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blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 24th August 2009

UK DVD Releases 24-08-09

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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

In The Loop (Optimum): The directorial debut of Armando Iannucci is a marvellous political satire exploring the the inner mechanics of the ‘special relationship’ between London and Washington in the build up to a war in the Middle East.

The plot follows government officials and spin doctors in their behind-the-scenes efforts either to promote the war or prevent it. The cast is excellent with fine performances from Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison, Peter Capaldi, Anna Chlumsky, Gina McKee, Steve Coogan and David Rasche.

The hilarity of the comedy is only matched by the political savvy of Iannucci’s script which ultimately reveals some sad truths about the craven subservience of Tony Blair’s government to the Bush administration in the build up to the Iraq war.

Extras on the DVD include:

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Audio commentary with cast & director
  • Interview with Gina McKee & Chris Addison
  • Interview with Tom Hollander
  • Interview with Peter Capaldi
  • Interview with director Armando Ianucci
  • Script to Scene Comparison
  • Trailer
  • Webisodes

On Blu-ray the film is presented in 1080P Widescreen with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 PCM Stereo, English Audio Description and English HOH subtitles (film only). The disc is coded for Region B.

Shifty (Metrodome): A low budget urban thriller from writer/director Eran Creevy set on the outskirts of London, where it follows themes of friendship and loyalty over the course of 24 hours in the life of a young drug dealer, the charismatic “Shifty”.

is a new British film about a young drug dealer (Riz Ahmed) in a town just outside London who sees his life spiral out of control when his best friend (Daniel Mays) returns home.

Directed by Eran Creevy and co-starring Jason Flemyng and Francesca Annis, it was funded by Film London‘s Microwave scheme and shot in just 18 days.

Available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and a 2-disc HMV Exclusive DVD, the features are outlined below:

Disc 1 Extras

  • Commentary with Writer/Director Eran Creevy & Riz Ahmed (Shifty)
  • The Making of SHIFTY
  • Behind The Scenes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • ‘Shifty’ soundtrack by MC Riz, Sway & Plan B – music video
  • ‘Number One’ by Tinchy Stryder Ft. N-Dubz – music video (from the producers of Shifty)
  • Eran Creevy’s commercials
  • Shifty soundtrack sampler
  • Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2 Extras (HMV Exclusive)

  • Over 100 minutes of Extended Interviews with Cast & Crew
  • Riz Ahmed, Sway, Plan B: SHIFTY (Uncut Version)
  • Scene Storyboards – See How The Key Scenes Were Brought To Life By The Filmmakers
  • The Complete SHIFTY Script

The Blu-ray has the 1-Disc extras.

*Listen to my interview with Eran Creevy and Daniel Mays*

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ALSO OUT

13: Game of Death (Revolver)
All the Right Noises (BFI)
Delta (ICA)
East of Ipswich (2 Entertain)
From Within (E1 Entertainment)
Herostratus (BFI)
I Love You, Man (Paramount)
Ichi (Manga)
It Ain’t Half Hot Mum Series 7 (2 Entertain)
Man of Violence (aka Moon) (BFI)
Naruto Unleashed Series 7 Part 1 (Manga)
New Tricks Series 5 (Acorn)
Nous ne Vieillirons Pas Ensemble (Eureka/Masters of Cinema)
One Last Thing (Fremantle)
Passe ton bac d’abord (Eureka/Masters of Cinema)
Race to Witch Mountain (Disney)
Three Men in a Boat (2 Entertain)

> Browse more DVD Releases at Amazon UK and Play
> Check the latest DVD prices at DVD Price Check
> Take a look at the current UK cinema releases (W/C Friday 21st August)

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 24th April 2009

UK Cinema Releases 24-04-09

NATIONAL RELEASES

State Of Play (Universal): Based on the BBC mini-series of the same title, the action has been relocated to Washington DC, where two investigative reporters (Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams) in Washington uncover murky goings on when a congressman (Ben Affleck) becomes involved in a scandal involving infidelity and murder. Although there are a few problems in compressing the excellence of the original series into a 2 hour film, director Kevin McDonald does largely deliver the goods and has crafted a highly watchable thriller with a fine (if underused) supporting cast including Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright Penn and Jeff Daniels [Empire Leicester Sq. & Nationwide / Cert 12A]

Observe And Report (Warner Bros): A dark comedy vehicle for Seth Rogen which sees him play a mall security guard who has to deal with a mysterious flasher who has started to ruin every one’s shopping experience. Directed by Jody Hill, who made The Foot Fist Way, it deserves credit for trying to do something different but ends up as a strange, unfunny mess. The set-pieces never catch fire and the whole thing is riddled with a cheap hatred for its one- dimesional caricatures. A decent supporting cast including Anna Faris, Ray Liotta and Michael Peña is largely wasted, with the exception of Danny McBride as a ‘Caucasian Crackhead’. [Vue West End & Nationwide / Cert 15]

Outlander (Momentum Pictures): A period sci-fi film (how about that for a hybrid genre?) set during the reign of the Vikings which sees a man from a far-off world (Jim Caviezel) crash land on Earth with an alien predator known as the Moorwen. Directed by Howard McCain, it co-stars Sophia Myles, Jack Huston, Ron Perlman and John Hurt. [Odeons Greenwich, Whiteleys, Vues Islington, West End & Nationwide / Cert 15]

The Uninvited (Paramount): Yet another US remake of an Asian horror film, the story is about a woman (Emily Browning) who returns home to her sister after a spell in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother, aloof father and the presence of a ghost in their home. Directed by Charles Guard and Thomas Guard, it also stars Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn. [Nationwide / Cert 15]

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IN SELECTED RELEASE

UK Selected Releases 24-04-09

Encounters At The End Of The World (Revolver Entertainment): The latest film from Werner Herzog is a remarkable documentary which sees the German director and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger go to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there. It is almost an antidote to March of the Penguins, with some marvellous observations and meditations set alongside some fascinating footage of the continent at the bottom of the world. [Odeon Covent Gdn, Phoenix, Renoir & Key Cities / Cert 15]

Shifty (Metrodome): A new British film about a young drug dealer (Riz Ahmed) in a town just outside London who sees his life spiral out of control when his best friend (Daniel Mays) returns home. Directed by Eran Creevy and co-starring Jason Flemyng and Francesca Annis, it was funded by Film London’s Microwave scheme and shot in just 18 days. [Cineworld Haymarket, Curzon Soho & Nationwide / Cert 15]

* Listen to my interview with Eran Creevy and Daniel Mays *

FAQ About Time Travel (Lionsgate UK): A new British comedy about three men trying to navigate a time-travel conundrum. Directed by Gareth Carrivick from a script by Jamie Mathieson, it stars Anna Faris, Chris O’Dowd, Marc Wootton and Dean Lennox Kelly. [Vue West End & Key Cities / Cert 15]

From Russia With Love (Park Circus): The second James Bond with Sean Connery as the 007, gets a re-release by Park Circus. Directed by Terence Young it is based on the 1957 novel by Ian Fleming and sees Bond sent to assist in the defection of Corporal Tatiana Romanova in Turkey, where SPECTRE plans to avenge the killing of Dr. No. [BFI Southbank & Nationwide / Cert PG]

The Grocer’s Son (ICA Films): A French film about a young man returning to his home village, only to come into conflict with his brother and father. Directed by Eric Guirado and starring Nicolas Cazalé and Clotilde Hesme. [ICA Cinema, Odeon Panton St., & Key Cities / Cert 12A]

City Rats (Revolver Entertainment): Another British film with Danny Dyer    (shall I stop now?) which explores different characters in London, Tamer Hassan and Susan Lynch. [Apollo Piccadilly / Cert 18]

> Check out the UK cinema releases for April 2009
> Our latest DVD picks (W/C Monday 20th April)

Categories
Cinema Interviews Podcast

Interview: Eran Creevy and Daniel Mays on Shifty

shifty-poster

Shifty is a new British film about a young drug dealer (Riz Ahmed) in a town just outside London who sees his life spiral out of control when his best friend (Daniel Mays) returns home.

Directed by Eran Creevy and co-starring Jason Flemyng and Francesca Annis, it was funded by Film London‘s Microwave scheme and shot in just 18 days.

I recently spoke with Eran and Daniel in London and we discussed the film and how it got made.

Listen to the interview here:

[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/Eran_Creevy_and_Daniel_Mays_on_Shifty.mp3]

You can download this interview as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here

 

Shifty is out at selected UK cinemas from Friday

> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> Eran Creevy and Daniel Mays at the IMDb
> Official site for Shifty
> Find out more about the Film London microwave scheme