. I am hesitant to label it a romantic comedy – the genre the film has generally been regarded as falling into – since it does not contain much humour. However this is no bad thing, as most typical rom-coms tend to try far too hard to win laughs from the audience, and usually fail quite miserably. Instead, Bier’s text engages us with down-to-earth and likeable characters contending with relatable issues in their lives, all which are dealt with in a realistic fashion. While the film does have a fairy-tale like quality to it, containing plenty of picturesque Italian sunrises and orange and lemon groves, enhanced by beautiful cinematography; the grounded narrative lends it a level of authenticity that distinguishes it from most of Hollywood’s current cinematic output.

With well above average performances and a non-stereotypical plot, Love is All You Need is definitely worth a watch.

★★★★☆

Sophie Stephenson

Extracted DVD Review

rating:
18
DVD Release Date:
2nd September 2013 (UK)
Director:
Nir Paniry
Cast:
Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart, Sasha Roiz
Buy Extracted:
Extraction (DVD)
At first glance Nir Paniry’s neuro-trip Extracted (nee Extraction) can seem a little too Inception for its own good.  Nolan’s cerebral masterpiece has unfortunately taken command of an entire ocean of narrative possibility meaning that no matter what happens, any film that tries to tackle this area will undoubtedly end up being compared to the mega budget, thrill ride of 2010. If you can stomach a first half that’s perhaps a little too caught up in the science of Inception and the near-monotonous base storyline of a scientist trapped in the machine of his own making, then the second act will impress with a well-tempered tale of cyclical abuse and the power of memory.

The basic story follows an obsessed scientist, Tom, (Sasha Roiz) who has created a machine capable of allowing a person into the memories of another, for the purposes of psychological therapy. The machine is tested on a junky convicted of shooting his girlfriend but something goes wrong trapping the scientist in the mind of a killer.

The key turning point for the film is when Paniry becomes less interested in the mind boggling genius of Tom’s endeavours, and more focused on the realities of venturing into a human mind. Unfortunately, though Roiz provides a solid performance, Tom’s drives and goals are quickly overtaken by the desperation and urgency of addict Anthony, here played wonderfully by Dominic Bogart. Anthony’s story arc is a far more interesting, complex chain of events punctuated by more edgy characters.  The best of these is Anthony’s bilious but loving father played by the fantastic Frank Ashmore (The Lost Coat Tapes), an ever-magnetic screen underdog.

Come the end of the film, the Inception likeness pops up in a bittersweet but effectively grand finale accompanied by a Zimmer-esque piece of music. No matter what, it’s still a good end, better than the one they use, because here is a film that suffers from multiple ending syndrome. So many points present themselves and many would be suitable and great places to cap the tale, but Paniry goes for the one that is, if not pretentious, then dull in comparison to some of the other opportunities.< Extraction’s main issue is that it does seem a bit predisposed with trying to stay sharp and edgy, injecting moments of speed and action into an otherwise tame but thought-provoking affair. Overall it’s a fairly good go at the cerebral thriller genre, boring at points but still an enjoyable watch.

★★★☆☆

Scott Clark

Hammer of The Gods DVD Review

Rating:
18
DVD/BD Release Date:
2nd September 2013 (UK)
Director:
Farren Blackburn
Cast:
Charlie Bewley, Clive Standen, Elliot Cowan, James Cosmo
Buy:
Blu-ray / DVD
Win Hammer Of The Gods On DVD
Enter Here
If you can, try to sweep past the dull blasé action cover that adorns director Farren Blackburns feature debut, Hammer of Gods. To be honest don’t invest too much stock in the title either which, in its giant silver lettering, looks like the proud wrapping for a boy’s action figure. Past that, there’s a film here that ain’t half bad.

Prince Steinar (Charlie Bewley) is sent by his dying father to retrieve a long lost and ferocious brother who is likely to be apt in leading the Norse empire in its battle against the Saxons. However, conspiracy and the dangers of an alien land plague the Prince’s journey, forcing him and his band of warriors to fight for survival.

This is a Norse action epic, in the vein of Valhalla Rising, brutal and bloody and most of all gritty. The energy of the story and the frantic bloody nature of hand to hand combat is refreshing in an era where the gun is king. Though some of the fights can seem a little sloppy most of them are well choreographed bits of what-for courtesy of 871A.D.

Some decisions seem utterly preposterous, why someone thought each of Steinar’s warriors had to be introduced through giant gimmicky silver lettering is beyond me, you can almost hear Jimmy Hart chanting out the names as they pop up. In the same fight, a ridiculous amount of CGI lightening ripples the background, punctuating a sea of Norse ships preparing to land. It looks like a great Tekken arena, but is too much for a film that very quickly proves its heart is in basic, grounded action sans effects. That is, if you ignore the omnipresent, utterly evil CGI blood.

Excellent use of set and natural location ensures a steady tone and mood: brutal violence and fights, a grey pallatte, and some of the most beautiful scenery matched to the Norse world since Valhalla. Though the settings can sometimes be overbearing to the point where the film seems like an advert for a charming, if gruelling, hike in the Scottish highlands

Unfortunately Hammer of Gods goes on for far too long, but there is substance to the finale that proves the cuts could be made to the main body of the film where too much meandering across gloomy moors and mountain tops becomes inevitably dull. Some interesting characters punctuate the Prince’s journey: James Cosmo appears as the violence-craving Norse King, whilst Ivan Kaye pops up as a forbidding man-rapist named Ivar. Beyond these inductions, too much time is wasted on scenery and ultimately pointless scuffles.

A gritty, brutal, and surprisingly enjoyable action adventure in the vein of Valhalla Rising and Black Death, Hammer of Gods is worth a watch if you’re big on back-to-basics kinds of combat films. There’s plenty of things wrong with it, but enough is right to ensure an enjoyable watch.

★★★☆☆

Scott Clark